On November 12th, the Cannon Falls Volleyball team won the State tournament. For one player, this was the second major accomplishment in two weeks. Kyra Schoenfelder, a senior, was named a winner of the Heisman High School award. The results of the award were released on November 2nd, when she was announced as the winner for Cannon Falls High School. 

The Heisman High School Scholarship award was created in 1994 as a way to recognize high school student-athletes that show qualities of diligence, perseverance, and hard work both in school and for sports. In order to qualify for the award there are three requirements: a minimum 3.0 GPA, participation in a sport in high school, and leading in school and in the community. Schoenfelder showed all of these qualities in her high school career. Melissa Huseth, head coach of the Cannon Falls High School Volleyball team, noted how Kyra displayed all these traits: “Kyra puts 100% into whatever she does and manages so many activities while at the same time she is a positive and kind person.  Kyra utilizes her time so well, [I] often find her studying alone in the cafeteria before school or after school.” Her work ethic and positive attitude led to her being selected for the award as well as a State Championship in volleyball while still being a good person to be around. Coach Huseth also noted even with all of her success, “Kyra is a good teammate who is unselfish and doesn’t need the accolades to push her to do her best every day.”

Applications for the award were due on October 20th, which was followed by two weeks of waiting for the results of the award, a tense time for Kyra. However, the announcement of her victory relieved any anxieties. She explained, “I was surprised I won the award, but I was also relieved because I remember feeling very nervous after I submitted the application I spent numerous hours on.” After being selected at the school level, Kyra was then eligible for the state award which was announced on November 4th. Winners at the state level would receive a scholarship of $1,000. While Kyra was not selected, she was still glad to be recognized at the school level saying “I am very proud of myself for winning the Heisman High School Award as I think it honors the hard work I have put into both school and sports.”