Bechtold and Demars are 2025 Triple A Award Recipients

Saint John’s Prep School Students Earn AAA Award

Collegeville, MN:  Seniors Sylvie Bechtold and Michael DeMars are the 2024-25 Saint John’s Prep recipients of the “Triple A (Academics, Arts and Athletics) Award” by the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL). According to the MSHSL, the purpose of this program is to recognize and honor high school seniors who have excelled in the classroom, on the athletic field, and in the fine arts. The two will be honored at the Section 5A Triple A Award Banquet on January 15 in Paynesville.

Sylvie Bechtold

Sylvie is the daughter of Kay and Gary Bechtold of St. Joseph. Sylvie is the captain of the varsity basketball team, and varsity cross-country team. She runs distance events for the track and field team and received the team’s Leadership Award in 2024. Sylvie is the Character Branch Leader for the National Honor Society and a Writing Center tutor. Sylvie is an accomplished painter, designer, and illustrator who had had work published in the Prep literary magazine, the Triangle. She also shows her work at area festivals including the Millstream Art Fail.

Sylvie is not sure of her major in college yet, but she plans pursue classes that combine her interests in both science and art that will eventually support her efforts to attend medical school. “Art has helped me bring creative perspectives to other academic subjects. For example, I studied human anatomy to paint an Italian Renaissance-style self-portrait for my Honors Capstone project.”

Michael DeMars

Michael is the son of Amanda and Dan Demars of Sauk Rapids. Michael is the captain of the varsity basketball team, and the varsity soccer team. In the off-season he plays soccer and takes part in a Michael is an experienced ceramicist who also creates artwork with digital photography and drawing.

Michael plans to attend college in the fall and will major in some type of engineering. He believes that participation in athletics and the arts fosters the development of valuable skills that will help him in college and his career.

“I really love to create ceramics pieces. There are a lot of creative opportunity in each piece, and I can create whatever I feel like making. Creating art helps you improve your critical thinking and creativity. In my case arts have helped me improve my skills that will help me with my engineering career.”

Awards Banquet

Both Sylvie and Michael will be honored at the MSHSL Section 5A Triple A Award Banquet in Paynesville on Wednesday. Each will give a short speech and share details about their academic, athletic, and artistic accomplishments. Two Section 5A award recipients will be selected to move forward to the regional banquet. The MSHSL awards two statewide scholarships to young people each year.

Criteria for the Triple A Award include: exhibiting citizenship characteristics and be a respected individual in their home communities and school, have participated in a MSHSL-sponsored athletic program and fine arts activity, maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and comply with the MSHSL’s Student Code of Conduct.