Each school year, a top female senior and a top male senior who excel in academics, athletics and the arts are selected as the district’s Triple A winners. This year, Fairmont Area Schools gave the honor to Sydney Hainy and Dan Reiter.

Hainy and Reiter were selected from a pool of their 140 classmates. The selection is made by a committee comprised of teachers and guidance counselors at the school. The students were recently told they had been named by activities director Mat Mahoney.

Triple A doesn’t just look at where you’re sitting at your senior year, but looks back on your entire high school career. Both Hainy and Reiter have impressive resumes, with a long list of activities and achievements.

When it come to athletics, Hainy, who is the daughter of Cory and Christina, has participated in softball and tennis throughout her four years of high school. She also has played basketball and was on the dance team for several years.

Reiter, who is the son of Mark and Ilene, was a three-sport athlete throughout much of high school, playing basketball, football and baseball until 10th grade. Now, he’s on the football and baseball teams. Reiter was named an all-district cornerback this past fall and played in the Class AAA state football championship game.

As for academics, Hainy and Reiter are in many of the same classes. They’ve also maintained staying on the highest honor roll throughout high school.

Classes Hainy’s taken include calculus 2, physics, physiology and composition 1. Hainy prefers math and art classes.

“I’d probably say my hardest class was in 10th grade when I took AP U.S. History,” Hainy recalled.

Hainy also has been editor of the school yearbook for the past two years. She is in math league and has been in knowledge bowl in the past.

Reiter has taken calculus 2, physics, anatomy, physiology and composition 1. He’s mostly interested in science and math classes.

“I’m taking Principles of Flight. I’ve been really interested in that,” Reiter said of the new aviation class taught by Jerry Brooks.

Reiter also is doing the Mayo job shadow program through the high school.

Both Hainy and Reiter are members of Project Trust, a peer education program.

The two students have been in band since 5th grade and they’ve both played the trumpet all eight years. They’ve also both been section leaders for marching band. Hainy has had two superiors ratings at contest.

“I’ve been in speech since 7th grade and I went to state in 9th grade,” Hainy said, explaining that she went to state in duo, but typically does humorous as her main category.

Hainy also has been in the school musical every year since 9th grade, either playing in the pit or performing on stage. This past fall she played Miss Hannigan in “Annie.” She was cast in the spring play in 9th, 10th and 11th grade.

When it comes to work outside of school, in the summer, Hainy is a lifeguard at the Fairmont Aquatic Park and also has a paper route for the Fairmont Sentinel. Reiter helps get the fields ready for baseball and softball games.

As for what’s next, Reiter is deciding between three different colleges.

“I have so many interests so it’s hard to pick just one, but I hope to go into math or something science-related or possibly medical,” Reiter said.

“I’m going to the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities and I’m going to major in architecture and then I’ll have to go to grad school after that if I don’t change my major,” Hainy said.

Hainy and Reiter will be recognized at a home basketball game in the near future. They’ll need to fill out an application and turn in that along with a letter of recommendation to the MSHSL to see if they go on further to be named a Triple A sub-section winner.

Triple A winners from other area schools include:

q Callie Stevermer from Blue Earth Area High School.

q Rachel Stauter from Granada-Huntley- East Chain School.

q Lydia Studer and Clay Gieseke from Truman School District.

q Alyssa Williamson and Carson Kahler from Martin County West School.