CLHS honors 4x4 Athlete Award winners

(Left) 2019-20 4x4 winners included (L-R): Connor O’Tool, Mitchell Raber, and Julia Merfeld.  Sara Faber was unavailable for the photo.

(Right) 2020-21 4x4 winners included PJ Feuerbach (left) and Chelsey Holck.-Reporter photos by Chris Barragy

 Clear Lake High School recognized 4x4 Athlete Award winners from 2019-20 and 2020-2021 at the basketball games on Friday, Dec. 17.     To achieve this accomplishment, a student athlete needs to participate in four sports in each of their four years at Clear Lake High School. The athletes received a trophy signifying their achievement.  They also received a picture plaque compliments of Bio Securities.  

The 2019-20 winners were Julia Merfeld, Mitchell Raber, Connor O’Tool and Sara Faber.  

Merfeld is the daughter of Bob and Jennifer Merfeld.  She competed in softball, earning All-Conference and All-State honors; volleyball, earning All-Conference honors; basketball, earning All-Conference and the Iowa Bankers Association Student Athlete Achievement Award at the 2020 State Basketball Tournament.  She also participated in soccer, tennis and track.  She received 17 varsity letters over the course of her time at CLHS.  She currently attends DMACC for environmental science.

Raber is the son of Tim and Andrea Raber.  He participated in baseball, basketball, track and football.  He also participated in one year of cross country and two years of choir.  He earned 10 varsity letters in his time at CLHS.  He attends the University of Northern Iowa for business administration.

O’Tool is the son of Don and Angela O’Tool.  He participated in track, soccer, wrestling and baseball.  He was a member of the 2019 North Central Conference Wrestling Championship team and was the team captain his senior year.  In baseball he was named the 2019 Team Defensive MVP player as a catcher.  In 2020 he was named to the NCC All-Conference Third Team.  In football he earned the 2019 Class 2A District 3 First Team All-District Linebacker.  In addition to sports, he participated in Concert Band, Marching Band, Concert Choir and Chamber Choir.  He graduated from NIACC in May with a coaching certification and a welding diploma.  He is presently employed as an aluminum welder for RYCO in Clear Lake.

Faber was unable to attend the award presentation because she plays for Wartburg College women’s basketball team.  She will be honored at halftime on Jan. 21 at the home basketball games.

The 2020-21 award winners were PJ Feuerbach and Chelsey Holck.

Feuerbach is the son of AJ and Jamie Feuerbach.  While in high school PJ participated in baseball, football, basketball and track.  He earned 11 letters while at CLHS.  He was named 2nd Team All-Conference in baseball and All-District Honorable Mention in football.  He was a State tournament qualifier in basketball and earned fifth place as a member of the Shuttle Hurdle team at the State Track Meet.  Outside of sports, he was an All-State Choir singer, a member of the National Honor Society, a member of Student Council and achieved All-State Academic honors in each of his four sports.  He is currently attending Mount Mercy University where he is playing baseball, singing in the choir and working on his major in Pre-Dentristy.  Following his four years at Mount Mercy he will attend the University of Iowa Dental School.

Holck is the daughter of Mark and Jodi Holck.  She participated in volleyball, basketball, soccer and softball.  She earned a total of 13 varsity letters while attending CLHS.  She earned First Team All-Conference recognition in Basketball and Second Team All-Conference honors in softball.  She was chosen as the Outstanding Female Athlete for the Globe Gazette Star Class her senior year.  For basketball she was chosen to play in the Senior All-Star game for Class 3A.  She currently attends NIACC for business.  She is also a member of the women’s basketball team.