Courage in Competition

LUKE BONTE
St. Francis football

Why he won: A varsity football player and wrestler, Luke was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma after he collapsed during a football practice in August 2017. Finding it hard to perform tasks like getting out of bed, he fought the disease — making 11 months of hospital trips — and "courageously did everything possible to play football in his senior year of high school," athletic director Chris Lindquist wrote.

What he said: Bonte said the ceremony Tuesday was one of the first times he really reflected on his journey the past couple years. "This award means I achieved the goals I set for myself back when I was maybe not feeling the best, when the light days, they weren't even in sight for me," he said. "It's just nice that I achieved that goal and persevered through all the tough times."