Nathaniel Clore, left, and Grace Niebuhr, were recently named as the Triple A Award recipients at United South Central High School. The award stands for excelling in academics, arts and athletics.

The Academics, Arts, and Athletics Award, commonly known as the Triple ‘A’ Award, honors high school seniors throughout the state who have a 3.0 or higher grade point average and who participate in Minnesota State High School League-sponsored athletic and fine arts activities.

Winning the Triple A Award for United South Central High School this year are Grace Niebuhr and Nathaniel Clore.

While both students have participated in a number of activities, it is their willingness to go that extra mile which sets them apart from others.

Niebuhr is the daughter of Todd Niebuhr and Sharon Parriott. She has one older sister who attends college at the University of Hawaii.

Clore is the son of David and Edna Clore. He has a younger sister, Julianna, who is in eighth grade.

Niebuhr’s athletic activities include golf, which she has participated in since the eighth grade. She lettered each year except for her ninth grade year when the golf season was cancelled due to COVID.

Niebuhr has excelled as a member of USC’s trap shooting team where she has had the top score for females.

Her athletic activities have not been limited to school-sponsored sports. She has also been involved in archery and trap shooting for her 4-H club.

She has done well in academics and has been on either the All A Honor Roll or the A Honor Roll since her seventh grade year. As a sophomore, Niebuhr was the only member of her class inducted into the National Honor Society.

Niebuhr also was named to the All-State Academic team for golf as a 10th grader. She also received the Renaissance Academic Excellence medal as a sophomore and the Renaissance Academic Excellence Lantern award.

When it comes to the arts, she plays trumpet and has been a band member since sixth grade. She has been in many honor bands over the years including the Gopher Conference Honor Band and the Mankato Honor Band.

Niebuhr has been the section leader for the USC trumpets for both her junior and senior years. She is also a member of the newly created jazz band at USC and has played piano since second grade and plays at her local church.

She has participated at contests as a soloist and in ensembles and received an excellent rating as a sophomore and a superior rating as a junior.

Niebuhr has taken visual art classes at USC as a junior and senior and received a superior rating for one of her paintings.

She has also been involved in the drama department as a member of the crew and helped build and design the sets for USC’s recent production of “Beauty and the Beast.”

Last summer she was able to take part in a pre-college experience at Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida.

Perhaps then, it should come as no surprise when asked what she likes to do when she is not busy with her many activities and Niebuhr replies, “Sleep.”

Clore also has a long list of accomplishments and activities he has been involved in.

He lettered as a member of USC’s football team his sophomore, junior and senior years where he was a wide receiver on offense and a defensive back on defense. He was named to the Academic All-Conference team all three years.

He has also been on the USC basketball team throughout his high school years.

He played baseball his freshman year at USC and has been on the Wells Legion baseball team since ninth grade.

He ran track his sophomore and junior years and achieved all-conference honors as a member of the 4 x 400 meter relay team his 10th grade year. He has also been a Section participant in the 4 x 100 and 4 x 200 meter relays and the 200 meter dash. He achieved Academic All-State honors both years.

“I plan on being in both baseball and track this year,” Clore says.

The senior boy recipient of the Triple A award has excelled in the classroom where he is ranked No. 1 academically in his grade. He achieved a score of 34 on his ACT test and carries a 4.0 grade point average. He has received the same Renaissance awards as Niebuhr.

His involvement in the arts comes primarily as a member of the USC band where he is a tenor sax player.

He was the band vice president his sophomore and junior years and is the president his senior year.

As a junior, Clore received a superior rating for his tenor sax solo and as a member of a sax ensemble.

He is a three-time member of the Gopher Conference Honor Band and a member of the Minnesota State Honor Band his junior and senior years.

Clore lettered in robotics his ninth grade year. That same year he also had a lead role in USC’s production of Aladdin, Jr.

While Niebuhr and Clore stay busy in a wide variety of activities, it has been important to each of these two students to be examples for younger kids.

“I am part of the Little Rebel/Big Rebel mentoring program and have been for four years,” Clore explains. “It is fun to see the growth and development of the kids I work with. This year I worked with a fourth grader who was not turning in his homework, and now he is.”

Niebuhr also is thankful for the chance to work with younger kids, whether it is as a camp counselor (another of her activities) or helping out newcomers to the drama program.

“Being older has taught me what to look for when I am teaching younger people the ropes,” she says. “I’ve taught a seventh grader how to use a drill while building a set for a play and I’ve had the opportunity to help younger students to play their instruments better.”

Niebuhr and Clore both credit the USC staff in helping them develop and grow into leadership roles.

“Being here at USC has taught me to be a leader and to get things done by working with others,” Niebuhr comments. “You learn to work together for the greater good because it is not about any one individual.”

Clore shared he has had the opportunity to be a leader in sports.

“We had a change in football coaches this year and as a captain I took on the responsibility of making sure kids got into the weight room and were participating in the seven on seven practices,” Clore explains. “Even in basketball, where I don’t play as much, I can be an example for how younger athletes should act when they are not playing.”

Niebuhr mentions there are other advantages to being active and involved in a number of activities.

“It is a great way to meet new people and make new friends,” she says. “Often, you will connect with people you thought you had nothing in common with. I stay involved so I am always busy and never bored. It is a way to help you grow as a person.”

Both students are proud to be graduating from USC.

“It is a very inviting group of kids at USC and they give a community feel to the school,” Clore comments. “The people living in the various communities follow us and when they see our names in the paper, they will let us know.”

“And you get to know all of the teachers and can build relationships with them,” Niebuhr adds.

With their senior year winding down, both Niebuhr and Clore have their college plans in place.

“I will be attending the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric and Earth Science in Miami, Florida,” Niebuhr shares. “I will be majoring in marine biology and ecology.”

While Niebuhr might be escaping to warmer climates, Clore will be staying closer to home.

“I will be attending the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities,” Clore says. “I will be taking agricultural and business management classes with the intent of being involved in agronomy with ag sales.”

While neither student may know for sure where they will end up in the future, one thing is certain: Niebuhr and Clore have each left their mark at USC, and USC has left its mark on them.