By Adam Knoll
Sports correspondent
Whitewater High School senior Brett Harms is among the state’s top 2014 scholar athletes determined by the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.
To qualify for the award, an athlete must hold more than four varsity letters and a grade point average higher than 3.5. Harms holds a 3.8 GPA and an impressive nine varsity letters. He has won five Most Valuable Player awards during his career at WHS, three in cross country and two more in basketball and track, respectively.
The award is quite an honor considering that the 32 finalists were chosen from a total of 825 high school seniors nominated.
Harms, who recently finished his senior season in basketball, averaged 7.4 points per game while helping the team become more respected around the conference.
“(Brett) is the same kid each practice and game,” WHS boys basketball coach Dan Gnatzig said. “He is a very quiet leader and leads by example. I don’t think he missed any practices or games in four years.”
This is a common thread in talking to all of his coaches, including Chad Carstens, Harms’ cross country coach for the past four years.
“Brett is a very mild-mannered kid. He doesn’t have high-highs and low-lows,” Carstens explained. “He is extremely coachable and willing to do what it takes to improve himself. Rarely has he allowed an outside competitor to get inside his head but when he does, it will motivate and drive him to another level.”
Though Harms is unquestionably a gifted athlete, it is the way he handles his studies as well as other obligations that stands out.
“He definitely does a great job managing his time. He earns his 3.8 GPA,” Gnatzig said.
Carstens agreed.
“Brett has never had a season off from athletics in his high school career. He is very passionate about his athletic career so in turn he is very diligent about his academic career making sure he has time for both,” Carstens said.
Carstens and Harms’ mom, Judy Harms, who is also the WHS girls basketball coach, accompanied him when he received his award May 4.
Judy Harms agrees that her son has a calm presence about him but is also determined.
“Brett is a mild mannered student-athlete who exhibits a hard work ethic – always focused and goal driven,” Judy Harms said. She also credited the support her son has had along the way. “The coaching staff and alumni support has been phenomenal.”
Those who know Brett made it clear that he is viewed as a leader, has high integrity and is very humble.
“His greatest leadership quality is how he approaches the process of being good,” Gnatzig said. “He is coachable and committed to getting better. He leads by example in practices, competitions and at school.”
“(Brett) is punctual and prepared and models the behavior of a champion, in turn making him a champion many times over in his career at WHS,” Carstens said.
“He is extremely humble and at times I think I got a bit more excited about an achievement for him than he would,” Carstens added.
Nearing the end of his senior year at WHS, Harms plans to attend the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater next year and will focus mainly on track.
When asked how Brett might adjust to the next step in his life, his mother is certain that he is well prepared.
“Brett is realistic about his future. UW-Whitewater has been a second family to us, with Gary (Brett’s dad) working there his entire professional career. Mix that with Brett’s aspirations to continue running while earning a business degree, it’s a perfect fit for him. I believe his transition to college will be smooth,” Judy Harms said.
Carstens agreed, saying, “Brett’s transition to UW-Whitewater will be seamless. Having been coached in college by Jeff Miller myself, I obviously have been molded by that to some degree and he will simply see that when he starts there in the fall. The intensity and training volume will simply be increased.”
For Brett and his family the award is humbling.
“As parents,” Judy Harms said, “we are extremely proud of him being named a WIAA scholar-athlete, and are thankful to be surrounded by so many excellent teachers, coaches, and friends.”
While it’s important to appreciate what others have done to support him the past four years, Brett has ultimately been in control of his own destiny.
And has proven himself on and off the field, time and time again.
