This is part two in a two-part series highlighting the Triple A Winners from ACGC. Check out part one for our interview with Micah Morrison.
Each school year, The Minnesota State High School League recognizes students from across the state who go above and beyond in all aspects of their school participation. 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 League-sponsored athletic and fine arts activities.
Triple ‘A’ Award recipients are selected through a multi-level process involving member schools of the League, the League’s administrative regions, and a special committee of educators, business leaders, and members from the fine arts and athletic communities.
For the 2025-26 school year, ACGC was proud to nominate Quinn Eisenbacher and Micah Morrison, who were selected as the candidates at the Region 5A, District 20 Triple “A” Awards Banquet. The banquet honors two students—one female and one male—from each of the ten schools in District 20 for their outstanding accomplishments in Academics, Arts, and Athletics.
We were especially excited that Quinn Eisenbacher was selected as the District 20 Female Winner and then went on to win the MSHSL Section 5A Triple ‘A’ Female Award advancing to the State competition with results being shared in March of 2026.
We wanted to connect with the ACGC nominees to ask a bit more about their experiences and get their perspective about the award and their time in our schools. The responses have been edited for content and clarity.
Quinn Eisenbacher
Triple A is all about Academics, Arts, and Athletics, how have you been involved in these areas as a student at ACGC?
I have consistently been involved in theater, choir, band, track and field, basketball, student council, national honor society, and robotics. Along with all that, I have kept my grades high, having been on the straight A honor roll for my whole high school career.
Who are some teachers or coaches that have made an impact on you during your time in school?
The coach who has made the most impact on me has been my basketball coach, Jacklyn Frericks. She has always pushed me to work my hardest on the court while supporting me in all the things I do off the court. All of my teachers have helped me in some way so it’s a bit hard to choose one but the two I think have pushed me the most would be Mrs. Johnson and Mr. Hagstrom. Both of them have given me the motivation and drive that it has taken to receive this award and to move forward, striving for more.
Why is it important to get involved in activities as a student?
Being involved in many different activities gives a person a very rounded perspective on not only their own life but also the lives of those around them, especially since you are around many different kinds of people. Not only does being involved give a rounded perspective but it also gives a rounded set of skills in many different areas.
From any sport you may take discipline or communication, from robotics you take trial and error, and from arts you gain confidence and patience. It is important to have these experiences to learn from as well because you never know how much you’ll end up enjoying something until you get into it.
What is great about being an ACGC Falcon?
The best thing about being an ACGC Falcon is that I have the opportunity to do many things all at the same time. I can do basketball, one act, and robotics all at the same time and it all works out even if it’s stressful. Larger schools don’t often give those opportunities, so I am grateful to come from a school where it is possible and encouraged.
What are your plans for after high school?
My plans after high school are to go to college at Luther in Decorah, Iowa, to study for a music education degree.
Anything else people should know about what it is like to be a student at ACGC?
It is a bit challenging to be a Falcon at times as almost everyone knows who everyone is, but it all works out in the end, and I ended up making really good friends out of it!
Having the chance to not only be our schools representative and our sub-region’s representative for the Triple A award, but also the region 5A representative has been an amazing experience. It is such an honor to continue moving forward and to get to see all the other students who have put their best foot forward and continued to work hard to get to this point. Getting to stand among them fills me with pride and the knowledge that everything that I have worked for, even the background stuff, is getting seen for the first time in years. The banquets that I have attended have been nerve racking but also a ton of fun! I am excited for the next experience and can’t wait to see what it brings me.