WAUSAU, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) -- Marc Sippel of Wausau West has lettered in four sports. Picking his favorite is easy.

“I like to say my favorite sport is whatever season I’m in,” said Sippel.

During the winter, hockey is Marc’s passion. His coach, and opposing coaches know what a force Marc is on the ice.

 

 

“He scores goals. He gets the assists. He makes the tough plays. When you talk to coaches around the state that have to play against us, he’s certainly somebody they have to game plan for,” said Wausau West hockey coach Brian Brandt Jr.

Marc carries a 4.0 grade point average. His football coach believes that his intelligence and drive to succeed are what makes him special.

“He plays sideline to sideline really well. On top of that, he uses his brain and he watches as much film as any player I’ve ever coached,” said head football coach Jason Foster.

“You find the kids that are strong in math and science can handle a lot of different variables, pun intended, and don’t struggle with things when they get difficult,” said Brandt Jr.

This past fall, Marc received the Win Brockmeyer award for his accomplishments on and off the football field. It’s given to the most outstanding senior football player in the greater Wausau area.

“It felt amazing. I’m just thankful for everyone who helped me to get there and for the opportunity to be able to be recognized with an award that so many other great football players have won,” said Sippel.

 

 

Marc points to his parents and the Wausau community for guiding him along the way. There’s also another person Marc gives special credit to, his older brother Sam.

“He’s influenced pretty much everything I’ve done in my life. I really look up to him as I make decisions,” said Sippel.

The Sippel brothers played sports together in high school for two years before Sam graduated. They share a special bond.

“The night of the Brockmeyer award…his brother goes to Stout, and his brother was home,” said Foster.

“He just had a surgery on his labrum so he had to sleep on the couch with his ice machine for a few nights,” continued Sippel.

“Eighteen year old senior in high school Marc, pulled his sleeping bag out into the living room and slept on the floor next to his brother,” said Foster.

“I pulled up on the floor and was sleeping there, helping him put his socks on and all that stuff that he’s milking right now,” said Sippel.

Sam influenced Marc in sports and also sparked his interest in engineering. After graduation, Marc will attend Michigan Tech to play football and pursue civil engineering. His teachers see a bright future ahead.

 

 

 

“It’s the total package that really sets him apart as somebody that’s deserving of all the awards and all the accolades that come to him. He is truly a special person,” said Theran Peterson, Marc’s Technology and Engineering teacher.

Outside of school and sports, Marc also participates in Project Unify which connects Marc to students with special needs.

“We’re very inclusive of our special needs population at Wausau West. Part of our Project Unify group is to involve them in everyday high school activities. It’s nice to be able to have them as friends and see them in the hallway and give them a high five,” said Sippel.

“It comes very natural to him. You can tell it’s not made up. It’s not fake. It’s important to him and he just does a great job with it. He’s so good on so many different levels. I’m just really proud of him,” said Foster.