RIVER FALLS — UWRF senior defensive back Aaron Borgerding, a Spring Valley native, is being recognized for on field and off field excellence through a semifinalist selection for the William V. Campbell Trophy.

The award goes to the best scholar-athlete in the nation that displays academic success, leadership and football performance. Finalists are announced Oct. 23 and receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. The finalists head to the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Dec. 10 where the winner is declared and the scholarship is increased to $25,000.

To be eligible, student-athletes must be a senior in their final year of eligibility or a graduate student/transfer that has already earned a degree, have a GPA of 3.2 or better, be a starter or key player for their team and showcase leadership.

“Something that kind of reflects on my athletic career and a little bit outside of athletics,” Borgerding said. “Just honored to be in the running for this prestigious award.”

For Borgerding, on-field play is important, but it is just as important to do everything he can off the field.

“We’re all student athletes, so we have to do both,” Borgerding said.

Spring Valley has meant a lot to Borgerding, as he represents the area each time he takes the field.

“Being from Spring Valley, it’s a small town, so it’s kind of cool to be able to come from that small town and just being on a little bit bigger of a stage now and still representing my roots,” Borgerding said.

Borgerding has carved a role for himself with the Falcons, with over 200 career total tackles and nine interceptions.

“It’s always really fun to watch these guys go on and do great things,” Spring Valley Head Coach Ryan Kapping said. “Hopefully we had a part of it, but knowing that’s a lot about the kid too.”

Kapping coached Borgerding in high school and recalled a game that showed his ability and character. Kapping said Borgerding took over at starting quarterback as a sophomore, and right from the jump showed what he can do. Kapping mentioned a game against Mondovi in his first year as a starter where the Cardinals struggled their way into overtime, but Borgerding showed his toughness on a big run to secure the win.

“At that point we sort of knew he was going to be a pretty special player for the next few years,” Kapping said.

Borgerding had a lot of success leading Spring Valley, bringing on some lengthy playoff runs and winning offensive and defensive conference player of the year in the Dunn-St. Croix.

“Just a pretty special kid that spent a lot of time watching film, spent a lot of time with the offensive coaches,” Kapping said. “He was one of those kids who was just sort of like a coach on the field.”

River Falls is in the midst of an important season, starting 4-1 with three games scoring 66 or more points. Borgerding said this is something the senior class has talked about and are determined to do everything to make their last year a memorable one.

“It’s something that we’ve been working for for four, some of us five years,” Borgerding said. “Leave a legacy at River Falls.”

Borgerding said the transition from high school football to college is one that brings many challenges both on and off the field. He advised anyone looking to take on the challenge to keep working through it to get where they want to be.

“It’s kind of a big change. Every decision you have to make is pretty much on your own for the most part,” Borgerding said. “The biggest thing is just trust the process. It’s going to take time, you’re going to have to work at things and you’re going to have to hold yourself accountable.”