Class of 1982 - Gymnastics
It’s a great accomplishment to be a member of a state championship team. It’s an incredible accomplishment to be a member of a state championship team three years in a row. And to be the star athlete and leader of those three teams is the most rare of feats. Arguably the greatest female gymnast in Nicolet history, AJ Greene was the driving force of the girls’ gymnastics team during its three-year state title run in 1980, 1981, and 1982. To win at the highest level in any sport, a team needs a collection of talented individuals. In fact, a Milwaukee Sentinel article from the time highlighted the team philosophy of “WE’RE OKAY or we are all going down together” and elaborated about their collective will to succeed as a team. However, to win at that exceptional level for a multi-year span, a team also needs an elite performer. Greene was that athlete. The Individual State All-Around Champion (best overall performer in all events) as a junior, she also won the Individual State Championship in Vaulting that year. She followed that up her senior season with her second consecutive title in Vaulting. For her efforts she was awarded the Glenn Kukla Scholarship her senior year. Naturally gifted, Greene’s dedication to her craft set her apart from all others in her individual performances. And her leadership of her teammates helped carry them all to the most successful three-year run in gymnastics in school history. After graduation, AJ went on to compete in the Big Ten at the University of Iowa.