Andrew Shea, a member of the Minnewaska Area Class of 1998, is among the selections for the MAHS Hall of Fame.  Here is some information about him provided by the school.

Andrew Shea, an accomplished multi-sport athlete, was one of the most physically-gifted athletes to compete at MAHS.

Andrew was probably best known for his accomplishments on the gridiron. His strong arm, running ability and leadership skills helped him to become one of the best quarterbacks in school history. In Andrew’s junior and senior years, he was named All-Conference. During his senior year, he was named team MVP and Best Offensive Player. 

He completed 94 passes for 1,181 yards with a 51 percent completion percentage. He finished the season with six touchdown passes and five rushing touchdowns.

Andrew still holds the MAHS records for most passing attempts in a season (184), most career passing attempts (509), most career completions (237), most career passing yards (3,074) and the longest touchdown pass (80) yards. 

Andrew’s head football coach, Steve Hills, recently said of Andrew, “It was a real honor to coach Andrew Shea in football. He was one of the best players in the history of Minnewaska football. He was a very talented quarterback; great arm, outstanding runner. He could create a big play if we needed one. Andrew was also a great leader by the way he approached the game and the way he interacted with his teammates. He had a lot of fun playing football, and that made it a lot of fun for everybody around him, including me. Congratulations Andrew. Nobody deserves it more!”

Andrew was recruited by many Division 1 colleges. Ultimately, he chose to take his talents to Minnesota State University at Mankato where he was a two-year starter for the Mavericks.  During Andrew’s senior season, he completed 155-of-336 passes for 2,036 yards and 16 touchdowns.

In the winter, Andrew also excelled in basketball. He was selected as a team captain and was chosen All-Conference in both his junior and senior seasons. During the summer leading into Andrew’s senior year, he was selected to the prestigious “Minnesota Select Basketball Team.” 

Competition to earn a spot on this summer team was fierce. Out of 240 athletes across the state of Minnesota who tried out, only 30 were selected. Andrew was one of those selected to travel around the country and compete with the best basketball players across the United States.  Andrew’s experience on the “Minnesota Select Basketball Team” provided him with additional skills to help lead the Lakers during his senior season. 

During his final year, Andrew shot nearly 52 percent from the three-point line, which is still the school record. He finished with 76 rebounds, 41 steals and 105 assists. Upon graduation, his career total of 797 points landed him 2nd all-time in MAHS men’s basketball career scoring. Today, his 797 career points still places him 12th all time and his 230 career assists is #5 all time in MAHS boys’ basketball history.

Andrew’s basketball coach, Phil Johnsrud, said recently, “He was motivated, relentless and a great teammate. Andrew Shea is one of the most talented and natural leaders I’ve coached. He was special!”

In the spring, Andrew also participated in track. Upon his graduation, Andrew held the school record for the 400 meters with a time of 52.6. He also won the conference triple jump with a distance of over 41 feet. 

Andrew currently resides in the Twin Cities area with his wife Bria and children Lainey (12), Wesley (12), Henry (6) and Martin (4). He is employed as a salesman for Arcon Solutions, which specializes in “print and swag.”

•  The Minnewaska Area Schools Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet is set for Saturday, Oct. 1 at the Minnewaska House in Glenwood. A reception and dinner is set for 5 p.m. that night followed by the induction ceremony at 7 p.m.  Tickets can be purchased on the Vanco Events website at https://www.vancoevents.com/us/book/search