Mark Braden, Badger Class of 1970, was a three-sport standout during his four years at Badger High School. Mark was a 3 sport athlete all 4 years of high school, competing in football, basketball, and track and field. Mark excelled in football, and he was a two-way starter on both the offensive and defensive lines during both his junior and senior season. Mark earned Southern Lakes First Team All Conference honors during the 1969 season. After graduating from Badger, Mark attended the University of Wisconsin where he played on the freshman football team in the fall of 1970 and then moved on to the varsity football team for the 1971 season. After retiring from football, Mark focused his attention on his schooling and becoming a dentist. His passion for sports continued as he became an official for football and basketball, working many high profile high school and collegiate tournament games. In 2015, Mark was inducted into the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Hall of Fame for his involvement with officiating for the conference. At the time he stepped down from football officiating in 2011, Braden had accumulated 26 years as a football official, 17 years as a basketball official and 17 years as supervisor of women’s basketball officials for the WIAC. Mark owns a dental practice in Lake Geneva, where he continues to be an influence at Badger with his support of Badger Athletics. He established the Badger Booster Club in 1986 and served as the first president. Mark has contributed to the Badger community with financial support for over 30 years, helping a variety of programs along the way. He currently resides in Lake Geneva.
Inducted into the Badger Athletic Wall of Fame in 2019.