by Dennis Dalman
Nine former students, all of them stand-out Sabre athletes at Sartell High School, along with a former swimming/diving coach, were inducted into the Sartell Athletic Hall of Fame Oct. 6 at an honors banquet at the Boy Scouts of America building in the city.
They were also honored at the half-time break that same night during an at-home football game of the Sartell Sabres vs. Moorhead.
The honorees are (in alphabetical order):
Ellen Bloom (class of 2013) swimming.
Erin Deters-Kanak (2013) hockey, soccer, softball.
Dan Gaughan (2005) football, baseball.
Kjell Mann (2011) soccer, hockey, track.
Sean Mann (2011) soccer, hockey, track.
Kent Nathe (2003) wrestling.
Heidi Peterson-Winkels (2010) cross country, track.
Kerry Snow (2003) cross country, tennis.
Marisa Wood (2003) swimming.
Dave Olson, long-time coach for girls swimming/diving.
In former times, the Sabres inducted former athletes into its Hall of Fame in the following years: 1999, 2004, 2009, 2013, 2017.
At the Oct. 6 banquet, Sartell Activities Director Bruce Peterson congratulated the new Hall of Famers and thanked the All Sports Booster Club and the members of the Hall of Fame Committee: John Ross, former activities director; Marty Anderson, coach; Jeff Kellerman, coach; Jerome Nemanich, coach; Stacy Oistad, former basketball player and 2013 inductee into the Sabres’ Hall of Fame. Peterson also thanked Shayne Kusler, principal of Sartell High School.
The new inductees, their plaques, honors and achievements will be part of the lasting legacy at Sartell High School, Peterson told the audience.
Then Peterson introduced the Hall of Famers to the audience in the banquet room.
Bloom
Ellen Bloom, team swimming captain, was five times named an All-American Athlete, as well as a five-time state champion in three categories: medley, backstroke, freestyle relay.
She was a 19-time section champion in four categories, section 6A Swimmer of the Year, a 14-time conference champion, and she set conference records in every event in which she competed. She set many school records in may styles of swimming, including medley, backstroke, freestyle and relay.
In addition to her swimming excellence, she was also a National Honor Society member, part of the school choir and class valedictorian.
In college, she swam in Division I at the University of Minnesota and garnered even more honors.
Deters-Kanak
Erin Deters-Kanak was a three-sport athlete (soccer, hockey, softball). She served as captain for all of those three sports, earned All-Conference honors and was an elite goalie in hockey and won multiple honors for her hockey skills. In softball, too, she won top titles for All-Conference, All-Area and All-Section. Deters-Kanak was also a student-council member. She went on to play Division I hockey and softball at Bemidji State University.
Gaughan
Dan Gaughan was a two-sport achiever in high school, excelling in football and baseball and was a team captain for both as well as an All-Conference winner in both.
He was an All-State academic athlete for both sports, a Lions All-State selection for baseball and St. Cloud Times Baseball Player of the Year.
He went on to play Division II baseball for St. Cloud State University.
His coaches praised him highly: “Dan had a great work ethic and led by example on a consistent basis. He is the type of kid you want to coach and wish you had more of.”
His father, Tom, a former baseball player, is also a Sartell Hall of Fame inductee.
Sean, Kjell Mann
Newly honored Hall of Famers Kjell and Sean Mann are twins.
Kjell was outstanding in three sports (soccer, hockey, track). He was a three-year letter winner in track, a four-year letter winner in hockey and soccer.
He was honored with All-Conference titles in all three sports and was named All-State in soccer, the first one so-named in boys soccer history in Sartell. He was assistant captain in junior soccer and team captain in senior soccer when he was named conference “Best” with a record of 13-2. In senior hockey he earned 25 goals, seven assists and won the Hobey Baker Character Award. Those were just some of his multiple achievements and honors.
Sean, like his twin, was also an outstanding three-sport athlete. He was a four-years letter winner in soccer, a two-years captain and two-time all-conference selection and was part of the first boys soccer Central Area Conference Championship.
He was also a three-year winner in track and field, its team captain during his senior year, all-conference award winner and a top five record holder in the 800-meter run.
At the banquet, twin Kjell accepted the award on behalf of he and brother Sean.
Nathe
Kent Nathe was a four-time state wrestling participant and a two-time state place winner (second and fourth place).
His career record was 133 wins, 44 losses.
He was the sixth in Sartell High School’s history in number of wins and was the career-wins leader when he graduated in 2003.
Olson
As head coach for the girls swimming/diving team, Dave Olson played a transformational role in that sport from 1989 to 2000 and then again in 2005-2017. He also coached boys swim team from 1989-2000 and girls golf from 1996-2015.
Multiple honors have been bestowed upon Olson for so many achievements: section Coach of the Year (twice), Class A Boys Coach of the Year (three times), Class A Girls Coach of the Year (three times), and first-, second- and third-place finished in Class A competition.
Other honors and achievements by Olson are just too numerous to list. At the Oct. 6 banquet, emcee Peterson had high praise for Olson.
“He was simply the best coach ever,” said Peterson, who years ago was a swim student with Olson as coach. “He taught us to swim, but more importantly he taught us how to live and how to treat our teammates and even the competition.”
Peterson-Winkels
A multiple award winner in cross country and track and field, Heidi Peterson-Winkels in cross country was a five-time letter winner, five-time 250 Mile Club member, made five state meet competitions, a school record holder for four kilometers (time 14:31), five times All-Conference winner and St. Cloud Times Cross Country Area Athlete of the Year.
In track and field, she was a six-time letter winner, made four state appearances, placed second for 1,600 meters (time 5:08), an indoor school record holder for 1,600 meters (time 5:12:70) and four-time relay school record holder team member for 800-meter relays.
Peterson-Winkels ran cross country and received a full athletic scholarship at North Dakota State University.
Snow
Kerry Snow was a standout tennis player for the Sabres. She was the 2002 Minnesota State High School AA Singles Champion, the first in decades to win out of the Minneapolis section and a four-time state singles tournament participant.
She currently lives in South Carolina.
Wood
Marissa Wood is one of the most decorated swimmers in Sartell history, under the coaching of Dave Olson.
She was 10 times a High School All-American from 2009-2011 in many swim competition categories; the Minnesota State High School League Swimmer of the Year twice; state record holder three times (200-meter freestyle, 500-meter freestyle and 200-meter freestyle relay).
She was 25 times a section champion, twice section Swimmer of the Year and set five school records.
Six of the 10 Sartell Sabres Hall of Famers were cheered as they stood up at a half-time tribute Oct. 6 at a football game between the Sabres and Moorhead. From left to right are Erin Deters, Ellen Bloom, Dave Olson, Dan Gaughan, Kent Nathe and Kjell Mann. The other honorees were unable to attend that night.
On Oct. 6, Sartell’s 2023 High School Sabres Hall of Fame recipients were honored during a banquet at the Boy Scouts of America building in the city.
There are 10 honorees.
