by Dennis Dalman
Sartell High School sports teams and several athletic individuals enjoyed a slew of victories during this past fall season of competition.
Football
For starters, the Sabre Football Team finished the season on a high note. Although in the Section 8AAAAA championship, the Sabre team lost its game against Moorhead, 28-26, Sartell was the number-4 seed and beat Bemidji in the first round and then had a huge win against number-1 seed team, Sauk Rapids, 15-14. The Sabres finished with an overall record of 5-6 runner-up in Section 8AAAAA.
The Sartell Sabre Football Team has had a long history of successes, winning section and state titles.
“This is the first time we have been in a section championship for several years,” said Bruce Thompson athletic director for the school district. “(Football) coach (Scott) Hentges is a great coach, and he and his coaching staff did an excellent job developing and coaching our kids. We had great senior leaders on the football team with Cole Hentges, Gavin Schulte, Will Mahowald and Donovan Lund. They played for each other and it showed on the field.”
Coach Scott Hentges was named “Coach of the Week” by the Minnesota Vikings for Week 9 of the season. Hentges, hired in 2012 by the school district, is a social studies teacher in Sartell and played college football when he was a student at St. Cloud State University.
Girls’ soccer
The Sartell Girls’ Soccer Team was undefeated this fall in conference play and won the Central Lakes Conference Championship.
The Sabre team was the number-1 seed in section playoffs and hosted three home playoff games. The team played the section championship but lost to St. Michael/Albertville, 2-0, but the Sartell team was runner-up in Section 8AA and had an overall season record of 16-1-1.
Girls’ swim/dive team
This season, the Sabre Girls’ Swim/Dive Team was the Central Lakes Conference Champion, the True Team Section Champion and finished sixth in the True Team State competition.
More recently, the team was runner-up at the Section AA swim meet in Brainerd. There, five of its members qualified for the state tournament. They are Maddie Francois (50-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle relay), Megan Jobin (200-meter freestyle relay), Holly Lenarz (200-meter individual medley, 500-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle), Hailey Westrup (diving) and Emma Yao (100-meter breaststroke, 200-meter freestyle relay).
“I am very proud of all of our student athletes and coaches,” said Thompson, activities director. “Especially with girls’ soccer and the girls’ swim/dive teams winning the Central Lakes Conference Championships. Sartell is a special place, and I can’t wait to see what our winter and spring sports and activities accomplish.”
Other achievements this past fall include:
Cross country
There were three Sartell High School Cross Country participants who participated in the state tournament – Mady Dockendorf, finishing 89th; Eli Hanson, finishing 118th; and Seth Westrup, finishing 87th.
Volleyball
The team finished third in the Central Lake Conference and received the number-4 seed in section playoffs during which it defeated Elk River in the first round. In the semi-finals, the team lost to the eventual section winner, Champion Rogers High School.
Boys’ soccer
The team finished sixth in the Central Lakes Conference and hosted a first-round playoff game.
Adapted soccer
There are six Sartell players on the St. Cloud Crush Adapted Soccer Team, which also made it to the state tournament in Stillwater.
The Sartell members of the team are Colton Bjerke, Sienna Hansen, Dalten Huberty, Gracie Schraut, Max Song and Tyler Stone.
The St. Cloud Crush is comprised of 13 students from the high schools of St. Cloud Tech High School and Apollo, Sauk Rapids-Rice and Sartell.
The team finished the season with a 7-1-1 record.
Girls’ tennis
The team finished sixth in the Central Lakes Conference and won its section match against Annandale during the play-offs.
Signing celebration
In related news, on Nov. 9, Sartell High School held its Fall Signing Celebration to honor athletes who have committed to playing college athletics next year with scholarship awards.
Nine students signed commitments. They are the following:
Baseball
Tyler Phelps-Hemmesch. University of Minnesota, Division 1.
Kade Lewis. Butler University (Indianapolis, Ind.), Division 1.
Jake Gruebele. Dakota County Technical College (Rosemount).
Soccer
Reese Geiger. Augustana University, Division 2.
Chloe Turney. Winona State University, Division 2.
Reese Kloetzer. Post University (Waterbury, Conn.), Division 2.
Volleyball
Abri Hennen. St. Cloud Technical and Community College.
Kylie Scoles. St. Cloud Technical and Community College.
Courtney Stutsman. Waldorf University (Forest City, Iowa).
Donovan Lund (#26) tackles a player during a regular-season game Sept. 2 at Sauk Rapids. To the left of Donovan is Parker Knutson. The Sabres lost the game but went on to defeat Sauk Rapids in playoffs.
With intense concentration, Sartell Sabres volleyball player Michayla Nordlund keeps her eyes on the ball during a varsity game Oct. 27 versus Elk River. The Sabres won the game.
Elizabeth Jarnot, Sartell Sabres swimmer/diver, leaps into the air with perfect grace before plunging into the pool during a swim meet this past fall.
Sartell Sabres cross country runner Seth Westrup sprints toward the finish line Aug. 27 during an Apollo High School varsity invitational held at the Veterans Administration grounds. Westrup finished first in that race and went on to compete in the state tournament.
Sartell High School students, Sabres’ football fans, cheer on the team during the first home-team game versus St. Cloud Tech High School this past fall. Each section of fans in the bleachers has its own theme, and the theme of this one is “Tropical,” as evidenced by all of the Hawaiian-style shirts and leis.
