State 2017

MN State CC meet! Such a great day in so many ways. It was sweet to see Erika gather the Section 5A representatives for a "team huddle," which the other girls loved. And this NIGHTHAWK TEAM! Thank you to all who spent their Saturday with us--Erika is proud to represent you all, and it meant the world to her and our family to have your support. She ran a season best time (19:27), faster than State last year and arguably her best-ever cross country performance. Her 20th place overall earned her All State honors (top 25) for a second time. We've been in this sport long enough to recognize that things don't always fall into place when you want them to, so it's extra special when they do. Thanks to all who made this experience possible! (Lower left photo by MN Prep Photo/www.mnprepphoto.com)

Sections 2017

The Northwest Nighthawks capped the season at the Section 5A cross country meet in Mora with their best performances of the year. In each of the varsity races, there were 137 finishers representing 22 teams.

The boys' team ran a team record time and finished 11th--a huge improvement over their 19th place finish last year. 8th grader Luke Swanson (12th place) led with a team record of 17:26, being just one spot away from individual State qualification in a sport otherwise dominated by upperclassmen. Next came sophomore Grant Olson (60th, 18:54), followed by junior captain Phillip Kippley (65th, 19:05), sophomore Jayden Peterman (76th, 19:16), sophomore Josh Gavin (89th, 19:51), 9th grader Isaac Nielsen (99th, 20:06), and junior AJ Ulwelling (107th, 20:26).

The girls' team ran their second fastest-ever team time and finished 9th--up from 10th place last year. Erika Swanson (3rd place) led with a season best of 19:34, qualifying for the State meet for the third time with one of the best performances of her career. Next came sophomore Margaret Myskowski (51st, 22:08), followed by sophomore Marielle Chamberlain (65th, 22:35), sophomore Jerilynn Simmer (71st, 22:57), senior captain Naomi Brenden (72nd, 23:00), sophomore Erin McGowan (89th, 23:42), and senior captain Sienna Chernyavsky (122nd, 26:20).

Erika is the only girl in our Section this year to be making a third trip to the State meet as an individual qualifier, which is a big accomplishment--maintaining solid performances year after year requires new levels of commitment, strength, and perseverance. She is really maturing as an athlete and as a leader. Part of that comes from experience, but it also comes from working hard at sportsmanship. Have fun and have a great race next weekend, Erika!

The Class A State Championship races will be held at St. Olaf College next Saturday, November 4, at 1:00 P.M. (girls) and 2:00 P.M. (boys). Admission is free for spectators. Be sure to leave plenty of time to park and take the shuttles to the race course.

MSHSL "No Contact" Week: July 1-7, 2017

Just a reminder that we're coming into our "no contact" week per MSHSL rules and will therefore not be hosting or organizing summer runs during that time. Feel free to meet on your own, but we coaches will not be available for consultation. Enjoy your holiday!

2017 T&F Subsection Championships

Congratulations to all of the JV/Varsity Nighthawks who competed at the Subsection 17A Championships yesterday at Maple Lake! Both the men's and women's teams scored more points than last year. Point scorers include Erika Swanson (2nd place women's 1600 - 5:32; 3rd place 3200 - 12:01) advancing to the Section 5A Championships in both events; Jerilynn Simmer (5th women's 800 - 2:38; 7th 1600, 5:47); captain Gus Spencer (5th men's 400 - 0:57.37); Luke Swanson (5th men's 3200 - 10:44) with a new team record; Drake Fraser (7th men's 1600 - 5:09); Peter Weber (8th men's 400 - 0:59.38); Gus Spencer, Phillip Kippley, Peter Weber, Jake Bendickson (6th men's' 4x400 relay - 4:06). Congratulations also to Josh Springfield for throwing team records in the shot put (34' 10") and discus (99' 9"). Hard work paid off with several other personal records, season bests, and gutsy performances. We are proud of all our athletes and the sportsmanship they show at these events as we get to know the other teams. Fun times!

One More

Another nice article in the local paper, this one covering Nighthawks Erika Swanson and Jerilynn Simmer's trip to the 2016 State CC meet. You can also find it online.

Box Buddies

A favorite moment at the State meet: the Section 5A representatives in a "team huddle"--all worthy competitors and a beautiful demonstration of the sport of cross country.

State CC 2016

(click to view larger)

Congratulations to Erika Swanson and Jerilynn Simmer for running at the Class A State Cross Country Championship this weekend, and thanks to the throngs of Nighthawks (teammates, families, and friends--dozens of them!) who drove down on a beautiful day to support and cheer them on! Erika, a sophomore, earned All State honors by taking 18th place (19:36) in her second State meet appearance; Jerilynn, a 9th-grader, took 75th (20:36) in her first trip to the event, out of 176 runners who qualified at their respective Sections statewide.

We coaches can try to describe the scene to our athletes before the event, but the level and depth of competition here is something that cannot be taught--only experienced. Coaching these young women--and all their teammates--is an awesome privilege. When we started the program, State was a very big "someday." We had no idea. These two earned this special weekend through their dedication, discipline, and coachability; and they were excellent ambassadors as they represented their team.

Thanks again to all the team families and sponsors who have supported the program at all levels and steps along the way. Every season is a gift.

Article

Nice article in this week's paper--lots of Nighthawks mentioned for a great Section meet!

Sections 2016

Congratulations to our 2016 MN State Cross Country Qualifiers! Sophomore Erika Swanson came in 3rd place, and 9th-grader Jerilynn Simmer took 7th at the Section 5A Cross Country meet yesterday in Milaca. These two diligently put in the summer miles, trained consistently, and raced solidly all season. We are so happy to see them rewarded for their hard work, in such a fun and exciting way. St. Olaf, here they come! <3

Congrats also to the Nighthawk women's team (Swanson, Simmer, junior Naomi Brenden, sophomore Lindsey Pavlish, 9th-grader Marielle Chamberlain, junior Christine Chamberlain, and junior Sienna Chernyavsky) for placing 10th out of 18 complete (scoring) teams and setting a new Nighthawk team-time record! Personal best performances were made by Brenden and Pavlish as well as sophomore Phillip Kippley and senior Anthony Sixta from the men's team.

It's been a season of growth and transition, and we're pleased with the way our student-athletes have stepped it up in leadership, athleticism, and sportsmanship. Every season is a gift, and we're thankful for the many ways our team families and local community have supported this program.

Section Track & Field Meet

Good day yesterday at St. John's University for the Section 5A Track & Field meet. The facilities were amazing and the weather was cool and breezy. Erika represented the Nighthawks well, placing for points in both events, taking 6th in the 1600m (5:30.99) and 7th in the 800m (2:31.14). The 800m was a fun surprise as she was time-seeded into the slower heat (two heats of 8 runners each) but ran fast enough to place and score points. Never give up based on what you see on paper! Good racing and valuable experience--by far the best competition we've watched all year.

It was a great day for team relations, too, as athletes and coaches said good-bye for the summer and exchanged emails. Nighthawk meet scorecard: one new penpal, one meet invitation for next year, and one medal. :)

That's a wrap--time to prepare for the end-of-season celebration and switch gears for cross country. Thanks to all who made this possible!

Subsection Track & Field Meet

A great night for the Nighthawks at the Subsection 17A meet! The top 4 in each event advance to the Section 5A meet next Wednesday at St. John's University in Collegeville. Freshman Erika Swanson qualified in two events, running personal and team record times and taking 3rd in the 1600m (5:30.12) and a surprise 2nd in the 800m (2:30.91).

Freshman Drake Fraser ran a blazing PR by 5-1/2 seconds in the 800m (team record of 2:18.37), barely edged off the podium by just a couple tenths of a second and taking 9th place overall. He's pictured here on the home stretch of the 800m run, with family cheering behind.

Other personal records were set by freshman Will Fuglestad in the shot put (team record of 29'8"), sophomore Jake Bendickson in the 400m (60.93), and senior Ellie Lee in the 1600m (6:31.40).
Thanks to the support of our sponsors Northwest Area Jaycees Hanover Athletic Association Heppner's Legacy Homeschool Resources Three Goats in a Tub for making this possible!

Press

A little publicity is good for a new program, don't you think? :) Erika had the amazing opportunity to be interviewed by the sports writer from our local paper. She enjoyed it very much, and he did a great job representing her and our team in this article:

There was another sub-plot that didn't make it into the story: another new homeschool CC team in our state. After our team's League membership was approved, we were able to help the Rochester team through the process. Good thing, too, because they ended the season with an individual State qualifier as well, from their boys' team. Talk about an exciting debut varsity season for homeschool cooperative teams! Since the girls' State race was held before the boys' event, Erika had the honor of competing first, but the two share a place in homeschool sports history. It is so exciting to watch opportunities unfold that so very recently didn't even exist for these kids.

State

Wow, what a day. Erika Swanson finished the Class A Minnesota State Cross Country Championship race in 31st place, running smart and tough with competition (and crowds!) like nothing we'd ever seen. Thousands of girls statewide (over 200 schools' worth) compete each year for the privilege of the final 176 spots at the starting line. She ran the race set before her (Heb. 12:1) and has much to be thankful for in this season as a whole.

She also made history--whether or not it will be recorded anywhere ;) -- as the first athlete in Minnesota, in any sport, to compete in a State Championship representing a homeschool cooperative team. We all learned so much. The experience itself was more fun and exciting for her and her teammates than any of them thought it would be, and several left starry-eyed with their own State dreams. Erika's highlights? Being allowed into athlete-access-only areas, just by flashing her race number. Visiting St. Olaf College. Sharing a starting box with one of her heroes. Having the onsite support of teammates and families. And, of course, finding her name listed on the State t-shirt. :)

All typical of what cross country means to our team: fun, new experiences, inspiration, and a side of surprise. We just love Nighthawk Cross Country. Thanks to all who helped make this happen.

Pre-State Fun

The CC course was open this afternoon so the athletes could check it out before the big day. The starting area is massive. In fact, *everything* here is BIG. And there are a lot of *very* excited kids here. We brought buddies today for pre-meet warmups and moral support...okay, comic relief. We also were thrilled to meet up with our college track/CC coach (we parent-coaches met at St. Olaf, where the State meet has been held since our time there) as well as one of Erika's childhood babysitters who now runs there. It's all a bit surreal. Will keep you posted Saturday--Go Erika!

Sections

It was a great day for the Nighthawks at our very first Section cross country meet. There were a few "Who?" comments, but all seemed positive. The course was cold, wet, and slow; but over half our boys' team came home with PR's, both boys' and girls' teams outscored a few other teams (gotta start somewhere), and our top girl qualified for State! So...it turns out the season has been extended while she makes a little more history for us, representing a homeschool cooperative team at a State Championship. Congrats to all of our Nighthawks for a great season, and we'll be cheering for you next week, Erika!

Approved

Big news! We finally received the call we've been waiting for: "We've received your paperwork, and everything appears to be in order..." It has been a year-long journey toward team membership in the Minnesota State High School League, and thanks to your patience and support, we've made it! This means our season is "on," and we're able to compete with area school teams as well at the Section and (someday) State meets. The news is particularly exciting because we're joining in the year the League is celebrating its 100th anniversary, and we're the first all-homeschool team to do so. So thank you.

This also means it’s time for our fundraising push. We need your help to raise the remaining $2500 needed to support the team this season. If each athlete can find $100 worth of sponsors (grandparents/relatives, employers, local businesses, doctor/dentist, etc.), we’ll be set in no time. Plus the sooner we get this done, the sooner I can get back to coaching, making up new CC games, and mowing the course. :) In the future, we hope to find additional ways to offset our costs; but this is our reality for this year, so here goes.

This is a great opportunity to bring others in--it's not every day you get to be part of something that's never been done in your state. See the Sponsorship Page for details and benefits.

Looking forward to a great season and all the opportunities and connections we'll make out there,

Coach Jennifer