HHS girls cross country team coming off NCC title, boys look to move up

JOEL HOOGLAND BEGINS 2ND SEASON AS HEAD COACH

By Phil Monson
Humboldt second-year cross country coach Joel Hoogland says his team’s work ethic makes coaching fun.
If that hard work translates into continued growth this season, Hoogland and his Wildcats should have plenty to be proud of when the season ends in another two months.

“The hard and nice thing about cross country is your time is your time and you can’t hide behind that. The work you put in will pay dividends on the course in the fall. This group, they put in the work every day in practice. The sky is the limit,” Hoogland said.
“That’s the goal every day, that every kid on the team is getting better and leaving the program better than when they started,” Hoogland said.
The Wildcat girls are coming off a North Central Conference championship, where they edged Clear Lake by eight points. Humboldt graduated three of their top seven from that squad, but return five letterwinners, which includes Avery and Aubry Fisher, who finished second and fourth, respectively.

Avery and Aubry also qualified for the state meet and finished 35th (19:44) and 47th (19:57), respectively.
“We graduated quite a few students last year but we bring in a strong freshman class this season. We have 11 new faces coming in this year. I’m really excited about that. I’m always liking it when kids come along and want to try the sport out,” Hoogland said.
The Wildcat girls who lettered last year include senior Macey Rodgers (ninth in NCC), juniors Alexis Hotovec, the two Fisher girls and sophomore Kimberly Sanchez.

“That’s a good group. Alexis was banging on the door late last year, about to get a varsity spot. I’m looking forward to her getting a varsity spot this year,” Hoogland said. “Obviously, returning two state qualifiers in Avery and Aubry is a great boost for our team. Competing for a conference title is a goal this year. These five returners will help with those expectations, too.”
“Macey had a great junior year and was very reliable. She leads by example. Great to have her back. Kimberly had a strong freshman year. I’m excited to see her progress this season and contribute on the varsity lineup again,” Hoogland said.

“There’s a lot of potential with our entire group of girls. We battled some injuries last year. Hotovec dealt with injuries and came on strong at the end of the year. Laina Dettmann is healthy for her senior year. She will be a big boost for us. Gracelyn Illg is a senior who had a good summer of training. Excited to see what she can accomplish this year after battling injuries last year,” Hoogland said.
“Other juniors include Ellie Lemmenes, Maddie Parker and Mia Sorensen. Ellie joined us last year. I look forward to seeing her growth. Same with Maddie. Excited to see what she can accomplish. Mia had a very positive year last year. Hard worker. Great attitude. Look forward to watching her progress,” Hoogland said.

“The freshmen include Jade Malo, Ashlyn Pettit, Maren Lindquist, Jozlyn Himrod, Rosie Goodenow and Whitley Lash,” Hoogland said. “They put in summer miles so I’m excited to see them run the course.”
“Our goal for the girls is to win the conference and qualify for state. We have girls who have had success with other sports like track, soccer and basketball. They’ve had deep post-season runs in soccer. Having been in those big-game situations and facing the pressure will only help them for cross country and at the end of championship season,” Hoogland said.

While last year’s seventh-place finish in the NCC was lower than Hoogland’s expectations, he’s optimistic Humboldt can make a jump this year.
Returning lettermen for the boys include senior Isaac Fowler along with juniors Henry Kramer and Miles Zeman. Kramer, a junior, led Humboldt all of last season and finished eighth in the NCC meet in 17:53. Fowler finished 44th in 20:15 and Zeman was 52nd in 21:35.
“Henry had a great season last year and put in a lot of miles over the summer so I’m looking forward to his growth. Same with Isaac and Miles. They put in three days per week for the majority of the summer. Excited to see what they can accomplish,” Hoogland said.

“Alongside Isaac, four other seniors coming in this year include Andrew Nedved, Luke DeWinter, Yahel Sanchez and Aiden Russell. I’m excited to watch them. It’s a great group of kids. They make practice fun every day and I’m excited to have their leadership. Aiden is new this year and we look for him and the other boys to make big strides this season.”
“Jonatan Cabrera-Lara (sophomore) came out for the sport for the first time. I’m excited to watch his growth. Sophomore Joe Frideres is a new face. I’m excited to see him compete and grow,” Hoogland said. “Eli Spellmeyer is back, along with Wade Carlson. They both ended the year strong and I’m excited to see them back.”

“Sophomore Bentley Rodgers is new to the sport but has shown some good potential in pre-season,” Hoogland said.
Hoogland is high on his five freshmen in Collin Heider, Isaac Rieck, Callen Mathis, Axel Rhead and Thomas Hermsen.
“We have five incoming freshmen who, like the girls, made summer mileage a priority. I think they could play big roles for us and be in the mix,” Hoogland said.
“Collin and Isaac are new to cross country. I look forward to seeing what they can do this season. Callen has looked really good in pre-season workouts. Axel has a lot of enthusiasm for the sport. Look forward to watching him compete. Thomas had a great summer leading up to the start of the year,” Hoogland said.

“In looking at our entire boys’ team, we feel good about what we can accomplish. Henry Kramer was our number one runner last year and so it will be a huge help to have him back. Miles Zeman put in big miles. Factor in the freshmen and the sky is the limit for our boys’ team,” Hoogland said.
“In the conference boys’ race, quite a few good runners graduated last year but there are still a lot of good runners coming back. The addition of four new schools to our conference (Charles City, Garner-Hayfield, Forest City, Eagle Grove) will add to the competition,” Hoogland said.
“At this point it is hard to diagnose what the conference meet will look like but I would like to see our finish end higher than last year. That is very doable with the youth we have and the potential they show,” Hoogland said.
“The conference meet for the girls will go down to Clear Lake and Humboldt. We bring back four of our top seven, plus many off of our JV squad. Clear Lake returns six of their top seven. It will be a tight race again,” Hoogland said. “It will be interesting to see how the new teams will impact the scoring.”

Hoogland will again be assisted by coaches Rhonda Van Pelt and Nikki Rasmussen.
“They provide great leadership. Nikki works with the distance runners during spring track and makes sure they get their workouts in. Rhonda has many years of experience and knowledge. It is something I can always count on,” Hoogland said.
“Getting last year under my belt, I feel more comfortable going into my second year leading the program,” Hoogland said. “Things are a little easier and we can keep adding on to what we did last year. There’s more ownership on the kids in their miles they put in, so pre-season is more kid-led. They know what the expectations are and what their responsibilities are.”

The Humboldt Invitational is Sept. 21 at lower Sheldon Park. This year there will be two middle school races and two high school races. The high school varsity and junior varsity will run at the same time. The conference meet is at Maynes Grove north of Iowa Falls. Look for daily news and sports updates online at www.humboldtnews.com.

2026 HUMBOLDT CROSS COUNTRY SCHEDULE
Aug. 27 at Iowa Falls-Alden
Sept. 1 at Webster City
Sept. 8 at Estherville
Sept. 12 at Ridge View
Sept. 17 at Clear Lake
Sept. 21 Humboldt Invitational
Sept. 28 at Algona
Oct. 3 at Pocahontas
Oct. 6 at Eagle Grove
Oct. 13 NCC at Iowa Falls
Oct. 21 State qualifier, tba
Oct. 31 State, Fort Dodge

HUMBOLDT GIRLS ROSTER
Seniors: Macey Rodgers, Gracelyn Illg, Laina Dettmann.
Juniors: Alexis Hotovec, Avery Fisher, Aubry Fisher, Ellie Lemmenes, Maddie Parker, Mia Sorensen.
Sophomores: Olivia Illg, Kimberly Sanchez.
Freshmen: Jade Malo, Ashlynn Pettit, Maren Lindquist, Jozlyn Himrod, Rosie Goodenow, Whitley Lash.
HUMBOLDT BOYS ROSTER
Seniors: Isaac Fowler, Andrew Nedved, Luke DeWinter, Yahel Sanchez, Aiden Russell, Riley Paulton.
Juniors: Jonatan Cabrera-Lara, Henry Kramer, Mason Frideres, Miles Zeman.
Sophomore: Eli Spellmeyer, Wade Carlson, Joe Frideres, Bentley Rodgers.
Freshmen: Collin Heider, Isaac Rieck, Callen Mathis, Axel Rhead, Thomas Hermsen.