Colfax cross country hopes to improve upon past successes

By Cara L. Dempski

COLFAX — With boys’ and girls’ teams that both qualified for state in 2015, Joe Doucette and his squads had a very ssuccessful cross country season a year ago. Out of sixteen Division 3 teams at state, the Viking boys placed 16th while the girls came in third.

Coach Doucette is again looking forward to a season at the top of the Dunn-St. Croix for both his teams.

Last year’s seniors included some of the finest athletes Doucette said he has ever seen. Seniors Courtney Dressel and Dempsey Fogarty were both all-conference athletes for the women, with Dressel appearing on first team all-conference four times and Fogarty on the first team three times.

Coming back to run this year are letter winners Abbagail Schotter, Ally Heidorn, Hailey Prince and Erica Kallstrom. Kallstrom and Schotter were named to the first team all-conference last year and Kallstrom placed third at sectionals. Heidorn and Prince were named to the second team all-conference, and Doucette says Heidorn is one of the best athletes in the district.

Schotter and Heidorn are seniors while Kallstrom and Prince are sophomores. The women’s team is completed by junior MacKenzie Jensen and freshmen Juelia Berger and Jayna Bowe. Jensen is coming off an injury, and both Bowe and Berger showed great potential as middle school runners. Lilla Bacon is also a ninth-grade member hoping to make contributions in 2016.

“Our strength is that we’re returning good runners,” Doucette said of his girls’ team.

This is countered by a lack of depth, however, and will require that the ladies remain healthy for the season. If they do so, Doucette said that the daily work will help the team improve and be their best at the end of the season.

On the boys’ side, the 2015 team won the Dunn-St. Croix, took second at sectionals, and participated in the state meet for the ninth time.

After losing a talented team of six runners in Tucker Hovde, Zack Arvold, Brett Prince, Brady Simonson, Hunter Lieffort and Ike Lee to graduation, Doucette has one returning letter winner for 2016.

Jacob Larson, the lone letter winner, has twice been an all-conference runner. Doucette says Larson has a great work ethic and should be very good. Seniors Rowdy Kadinger and Matthew Reisdorf are also marked as strong contributors to the team this season.

Junior Jacob Jensen is also one Doucette said people should watch, along with sophomores Luke Heidorn and Trevor Rothbauer. They are joined by young talents Trey Hovde, Cole Seehaver and Sawyer Best, all freshmen. Also competing this year with the team is sophomore Jeremy Artist.

After losing the numbers and talent from last year’s graduating class, Doucette is looking to Larson to be the leader on the boys’ team.

“This is one of my youngest teams, and we will struggle early, but have potential to improve,” Doucette said. “I’m very proud of the success of our program.

Coming into this season, Doucette sees Elk Mound and Glenwood City as the teams to beat on the women’s side, while the men will likely see another strong team from Durand. All three opposing teams are returning some good runners.

Doucette is entering his 25th year coaching cross country at Colfax and will be assisted this year by Chuck Brown and Courtney Doucette. The team starts the season at 11 a.m. August 25 with an invitational at Tiffany Creek Elementary School in Boyceville.

2016 Roster

Seniors: Abbagail Schotter, Ally Heidorn, Jacob Larson, Matthew Reisdorf, Rowdy Kadinger.

Juniors: MacKenzie Jensen, Jacob Jensen.

Sophomores: Erica Kallstrom, Hailey Prince, Trevor Rothbauer, Jeremy Artist.

Freshmen: Juelia Berger, Jayna Bowe, Lilla Bacon, Sawyer Best, Cole Seehaver, Trey Hovde.