The Haxtun-Fleming Herald - What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope

The final baseball pitch has been thrown and the last relay baton passed and so the Haxtun Bulldogs wrapped up 2020-21 sports seasons in late June and to celebrate, athletes, friends, family and supporters gathered for the annual awards banquet at the Haxtun Community Center.

Sponsored by the Haxtun Booster Club, the awards celebration is a time to gather and recognize all athletes of Haxtun High School while also honoring deserving individuals, this year a couple, as Super Boosters. This year, the Super Booster award went to Rich and Dena Gerk.

Combined, the Gerks have over 58 years of service as teachers at Haxtun Schools and both have worn many hats in the athletic realm. As of late, Rich serves as Athletic Director, an important role in any school but even more so during a pandemic.

"This year alone he has to redo all of the sports schedules at least three times," Paige Thompson said in announcing the Gerks as this year's recipients. "He worked hard to keep our school as normal as possible and was incredibly supportive of the athletes and coaches. When he was asked if we could do something during the shutdown his answer was never no, it was always let me look into that."

Rich coached high school boys' basketball for 15 years while at Haxtun and spent six years as the high school girls' basketball coach. Additionally, he's coached junior high volleyball, junior high football, junior high girls basketball and junior high boys basketball.

"As a coach he is amazing, but as an athletic director he is equally amazing," Thompson said. "He shows up to all the games and he has been through so many issues he always has great advice."

Dena began her career in Haxtun in 1991 and just completed her 30th year teaching in Haxtun; and she's coached every year of her teaching career. Dena has coached junior high volleyball, junior high basketball, junior high track, high school volleyball and high school track.

"She has only not coached high school basketball, but was the head coach's wife, which was also a bit busy," Thompson said.

Below is a list of each Bulldog athletes accomplishments throughout the year:

Tanley Andersen: Cheer letter, All-State and Academic All-State First Team.

Heily Avery: Volleyball and basketball participant.

Fallon Bamford: Volleyball and basketball participant.

K'lyn Bornhoft: Academic All-State First Team, volleyball and basketball letter.

Lou Buccelli: Volleyball participant.

Azariah Calderon: Cheer Letter, Academic All-State First Team.

Ella Coffin: Volleyball and track letter, Academic All-State First Team.

Lydia Contreras: Cheer Letter, Academic All-State First Team.

Macie Davis: Volleyball participant.

Kirsta Dishman: Volleyball and basketball participant.

Aliyah Engle: Cheer and track letter, swim and softball at Holyoke.

Destanie Engle: Cheer Letter, swim and softball at Holyoke.

Grace Gibson: Volleyball and basketball letter, golf at Holyoke.

Cassidy Goddard: Volleyball, basketball and track letter.

Genisus Gonzales: Cheer Letter, Academic All-State First Team.

Cassidy Goodwin: Volleyball and basketball letter.

Aly Lock: Volleyball letter, track participant, swim and golf at Holyoke.

Rylee Lundgren: Cheer Letter, Academic All-State First Team, softball at Holyoke.

Skyler Lundgren: Softball at Holyoke.

Evelyn Mendoza: Volleyball participant.

Yeidy Mendoza: Cheer Letter, Academic All-State First Team.

Taylor Schram: Academic All-State, Honorable Mention, volleyball letter and All-Conference, Honorable Mention, Basketball letter and All-Conference, Honorable Mention, track letter.

Samantha Seger: Volleyball and basketball participant, softball at Holyoke.

Aerian Swenson: Cheer letter.

Allie Thompson: Academic All-State First Team, volleyball letter and All-Conference, Basketball letter, track letter, All-Conference and MVP.

Bella Tori: Academic All State First Team, volleyball letter, basketball letter, All-Conference and MVP.

Megan Walker: Volleyball letter, track letter.

Kylee Workman: Volleyball letter and MVP, basketball letter, shooting sports MVP.

Isaac Andersen: Academic All State First Team, football letter, basketball letter, track letter, baseball letter.

Dusty Anderson: Baseball letter, All-Conference and MVP, Academic All State First Team.

David Avery: Academic All-State First Team, football letter, basketball letter, track letter, baseball letter.

Ashton Ayala: Football letter, basketball manager, baseball participant.

Mason Bornhoft: Football, basketball, track and baseball participant.

Dylan Buccelli: Academic All-State Honorable, Mention, football letter, baseball letter.

Brayden Clark: Basketball letter, baseball participant, soccer at Sterling.

Keegan Colglazier: Football letter, baseball letter, wrestling at Fleming.

Osman Coss-Morales: Academic All-State, Honorable Mention, football letter and All-Conference, Honorable Mention, basketball letter, track letter, baseball participant, soccer at Sterling.

Alex Farrell: Basketball letter.

Kyle Fryrear: Football, basketball, track letter and MPV, baseball letter, soccer at Sterling.

Michael Gerk: Football letter and All-Conference, basketball, baseball and track letter.

Kristopher Hadeen: Football and baseball participant.

Kailin Kelley: Football letter, basketball, track and baseball participant.

Victor Knapp: Academic All-State, Honorable Mention, football, basketball and baseball letter.

Owen Knode: Academic All-State First team, football letter and All-Conf and All-State Honorable Mention, basketball letter as well as All-Conference and All-State Honorable Mention, track letter, baseball letter and All-Conference.

Tyler Mavis: Basketball participant.

(Courtesy photo)

MVP award winners, chosen by their teammates, are pictured (l-r), Kyle Fryrear, track; Dusty Anderson, baseball; Ryan Tempel, football and basketball; Kylee Workman, volleyball and shooting sports; Bella Tori, basketball; and Allie Thompson, track. Not pictured is Carson Salvador, shooting sports.

Brock Miller: Football participant.

Carson Salvador: Shooting sports MVP.

Kaiden Schelling: Football letter, baseball letter, wrestling at Fleming.

Mick Scholten: Basketball and track participant.

Maclin Tempel: Football, basketball and baseball letter, track participant.

Ryan Tempel: Academic All-State First Team, football letter and All-State Second Team, All-Conference and MVP, basketball All-State, Honorable Mention, All-Conference and MVP, track letter, baseball letter.

Gehrig Thompson: Football letter and All-Conference, Honorable Mention.

Jacob Tori: Football and basketball letter, track participant.

Jerron Turney: Basketball participant, baseball letter and All-Conference.

Joshua Wright: Football participant, track letter and Wrestling at Fleming.