By Lori Ehde
Upholding a long tradition of supporting its school system, Luverne District residents stepped up to bat Tuesday and approved a $400-per-pupil operating levy.

Only three years after supporting a new $12.5-million elementary school, Luverne residents agreed to support a $234,000 referendum that will provide more than $635,000 per year in new funding.

Of the roughly 3.900 eligible voters in the Luverne District, 1,366 cast their ballots, 767 in support of the proposal and 598 against it. There was one spoiled ballot.

"It was a great day … perfect weather," said Superintendent Vince Schaefer when asked if he was surprised by voter turnout.

District residents with a $50,000 home will pay $64 toward the new levy. Those with a $100,000 home will pay $128, and $200,000 homeowners will pay $256.

But many of these taxpayers, particularly those with farms and businesses, won't see these increases on their property tax statements, due to a state shift of school funding from property taxes to sales and income tax.

By Lori Ehde
Employees at Luverne's Tri-State insurance are bracing for another round of layoffs following a corporate announcement last week.

W.R. Berkley Corporation, which owns Tri-State and Berkley Information Services in Luverne, announced it will discontinue personal insurance services in all of its property casualty insurance companies nationwide.

The decision is based on decreasing business written in personal lines and the need to focus on expanding commercial lines, according to attorney John Thelen.

"Unfortunately, the business is very competitive, and we don't have the scale to be able to operate in personal lines successfully," Thelen said.

Thelen serves as general counsel for Continental Western, the Midwestern group of Berkley companies that includes Luverne's Tri-State.

He said personal lines (individual home and auto insurance, for example) account for less than 20 percent of Continental Western Group's total business.

Employees were told they will likely all know by mid-November how their jobs are affected by the decision, which becomes effective at the end of the year.

In Luverne, 18 underwriting positions are dedicated to personal lines insurance, but that's not to say those specific employees will lose their jobs.

Some were clearly told they would no longer be employed in the company after Dec. 31, and some whose positions are eliminated may be offered other positions in the company.

Tri-State Regional Manager Curt Bloemendaal, Luverne, said the corporate announcement was not anticipated locally.

"We're trying to be as understanding as possible of their situation and how this decision affects them," Bloemendaal said Monday.

BIS President Joel Christensen said his workforce in Luverne will also be affected by Berkley's elimination of personal lines.

"We won't be unscathed by any means," he said Wednesday. "There's a lot of work that some people here do that's related to that business É We've got a lot of projects that support that business."

Christensen said he's still not sure how many of the 114 people at BIS will be affected. "We're assessing our projects and staffing needs, and by mid-November we'll have some decisions made," he said.

Thursday's news reached Tri-State employees already uncertain about the possibility of their jobs moving to Sioux Falls.

The last announcement from corporate headquarters in Greenwich, Conn., came exactly two years ago that regional operations would move from Luverne to Sioux Falls by summer 2001.

When asked about the future of Tri-State in Luverne, he said, "We have determined we would not be relocating in 2002, but it is still in the plan."

Tri-State currently lists 147 employees on its payroll, including 20 in the Sioux Falls office and more than 20 traveling representatives.

Bloemendaal said underwriting employees in the Sioux Falls office don't handle personal lines and likely won't be affected by layoffs.

While the news is hard on affected employees, the community as a whole pays close attention to Berkley announcements.

With an annual payroll of $4.8 million (including Sioux Falls employees and field reps) Luverne's economic health would be affected by Tri-State's absence.

Tri-State, now known as "Continental Western Group, Tri-State Region," owns the 33,000-square-foot building in Luverne and paid nearly $47,000 in property taxes this year.

By John Rittenhouse
Hills-Beaver Creek earned a berth in the semifinal round of the South Section 3A Volleyball Tournament by besting Sioux Valley-Round Lake-Brewster 3-1 in a quarterfinal-round tilt played in the Luverne Elementary School Friday.

The fourth-seeded Patriots were under the gun after dropping the first game to No. 5 SV-RL-B, but H-BC regrouped to outscore the Raiders 45-25 the rest of the way to win 3-1.

The victory upped H-BC’s season record to 12-13 heading into Tuesday's semifinal-round match against No. 1 Southwest Christian. Look for that match story elsewhere in the sports section.

SV-RL-B ends the year with an 8-11 mark.

Tournament jitters appeared to hamper the Patriots in Game 1, but they overcame their bout with nerves to best SV-RL-B in four games.

"The girls were not focused at all in Game 1," said Patriot coach Nicole Fey. "We passed much better, we communicated much better and were much more focused as a team in the last three games."

The Raiders took advantage of H-BC's lack of focus in the opener to gain a 1-0 lead with a 15-9 win.

H-BC then turned the corner to topple SV-RL-B by 15-8, 15-6 and 15-11 counts.

Brittney Olson, Erin Boeve and Tonya Leenderts had 20, 15 and 13 digs respectively for the winners. Boeve notched a match-high 34 kills.

LaDonna Sandstede had 25 set assists and Jody Rentschler served 16 points for the winning cause.

Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth defensive end Brant Deutsch pressures Nicollet quarterback Andy Truebenbach during Saturday's section football game in Hills. H-BC-E beat the Raiders 26-19 to earn the right to host Sioux Valley-Round Lake-Brewster for the section championship game tomorrow night in Hills. Game time is 7 p.m.

By John Rittenhouse
Hills-Beaver Creek High School senior Brad Haak may have some glorious days in front of him, but it will be hard to top what the standout athlete experienced in a 24-hour span on Friday and Saturday.

One day after winning the Section 3A Individual Cross Country race in Tracy, Haak scored a defensive touchdown which provided the game-winning points in a 26-19 win over Nicollet in a Section 2 Nine-Man Football Playoff game played in Hills Friday.

Haak, a starting receiver-defensive back for the H-BC-Ellsworth football team, and the rest of the No. 1 seeded Patriots watched Nicollet erase an 18-6 deficit by scoring 13 consecutive points in the second and third quarters to take a 19-18 lead.

The fourth-seeded Raiders were threatening to pad their lead with a drive entering H-BC-E territory late in the third quarter.

During a fourth-and-six situation, Nicollet ran an option play to the right side of the field that turned ugly when a pitch by the quarterback was bobbled and dropped by the running back.

Being in the right place at the right time, Haak scooped up the loose ball and raced 65 yards for a touchdown to give the Patriots a 24-19 advantage.

After having one two-point conversion pass from quarterback David Top to Lyle DeBoer negated by a holding penalty, the same combination clicked for what was a 13-yard conversion pass and catch that gave the Patriots their margin of victory at 26-19.

The conversion ended up being overshadowed by Haak's big defensive play as the Raiders were unable to score in the fourth quarter.

"He really is having a great senior year," said Patriot coach Dan Ellingson, referring to Haak.

To emphasize Haak's importance to H-BC-EÕs football team, the section championship game will be played around his schedule.

The event was scheduled to be played Saturday afternoon but has been moved up to tomorrow night so Haak can run at the state cross country meet in Northfield Saturday morning.

The 9-0 Patriots will host 8-2 Sioux Valley-Round Lake-Brewster, a 12-6 double-overtime winner over Westbrook-Walnut Grove, at 7 p.m. in Hills.

Although no more points were scored after the conversion following HaakÕs defensive touchdown, the game wasn't decided until the final minute.

Patriot Kevin Van Batavia produced what proved to be the game-clinching play when he picked off a pass with 1:03 remaining in the fourth quarter, but H-BC-E fumbled the ball on the next play from scrimmage and the Raiders recovered on the Patriot 45-yard line.

Facing a fourth-and-six from the 41, Nicollet tried a long pass that was knocked down at the last second by H-BC-E defender Chris Reid on the 15-yard line.

The Patriots were able to run the rest of the time off the clock after Reid's big play.

H-BC-E dominated the game's early stages while opening a 12-0 lead.

The Patriots received the opening kickoff and marched 57 yards with Reid scoring on a five-yard run to end the drive. A missed extra-point attempt followed the touchdown.

H-BC-E was driving again with its second possession, but a Nicollet defender intercepted a pass and returned 30 yards before being stripped of the ball from behind by a hustling Haak. DeBoer recovered the fumble on the H-BC-E 35, and Reid made Nicollet pay for the mistake when he dashed for a 65-yard touchdown run on the next play.

A failed two-point conversion attempt followed the touchdown.

Just when H-BC-E appeared to be on the verge of blowing out the Raiders, Nicollet made a statement. On the second play of its next possession, Nicollet back Tony Hulke ran for a 65-yard touchdown. A missed two-point conversion left the Patriots sporting a 12-6 lead.

The Patriots regained a 12-point cushion with their next offensive possession when a 45-yard run by Reid set up a one-yard touchdown plunge by DeBoer in the second quarter. The run for a conversion failed.

Nicollet countered H-BC-E's score when Raider quarterback Andy Truebenbach dashed 30 yards for a touchdown during a fourth-and-five play. A failed conversion run left the Patriots sporting an 18-12 halftime cushion.

Ellingson said scoring early against the physical Raiders was one of the keys to victory.

"They are a good team. They are big and strong. It was important for us to get out to an early lead because it gave us confidence. It wasn't a big lead that they couldnÕt overcome, but it gave us a little bit of an edge. Another key was the outstanding individual plays turned in by some of our kids. We made a lot of them," he concluded.

Team statistics
H-BC-E: 290 rushing yards, 16 passing yards, 306 total yards, 11 first downs, five penalties for 45 yards, three turnovers.

Nicollet: 350 rushing yards, 36 passing yards, 386 total yards, 11 first downs, six penalties for 54 yards, three turnovers.

Individual statistics
Rushing: Reid 21-204, DeBoer 19-70, Jesse Leuthold 1-1, Chris Tiesler 1-9, Van Batavia 1-5, David Top 1-1.

Passing: Top 3-5 for 16 yards.

Receiving: Darin DeBoer 1-13, Haak 1-9, L.DeBoer 1-minus six.

Defense: Schilling 12 tackles and one interception, Reid 12 tackles, Leuthold 10 tackles, L.DeBoer five tackles and one fumble recovery, Van Batavia one interception, Haak six tackles and one fumble recovery, Kyle Braun seven tackles and one sack, Lee Walraven one sack.

Tim Baker
Residence: Farms between Hills and Beaver Creek.

Spouse and children: Wife, Michele; and Peyton, 2-year-old daughter.

Occupation: Farmer.

Education: Graduate of H-BC.

Community activities and involvement: Member of Steen Reformed Church and Cattleman's Association Board.

Qualifications for service: Active community member.

If elected, what should voters expect you to accomplish during your term as a school board member? In other words, what issues will be important to you as a board member, if elected? Each student in the Hills-Beaver Creek School District is an important individual. I feel that we must have a school system that helps each child reach their potential. I think that we must maintain a high quality group of people who work with our students and maintain our good economic status.

Annette Mahone
Residence: Hills.

Spouse and children: Husband, Robert; three sons, Eugene, 30, Alex, 22, Nathan, 13.

Occupation: Guest service supervisor at Holiday Inn City Centre in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Education: Associate's degree in business from Kilian Community College; cosmetology license from StewartÕs School of Hairstyling.

Community activities and involvement: Active in my church. Involved in plays and musical events. I like to involve myself in the many events in the area.

Qualifications for service: I believe I have strong people skills and effective management skills. Working with as many people as I do I believe I can relate to many personalities.

If elected, what should voters expect you to accomplish during your term as a school board member? In other words, what issues will be important to you as a board member, if elected? Most important, I believe parent involvement is key, and I would strongly encourage and support that. Of course, budget is an issue we probably all keep our eye on and also another important topic: making sure our kids get the best education possible.

Matt Larson
Residence: Beaver Creek.

Spouse and children: Wife, Cindy, who teaches physical education and Title One in Beaver Creek; Haley, 8, third grade; and Luke, 6, first grade.

Occupation: I sell real estate with Coldwell Banker. I sell in southwest Minnesota as well as the Sioux Falls area. One of my latest and more fun projects is selling the lots on the new Beaver Creek golf course.

If elected, what should voters expect you to accomplish during your term as a School Board member? In other words, what issues will be important to you as a board member, if elected? I have been extremely impressed with the school system at H-BC. I believe that the quality of education is second to none. In selling homes in the H-BC district one of the points that I stress the most is the school system. One thing in particular that I am touched by is the community and parental involvement. I donÕt think that there is any one thing that encourages a child to learn more than knowing his or her parent, other family members, and the community are taking an interest in and caring about their education. I applaud the teachers in the district, also. We have had our children in the school system for the last four years, and I donÕt think we could have picked any better teachers.

I think that for a smaller district, the facilities, the elementary school, in particular, are fantastic. I also realize that the high school is older and will have some issues that need to be addressed in the future, but overall I think the school district and School Board have done an excellent job of improving and maintaining the facilities.

As far as I can tell the budget has been handled very well for a district this size. For a school our size it is impressive that we have been able to succeed at all, yet alone thrive, and as far as I am concerned this school system is thriving.

I think the leadership in the past has been good, but I think it will only get better under the new superintendent, Dave Deragisch. I am anxious to see the changes that this administration change will bring. I am sure we have great things in store for us.

As you can probably tell I am quite impressed with H-BC and don't propose any great changes. I would like the opportunity to be involved with and donate my time, ideas, and energy to such a great school district and group of people.

Alan Harnack
Residence: Rural Beaver Creek.

Spouse and children: Wife, Zoe, three sons and one daughter-in-law, Eric Harnack, Scott Harnack, Chris and Jodi Harnack, and one grandson, Easton Harnack.

Occupation: Carpenter.

Education: Graduated from Hills-Beaver Creek High School in 1967. Served in the U.S. Army from 1968 to 1970. Attended Dunwoody Institute in Minneapolis from 1970 to 1973.

Community activities and involvement: H-BC School Board; past elder, deacon, Sunday School teacher, catechism teacher at American Reformed Church in Luverne; youth fast-pitch softball coach.

Qualifications for service: I have served as an H-BC School Board member from 1985 to the present.

If elected, what should voters expect you to accomplish during your term as a School Board member? In other words, what issues will be important to you as a board member, if elected?

If elected, I would like to see our students continue to score near or at the top of the state, on all the mandatory standardized tests. I would also strive to maintain our excellent staff that would rival any staff in the three-state area. I like the strong parental involvement and support and would encourage parents to continue to do so. I appreciate the high percentage of students who participate in extracurricular activities, whether it be music, knowledge bowls, mock trials, athletics, etc., and would hope that continues. I also am excited and looking forward to working with the new superintendent and board in securing a premium curriculum and maintaining fiscal responsibility.

Lois Leuthold
Residence: Hills.

Spouse and children: Husband, Alan, married 20 years; four children, Mitchell, 14, 8th grade; Thomas, 12, 7th grade, Brady, 10, 5th grade, Natalie, 7, 2nd grade.

Occupation: Loan consultant at Dakota Capital Corporation (mortgage broker in Brandon, S.D.)
Education: 1980 graduate of Hills-Beaver Creek.

Community activities and involvement: Member of American Reformed Church in Luverne.

Hills-Beaver Creek School Board member since August 1998; parent of H-BC students; taxpayer.

If elected, what should voters expect you to accomplish during your term? In other words, what issues will be important to you as a board member, if elected? I do feel we need to do something with our locker rooms in the high school. We need to look at the options of remodeling or building new, and we have to stay within our budget.

Our district is in good financial shape right now; I want it to stay that way. I give credit for that to Mr. Knoll and the past board. Many improvements have been made to the high school, and we have a new elementary.

I want to maintain our high quality of education. The teachers and staff we have are great. They truly care about our kids! Our test scores are some of the highest in the state, and that alone should tell you about the quality of our teachers. IÕm happy to say that H-BC was one of the first districts in the state to settle their contracts. I think that shows the relationship that the staff and board have. I want this relationship that we have with our teachers now to continue.

Bob Wassenaar
Residence: Rural Hills.

Children: One son, Nick, 19, who is a student at Minnesota West; and one daughter, Jessica, 15, student at H-BC.

Occupation: Farmer.

Education: H-BC graduate.

Community activities and involvement: I have been very involved in the community. I have served six years on the Board of Directors for H-BC Co-op; five years as vice president and president of Hills Community Club; two terms on the Stewardship Board of Bethlehem Lutheran Church; two terms on the Board of Trustees of Bethlehem Lutheran Church; chairman of the roofing committee for Bethlehem Lutheran; head usher for Bethlehem Lutheran (15 years); currently vice president of Bethlehem Lutheran and I am on the Community Education Board.

If elected, what should voters expect you to accomplish during your term as a School Board member? In other words, what issues will be important to you as a board member, if elected? My involvement in the community makes me qualified for the School Board plus the fact I have lived here all of my life and know the people and what they need and want.

If elected my goal would be to maintain our quality of education, keep our building and equipment properly maintained and replaced when needed. Make H-BC a place where students, faculty and community feel welcome, happy and fulfilled.

Locker rooms are a big issue right now. We need to find a way to address this issue without going way over our budget.

Finally, we need to find ways to do all of these things without taxing ourselves to death.

By Lori Ehde
John Burgers has long been a shining star among Rock County employees, known for his enthusiasm and dedication to his job.

He started working for Rock County's Soil and Water Conservation District in 1992, and in 1994 earned state recognition for bringing local feedlot operations into compliance.

The Minnesota County Achievement Award recognized Rock County's inter-agency feedlot program as an innovation that "improved the quality of life for people in Minnesota."

At the time, livestock producers were fearful of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, which was enforcing new feedlot management guidelines.

They feared MPCA fines, but many were unable to afford the necessary construction to bring their feedlots into compliance.

Serving as a liaison between producers and the state, Burgers sought funding support and provided technical know-how to get the work done.

In addition, he established a feedlot ordinance for new construction or expansion of existing operations that became a template for counties statewide that were also balancing agribusiness and environmental concerns.

In 1995, Burgers' feedlot work earned him further state recognition as the "Outstanding Soil and Water Conservation District Employee."

In addition to his successful feedlot management program, the award recognized him for implementing a county water plan, managing water quality improvements and stabilizing funding for soil and water conservation.

Many of his co-workers nominated him for that award. "John has worked many hours outside the normal duty hour to assist producers," FSA director Roger Carson wrote.

Extension Educator Fraser Norton wrote, "John is one of those truly gifted individuals with tremendous 'people skills.' ... His achievements in Rock County will forever bear testimony to his unwavering will to serve."

By 1996 Burgers was named director of Rock County's newly established Land Management Office. By that time his can-do reputation was known both locally and statewide.

"Our impression of John's work has always been favorable. He was always very good to work with," said Mark Jacobs of the MPCA office in Marshall.

"He was supportive of the program and its rules and statutes. I enjoyed working with him."

Burgers bridged the gap between livestock producers and MPCA officials.

"John is regarded as one of the top people in his field," said Luverne farmer Tom Arends, who describes himself as a "John Burgers fan."

"You can call anyone in the county and they'll tell you the same thing. He has more common sense than anyone I've ever met in that industry. That's what John shined in," Arends said Monday, following the news of the indictments.

"There's a lot of times people get disgusted to put in a lot of money on pollution control. He had a way of handling that that was second to none."

Arends compared the news of Burgers' indictments to the news of the East Coast terrorist attacks.

"These are the things that hurt you deeply," he said. "This was John's life. He did a good job."

By Jolene Farley
Former Hills resident Jim Theis doesn't make it home very often. His duties as a Foreign Service officer have transported him to United States embassies in Central America and later to Washington, D.C., to work on various assignments.

A 1975 Hills-Beaver Creek High School graduate, Theis attended Michigan State University before earning his law degree from the University of Minnesota.

After graduation, Theis enlisted in the Army and served from 1983 to 1987 as a captain in Field Artillery. He said military service "increased his interest in traveling around the world."

After his stint in the Army, Theis became a legislative assistant for South Dakota Sen. Larry Pressler from 1987 to 1990, covering technical and communication issues.

In 1990, Theis decided to take the written and oral exams needed to become a Foreign Service officer.

About 10 percent of people who take the written exam pass. Of those, only 10 percent pass the oral exam. The exam contains questions about history, geography, economics and management, among other subjects. Also required are thorough medical examinations and a background check.

The Foreign Service is divided into five "career tracks" - political, economic, consular, administrative and public diplomacy.

Theis works as a consular officer. Consular officers serving at U.S. embassies overseas assist Americans who lose passports, family members of Americans who die overseas, Americans who adopt children overseas, and foreign-born children who obtain American citizenship papers. The Consular sections in U.S. embassies also issues visas to foreigners traveling or emigrating to the United States.

Taking into consideration the qualifications of the individual, the Foreign Service decides where officers are sent on their two-year "tours."

"We submit a 'bid' with at least six positions we are interested in," Theis said. Officers are not guaranteed any of the locations they bid on, he said.

Guidelines for bids include no more than three bids in one geographic area, candidates must know the language of the area they are bidding and candidates must have the correct rank for the position they are bidding.

Theis's first tour was in El Salvador, his second choice in the bidding process. His second tour was in Costa Rica.

When Theis transferred to Washington in 1996, he was assigned to the Cuba office or "desk," as the Foreign Service calls the offices that deal with issues in certain countries. Theis worked on migration issues between the United States and Cuba, traveling from the United States to Cuba more than once.

His next tour in 1998 through 2000 was again in Washington, with the Bureau of Consular Affairs in the Office of Overseas Citizens Services. This office coordinates everything done for Americans overseas. If officers at a particular embassy have difficulty they call on the Office of Overseas Citizens, according to Theis.

Because Foreign Service officers can remain in one location for only three tours, Theis knows he will be sent overseas after his current assignment, training others for consular work, is done.

Theis says Costa Rica was the most enjoyable of his overseas travels so far. "There is so much to see in that country, rain forests, active volcanoes, beautiful beaches. It's just a very nice country to live in," he said.

"I expected Latin America to be more different than it was from the United States. The rest of the world is slowly becoming Americanized, including Pizza Hut, Burger King and cable TV."

Theis said he could watch any of the major U.S. networks while he was in Latin America. "I could sit at home and watch the Vikings play and order in from Pizza Hut."

"A lot of people overseas have a ... kind of 'schizo' view towards the United States," Theis said. "You'll see a college student protesting against the U.S. one day, and the next day they will show up at the window for a visa."

The United States is clearly the top choice of countries in the world in which to live, Theis said.

Some foreign governments dislike U.S. policies. In Latin America, however, the United States is very well perceived, according to Theis.

"Obviously, in the Arabic world there is a lot of hostility related to our support of Israel," said Theis.

In the past, Theis was never frightened during his travels, even on his trips to Cuba. After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, his sense of security depends on where he is sent on his next tour. "Obviously, terrorists can strike anywhere," said Theis.

Theis said he agrees with the actions the Bush administration has taken so far against the terrorists.

"The administration is taking a very well-thought-out approach ... differentiating between terrorists and the general population, differentiating between bin Laden and the Islamic population, and actively focusing on terrorists themselves."

Theis was teaching a class a few miles away from the Pentagon when the terrorist blast occurred in Washington, D.C. Although all federal buildings were evacuated, Theis stayed behind because he had task force experience. The Foreign Service establishes a task force when a big event happens.

Theis remained in the building until a formal task force roster was prepared. "It was nice to feel useful," he said.

The terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon has permanently changed the way Americans think, according to Theis. Many Americans thought of terrorism as something that was far removed from the United States, only happening somewhere else.

"As a nation we have permanently changed our approach toward that feeling of security," Theis said.

By John Rittenhouse
Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth's Brad Haak earned a return trip to state, and he was nearly joined by the entire boys' varsity cross country team.

Competing at the Section 3A Championships in Tracy Friday, Haak turned in a dominating performance by winning an individual championship.

With the talented senior leading the way, the Patriot boys made a bid to advance to state as a team after finishing third overall in a 15-team field.

The top two teams and top seven individual finishers at the section level earn berths in the Minnesota State Class A Cross Country Championships that will be staged in Northfield Saturday.

Haak qualified on the basis of his victory, but his team came up one place short of advancing. Canby-Minneota-Lincoln HI won the section team title with 34 points, Jackson County Central was second with 82, and H-BC-E was third with 117.

"We were hoping to get one of those top two team spots, but JCC just ran an awesome race and had a great day overall," said Patriot coach Tom Goehle. "We gave ourselves a chance by running hard and putting ourselves in a position to run our best, but we just couldnÕt catch JCC."

After the varsity race was nearly one-third complete, nobody could catch up with Haak.

After letting some other runners set the pace early in the race, the defending state track champion in the 800-meter run switched gears and broke out into the lead. No one seriously challenged Haak the rest of the way as he reached the chute at the end of race with a winning time of 17:03.

"At about the one-mile mark Brad made his move to take a 40- to 50-yard lead. He was able to hang onto the lead the rest of the way," Goehle said.

Haak, who races at 1 p.m. Saturday in Northfield, will bring past experience to the state meet.
When he was a sophomore in 1999, Haak earned a qualifying spot by placing fourth in the section event. A side ache led to a 108th-place finish at state.

Haak improved to a third-place finish at the section meet and went on to place 65th at state in 2000.

"He wants to make a bid to gain all-state honors this year, which means placing in the top 25 at state," Goehle said.

Tyler Bush, Greg Van Batavia, Lee Jackson and Kale Wiertzema joined efforts with Haak to give the Patriots their best finish at a section cross country meet as a team.

Bush placed 12th in 18:03, Van Batavia 25th in 18:47, Jackson 39th in 19:03 and Wiertzema 45th in 19:18.

Matt Buck and Nathan Fick finished 54th and 58th in 19:39 and 19:56 respectively without influencing the team score.

A group of five Patriot girls made school history by finishing with 338 points and placing 13th in a 15-team field.

"This was the first time we had a complete girls' team for the section meet, so that was an accomplishment in itself," Goehle said. "I told the girls that they shouldn't scoff at placing 13th. That's right about where our boys' team placed at the section meet three years ago."

Cassi Tilstra produced the best finish by a Patriot girl in section competition by placing 31st in 17:29.

Brittney Rozeboom placed 50th in 18:04, Amanda Tilstra 91st in 20:21, Becky Broesder 96th in 20:28 and Stacy Bush 102nd in 21:07.