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HAYFIELD – In a time when more and more athletes are specializing in one sport or quitting a sport once they realize they will not be the superstar, Hayfield High School is experiencing a boom of senior basketball players, many of whom are multi-sport athletes.

The Viking girls and Viking boys basketball teams each have nine seniors on the team, which is astounding considering those 18 players make up nearly 40 percent of their entire class.

The increase in participation is partially due to the two state titles the Hayfield boys won in 2021 and 2022 and the back-to-back fourth place finishes at state by the Hayfield girls in 2022 and 2023. A lot of it also has to do with athletes sacrificing for the good of the school.

“At a small school, you have to have everyone out in every sport. If everyone just plays their favorite sport, every team is going to be bad,” Hayfield girls basketball and baseball coach Kasey Krekling said. “We always bring up (Hayfield grads) Easton Fritcher and Ethan Slaathaug. Easton loved baseball and if he would’ve just played baseball, the basketball team doesn’t win the state championship and it’s the same thing with Ethan Slaathaug. Even though his favorite sport was basketball, if Ethan doesn’t go out for baseball, we don’t win that championship either. It’s an example we use all the time.”

Some seniors don’t get a lot of opportunities to see the court, but all of the long bus rides, bagged lunches and long days at youth tournaments have still proven to be worth the time that was put in.

Hayfield athletic director and boys basketball coach Chris Pack said that this is the biggest group of senior basketball players that he can recall.

“I think it’s just kids who are committed to being part of the program and you’ve got to tip your hat to them, even if they’re not playing a lot,” Pack said. “Sports in general have so many life lessons in them. Not everyone’s going to be at the top, whether it’s your job or whatever. It teaches kids to persevere and keep working at it.”

Eight years of excellence

One of the advantages of being a small school coach is that you’re always able to have your finger placed on the pulse of the program. Krekling coached the current senior class when they were fourth graders and he recalls pleading with them to stick with it.

To his surprise, most of them did.

“Miraculously most of them stayed out. I think it’s because they enjoy basketball and they enjoy each other so much,” Krekling said. “Even the ones that don’t play as much like being here. Hopefully I’ve played a small part in fostering their love of basketball and keeping them out.”

While some have college aspirations, Hayfield’s roster does not feature any specialized athletes. Many of the basketball girls are also involved in volleyball, softball or golf. 

Senior Chelsea Christopherson said that the shared love of the hardwood has kept so many Hayfield students keeping their winters booked on the basketball court.

“I think we all enjoy playing basketball so well just stuck with it. We all enjoy being with it and we all love sports,” she said. “There is a picture of us and the boys teams together in fourth grade and a lot of the boys have all stuck with it too. We all enjoy putting time into the game.”

Christopherson has always been an all-around great athlete and the team also features the school’s all-time leading scorer Kristen Watson and all-time leading rebounder Natalie Beaver. But when the game is over, you’d never be able to tell which Vikings are playing big minutes and which ones are cheering on from the bench.

“We make practices fun and that keeps everyone coming back,” Watson said. “Bus rides are a lot of fun and we’ve got the music jamming really loud. We’re always laughing and having a good time.“

As much as everyone gets along, the fact remains that only five players can play at once and there is only one basketball to go around. Beaver said that the Vikings find a way to get everyone involved.

“Everyone knows their role,” she said. “Even if they’re not getting a lot of time in games, they know they can be on the scout team in practice and they can really have an impact on the game, even if they’re not necessarily one of the five on the court.”

Transition year

It’s been a tough year for the Hayfield boys. After back-to-back state titles in 2021 and 2022 and a run to the final four of Section 1A last year, the Vikings had to reload this season.

Unfortunately that reload has seen the team face a lot of adversity and the squad has only had its full lineup in two games this season. However, nobody is complaining and the energy is still positive and upbeat in a mid-week practice.

“There are obviously some sports that some kids are better at, but it’s a great way to stay connected like a family,” Hayfield senior Jack Thoe said. “We get to hang out with the same people that we see in school when we’re at practice and it’s a lot of fun.”

Hayfield senior Isaac Fjerstad said that staying involved in multiple sports is simply something that you do when you’re a small school athlete.

“We’re such a small school that you need everyone, no matter what the sport is. The amount of players we get is crucial for every season. You have football, baseball and basketball players, but by going out for every sport, you make every team better,” he said. “It keeps you conditioned and it builds chemistry. It works to our benefit.”

The Final Countdown

With a record of 20-2 overall, the Hayfield girls are set for another long postseason run, but the Hayfield boys, who are 5-17 overall, are hoping to finish strong and pull off an upset or two.

No matter how the season ends for each team, there will certainly be some tears of joy and sadness. Eight years is a long time to be teammates, especially when the bond has grown in school and in other sports as well.

There will be memories that last a lifetime and there will be more basketball in the future for some players, but it will never be the same.

All 18 of the Viking seniors understand the rarity of high school sports and what a privilege it is to represent your community in the act of competition. Many of them have learned the meaning of sacrifice by working hard in practice so their teammates can shine on game nights. They’ve also learned how to handle the sting of a tough loss or how to remain humble after a decisive victory.

With the Section 1A tournament drawing near, it will certainly be over in the near future for both senior groups, but it isn’t over yet.

“We all realize that it’s our last moment and we’re trying to cherish every memory and make it count,” Beaver said. “It’s really special between all of us and Kasey, who’s been coaching us since fourth grade. We know when to take him seriously and when we can joke with him. We’ve had a really good time.”