Pictured are Yost/Haddorff/Leopold Award winners Abby Hollenstein, left, and Sam Dioszeghy, right, with sponsors Robert Haddorff and Carolyn Leopold.
Click on the above image for more photos from the celebration.

May 18, 2023 — Each year, Mound Westonka High School celebrates standout athletes from the graduating class. This year’s celebration took place on May 18 in the Performing Arts Center, with student-athletes and their parents in attendance. Included in this year’s recognition were the Yost-Haddorff-Leopold and Athena Award nominees and winners, as well as senior three-season athletes, declared college athletes, and state tournament participants.

Activities Director Jeff Peterson recognized and congratulated the senior athletes on their accomplishments:

“Congratulations to the Class of 2023! In my tenure as the Activities Director, this is the most well-rounded group with high participation and leadership. Your efforts, commitment, dedication, and influence have made MWHS and our athletic programs better. Remember that White Hawks soar together and stick together! Best wishes to you all! Special congrats to all the Athena and Yost-Haddorff-Leopold nominees and to Abigail Hollenstein and Sam Dioszeghy as being selected by the MWHS head coaching staff as the 2023 recipients.” 

Triple ‘A’ Winners

Principal Jolene Herfel introduced Daniel Kaczanowski and Laura Sunnarborg, who were recognized as this year’s school-level Minnesota State High School League Triple “A” winners. The Triple “A” program rewards a senior boy and girl in each high school in Minnesota for outstanding achievement in Academics, Athletics, and the Arts.

[Read more about the 2022-2023 Triple ‘A’ winners]

State Tournament Participants

Peterson also recognized seniors who competed at state this year.

For the first time in school history, the MWHS high kick team was named Class AA state champions. The jazz dance team competed at state for the 16th consecutive year and broke into the finals, finishing third overall. The Hawkettes earned the Team Academic Award. Seniors competing at state dance were Jaden Houston, Hannah Hunter, Josie Moen, Madi O’Mara, Avery Roerig, Kendall Schissler, and Malia Velarde. Moen and Schissler were named to the Academic All-State Dance Team, an honor given to senior dancers with a cumulative GPA of 3.85 or higher. Additionally, Schissler and Hunter were named to the Wells Fargo All-Tournament Jazz Team, and Moen and Roerig were named to the All-Tournament Kick Team.

The girls’ swim and dive team earned a program-high third-place finish in the state tournament. Senior members of the team included Kristin Collins, Kate Johnston, Jaylyn Storm, and Izzy Sullivan. Johnston and Storm were part of the 200-medley relay state champion team, as well as the 200-freestyle relay team that took second place. Storm also took second in the 50-freestyle, while Johnston earned fourth in the 100-breaststroke.

Reagan Kelley was a back-to-back state champion in the individual all-around gymnastics competition. Kate Gilmore was also a member of the fourth-place state championship gymnastics team this year.

Dylan Mather, captain of the Wright County Championship boys’ soccer team, was named to the All-State first team and was invited to participate in the Senior Classic.

Sam Dioszeghy was selected for the Minnesota High School All Star Football Game. Will Wallace received the Most Valuable Teammate Award in football from the MSHSL and was also a class 4A individual academic All-State selection.

Holding the school record of 99 pins, Sam Dioszeghy bettered his fourth-place finish in state wrestling last year by taking second-place this year.

Athena Award

Abby Hollenstein represented Westonka at the 51st Annual Athena Awards, which recognized more than 50 senior women from public and private high schools in the Minneapolis metro area. Hollenstein was recognized locally for winning both the Athena and Yost-Haddorff-Leopold outstanding female athlete awards. Hollenstein was a standout athlete in soccer, basketball, and track and field.

In addition to sports, Hollenstein is a member of the National Honor Society, DECA, Link Crew and the MWHS Rotary Interact Club. She has earned multiple Academic Excellence Awards, was recognized as a Distinguished Student, and was named an AP Scholar.

Other finalists for the 2023 MWHS Athena Award were seniors Laura Sunnarborg, Ellen Pruitt, Alicia Hatlestad, Sydney Leonard, and Gretta Pioske.

[Read more about 2023 Athena winner Abby Hollenstein]

Yost-Haddorff-Leopold Award

This year’s male Yost-Haddorff-Leopold Award winner is Sam Dioszeghy. The other nominees for the 70th annual outstanding male athlete award were Ethan Garlock, Payton Kasper, Luke Leonard, Dylan Mather, Camron Peterson, Kade Tappen, and Will Wallace.

The award began as the Yost Award in 1953, honoring the late Frank Yost—a local pharmacist and ardent community sports supporter, who died in 1952. In 1994, the award became the Yost-Haddorff-Leopold Award, also honoring the memories of Oscar Haddorff, who died in 1970, a year after retiring as a 25-year MWHS teacher, coach, and athletic director; and Cory Leopold, a 1988 MWHS graduate and standout high school and college wrestler, who was killed in a car accident in 1993. The scholarship component was added to the award at that time and is given to the school’s top male and female athletes.

Dioszeghy is a three-sport athlete, excelling in football, wrestling, and track and field. He has earned 11 varsity letters.

A three-year starter on the football field, Dioszeghy served as team captain, was named White Hawks Lineman of the Year, earned two All-District nods, and was named to the Minnesota High School All-Star Football Team.

Dioszeghy has a career record of 124-22 in wrestling and holds the school record of 99 pins. He was named All-State both academically and competitively. He earned a fourth place finish at state in 2022 and a second place finish this year. He was a senior captain and named Most Valuable Wrestler. He was also named to the Guillotine’s Academic All-State first team.

A two-time track and field team captain, Dioszeghy is a two-time Wright County Conference champion and an All-State track and field competitor in the discus throw. He is also a two-time MVP.

“The Mound Westonka athletic programs have shaped me into being the best athlete and person I can be,” said Dioszeghy. “Throughout my entire high school career, the coaches and mentors I have had have been keystones in my development – from teaching me the ways of the sport, along with the values of hard work and determination, to humbly embracing victory while also learning how to deal with and grow from defeat.”

Declared College Athletes

Assistant Activities Director Jaime Lundgren introduced the following athletes who have committed to playing at the collegiate level:

• Sam Dioszeghy – Concordia College Moorhead (Football and Track and Field)
• Alicia Hatlestad – Iowa Central College (Basketball)
• Simon James – Gustavus Adolphus College (Baseball)
• Payton Kasper – University of Kansas (Track and Field)
• Reagan Kelley – Winona State University (Gymnastics)
• Sam Kluever – Kirkwood College (Baseball)
• Jordyn Larue – University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse (Lacrosse)
• Luke Leonard – Augustana University (Football)
• Sydney Leonard – University of New Hampshire (Hockey)
• Gavin Leuthold – Crown College (Football)
• Camron Peterson – Bethel University (Football)
• Gretta Pioske – Lindenwood University (Hockey)
• Colin Richie – Iowa Central College (Baseball)
• Laura Sunnarborg – Gustavus Adolphus College (Indoor Outdoor Track and Field and Cross-Country)
• Kade Tappen – University of Wisconsin-Stout (Football)
• Kate Velander – Winona State University (Tennis)
• Emily Wendorf – College of Saint Benedict (Hockey)

Three-Season Athletes

Also recognized were 20 MWHS senior three-season athletes: Fletcher Anderson, Chloe Bjorlin, DJ Christensen, Taylor Dallman, Sam Dioszeghy, Ethan Garlock, Kate Gilmore, Alicia Hatlestad, Abby Hollenstein, Daniel Kaczanowski, Luke Leonard, Sydney Leonard, Maeve Linkert, Alaina Mather, Benjamin Neve, Camron Peterson, Luke Rodelius, Nora Sipprell, Izzy Sullivan, and Will Wallace.

View the slideshow that was presented at the celebration.

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