Northfield athletes sign up to play in college

The strength of the interscholastic athletic program at Northfield High School was on full display last week as the school celebrated 14 of its senior student-athletes who have committed to play college sports in 2024-25.

The list includes four baseball players, five members of the NHS girls swim and dive team, two members of the softball team, one girls hockey player, one girls basketball player, one girls soccer player, one girls track and field athlete and one member of the boys lacrosse team.

All of these student-athletes were honored at a special letter signing ceremony that was led by NHS Activities Director John Mahal at the Northfield High School gym on Wednesday, May 1.

Baseball

The members of the 2024 Northfield baseball team, who have committed to play at the NCAA level next year include the following players:

Gabe Heinritz, an infielder/pither, will play college baseball at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. A skilled three-sport athlete, Heinritz was also a standout performer on Northfield’s boys soccer team and was a state qualifier for the NHS boys swim and dive team that placed fourth in state this season. UWRF is a member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and is an NCAA Division III affiliate.

Coach Josh Spitzack on Heinritz — “Gabe is a true team guy and has worked hard to put himself in a position to play college baseball. He came into this season as someone we knew we could count on at second base as well as provide innings on the mound. Many college players expect to play right away, but with Gabe’s dedication and work ethic, he is someone that will likely earn himself a role by outworking everyone. He is a great teammate and will be a great addition to River Falls as they start up their baseball program.”

Grant Hutton, a pitcher, who will attend Augsburg University and play baseball for the Auggies. Augsburg is a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and is an NCAA Division III affiliate. The school is located in Minneapolis, Minn.

Spitzack on Hutton — “Grant has worked hard the last few years and came into his senior year as one of our key pitchers we would depend on. He is a competitor and gives us a chance to win every time he is on the mound. He has also stepped into a leadership role this year as one of our captains. He has continued to improve each year and has accepted different roles which will help him as he starts out at Augsburg.”

Tegan Mellgren, a pitcher/outfielder, has committed to play baseball at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minn. next year. He will carry on a family tradition as former NHS standouts Blake Mellgren and Spencer Mellgren are both currently playing baseball at Saint John’s this season. Saint John’s is a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and an NCAA Division III affiliate.

Spitzack on Mellgren — “Tegan gives full effort in every drill we do and is always asking for extra rounds of batting practice. Last year he was a key reliever for us and this year he has been one of our top starters on the mound. He also does a great job in the outfield and at the plate so he has the ability to contribute in both areas at the college level. His energy and work ethic will definitely be missed next year.”

Aaron Reisetter, a catcher/infield at NHS, will continue his baseball career at the University of Dubuque (Iowa). The University of Dubuque Spartans are a members of the American Rivers Conference and compete at the NCAA Division III level.

Spitzack on Reisetter — “Aaron has had a goal of playing college baseball and has worked hard to make it happen. He has played a lot of baseball over the years and his versatility will be a strength at the college level as he is able to play multiple positions. He has been our main catcher this year and a key hitter in our lineup for the last two years. Even at a physically demanding position, he is always ready to go.”

Boys lacrosse

A standout on the Northfield High School boys lacrosse team, Will Downs will play the sport at Concordia University Wisconsin. The school is located in Mequon, Wisc. and it competes in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference at the NCAA Division III level.

Boys swim and dive

Jens Kasten will bring his swimming talents to Colorado College next fall. A member of the Northfield High School squad that placed fourth in the state during the 2023-24 season, Kasten placed seventh in the MSHSL state meet in both the 50 free and 100 free events and was part of Northfield’s 200 free relay team that placed second at the Class A state meet this season. Kasten also played boys soccer at Northfield. Located in Colorado Springs, Colo., Colorado College is an NCAA Division III affiliate that competes in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.

“Jens will most likely continue to excel in the sprint freestyle (50, 100, maybe 200) events for them, but may be used in butterfly or breaststroke as well. Jens is looking forward to the next chapter in his athletic career and is looking forward to the college experience,” NHS coach Doug Davis said.

Girls basketball

Kat Organ, guard, will attend Kenyon College and plans to play women’s basketball for the Owls. An NCAA Division III affiliate, Kenyon is located in Gambier, Ohio and is a member of the always rugged North Coast Athletic Conference.

“Kat showed an incredible amount of improvement over her high school career, and if she can continue that trajectory, then she can become an effective college basketball player as well. While Kat was a significant contributor for our program on the court, her greatest strength is that she is an amazing teammate on-and-off the court; any team will have a better overall experience with Kat Organ on the roster,” NHS coach Paul Eddy said.

Girls hockey

Isabelle Stephes, forward and team captain, plans to play college hockey at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. A standout on the NHS girls hockey team that won the 2023-24 Big 9 championship and the 2024 MSHSL Section 1AA championship, Stephes scored 16 goals and 17 assists for the Raiders this season. Northfield finished the year with a 27-3 overall record and advanced to the 2024 MSHSL Class AA state tournament in St. Paul this season. UWRF is an NCAA Division III affiliate and a member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

“Izzy was always a part of our top special teams units for power play and penalty kill. She was always in our top 6 forwards and she was a major contributor to our program,” NHS coach Paige Haley said.

Girls soccer

Gracie Freyberg, goalkeeper and team captain, is a recruit of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. An NCAA Division I affiliate, UW-Green Bay is a member of the Horizon League in the sport of women’s soccer.

“In the past two years as a starting goalkeeper, Gracie has exhibited so much growth as both a player and person. On the field, she recorded over 200 saves as a junior, which was good for second in the state across all classes. As a senior, she saw her goals against average increase by half a point, providing the foundation for a significantly improved team year-over-year. She also received All-Conference Honorable Mention and All-Conference awards in those two seasons. As a person, she developed into a leader and was always someone who was highly regarded by the team and coaching staff alike. I’m certain she has the skills and personal attributes to succeed at the next level,” NHS head coach Blake Kane said.

Girls swim and dive

Leah Enedy plans to be a two-sport athlete at Concordia-Moorhead and compete in the freestyle sprints, breaststroke and butterfly events in college. She also plans to play softball at Concordia.

Charlotte Flory will attend Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colo. She looks to contribute to the Tigers’ sprint/mid-distance freestyle events (50, 100, and 200 Freestyle). Colorado College is an NCAA Division III affiliate and competes in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference in swimming and diving.

Josie Hauck will attend St. Olaf College after a Rotary Exchange gap year in Denmark. Hauck will share her backstroke and individual medley talent on the Ole swim and dive Team. A member of the Northfield High School girls track and field team, Hauck also plans to compete for St. Olaf in that sport too. St. Olaf is an NCAA Division III affiliate and a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Alivia Kortuem will attend the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minn. She will compete for the Bennies as a mid-distance/distance freestyler (200, 500, 1000, and 1650 freestyle) and butterflier (100 and 200 butterfly). St. Ben’s is also a member of the MIAC and an NCAA Division III affiliate.

“Leah, Josie, and Charlotte will compete in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, where they all have an excellent chance of scoring points for their respective teams at the MIAC Championships. Their ability to compete in various events will also help their teams in the dual meet season,” NHS coach Kristi Kortuem said.

“Charlotte will compete to earn a spot on the Colorado College Championship team where she would likely contribute points at the conference meet in the 50 Free, 100 Free, and 200 Free.”

Softball

Leah Enedy, first base/utility, will continue her athletic career at Concordia University in Moorhead, Minn. She has been a two-year captain for the Raiders and is also a member of the NHS girls swim and dive team and will also compete in that sport at the college level.

“Leah brings a lot of energy to the team and game,” NHS softball coach Josten Coleman said. “She is a good teammate and is always willing to do what is asked to help the team. She will be a nice addition to the Concordia Cobbers program.”

Concordia Moorhead is a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and competes at the NCAA Division III level.

Rita Langford, outfielder and team captain, plans to continue her softball career at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minn. The Saints also play in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and compete at the NCAA Division III level.

“Rita is a solid outfielder with lots of range…quick in the field and fast on the basepaths,” Coleman said. “She is a great teammate and she will be a nice addition to St Scholastica’s program.”