Winona, MN-
With the conclusion of the 2020 spring meetings, several former standout athletes and key support personnel from around the Minnesota College Athletic Conference were honored by the MCAC General Assembly with membership in the MCAC Hall-of-Fame.
Student-athletes from Hibbing Community College and Itasca Community College received a tip of the hat from the MCAC General Assembly, as did Minnesota West CTC certified athletic trainer Joel T. Krekelberg.
Read on for more of the 2020 Hall-of-Fame class for the Minnesota College Athletic Conference. The complete MCAC Hall-of-Fame is available on-line at: https://mcac.prestosports.com/information/MCAC_Hall_of_Fame
Breanna Chamernick competed in volleyball for the Cardinals in 2008 and 2009. In that time, she set the HCC record in serve receive percentage (95.72%) and career digs (1,519). In both seasons with Hibbing, Chamernick was named the NJCAA National Player-of-the-Year, while earning First-Team All-America honors. She also earned 2009 Academic All-America honors following her sophomore season.
Nina Lutmer also took to the hardwood for Hibbing Community College, competing in the 2006 and 2007 volleyball seasons. Her sophomore season saw Lutmer earn NJCAA Honorable Mention All-America accolades, and Academic All-America status as well. Lutmer still holds Cardinal career set assists marks in single-season helpers (1,204) and career set assists (2,235).
Kristin Riesgraf a member of the Hibbing 2005 and 2006 volleyball teams, earning 2006 NJCAA First Team All-America honors. Riesgraf owns a handful of top marks in both single-season and career statistical categories, including single-season kills (484) and career kills (913).
Kelsey Wirtanen suited up for Hibbing in the 2009 and 2010 volleyball campaigns. Wirtanen earned both NJCAA First Team All America and Academic All-America status following the Cardinal 2010 season as a sophomore.
Denia Brown Polzin competed for Itasca Community College in 2015 and 2016, leading the Viking volleyball squad. Polzin was recognized in 2015 as an NJCAA All-American, following a highly successful season in which she earned NJCAA All-Region XIII, MCAC All-State and First Team, Northern Division honors. Polzin resides in Detriot Lakes, Minnesota.
Gabriella Feldt was a volleyball standout for Itasca between 2012 and 2014. In 2013, the Greenway High School product, was tabbed as an NJCAA First Team All-America selection. She also earned accolades at the state and Region levels, claiming First Team All-State and First Team All-Division honors. She also was named to the All-Region Tournament team in 2013.
A two-sport athlete, Hanna Olson Zuehlke, suited up for Itasca in both softball and volleyball. Currently an elementary teacher in Cass Lake, Minnesota, Zuehlke was a 2015 NJCAA All-America in softball for the Vikings. She put together an impressive 2015 NJCAA Region XIII Softball Tournament effort, capturing Region MVP honors. Within the MCAC, she also was First Team All-State and All-Northern Division.
Taylor Orhn also was an NJCAA Volleyball All-American at Itasca Community College, earning Honorable Mention honors following the 2014 season. She was a standout at the Region and state levels, claiming All-Region honors and MCAC All-State First Team status in the 2014 campaign. Orhn lives in Coleraine, Minnesota, where she serves as a Nursing Assistant.
Megan Sobtzak, an ICC Viking between 2010-2012, earned All-America honors in both the NJCAA (First Team) and AVCA (2nd Team), following her 2012 season. The Coleraine native swept MCAC First Team All-Division and All-State awards, as well as making the NJCAA All-Region XIII team.
Joel T. Krekelberg, a former Minnesota West men's basketball athlete between 1973 and 1975, has been known throughout Worthington for his contributions as the certified athletic trainer for Blue Jay and Lady Jay squads. Krekelberg, continues to bring a wealth of experiences to the Minnesota West campus, serving as a key contributor at the NJCAA Wrestling National Tournament, and serving with the NFL Houston Oilers between 1978-85. MnWest men's athletic coordinator, Bob Purcell stated: "Joel is that person who is everything that the NJCAA, Region XIII, MCAC, MN West CTC, and athletics wants to teach and represent in its athletes, coaches, and administrators. He is selfless in giving his time and experience in performing his duties as an athletic trainer."
Krekelberg also has earned the Joe T. Dugger ATC Award (2017) and the Fred Zamberletti Award in 2018.
The Minnesota College Athletic Conference is the organizational body for NJCAA-affiliated two-year technical and community college athletic programs in the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities system, as well as select member colleges in North Dakota and Wisconsin. The mission of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference is to advance intercollegiate athletics by providing an engaging and supportive environment for the success of our student-athletes and competition among member institutions. The MCAC is committed to the guiding principles of encouraging the development and success of student-athletes, promoting the integrity, honesty, and loyalty to member schools as well as upholding the sustainability of conference athletic programs.
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