Rich Gerk honored at annual athletic banquet

The 2022-23 sports seasons have come to an end for the Haxtun Fightin' Bulldogs and to celebrate this year's accomplishments athletes, parents and community members gathered for the annual athletic banquet last week. This year's celebration included a special presentation for Rich Gerk. Gerk plans to retire from the many hats he's worn at Haxtun but specifically as coach and athletic director.

Gerk began his teaching career covering a maternity leave in Merino in the spring of 1992 and in 1993 he began teaching in Haxtun. That same year, he took his first coaching assignment as an assistant basketball coach.

Gerk has earned some impressive accolades in his tenure with Haxtun Schools: boys basketball: assistant coach one year and head coach for 15 years with a sixth place consolation championship in 1996 at the age of 26, a third place finish in 2004 and a State Championship in 2005; girls basketball: head coach for six years including a fifth place finish in 2017 and a State runner up title in 2019. He also coached junior high girls volleyball, junior high football, junior high boys basketball and junior high girls basketball. For the past six years, Gerk has lead the Haxtun athletic department as director.

In 2005 he was named the Denver Post Boys' Coach of the year and coached in the All-State games, in 2016 Gerk was selected to coach the Colorado Coaches of Girls Sports, the same year his daughter Megan played, and in 2017 he was the Colorado Preps Girls' Coach of the Year.

At the annual banquet each year, the Haxtun Booster Club honors special community members as Super Boosters. Individuals are nominated by the community and voted on by members of the Booster Club. 2023 Super Boosters are Becky Heinz and John Chapdelaine.

Chapdelaine has shown his dedication to the community, especially the athletic department in a number of ways, specifically by singing the national anthem, announcing lineups or serving as the voice of the Bulldog football team.

"But there's one specific moment that I want to mention. It was immediately following the football semifinal game. He graciously congratulated Simla on advancing to the finals, and then he encouraged the Haxtun crowd to give an ovation to our team for what they had accomplished up to that point. They'd won 26 games in a row to that point, including a state championship. For me (and I'm sure others) he really put that tough situation into perspective. He really showed what Greatness, Respect, and Responsibility are all about. I also know that he didn't say those things in order to be nominated for some award at the end of the year. Those words came from the heart," his nomination read.

Heinz, Haxtun's primary Principal, is found cheering on Haxtun athletes on or off duty.

"Becky does a great job at being present for our kids. Even when not on admin duty she is present and cheering on the kids. Her involvement in the summer ball program promotes a positive interaction and promotes a great way for kids to explore their skills while getting high fives and encouragement from their principle. She lives the bulldog pride to its fullest," said her nomination.

The following is a list of athletic awards presented last week:

Mason Bornhoft: lettered in football, basketball, baseball and track, CHSAA four-sport participation award.

Michael Gerk: lettered in football, basketball, baseball and track, All-Conference Football, All-Conference Basketball, All-Conference Baseball, CHSAA four-sport Participation Award.

Keegan Colglazier: lettered in football, basketball, baseball and track, All-Conference, Honorable-Mention Football, CHSAA four-sport Participation Award.

Kaiden Schelling: lettered in football, wrestling and baseball, All-Conference, Honorable Mention Football, All Conference Baseball, CHSAA three-sport Participation Award

Coleman Firme: football, basketball and baseball participant, CHSAA three-sport Participation Award.

Kyle Fryrear: lettered in football, basketball, baseball and track, All Conference-Football, CHSAA four-sport Participation Award.

Grant Statz: football, wrestling, baseball and track, CHSAA four-sport Participation Award

Carter Lock: football and baseball participant, lettered in baseball, CHSAA three-sport Participation Award.

Chase Goddard: football participant, lettered in basketball, baseball and track, CHSAA four-sport Participation Award.

Ryland Wolff: lettered in football, basketball, baseball and track, All-Conference Football, CHSAA four-sport Participation Award

Braden Plumb: lettered in football and basketball, baseball participant, CHSAA three-sport Participation Award.

Aidan Starkebaum: football, basketball and baseball, CHSAA three-sport Participation Award.

Colin Cone: lettered in football, basketball and baseball, CHSAA three-sport Participation Award.

Gage Helgoth: participated in football, baseball and track, lettered in wrestling, CHSAA four-sport Participation Award.

Ryan Davis: lettered in football and wrestling, participated in baseball and track, CHSAA four-sport Participation Award.

Josh Wright: lettered in football and track.

Jerron Turney: football participant, lettered in baseball, All Conference Baseball.

Avian Calderon: football and baseball participant.

Corbin Andersen: lettered in football, basketball and track, baseball participant, CHSAA four-sport Participation Award.

Zach Statz: lettered in football, baseball and track, basketball participant, CHSAA four-sport Participation Award.

Maclin Tempel: lettered in football, basketball, baseball and track, All-Conference Football, All-Conference Basketball, CHSAA four-sport Participation Award.

Brandon Nall: lettered in football and track.

Kanin Koberstein: participated in football and basketball, lettered in baseball, CHSAA three-sport Participation Award

Kristopher Hadeen: lettered in football.

Kailin Kelley: lettered in football and track, All-Conference Football.

Seth Seger: participated in football, basketball, baseball and track, CHSAA four-sport Participation Award.

Jaxsen Schram: lettered in baseball, participated in football and basketball, CHSAA three-sport Participation Award.

Jacob Tori: lettered in football and track, All-Conference Football.

Brock Miller: lettered in football and track.

Joseph Helfer: participated in football, basketball and baseball.

Jack Feik: participated in football, basketball and track, CHSAA three-sport Participation Award.

Zach Fryrear: participated in football, basketball, baseball and track, CHSAA four-sport Participation Award.

Tate Michael: lettered in football and basketball, participated in baseball, CHSAA three-sport Participation Award.

Bret Kanode: participated in football, basketball and baseball, CHSAA three-sport Participation Award.

Gehrig Thompson: lettered in football, All-Conference, Honorable Mention Football.

Wyatt Goodwin: participated in football.

Kash Workman: lettered in baseball, participated in basketball.

Logan Leonard: participated in basketball and baseball.

Tristen Kleimola: participated in basketball.

Mick Scholten: lettered in basketball and track.

Scotty Engle: lettered in wrestling, participated in track.

Trent Wernsman: lettered in wrestling, participated in track.

Gerry Buccelli: lettered in baseball.

Austin Hanes: lettered in baseball.

Angel Acosta: participated in baseball.

Trevon Thayer: participated in baseball.

Isaac Wagoner: participated in baseball.

Christopher Durbin: lettered in track.

Katiegh Cody: participated in volleyball and basketball.

Julia Freeman: lettered in volleyball, participated in track.

Lilly Lemesany: lettered in volleyball and track, participated in basketball, CHSAA three-sport Participation Award.

Jayleigh Bullard: lettered in volleyball and track, participated in basketball, CHSAA three-sport Participation Award.

Emily Anderson: lettered in volleyball, basketball and track, CHSAA three-sport Participation Award.

LouAnn Buccelli: lettered in volleyball.

Cassidy Goddard: lettered in volleyball, basketball and track, All-Conference Volleyball, All-Conference Basketball, CHSAA three-sport Participation Award.

Emma Henry: lettered in golf, participated in volleyball.

Kinsley Koberstein: participated in volleyball, basketball and track, CHSAA three-sport Participation Award.

Megan Walker: lettered in volleyball and golf, All-Conference, Honorable Mention Volleyball.

Addison Imhof: participated in volleyball and track.

Bobbi Starkebaum: lettered in volleyball, basketball and track, All-Conference Volleyball, All-Conference, Honorable Mention Basketball, CHSAA three-sport Participation Award.

Kelsie Hadeen: lettered in volleyball and basketball.

Grace Gibson: lettered in volleyball and basketball.

Cassidy Goodwin: lettered in volleyball and basketball.

Kaiya Hall: participated in volleyball.

Hadley Feik: participated in volleyball and basketball, lettered in track, CHSAA three-sport Participation Award.

Maggie Kilgour: lettered in volleyball.

Reagan Jones: lettered in track, participated in volleyball and basketball, CHSAA three-sport Participation Award.

Kirsta Dishman: lettered in volleyball, participated in basketball.

Rozi Crossland: lettered in golf, participated in volleyball.

Heily Avery: lettered in volleyball and track, participated in basketball.

Evelyn Mendoza: Lettered in volleyball.

Josie Freeman: participated in volleyball, basketball and track, CHSAA three-sport Participation Award.

Tessa Gales: participated in volleyball, basketball and track, CHSAA three-sport Participation Award.

Olivia Stone: participated in volleyball.

Kayti Williams: participated in volleyball and basketball, lettered in track, CHSAA three-sport Participation Award.

Kaylene Modrell: participated in volleyball and track.

Faith Woodside: participated in volleyball and track.

Aliyah Engle: lettered in softball, wrestling, track and cheer, All-Conference Softball, CHSAA four-sport Participation Award.

Destanie Engle: lettered in softball, track and cheer, All-Conference Softball, CHSAA four-sport Participation Award.

Alexis Kleimola: participated in basketball.

Alyssa Lock: lettered in softball and swimming, participated in cheer, CHSAA three-sport Participation Award.

Fallon Bamford: lettered in softball and track.

Samantha Seger: lettered in softball and basketball, participated in track, All-Conference, Honorable Mention Softball, CHSAA three-sport Participation Award.

Mikayli Benson: track participant.

Zoe Kurtzer: lettered in track.

Halli Philp: lettered in track.

Annie Wilson: track participant.

Mallory Hanes: lettered in cheer.

Serenity Dick: lettered in cheer.