Crofton's Hegge named top Siouxland athlete
By Jerry Giese Journal sports writer | Posted: Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Amber Hegge is the Journal's top female Siouxland athlete.
University of South Dakota women's track coach Lucky Huber is lucky to have recruited an athlete the caliber of Amber Hegge.
So is women's basketball coach Chad Lavin.
Hegge should shine in both sports at USD. Selected today as the Sioux City Journal's Siouxland Female Athlete of the Year, she led Crofton to seven Nebraska state championships in her outstanding athletic career, four in track and three in basketball.
The 18-year old daughter of Bob and Helene Hegge of Crofton had several memorable moments as a senior.
In March at the Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln, the 6-foot-1 point guard banked a miracle three-point basket at the buzzer to lift Crofton to a 47-46 win in the Class C1 state finals over Norfolk Catholic.
Two months later in the Class C state track meet at Burke Stadium in Omaha, Hegge cleared 5-5 while winning her fourth high jump title. She also posted her third straight championships in the long jump (18-3 1/4) and the triple jump (38-9 1/2), then won the 200 (:25.49).
"The first thing you notice about Amber is how athletic she is for her height," said Crofton girls basketball coach Aaron Losing. "She was a very good jumper not only for the basketball team, but for the volleyball team and the track team. I feel her overall quickness and speed for a girl her height is rare."
"You see a lot of 6-1 athletes that don't have the drive she had," said Crofton girls track coach Rod Hegge. "Her drive and her work ethic got her to where she is. She was never afraid of practice. Some are good about producing in meets, but shy about working in practice."
Rod Hegge compares his niece to a former Crofton track standout who will be junior at USD, Natalie Stout.
Stout, who long jumps and triple jumps for the Coyotes, was a junior who had transferred from Niobrara when Amber Hegge was a freshman for the Warriors.
Hegge paid attention to Stout's workout habits. Hegge posted the first of her high jump titles when she cleared 5-5. However, she placed second in the triple jump, leaping 36-7 1/4 while Stout sailed 37-3 1/2.
The following year, as a sophomore, Hegge won the triple jump (38-0 1/2) while Stout was second (36-8 3/4).
"What Natalie did rubbed off on Amber," said Rod Hegge. "I think having an old teammate in Natalie will help Amber. Both of them have such a competitive spirit. That will rub off in a positive way with Lucky's athletes."
The first-year coach could always depend on Hegge to score 40 points in a meet, but saw her do it at the state meet for the first time as a senior. Hegge's 200-meter victory was among the keys, as Crofton tallied 60 points while Aquinas and Kearney Catholic tied for second with 52 each.
"In the 200, she has a great kick, a long stride and she eats up a lot of real estate," said Rod Hegge. "We felt the 200 would work better with the timing of the jumps. There's a little rest period from the 200 to the end of triple jump and it doesn't take much out of her legs."
Hegge has school records in the long jump (19-1 1/2), high jump (5-9), triple jump (39-2 3/4), 100 meters (:12.1), the 200 (:25.2) and the 400 (:58.4). She's Crofton's career basketball leader with 1,212 points.
As a senior, her scoring dropped from 16.3 points as a junior to 14.1. However, she had career bests in rebounding (8.1), assists (4.4), steals (2.9) and blocked shots (2.0).
"She was one of the best offensive rebounders in the state," said Losing. "She was a good passer who made everyone else a better offensive player. Her scoring was down, but her assists were way up. It helped our team to become real balanced. She was so unselfish and set a good example for the younger kids."
In past seasons, Hegge thrived while scoring on penetration. Perhaps as a senior, she prepared for her future by scoring from the perimeter and developing post moves with her back to the basket.
She also thrived defensively for a squad that allowed an average of 39.4 points.
"She was able to create havoc," said Losing. "She was a shot blocker inside who could steal on the perimeter with those long arms and quick feet. Defensively, you don't see a lot of people do what she could do with her quickness and her height. With her wing span, we used her a lot on top of our traps."
Susan Johnson said Hegge was also recruited in volleyball, the sport she coached. A middle hitter, Hegge had 293 kills and 47 ace blocks for the 12-9 Warriors.
She accepted the fact that Hegge concentrated more on basketball and track. Still, she saw Hegge deliver as a middle hitter as well.
"She'd nail those puppies down," said Johnson. "There was a time when she was hung up on serves, but if she served under pressure, she'd smile and say she's ready.
"Her dad used to be a coach and he'd say, 'No excuses, only positive, onward thinking.' She has that mentality."
So is women's basketball coach Chad Lavin.
Hegge should shine in both sports at USD. Selected today as the Sioux City Journal's Siouxland Female Athlete of the Year, she led Crofton to seven Nebraska state championships in her outstanding athletic career, four in track and three in basketball.
The 18-year old daughter of Bob and Helene Hegge of Crofton had several memorable moments as a senior.
In March at the Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln, the 6-foot-1 point guard banked a miracle three-point basket at the buzzer to lift Crofton to a 47-46 win in the Class C1 state finals over Norfolk Catholic.
Two months later in the Class C state track meet at Burke Stadium in Omaha, Hegge cleared 5-5 while winning her fourth high jump title. She also posted her third straight championships in the long jump (18-3 1/4) and the triple jump (38-9 1/2), then won the 200 (:25.49).
"The first thing you notice about Amber is how athletic she is for her height," said Crofton girls basketball coach Aaron Losing. "She was a very good jumper not only for the basketball team, but for the volleyball team and the track team. I feel her overall quickness and speed for a girl her height is rare."
"You see a lot of 6-1 athletes that don't have the drive she had," said Crofton girls track coach Rod Hegge. "Her drive and her work ethic got her to where she is. She was never afraid of practice. Some are good about producing in meets, but shy about working in practice."
Rod Hegge compares his niece to a former Crofton track standout who will be junior at USD, Natalie Stout.
Stout, who long jumps and triple jumps for the Coyotes, was a junior who had transferred from Niobrara when Amber Hegge was a freshman for the Warriors.
Hegge paid attention to Stout's workout habits. Hegge posted the first of her high jump titles when she cleared 5-5. However, she placed second in the triple jump, leaping 36-7 1/4 while Stout sailed 37-3 1/2.
The following year, as a sophomore, Hegge won the triple jump (38-0 1/2) while Stout was second (36-8 3/4).
"What Natalie did rubbed off on Amber," said Rod Hegge. "I think having an old teammate in Natalie will help Amber. Both of them have such a competitive spirit. That will rub off in a positive way with Lucky's athletes."
The first-year coach could always depend on Hegge to score 40 points in a meet, but saw her do it at the state meet for the first time as a senior. Hegge's 200-meter victory was among the keys, as Crofton tallied 60 points while Aquinas and Kearney Catholic tied for second with 52 each.
"In the 200, she has a great kick, a long stride and she eats up a lot of real estate," said Rod Hegge. "We felt the 200 would work better with the timing of the jumps. There's a little rest period from the 200 to the end of triple jump and it doesn't take much out of her legs."
Hegge has school records in the long jump (19-1 1/2), high jump (5-9), triple jump (39-2 3/4), 100 meters (:12.1), the 200 (:25.2) and the 400 (:58.4). She's Crofton's career basketball leader with 1,212 points.
As a senior, her scoring dropped from 16.3 points as a junior to 14.1. However, she had career bests in rebounding (8.1), assists (4.4), steals (2.9) and blocked shots (2.0).
"She was one of the best offensive rebounders in the state," said Losing. "She was a good passer who made everyone else a better offensive player. Her scoring was down, but her assists were way up. It helped our team to become real balanced. She was so unselfish and set a good example for the younger kids."
In past seasons, Hegge thrived while scoring on penetration. Perhaps as a senior, she prepared for her future by scoring from the perimeter and developing post moves with her back to the basket.
She also thrived defensively for a squad that allowed an average of 39.4 points.
"She was able to create havoc," said Losing. "She was a shot blocker inside who could steal on the perimeter with those long arms and quick feet. Defensively, you don't see a lot of people do what she could do with her quickness and her height. With her wing span, we used her a lot on top of our traps."
Susan Johnson said Hegge was also recruited in volleyball, the sport she coached. A middle hitter, Hegge had 293 kills and 47 ace blocks for the 12-9 Warriors.
She accepted the fact that Hegge concentrated more on basketball and track. Still, she saw Hegge deliver as a middle hitter as well.
"She'd nail those puppies down," said Johnson. "There was a time when she was hung up on serves, but if she served under pressure, she'd smile and say she's ready.
"Her dad used to be a coach and he'd say, 'No excuses, only positive, onward thinking.' She has that mentality."
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del wrote on Aug 15, 2007 9:27 PM: