Fall sports have wrapped up for another season and everyone at Central Public Schools had a sense of pride as the All State Honors were announced. Three student athletes representing Raider Nation were among the names listed. Forward Bethany Daugs was named All State while Goalie Aubry Wroge and midfielder Kate Strickfaden were both named Honorable Mention.
We sat down with these three amazing young women to learn a bit more about them and their time on the field and in the classroom.
Bethany Daugs is a senior who has been part of Central Public Schools her entire academic career. She has been playing soccer for 13 years and represented the Raiders on the All State roster and at the recent banquet. In her soccer career, she has always played on the offensive side, but got bumped up from midfield to forward due to her speed.
“We had a good season last year but we also lost a lot of seniors so I wasn’t sure how this year would go,” said Bethany. “A lot of us have really grown up playing soccer together since the team is grades 7-12 so we can really connect with each other and serve as mentors to the younger girls. We don’t have any drama or problems on our team!”
Some of her favorite soccer memories included scoring against Watertown, scoring six goals against Hutchinson and earning a hat trick to take the lead in a game against Big Lake.
She works hard in the classroom as well, having completed several college credits last year and taking on more this year. She also acknowledges that Calculus has been hard. As she looks ahead to life after high school, she is considering attending Northwestern College and plans to continue playing soccer.
“Sports are a great way to make friends and really connect with other girls,” said Bethany. “My teammates are my best friends and I am so grateful for them!”
"Bethany has been impactful on and off the field and has been a great example for all players. Her legacy will be felt however we are all looking forward to seeing her play college soccer. She had a very productive year which didn’t go unnoticed by the coaches in our conference and they voted her as a top 5 player in the entire Wright County Conference," said coach Joseph Perez."
Aubry Wroge is the goalie for the soccer team who is in her junior year. She earned an All State Honorable Mention up against only goalies. She credits teammate and fellow honoree Kate Strickfaden for getting her into playing soccer.
“We have been friends since I was like six and her mom told my mom about soccer when we had a co-op with Mayer Lutheran and since I didn’t want to run, I chose goalie,” laughed Aubry.
That choice ended up paying off. This season, she had seven shutouts without allowing a single goal and was especially proud to only let Holy Family score two goals as they are a strong team. Another highlight was when her teammate Kielyn Rademacher scored a truly impressive goal from way down the field as a defender. When asked what her goals for next season were, she was quick to respond.
“All State for sure,” she said with confidence. “I really like being here at Central and both my parents teach here so I take a lot of pride in being a Raider. My advice to others is just not to give up, even when it gets really hard because you will be playing teams that are really good, but you just have to believe in yourself.
As she thinks about life after high school, she is considering going into the Coast Guard before earning a degree and becoming an art teacher.
Coach Perez says, "Aubry has been mentioned among some of the best goalkeepers in her class and plays a position that is so demanding as the last line of defense yet she demands excellence from herself and is such a vocal leader on the team. Expectations are high on her and several coaches from the Wright County Conference have expressed their admiration not only of her skills but also her leadership on the field."
Kate Strickfaden is no stranger to the All State Honor as she earned a spot on the team last year. She has been playing soccer for 13 years and has played a few different positions, earning the spot last year as a sweeper, but played midfield this season.
“We had a lot of fun and a good season this year,” said Kate. “We have a young team but we knew we would be good so we were proud to have a winning record and play really well together. I couldn’t do any of this without my teammates!”
A few standout moments from her time as a Raider include beating larger schools like Delano 2-0 and beating Rockford at home. In the classroom she says she really enjoys math and science classes.
She recently committed to play basketball at Dordt University in Iowa and is currently undecided but is thinking of majoring in nursing to build on her love of math and science. After she graduates, she knows that the team will keep going without her, but hopes that she has set a high standard for her teammates.
“It’s really cool to be able to help lead the younger girls as a junior or senior because I like being able to step into that role the best that I can,” said Kate. “My advice to them is to just try and enjoy every single moment because it really does go by fast. Just keep your head up throughout the whole thing and enjoy it while having as much fun as you can!"
"This past season, Kate was asked to play a different position from previous years and she did an excellent job of leading the team in assists for the season," said Coach Perez. "Her flexibility and athleticism is what allowed us to move her around on the field and she did a fantastic job at any position that was needed, Kate will be missed in many different ways by the team and leaves some very big shoes to fill!"