Lots of new faces for Montevideo Thunder Hawks

Montevideo junior Kiera Foley grabs onto a loose ball during a Section 3AA-North semifinal game against West Central Area on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023 at the Big Red Gym in Willmar. Joe Brown / West Central Tribune

New head coach Kylee Heurung will rely on Kiera Foley and Teagan Epema to carry the load

BY MICHAEL LYNE | West Central Tribune

MONTEVIDEO — There will be a lot of fresh faces on the Montevideo girls basketball team in the 2023-24 season.

Anthony Jackson, after serving as the Thunder Hawks head coach for three seasons, has stepped away. Now at the helm of Montevideo is Kylee Heurung. She will be assisted by Bob Foley, Joanna Magnuson, Char Dahl and Jan Dorn.

And as Montevideo has lost Jackson, who had a 62-15 overall record in his three seasons as head coach, the Thunder Hawks also lost quite a bit of experience on the players’ side.

Montevideo graduated six seniors highlighted by Avery Koenen, Tenley Epema and Hailey Dirksen.

Koenen, an All-Area First Team pick for three consecutive seasons, is a freshman forward for NCAA Division I North Dakota State University.

Epema, an All-Area Second Team member (2023) and All-Area Third Team pick (2022), is a freshman guard for the University of Jamestown of the NAIA.

Dirksen is a freshman within Briar Cliff University’s JV women’s basketball program.

The trio helped Montevideo to a 12-0 record in West Central Conference play as well as a 22-4 overall record. The Thunder Hawks lost to New London-Spicer, which went on to win the Class AA consolation championship, in the Section 3AA semifinals.

Now the attention turns to Montevideo’s pair of returning starters in Kiera Foley and Teagan Epema to carry the load.

Foley is a senior guard and Epema is the Thunder Hawks’ main distributor as their point guard.

“These two will provide leadership for us this year being the only two returners with experience,” Heurung said.

Also looking to make contributions for Montevideo are: senior Taya Weber; juniors Lily Eisenlohr, Brooke Lindeman and Hallie Helgeson; sophomores Jessa Norby, Addison Pauling and Gillian Nelson; and eighth-graders Megan Koosmann and Jillian Magnuson.

“It will be exciting to see who will step up and see how we develop as a team throughout the season,” Heurung said.

Montevideo sophomore Teagan Epema looks for an open teammate to pass the ball to while being guarded by senior Lily Dean of BOLD during a game at Montevideo on Friday, February 3, 2023.

Macy Moore / West Central Tribune