2024 Inductee Class
Gene Hildebrandt - Coach
Dean Dalen - Class of 1976
Jim Rognlie - Class of 1960
Karen Bakke - Class of 1979
Kayla Todnem - Class of 2002
Donald L. Hanson - Coach
Gary Miest - Class of 1966
Mark Runge - Class of 1974
Eugene “Hilde” Hildebrandt
Gene graduated from Mt. Lake in 1974 and then attended Golden Valley Lutheran College and Mankato State. He was hired in Saint James in 1981 where he taught Special Education for 14 years. He designed the SWIS program to help at-risk students. Gene was Dean of Students in 1995 until retirement.
Gene was extremely active in coaching. He coached 32 seasons of Jr. High and Varsity football, 20 seasons of Jr. High and Varsity softball (twice being the head coach), and 1 season of Jr. High girls basketball. Obviously, Hilde is best known for his 35 years as a wrestling coach (27 years as the head coach). 88 seasons in all!
In wrestling, he had a 471-132-2 record, a 77.85% W/L record. His team accomplishments included 9 region/section championship teams and 7 runner-up teams. The Saints also won 12 SCC championships as the smallest school in the conference and 10 runner-up finishes. The Hilde coached Saints had state place finishes of 6th, 4th, two 3rds and he coached the 1989 and 1998 MN State Champions. We all know these, but did you know that the 1990 Saints didn’t make team state but according to official scores of MSHSL they finished as the first place team winning the state championship in the individual scoring format. The final team scores were Blue Earth 52, Staples/Motley 54.5, Stewartville 61.5 and the State Champs with 63 points, St. James!
Over the years Hilde’s wrestlers won 91 conference championships, 66 section championships and 46 section runner-ups. There were 240 section placers and 112 state entrants with 46 of them placing. Among the placers were 7 state champions, 6 runner-ups, and 11 third place finishers.
Eugene won many awards over the years. He was a 8x Section Coach of the Year and a 2x State Coach of the Year. The MWCA Lifetime Achievement Award. Inductions into the David Bartelema MN State Wrestling Hall of Fame, STJ Wrestling Hall of Fame, MN Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the MN Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
He served 10+ years as the MWCA Section Representative, one year as the MWCA State President, he mentored countless coaches, he worked and officiated hundreds of events over the years in softball, baseball, basketball, volleyball, football and wrestling.
Congratulations Eugene and welcome to the STJ Athletic Hall of Fame!
Jim Rognlie
Jim was a 1960 graduate of STJ high school. During his high school career he was a track participant and was a very big part of his high school football team. His senior team went 5-0-1.
The sport Jim shined the brightest in was wrestling. He is a member of the STJ wrestling Hall of Fame.
Jim was a three-time SCC Champ in 58 - 59 - 60. He served as team captain his senior year. A two-time state entrant in the one class tournament he had a tremendous career. In 1959, Jim finished as state runner-up which was one of the highest ever place winners at that time.
In college Jim was an Intramural Champion wrestler at Michigan State.
Congratulations Jim “The 1960 STJ High School Athlete of the Year.” Tonight you become a member of the STJ Athletic Hall of Fame!
Karen Bakke
Karen Bakke was a 1979 graduate of St. James High school. She competed at a high level in both basketball and track.
In basketball, Karen was leading scorer her senior year with 218 points, 147 rebounds and 65 steals. She was a team captain and team MVP.
The 1979 track MVP, Karen was awesome in the shot and discus. Over her career she broke many records. Among them was the SCC shot put of 37 '8'’, SCC discus record at 112 '2.25’’ and District 6 discus record of 109' 8.5'’.
Over the years she either won or placed in the top 3 places in the SCC, District, and Section meet. She scored 95 points as a senior and an amazing 147 points as a thrower.
Karen saved her best for her last meet. She threw 113’ 7’’ earning herself a Fourth place state medal and a new school record. Karen’s career didn’t stop there. She attended Waseca Junior College when she won all-conference and MVP in basketball. In track, she was a two-time national qualifier in indoor and outdoor meets. She earned Waseca JC track MVP and set a school record in shot, discus, and javelin.
Karen spent her junior and senior year at Mankato State. She threw all three disciplines and in 1983 she qualified for nationals in javelin. At the time of her graduation, she was MSU record holder in the javelin.
Today she continues supporting her sport as a volunteer throwing coach at Bagley/Fosston High school.
Congratulations Karen, and welcome to the STJ Athletic Hall of Fame!
Dean Dalen
Dean Dalen graduated in 1976 from St. James High School. He left behind him a remarkable legacy. A four-sport athlete playing football, baseball, basketball, and probably his best sport, golf.
He had more letters than any other Saint at the time of graduation: golf had five, baseball with four, basketball with two, and football also had two. Dean served as a captain or co-captain in all of his sports.
In baseball, Dean started as a freshman on the 1973 SCC Championship team. His baseball teams were Region runner-ups on three different occasions and District Champs in three straight seasons.
As a golfer, Dean was the #1 player and district medalist for STJ golf team. They qualified to the state. The team finished in fourth place. Dean was a two-time golf MVP.
Over his years, Dean was all conference on several occasions, KNUJ athlete of the week, MVP award winner, and KYSM player of the week. After graduation, Dean played football for Gustavus Adolphus and golf at MSU. He also served as a MSHSL official for ten years in football, basketball, and baseball. Congratulations to Dean as a new member of the STJ Athletic Hall of Fame!
Kayla Todnem
The 2002 STJ Female Athlete of the Year was a well deserved honor for Kayla Todnem. Over her career she earned 15 letters for her achievements. She earned six letters in track, five letters in gymnastics, and four letters in cross country. She was a captain multiple times and was on four section cross country teams.
During her six years on the track team, Kayla earned many accolades. She was a two- time state qualifier in 100 meter high hurdles. She won an amazing 17 section qualifications, placing on five different occasions. Kayla earned eight All-SCC awards. She competed in long jump, triple jump, high and low hurdles as well as the 4x100 relay team.
In gymnastics, Kayla earned her 1st varsity letter in 8th grade and never looked back. She set school records in the balance beam with 9.1, and the vault with 9.0. She earned MVP ten times in her various events and will always be remembered as one of STJ’s best gymnasts.
Following high school, Kayla attended SDSU where she participated in track. She transferred to St. Cloud State for four years. Kayla competed in several events during both indoor and outdoor seasons. Among those events she specialized in hurdles, jump, heptathlon, and pentathlon.
Following college Kayla had a great coaching career. She coached cross country at Glendale, Az. for three years and Grand Canyon University for four years. She was named the 2013 NCAA West Region Coach of the Year. She coached 18 All-Americans, a National long jump Champion, six NCAA Division 2 runners-up, and three of her teams won the WAC Division 1 Championship.
Congratulations Kayla, on a great career and on a well deserved spot in the STJ Athletic Hall of Fame!
Donald L. Hanson
In Don’s senior year of high school, he played on Huron, South Dakota’s East River Championship football team.
Upon graduation from high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy for five years and was deployed to Korea. Upon discharge, Don married and attended Gustavus Adolphus College. Upon graduation, he received a degree in Biology and Physical Education.
Two years teaching and coaching various sports in Butterfield, Minnesota, saw him moved to Lake Crystal, where he coached track, football and basketball on many levels, head and assistant. Don moved to St. James in 1973 and was assistant track and football coach for a couple of years. Upon Norb Renners retirement, Don took over as head track coach and head cross country coach. Many times over the years, Don’s track and cross country teams garnered top finishes in District, Regional and State events.
Don also officiated high school and college basketball and football games throughout his career. One of Don’s favorite sayings was “No pain, no gain.” Don’s teaching and coaching career emphasized excellence in academics and athletics…being the best you can be. After retirement, Don had a custom swathing and baling business until his passing in the fall of 2001.
Gary Miest
It was 2014 Hall of Fame inductee, Norb Renner, that discovered Gary as a hurdler. As a freshman at Southside, weather pushed the phy ed class into the gym. Coach Renner asked Gary to jump a hurdle and quickly proclaimed that hurdling was in his future. That spring, Coach Renner worked with Gary and near the end of the season decided Gary would run in the District meet as the #3 high hurdler behind Randy Nelson and Dave Gruis. Making his way through the prelims, he joined Randy and Dave in the finals, placing 4th. “That was a pretty big deal for me”, Gary said, “because scoring at the District level earned me a varsity letter. I was a proud guy wearing that letter jacket going into my sophomore year at the high school”.
Gary didn’t play football until his senior year. That’s when his Dad finally gave in to the coach’s pressure to say OK to play. He played left end, both tight and split, safety on defense and returned punts. “I really enjoyed the team play, as most of the team were seniors”, Gary said.
Spring came and so to, the track season. At the St. James Relays, he experienced one of his more embarrassing races. “It was the 180 yard lows, run on the curve. I hit the second hurdle, fell and rolled as everyone went by me. I got back up and continued the race to place a disappointing 2nd.” Gary recalls. That happened to be the meet at which Roy Griak, University of Minnesota track coach was present, scouting Gary. Evidently he liked what he saw as Gary went on to run there under full scholarship.
Gary and his high school sweetheart wife Norma live in Mankato and currently farms in the St. James area.
Mark Runge
Mark graduated in 1974, finishing his high school career with a total of nine athletic letters. He lettered three years in Cross Country, two years in baseball and four years in track.
Few runners have the impressive three-year accomplishments that Runge achieved in Cross Country, including his first year as a sophomore, the team coaches named him Most Valuable all three years. In 1973, the St. James finished out their season with an 11-1 record. Over Mark’s career, he led the Saints 27 times and finished in first place 18 times. He was a top five finisher in each of the three years he competed in Conference, District and Region Cross Country events, qualifying for State competition all three years.
Mark was a member of the undefeated 1972 State Champion basketball team. Two years later, in his senior year, the 1974 basketball team returned to State to compete again.
Mark’s four-year track accomplishments were equally impressive. He set a new Region record (time of 4:29.4) in the one-mile race. That time broke a 24-year St. James High School record held by Denny Hanson in 1950. Mark’s fastest one-mile race time (4:21.7), earned him second place in the 1974 State Track competition, breaking his own school record. The ‘74 Sprint Medley Relay team also broke a nine-year school record, the foursome included Mark, Arden Vogt, Les Todnem, and Brad Lunz.
He received the St. James Rotary Athletic Award and was also the recipient of the distinguished 1974 Athlete of the Year Award. Dennis Barker, 2021 Hall of Famer, described Mark in his book, River Road, as “a natural leader, the rock-solid center of the team, “who “never tried to be more than a good teammate.”
Today, Mark still lives in St. James with his wife, Jill. They own and operate Runge Trucking Inc. Their family includes their daughter, Amber (Jason) Schroepfer and four children Jadon, Jenica, Jackly, and Jaxon, and their son Heath (Melanie) Runge and two boys Kael and Drew.