Jun. 26—WILLMAR — It’s something Jerry Popp has hinted at for a while.
The highly successful Willmar cross-country and former track and field coach is now retired. He and his wife have wanted to move closer to their family in the Twin Cities, where they help take care of their three grandchildren. That goal is closer to fruition.
Popp’s retirement in the Willmar School Board’s Monday meeting agenda. Popp submitted his resignation June 3.
“I always told members of our team that family is super important,” Popp said. “I let athletes miss things because of family. For seven months during the quarantine, we took care of the grandkids (ages 1, 2 and 3). We lived in my son’s basement.”
The long-time coach helped turn Willmar into a power in cross-country and track. He was considered one of the premier coaches in the state and was highly admired by other coaches in the Central Lakes Conference and Section 8AA.
“It (the strength of the program) was already there,” Popp said of becoming a Willmar coach in 2004. “I think in all fairness, we took it to another level.”
The Cardinals were perennial state meet teams in boys and girls cross-country, with the girls team having qualified for state nine straight years, including 2020, when there was no state meet because of the pandemic. He helped organize a coaches’ association-sponsored event last fall in Atwater in place of a state meet, attracting 14 of the top 15 teams in the state..
Willmar gets one more meet to run
His boys cross-country had been to state four of the past six years. His 2005 and ’06 teams won state titles and were nationally ranked.
Local Roundup: Willmar Cardinal runs smart to capture Section 8AA cross-country championship
He also led Willmar to state Class AA true-team championships in track and field and has been named a national coach of the year. The 2021 girls team won the state true-team championship. It was the first time Popp hadn’t been a coach.
There have been numerous college runners during his tenure.
College Track: Running towards greatness
Area Notebook: Former Willmar Cardinals Hanson and Hansen race at D-I Cross-Country Championships
“I was really the most proud of the numbers in our program,” Popp said. “We typically had 100 kids out for cross-country and perhaps 150 or so in track.
“That’s 10 to 15 percent of our student body. A lot of our success was the number of kids we had.”
Popp is moving to the Twin Cities to be closer to his son Mark’s family. Mark Popp, 37, is head cross-country coach at Wayzata. It enables Jerry and his wife to do daycare for their grandchildren. Another son, Grant, is a head cross-country coach at Waseca.
“It’s going to be really hard to be away from it,” Popp said “But the cupboard’s not bare for the next coach.
“Our girls will definitely be one of the better teams in Minnesota next fall. And the boys team is solid. I think I might enjoy going to meets just to watch them.”
He is one of two head coaches whose resignations are on the school board’s agenda Monday. Doug Rossum, who was co-head coach of the Willmar gymnastics team, announced his resignation in April.
“It was a good run,” Popp said. “We had some phenomenal runners.
“We had good kids who worked hard. We had great coaches. A lot of times, I just felt like I was directing traffic. It was fun.”
Cross-Country: Willmar Cardinals, Rocori Spartans stay in step
Other changes
The Willmar School Board also will approve a number of other coaching changes. In boys basketball, Jeff Holtkamp’s hiring as head coach is on the agenda, as are assistants Ryan Cihak, Levi Gotto, David Runia and Brandon Hedtke.
Boys basketball: Jeff Holtkamp is Willmar’s new head coach
Leah Ruter’s hiring as head volleyball coach also is expected to be confirmed.
Prep Volleyball: Cards hire a Card as head coach
Jordan Steff and Kayla Stengeland will be coaching the Willmar Middle School girls soccer team.
State C rankings
The latest Class C amateur baseball rankings are out. The Waconia Lakers are the new No. 1, replacing the Fairmont Martins.
The poll: 1. Waconia Lakers; 2. St. Patrick Irish; 3. Sartell Muskies; 4. Young America Cardinals; 5. Delano Athletics and Jordan Brewers; 7. Sobieski Skis and Hutchinson Huskies; 9. Cold Spring Rockies; 10. Buffalo Bulldogs, Fairmont Martins and Union Hill Bulldogs.
Others receiving votes: Bemidji Blue Ox, Windom Pirates, Watkins Clippers, St. Martin Martins, New Ulm Brewers, Buckman Billygoats, Faribault Lakers, Prior Lake Mudcats, Carver Black Sox, Spring Hill Chargers, Milroy Yankees, Isanti Redbirds, New London-Spicer Twins, Plato Blue Jays, Waterville Indians, Bluffton Braves, Red Wing Aces and Luverne Redbirds.
Voters are: Kip Kovar of Howard Lake; Tom Elliott of Willmar; Aaron Wurm of Albert Lea; and Chad Knutson of Heron Lake.
Updates:
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Olivia’s Logan Nissen and Glenwood’s Austin Ver Steeg are both pitching professionally for the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks of the independent American Association.
Nissen, a 23-year-old listed as a 6-foot-5, 225-pound right-hander, is 1-3 with a 6.75 earned-run average. He has 24 strikeouts and 13 walks in 25-1/3 innings and seven appearances, including five starts. His win came May 28 in 2-1/3 innings of relief against the Houston Apollos. Nissen is a rookie from Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato.
Ver Steeg, a 23-year-old listed as a 6-1, 205-pound right-hander, is 0-1 with a 4.56 ERA in 21 2/3 innings. He has 13 strikeouts and 13 walks in 12 appearances, including one start. Ver Steeg is a rookie from Concordia College in Moorhead.
Fargo-Moorhead went into Friday with a 20-14 record, one game behind the Milwaukee Milkmen in the American Association’s North Division. Milwaukee is 21-13. The Chicago Dogs are 21-14. Also in the division: the Gary SouthShore RailCats (15-19), the Kane County Cougars (15-20) and the Winnipeg Goldeyes (13-18). The South Division includes the Sioux City Explorers, Kansas City Monarchs, Sioux Falls Canaries, Cleburne Railroaders, Lincoln Saltdogs and Houston Apollos. It’s the league the St. Paul Saints used to play in.
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BOLD graduate Jordan Sagedahl is batting .123 (7 of 57) for the Bismarck Larks of the Northwoods League. Sagedahl, who is a catcher at South Dakota State, has one double and one RBI. He has struck out 17 times and walked twice.
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Willmar graduate Drey Dirksen is batting .232 (13 of 56) with two home runs and five RBI for the Willmar Stingers. Dirksen, a catcher at Augustana University, also has two doubles and five runs scored. He has struck out 17 times and walked four times.