Monticello High School (Minnesota)

Monticello High School is a public high school located in Monticello, Minnesota, United States. The Principal is Joel Lundin and the Vice Principal is Mike Carr. The current high school was constructed in the late '90's by architects Rego and Youngquist and officially opened in September 1999. Monticello High School (enrollment 1,298) is Wright County's third largest school. The nickname for the school's athletic teams is the Magic.

Monticello residents appreciate and expect a high level of service from their Community Education Department and school recreation programs. In an effort to maximize communication with parents, Monticello High School utilizes an on-line program called Parent Portal where parents can access student grades, attendance, and assignments. Also, community demand for recreation opportunities is high.

Athletics

Monticello competes in the Mississippi 8 Conference, consisting of ten other central Minnesota schools that are split into two divisions (North and South). Prior to the formation of the Mississippi 8 Conference, the Magic competed in the North Suburban Conference, and at one time the Wright County Conference. For a majority of the school's history, Monticello High School's nickname was the Redmen. After controversy arose over the name, their nickname changed to the Wildcats for a two-week period, before settling on the Magic. Monticello High School's main rival is the neighboring Buffalo High School. The sports that are offered in the Fall are boys cross country, boys soccer, football, girls cross country, girls soccer, girls swimming and diving, girls tennis, and volleyball. Sports that are offered in the Winter are boys basketball, boys hockey, boys swimming and diving, girls basketball, girls hockey, gymnastics, Nordic skiing, and wrestling. The sports that are offered in the Spring are baseball, boys golf, boys tennis, boys track, boys lacrosse, girls golf, girls lacrosse, girls track, and softball.

Boys' basketball is the most notable MHS athletic program. The team made several trips to the state tournament in the 1990s and from 2004 to 2006. The team's highest tournament finish is 4th place. Two Minnesota high-school basketball Players of the Year have come out of Monticello: Nate Holmstadt and Joel Przybilla. The 7-foot Przybilla went on to play for the University of Minnesota and is a former center in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Monticello boys' soccer team has consistently been a conference powerhouse,^[1] winning the Mississippi 8 Conference Championship five years straight from 2004 to 2009. During that same period, the team lost the section championship game in shoot-outs three separate years and had yet to succeed in gaining a bid to the state tournament. In 2006, the boys' soccer team ranked second in the state in total goals scored with 88 goals scored and only 13 goals against.^[2] On October 16, 2014 the team beat Cloquet in the section semifinals to advance on to the Minnesota state tournament, their first ever bid to tournament play.^[3] They were defeated in the first round by Mankato West 4-0 to close out their season.^[4]

The Monticello Wrestling team has made three state tournament appearances; 2012, 2011 and 1980. Multiple Monticello Alumni have continued their careers in college along with being ranked nationally ranked in Olympic wrestling styles.

In 2006, Monticello's varsity football team defeated Rogers 21-0 for their first homecoming victory since 1989. They did not win another homecoming game again until 2011.

The Monticello girls' lacrosse team, also known as the Montiquois, have won the state league tournament for four consecutive years, before becoming a school sponsored sport.

The boys' club lacrosse team, Montiquois, won the state championship title in 2011, before becoming a school sponsored activity.

In 2011, the girls' hockey team, the North Wright County Riverhawks, a co-op of STMA, Annandale and Monticello High Schools, qualified for the state tournament for the first time, after defeating Roseau High School in the 8AA section finals.

In 2011, the girls' cross country team won the state cross country championship in class AA, becoming Monticello's first team to win a state championship in the Minnesota State High School League.

In 2012, the boys' swimming and diving team took second place in class A state, and won 4 of the 12 events.

In June 2014, the trapshooting team took 2nd in the state of Minnesota out of hundreds of schools, the first inaugural state trapshooting meet.

In June 2015, the trapshooting team took 3rd in the state of Minnesota, being the only team in the high school league to place back-to-back in the top 3 of the team portions.

Activities

In 2009 the Monticello High School mock trial team took fourth place at the state competition in Duluth, MN.

Facilities

The Moose Sherritt Ice Arena, attached to the Middle School, was completed in 2005 due to the efforts of the Monticello-Annandale-Maple Lake Youth Hockey Organization, community members, the mayor, the city council, the school board, businesses and the Sherritt family. The arena is named in honor of Gordon "Moose" Sherritt who played for the NHL's Detroit Red Wings and the USHL's Minneapolis Millers among other teams in the 1940s, and was a long time Monticello resident.

The Field House is attached to the High School and conatains a 200-meter indoor track and basketball courts. The main court has been used to host Minnesota State High School League section semifinals and finals. The Field house main wood floor has also recently been updated.

Coordinates: 45°17′12″N 93°46′41″W / 45.2866811°N 93.7780077°W / 45.2866811; -93.7780077^[5]

References

External links

• Monticello High School Website