ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The Northwestern College athletic communications office is proud to announce the signings of 14 athletic recruits for the month of January for Red Raider Athletics.

Men's Track & Field
Reese VanZee (Orange City, Iowa) has signed a letter of intent to continue his track career at Northwestern College. 

VanZee is a four-year track athlete from MOC-Floyd Valley. He has accumulated multiple varsity letters during his time running for the Dutchmen. His personal best for a 400 meter split is 51.55 and he has posted a personal best of 55.68 in the 400 meter hurdles.

"Reese is a talented mid-distance runner and hurdler," stated head coach Scott Bahrke. "We are excited to have him running as a Red Raider next year! He works hard and it will be fun to see him improve at Northwestern."

VanZee plans to study Biology at Northwestern. He is National Honors Society member. VanZee is the son of Sara and Tim.

"It's close to home and I have heard good things from those that go there," stated VanZee. "They're focused on more that just grades and bring God into it. The biology programs are said to be very good."

Men's Cross Country
AJ Bomgaars (Orange City, Iowa) has signed a letter of intent to continue his track and field career at Northwestern College. 

Bomgaars has competed in track and field for four years at MOC-Floyd Valley. He was a state qualifier during his time running for the Dutchmen. he competed in 110 hurdles, shuttle hurdles, 800 meter run, and discus. 

"AJ is a versatile track and field athlete," noted head coach Scott Bahrke. "He has a range of events from the hurdles to the distance races to discus. He is able to compete well in all events. He will make a great addition to our multis crew at Northwestern!"

Bomgaars plans to study either physical therapy/athletic training or business administration during his time at Northwestern. He is the son of Joe and Ang.

"I liked the strong Christian community as well as the good professors and coaches," stated Bomgaars. "I'll love it."

Women's Basketball
Ellie Hilbrands (Remsen, Iowa) has signed a letter of intent to continue her basketball career at Northwestern College. 

Hilbrands has played for four years at MMCRU. She is currently averaging just over 18 points and almost 7 rebounds per game. For her career she has eclipsed the 1,000 point mark and has also pulled down over 600 rebounds. Hilbrands was an All-State selection her junior season. She was selected for All-District and All-Conference honors for every season thus far, with her senior season still being played.

"We are excited to welcome Ellie and her family into our program," said head coach Kristin Rotert. "She will be a great addition both on and off the court."

Hilbrands plans to study Elementary Education at Northwestern. She is a Principles and High Honor Roll student, she was also named War Eagle Academic All-Conference. She is the daughter of Dean and Becky Hilbrands, and is the sister to Trent Hilbrands who is currently playing for the Northwestern men's team.

When asked what made her choose Northwestern, Hilbrands stated, "Everyone was so welcoming and friendly. I'm excited to be a Red Raider."

Men's Golf
Ewan MacIndoe (Killarney, Ireland) has signed a letter of intent to continue his golf career at Northwestern College. 

MacIndoe played all five of his five years at St. Brendan's High School in Ireland. MacIndoe has an 18-hole average of 74 with a low score of 70. He was the Kerry u15, 16, and 17 champion and was a Golf Digest stroke play qualifier champion.

"We are very excited to welcome Ewan to the Raiders," stated head coach Aaron Aberson. "He arrives with a lot of competitive experience and has been around the game his entire life. We're looking forward to seeing the impact Ewan will make on our program."

MacIndoe plans to study Sports Management at Northwestern. He is the son of Louise and David.

"The conversation I had with Coach Aberson about the golf team and the overall culture at Northwestern made me immediately want to go play for the Raiders where I hope I can help lead us to the national tournament," stated MacIndoe.

Volleyball and Women's Track & Field
Addison Wierda (Orange City, Iowa) has signed a letter of intent to continue her volleyball and track and field careers at Northwestern College. 

Wierda tallied over 300 career digs and 50 aces in her two year career at MOC-Floyd Valley. She finished this past season with a 91.1 serving percentage. Wierda is a four year track athlete for the Dutchmen as well. She earned third team All-Conference honors.

"Addie is a quick footed back row player that had a great senior year for Coach Boersma at MOC-FV," said head coach Kyle Van Den Bosch. "She is a hard worker in all areas of life so we are looking forward to watching Addie use her gifts to help our volleyball team be as good as it can be. We are excited to welcome Addie to our campus community and volleyball team." 

"We are pumped to have Addison sprinting and hurdling for our Red Raider Women's Track & Field team!" said head coach Scott Bahrke. "Addison is a talented sprinter and hurdler. She has a wonderful work ethic that will help her achieve her goals at the next level."

Wierda plans to study Exercise Science at Northwestern. She is a National Honors Society member. Wierda is the daughter of Kurt and Jill.

"I chose Northwestern because the people here are very invested in you as a person," stated Wierda. "They make you feel like a part of the team and community before you even arrive on campus."

Jasmine Lux (Sanborn, Iowa) has signed a letter of intent to continue her volleyball and track and field careers at Northwestern College. 

Lux is a multisport athlete from Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School. She earned second team All-Conference honors in volleyball and multiple All-Conference honors in track. During her senior season Lux tallied 95 kills and 24 blocks.

"Jasmine is a raw athlete that we are excited to train in our volleyball program," stated head coach Kyle Van Den Bosch. "She is a quick jumper and is very explosive so we are looking forward to seeing how fast she picks up the college game. Jasmine is a great fit for Northwestern College and our volleyball program."

"Jasmine has been fun to watch on the track in the 400 and 200 over the last couple of years," stated head coach Scott Bahrke. "We are so glad she will do it in our Raider Track & Field uniform next year!"

Lux plans to study Biology at Northwestern. She is a National Honor Society member and academic All-Conference honoree. Lux is the daughter of Tricia and Jake Elgersma and Mathias and Laura Lux.

"Northwestern has been my favorite college since I was a freshman in high school," stated Lux. "After I visited it for the first time, and watched some athletic teams, it kind of cemented my decision. I also wanted a college to surround myself with people who lived life for the glory of God."

Volleyball
Marissa Pottebaum (Hull, Iowa) has signed a letter of intent to continue her volleyball career at Northwestern College. 

Pottebaum is a four-sport athlete from Boyden-Hull High School. She was an All-Conference selection in volleyball, basketball, and softball. Pottebaum was selected as an All-State tournament team honoree for the 2021 and 2018 state AAU tournaments. She was selected for the IGCA All-Star game in both volleyball and basketball during her senior year. Pottebaum finished her career with 818 kills, 251 blocks, and 197 digs.

"Marissa comes to us after quite a high school volleyball career," noted head coach Kyle Van Den Bosch. "She helped lead her team to two state tournaments and made the all-state match in the state of Iowa. Marissa is a great competitor and hits with college level velocity on the ball already. We are looking forward to watching Marissa use her many gifts to bless our campus and our volleyball team."

Pottebaum plans to study Nursing at Northwestern. She is a National Honor Society student. Pottebaum is the daughter of Dan and Renae.

"I chose Northwestern for the home-like atmosphere that I felt when I was on campus," said Pottebaum. "I really enjoyed the fact that I can pursue a major in nursing and play volleyball at the same time. I also really enjoyed the fact that I will be continuing my faith journey while at Northwestern. I can't wait to be a part of this school and volleyball program."

Bailey Van Voorst (Pella, Iowa) has signed a letter of intent to continue her volleyball career at Northwestern College. 

Van Voorst will be joining the Raiders after four years of varsity playing experience for Pella Community. She finished with 1,024 kills, 776 digs, 121 blocks and 145 aces. Van Voorst received all-conference, all-district, and all-state honors for her efforts on the court.

"Bailey is a long and physical outside hitter that helped lead her high school team to the sub state finals this year," noted head coach Kyle Van Den Bosch. "She received service at all six rotations this year for her team so we are excited about her overall skill set. Bailey's big heart for people and her teammates will blend in really well with the quality people we have in our program. We are pumped to add Bailey to our volleyball team and our campus."

Van Voorst plans to study Exercise Science at Northwestern. She is a member of the National Honor Society and on the honor roll. Van Voorst is the daughter of Mike and Myndi.

"I chose Northwestern because of the good volleyball and academic programs as well as the family-like community," stated Van Voorst about her decision to attend Northwestern.

Baseball
Cole Conlon (Sergeant Bluff, Iowa) has signed a letter of intent to continue his baseball career at Northwestern College. 

Conlon participated in baseball, football, and basketball at Sergeant Bluff-Luton High School. He has a career average of .286 with an on base percentage of .362 this far in his career. Conlon is a perfect 15 for 15 on stolen base attempts, he also has 32 hits, and one homerun in his career.

"We are excited to get Cole here as a Red Raider," stated head coach Brian Wede. "He is a quality young man who loves the game of baseball and continues to get better. I am confident he will be a hard worker who contributes positively to the culture and success of our program."

Conlon plans to study Sports Management at Northwestern. He is the son of Tina Pike and Dan Conlon.

When asked what made him choose Northwestern, Conlon stated, "The people and coaches make me feel at home. It was the best place for me to grow academically and athletically."

Jason Knox (Pella, Iowa) has signed a letter of intent to continue his baseball career at Northwestern College. 

Knox is an All-Conference and All-District honoree from Pella High School. Thus far in his career, Knox owns a .345 batting average with 21 extra-base hits. On the mound Knox has thrown 102 innings with 120 strike outs and an earned run average of 2.26. During his junior season Knox posted an impressive 1.92 ERA in 51 innings and a .348 average with an on-base percentage of .471.

"Jason is a high qulity signee for us," stated head coach Brian Wede. "He has a lot of tools as a baseball player that can help us on the field and is someone we feel like is a good fit at Northwestern. Jason's athleticism will allow him to have a bunch of different avenues to make an impact on our team."

Knox is also an academic All-State honoree and an honor roll student. He is the son of Chuck Knox and Dawn Flugrad.

"It felt like home, I felt like a part of it," said Knox about his decision to join the Raiders. "I love the Christian community and the opportunity to grow myself in God. I liked the coaches, and was impressed with facilities. I knew it was the right place when I left campus."

Devin Dirkx (Spencer, Iowa) has signed a letter of intent to continue his baseball career at Northwestern College. 

Dirkx is an All-Conference and All-District honoree from Spencer High School. Thus far in his career, Dirkx has posted a .336 batting average with 40 hits, his on-base percentage is .467 and he has tallied 31 runs batted in. Dirkx has appeared in 96.1 innings on the mound and has tallied 92 strike outs and posted a 2.11 earned run average. Dirkx was voted the Most Valuable Player after his junior season, he also received the Steve Rehnstrom Award (best pitcher).

"We are really excited for Devin to join our team and our college," said head coach Brian Wede. "He has been coming to our camps since he was little and has been someone we have been recruiting for a long time. Devin is an athletic player who can fill multiple roles for us and is a great fit for all areas of what we look for in a Red Raider baseball player. I look forward to watching him compete and grow while he is on campus."

Dirkx plans to study Mathematics and Secondary Education at Northwestern. He is an "A" Honor Roll student and a National Honor Society member student. Dirkx is the son of Brian and Michele.

"I liked the baseball program, coaches, athletic facilities, classrooms facilites, on-campus community feel, and the great opportunity for my majors," said Dirkx.

Men's Soccer
Miguel Gonzalez (Sioux Center, Iowa) has signed a letter of intent to continue his soccer career at Northwestern College. 

Gonzalez played as a forward and midfielder for the Sioux Center Warriors. He tallied 11 goals and three assists in his most recent season. For his career, Gonzalez netted 12 goals and totaled six assists. He is a varsity letter winner in soccer and football. Gonzalez was awarded first team All-Conference for soccer and third team All-State for football.

"Miguel is a solid all-around player and a good finisher," noted head coach Dan Swier. "He has a good understanding of the game and a lot of experience playing for a solid high school program. Miguel is motivated and ready for the challenge of playing college soccer in the fall. We are anxious to see what the future holds for him both at Northwestern and beyond."

Gonzalez plans to study Business at Northwestern. He is an honor roll student and received academic All-State honors in football. Gonzalez is the son of Miguel and Ofelia.

"Northwestern brought a sense of home that was very welcoming," stated Gonzalez about his decision to attend Northwestern College.

Menkem Mehri (Worthington, Minn.) has signed a letter of intent to continue his soccer career at Northwestern College. 

Mehri was a central defensive midfielder for Worthington High School. He was part of a school record 19 game win streak and tied a Minnesota team record, only allowed five goals on the season. Mehri was a major part in a conference and section championship teams. For his career, Mehri totaled 11 goals and 35 assists from his midfield position. He received second team All-State and All-Tournament team honors and was a two-time All-Conference selection. Mehri also played for the Worthington FC and was part of a two state runners-up teams.

"Menkem is a special individual, respected by everyone who knows him," said head coach Dan Swier. "He finished his illustrious high school career this past fall after leading his high school team to the two best seasons in school history. Menkem has earned every accolade he has received through hard work, dedication, and a pure love for the game of soccer. As he prepares to join Northwestern, he understands the role soccer has played in propelling him toward his dream of earning a college degree. We are excited to go on the journey with him over the next four years."

Mehri is the son of Kidsan Meles and Henok Almeu.

Mehri stated, "Being close to home and the soccer team," as the deciding factors for choosing Northwestern.

Ryan Del Monaco (Tea, S.D.) has signed a letter of intent to continue his soccer career at Northwestern College. 

Del Monaco is a forward from Tea Area High School where he earned first team All-State honors his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. During his most recent season, Del Monaco netted 22 goals and tallied 19 assists. For his career Del Monaco totaled an impressive 64 goals.

"Ryan is a top player with a rich history of success both with his high school and club," noted head coach Dan Swier. "He has incredible drive and determination along with a strong skill-set. These qualities along with his winning mentality fit well with our style of play. As we look to continue competing for GPAC titles, we need to keep bringing in top local talent; a feat that we have undoubtedly achieved with Ryan's signature."

Del Monaco plans to study Business at Northwestern. He is the son of Heather Del Monaco.

Del Monaco gave some reasons he chose Northwestern, "They're a great team and I know some players that are already on the team."
 

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