Two Annandale sports stars have been named male Athlete of the Year instead of one because officials at Annandale High School couldn’t decide who was the most deserving. Doubling up on such honors is rare, according to 2005 Athlete of the Year David Queck, who shares his title with Adam Berg. “I was hoping we could both get it,” he said. “We’ve been side by side so many years.” Queck and Berg, both seniors, have played basketball and football together for as long as they can remember. Choosing one over the other is a common difficulty. Last winter they were named most valuable players on the basketball team. The Athlete of the Year award is traditionally given to a boy and a girl athlete who have participated in three sports most or all of their high school careers.å The student must also be coachable and have good grades, said Annandale athletic director Dennis Harmoning. Most of the time, an Athlete of the Year is a senior as well. Senior Sara Vogt has been named the female Athlete of the Year. While both Queck and Berg spent most of the school year on the same team, in the spring they parted ways. That’s when Berg took up golf and Queck ran for the track team. Both lettered in three sports; Queck is one of a few athletes to letter four times in football. He also lettered five times in track and three times in basketball. Berg lettered three times in all three of his sports. Queck was all-conference in football and basketball and was named to the all-area team in basketball. He also won the sprint award in track. Berg was named to the all-state team in football and was defensive MVP twice. He was all-conference in football twice and once in basketball. Berg’s main role on the football squad last year was at quarterback, but he also played safety and was a punter. Last season was probably his best yet. The Cardinals’ season record of 8-3 was their best in 28 years. They were victorious in the homecoming game, won a pizza party and were featured on KARE 11 TV after a huge victory over the Becker Bulldogs. Annandale also made its first appearance in a section finals game. Queck was a receiver for the team. He remembers how he returned a Waconia kickoff for a touchdown during a regular season game last fall. But both Queck and Berg’s favorite sport is basketball. Both were part of the 2004 team that advanced to the State tournament for the first time in the school’s history. Queck is no stranger to state level competition. In 2003, he was a member of the 4×200 meter relay team that won a championship title at the State Track Meet. He advanced again the next year with nearly the same team, then last year, the group reclaimed their title. He was a part of the 4×200 and 4×400 teams, which won gold medals, and the 4×100 team, which finished fourth at State. Queck plans to attend St. Cloud State University this fall. He will play on the Husky’s football team. Berg plans to attend the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities. He does not plan on playing any sports. Vogt plays volleyball in the fall, basketball in the winter and softball in the spring, and that takes up most of her time. “I like to go out and play, but there are times when I’m really tired too,” she said. She has had more than one late night struggling to finish homework following an evening game. She started playing back in the fifth grade and has stuck with it ever since. She’s been a setter, a hitter and a back row player in volleyball; a point guard in basketball and has played left, center and right field in softball. “I like playing team sports. The atmosphere is so fun,” she said. Two years ago she had the chance to play in the championship game of the State softball tournament. That, she said, was probably one of her most memorable moments. “I look back at all of those things and I know I’m going to miss everything,” she said. Over the years, Vogt has been the co-captain of the volleyball and basketball team; she has earned all-conference honorable mention in basketball and all-conference in softball. She was named the Wright County Athlete of the Week and named to the St. Cloud Times Area Softball Team and the Wright County Softball Team. She was also academic all-state. “I was surprised,” Vogt said, about being chosen to be the school’s Athlete of the Year. “They were giving all the nominee names, because there were quite a few girls. It is a big honor to be chosen from that selection.” Vogt plans to attend the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management for marketing or graphic arts.
