The Mound Westonka High School Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2023 was officially inducted Sept. 29 at a morning ceremony at the Westonka Performing Arts Center. On hand to receive their awards were: Rick Dahl, coach and class of 1976; Callie (Mack) Karlen, class of 2013; Brenna Mack, class of 2013; and Caty (Dongoske) Dittrich, class of 2008. Accepting on behalf of former coach John Blomlie, who passed away in April 2022, was his wife, Joan Blomlie.

The MWHS Athletic Hall of Fame Induction ceremony was held during Homecoming Week in conjunction with the annual Homecoming Alumni Breakfast at MWHS. Westonka Activities Director Jeff Peterson highlighted the accomplishments of each member in front of a crowd of alumni, family members and staff.

“This year we inducted some great representatives into the Athletic Hall of Fame,” said Peterson. “Rick, John, Brenna, Callie, and Caty had some incredible contributions to MWHS and beyond, and we were thrilled to have all of them join us, as well as family members for the late John Blomlie.” 

To nominate a standout alumnus or coach, please fill out the Google Form. Paper forms are also available at the MWHS Activities Office.

Rick Dahl – Coach, Class of 1960

• Rick Dahl was a three-sport athlete at MWHS in cross country, basketball, and baseball/golf.
• Rick began his teaching and coaching career at Mound Westonka High School in 1983. He taught physical education in the district for 33 years, retiring in 2016.
• He served as the boys’ basketball coach at MWHS on two separate occasions and coached other sports, including golf and volleyball.
• As a coach, Rick worked tirelessly to create youth programs, start a successful Booster club and promote his athletes.
• He had an unmatched passion for coaching basketball in all aspects of his program.

Callie (Mack) Karlen – Class of 2013

• Callie (Mack) Karlen racked up 2,822 assists over her four seasons on the MWHS volleyball team, including 928 her senior year. She led the White Hawks to a 45-12-2 combined record over her last two seasons, including runner-up status in the 2AA Sub Section Championship. She served as varsity captain from 2010 to 2012.
• Callie was a four-time All-Conference selection and received Gold Academic All-State honors twice.
• Callie was named to the 2012 Under Armour Senior Watch List and was one of BreakDown Player Recruiting's Top 100 Seniors.
• She was also a MaxPreps/AVCA High School Player of the Week as a senior and was recognized by Prepvolleyball.com as one of the Best Defensive Dandies in 2012.
• Callie holds Top 5 strength and conditioning records at MWHS in three categories.

Brenna Mack - Class of 2013

• Brenna Mack recorded 1,677 career kills for the MWHS volleyball team. She led the White Hawks to a 45-12-2 combined record over her last two seasons, including runner-up status in the 2AA Sub Section Championship. She served as a 2010-12 varsity captain.
• Brenna was a four-time All-Conference selection and received Gold Academic All-State honors twice.
• Brenna was named to the 2012 Under Armour Senior Watch List and was one of BreakDown Player Recruiting's Top 20 Seniors in the state of Minnesota.
• She was also a MaxPreps/AVCA High School Player of the Week as a senior and was recognized by Prepvolleyball.com as one of the Best Defensive Dandies in 2012.
• Brenna holds Top 5 strength and conditioning records at MWHS in three categories.

Caty (Dongoske) Dittrich – Class of 2008

• Caty (Dongoske) Dittrich led the MWHS girls track and field team to True Team State in 2007. She also helped the White Hawks claim three consecutive Wright County Conference Championships in 2006-2008.
• Caty was a four-time Wright County Conference Champion in shot put and is the MWHS record holder.
• Caty earned Minnesota Class AA All-State honors, with a seventh-place finish in 2008. She was a two-time track team captain and four-time letter winner. She also earned three All-Conference awards and one All-Conference Honorable Mention.
• Additionally, Caty was a two-time letter winner in volleyball at MWHS and was named Honorable Mention All-Conference.
• Caty went on to be a three-time captain of the Big Ten Champion University of Minnesota Track and Field Team.

John Blomlie - Coach

• John Blomlie coached football, basketball, and softball at Mound Westonka from 1964-1979/80.
• His greatest coaching accomplishment was bringing the boys basketball team to its first-ever state tournament in 1973 and again in 1974. MWHS was the Class A Runner-Up. 
• John spoke often about the personal relationships he built with his teams, and how he often mentored individual players to build their confidence. His integrity and accountability were evident on and off the court/field.
• Growing up on the Northside of Minneapolis, John knew the importance of integrating sports/activities into the lives of youth and having coaches who cared about their players. John's passion for motivating and mentoring student-athletes led him to create the American Association of Youth Sports. He also wrote a book called "Parents, Coaches, and Kids.”
• John died in April 2022. He would have been very proud to know about his induction into the Mound Westonka Athletic Hall of Fame!