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Hermantown earned Academic All-State recognitions in Class 4A football this week, collecting a Silver Award for team grade-point average while senior Bode Madill was named an individual Academic All-State selection.
The Hawks posted a 3.18 team GPA, placing them in the Minnesota Football Coaches Association’s Silver tier for programs averaging between 3.00 and 3.25. Hermantown was one of six Silver Award teams in Class 4A, joining Grand Rapids, Willmar, Academy of Holy Angels, Rock Ridge and Big Lake.
Hawks head coach Mike Zagelmeyer said the academic honor reflects the program’s continued emphasis on classroom accountability alongside strong performance on the field.
Madill, a two-way contributor for the Hawks, was one of 17 players across Class 4A chosen for the MFCA’s individual Academic All-State list. Nominees must meet strict academic and athletic criteria, including leadership, character and performance in the classroom.
Hermantown finished the 2025 season showing improvement behind a young but steadily developing core. The Hawks leaned on a strong running game, disciplined defensive play and steady special teams to in one of Minnesota’s tougher Class 4A sections.
Junior halfback Martin Sleen, recently named to the All-Minnesota team, delivered one of the most productive seasons in the state with 1,900 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns. A rebuilt offensive line and a maturing defensive front also helped the Hawks remain in the playoff conversation throughout the fall.
Class 4A schools earning Gold Awards — reserved for team GPAs between 3.26 and 4.00 — included Saint Anthony Village (3.47), Byron (3.41), Chisago Lakes (3.40), Orono (3.40), Westonka (3.40), SMB (3.36), Stewartville (3.32), Marshall (3.28) and ROCORI (3.27).
Individual Academic All-State honorees across Class 4A included Becker’s Sawyer Brown, Byron’s Hayden Landswerk, Chisago Lakes’ Reese Nasvik, Cloquet’s Conner Tibbetts, Grand Rapids’ Brayden McKinney, Stewartville’s Vince Wellik and Westonka’s Brandt Tebbs, among others.
For Hermantown, the academic and on-field accomplishments underscore what Zagelmeyer often describes as the program’s core priority — developing well-rounded student-athletes who compete with the same standard of discipline in the classroom as they do on Friday nights.