HLA Blog
Explore the latest news and updates from Hillcrest below.
Exciting things are happening here, and we’d love for you to join the movement by becoming a supporter of Hillcrest Academy, too!
Comets Make History: Hillcrest Girls Punch First-Ever Ticket to State Tournament
For the first time in program history, the Comet girls’ basketball team is headed to the Minnesota Class A State Tournament. Behind a dominant offensive performance and relentless defensive effort, the Comets defeated Breckenridge 67–52 on Friday night to secure their place among the final eight teams in the state and continue what has already become a historic season.
Berge’s Milestone Night Fuels Comets’ Dominant Playoff Win
The victory was significant for more than just the scoreboard. The night also marked a milestone moment for senior wing Sean Berge, who etched his name into the Hillcrest record books by scoring his 1,000th career point. The accomplishment brought the crowd to its feet and added an emotional highlight to what may very well be one of the final home games played in the Comet Gym this season, as both the boys and girls teams push deeper into the postseason.
Students Share Lunch and Join Tradition Mission Focus From The Hallways of Hillcrest
The call to missions has been forming in the hallways of Hillcrest for generations of students. And as students gather for conversations like the recent lunch with Dave Narvesen, it is clear that the tradition continues.
Comets Lock In Late, Defeat Rothsay 62–46 to Advance to Section Championship
As a team, Hillcrest shot 21-of-57 from the field (36%), including 12-of-22 on two-point attempts (54%) while converting 11-of-17 free throws (64%). The Comets also knocked down nine three-pointers, providing a balanced scoring attack that kept the Tigers from mounting a late comeback.
More Than a Rule: How Phone Bins at Hillcrest Are Building Focus, Friendship, and Character
Hillcrest’s House System is helping students grow in community, character, and connection. One simple bin at the gym door is becoming a powerful lesson: some moments are too important to scroll through.
The Comets Move-on To Section Semis
From the opening tip, Hillcrest controlled every statistical category. The Comets built a commanding 40–19 halftime lead and matched that output with another 40-point half after the break.
Battle of the Classics: Reading for Gold at Hillcrest Lower School
Flags lined the doors. Countries were represented in color and creativity. Students hurried past in team hues, whispering about chapters they had finished the night before and debating which book deserved to advance. In classrooms, brackets were filling up. Medals were being earned. And quietly, steadily, something powerful was happening: children were falling in love with good books.
Nash Pours in 39 in Big Road Win To Close the Season
The Comets closed the regular season with a strong 77–61 road win over Norman County East/UH, and they did it without starter Sean Berge and sixth man spark Zane Holmquist
Why “Dads at the Doors” Matters at Hillcrest
“Dads at the Doors” is one expression of a broader commitment at Hillcrest to partnership with families. We believe children flourish when school and home are aligned. When fathers show up physically, it sends a powerful message
Lady Comets Elevate Their Play as Postseason Nears
As the playoffs approach, the Lady Comets are showing what makes them dangerous: efficient offense, balanced scoring, and a defense that competes on every trip down the floor. Just as important, they are playing for one another, and that unity is becoming one of their greatest strengths.
Comets Dial In Down the Stretch as Playoff Picture Comes Into Focus
As the postseason approaches, these two weeks may ultimately be remembered as the stretch that prepared the Comets for playoff basketball. The numbers show a team that has tightened execution, clarified roles, formed resolve to withstand adversity, and built trust under pressure, the profile of a group dialing things in at the right time.
Comets Turn a Tough Loss into a Statement Week of Basketball
This week, Hillcrest didn’t simply bounce back from a loss; they adjusted. Defensive focus sharpened. Offensive patience increased. Efficiency followed. The Comets turned a close defeat into a week of clarity, and if the trajectory holds, the stats suggest this team is still climbing.
Comets Sharpen Offensive Discipline with Inside Toughness and Balanced Scoring
Interior toughness led Hillcrest to the win, and Ella Knutson was a highlight, posting a powerful double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds, while also adding five assists to keep the offense flowing.
Hillcrest Celebrates National Honor Society Induction
Moments like the National Honor Society induction matter. They celebrate diligence, leadership, service, and scholarship, but they also affirm that these virtues are meant to be lived out in love. Academic excellence becomes a means of equipping students for lives of eternal significance, where knowledge is guided by wisdom and achievement is anchored in gratitude and humility before God.
Dr. Kathy Koch Calls Hillcrest Parents and Teachers to See Differently
When children are truly known by their parents, their teachers, and their school, they don’t just learn more effectively. They live more faithfully.
Clark Earns 100th Career Win as Comets Overwhelm Parkers Prairie
For Coach Hannah Clark, win No. 100 arrives not as a single achievement but as a reflection of sustained culture. The numbers tell the story: disciplined defense, focused ball movement, unselfish offense, and players empowered to contribute in multiple ways. On a night that celebrated a milestone, the Comets delivered a performance that captured exactly why that milestone matters.
Comets Lock In Defensively in 93–55 Win
The Hillcrest Comets put together their most complete performance of the season Tuesday night, overwhelming Brandon-Evansville 93–55 behind suffocating defense and disciplined rotations, a connected team effort on both ends of the floor.
Grace in Action: Hillcrest Lower School’s January Virtue
Each month at Hillcrest, students are invited into something deeper than a lesson or a theme. Through a unified and intentional virtue program, the Lower School is being shaped in how students think, respond, forgive, and love. This January, that focus is Grace: loving others despite their faults.
Castles, Courage, and Character: Fourth Graders Bring the Medieval World to Life
Walking through the fourth-grade display yesterday felt less like stepping into a classroom and more like entering another century. Towers rose from tables, stone walls wrapped around courtyards, banners marked kingdoms, and drawbridges hinted at danger just beyond the gates in their dioramas. Parents and members of the Hillcrest community gathered not simply to admire displays of medieval castles, but to witness learning that had taken root and shaped imagination and understanding, and strengthened character.
When Colleges Go Remedial, Hillcrest Goes Deeper
An article published last year in The Harvard Crimson came across my desk recently. It highlighted how Harvard had to introduce a remedial math course for their students.