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Hempstead High School (Dubuque, Iowa)
Encyclopedia
Stephen Hempstead High School (commonly Hempstead or HHS) is a four-year public high school located in Dubuque, Iowa
. It is one of three high schools in the Dubuque Community School District
, and enrolls 1,824 students in grades 9-12. Hempstead is named in honor of Stephen P. Hempstead
, the second governor of Iowa. The school's mascot is the Mustang
, and it competes in class 4A of the Mississippi Valley Conference.
, the population of Dubuque moved further out to the west. The children born during the post-war baby boom
also were in their late teens at the time. The community found that Senior High School would no longer be enough to serve the needs of the community.
In 1966, the district began planning for Hempstead. District employees were encouraged to offer their thoughts on the design of the new building. In the spring of 1967, a $
6.7 million dollar bond issue was approved to cover the costs of the building. In the fall of 1968, construction began on the new building, with completion scheduled by the fall of 1969. Construction was delayed by labor strikes and bad weather, which resulted in the building not being complete until the spring of 1970. The layout of the building looked like a letter "H" from an overhead view.
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of Hempstead High School is to educate each student to meet successfully the challenges and opportunities in a changing world.
Because Hempstead was not yet ready, classes for Hempstead students were initially held at Senior High School. In the spring of 1970, students began receiving education at Hempstead for the first time under Principal Dr. Roger Kampschroer. In 1970, there was no graduating class because there was no senior class that first year.
In the 1990s, the windows on the second floor were replaced with windows that could be opened. The locker bay was recently refurbished. In the summer of 2005, construction began to expand the school, as enrollment is expected to increase over the next several years. Over the next several years the school district has formulated plans to completely remodel the school.
Hempstead was affected by the mumps
outbreak that struck Iowa
in 2006 and ravaged the student body. While school was not shut down and only a small number of students were infected, the long-standing Tri-II Music Festival which Hempstead was hosting that year was downscaled, and several sports matches were canceled.
In 2007 Hempstead lost two students in the span of two weeks. Lauren Schmidt was killed when she was struck while crossing Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the school. A week later Chris Runde died after a car accident the night before the day of homecoming.
Renovations currently under way will relocate lockers to the school hallways. The second level contains classrooms, an indoor pool, gyms, art, music, driver education, and FHACS (Family Health & Consumer Sciences) classrooms. The third level holds the administrative offices, library/media center, math, science, business classrooms, a physical fitness room, cafeteria/commons area, industrial technology, wood working, and automobile shops. The third level also features an auditorium complex.
The school is divided into wings. The "A" wing contains music, speech and driver education classrooms. School offices are in the "B" wing, the eastern edge of the triangle. Most of the general education classrooms are in the "C" wing, the southern side. To the west is the "D" wing, home of industrial education, art, and FHACS. An addition to the southwest corner of the building was added in late 2005 providing new classrooms for several general education subjects. The "E" wing on the north side of the building contains the cafeteria, gym, and pool. The locker bay classrooms added in 2004 and 2005 are part of the "L" wing.
The gym can be divided into three separate areas, with retractable curtains for each section. There is also retractable bleacher seating along the eastern and western walls typically used for assemblies, ballgames and other functions.
Hempstead features a 25-yard indoor swimming pool. Although swimming is no longer part of the wellness education requirement for students occasional classes are held in the pool and it is also used by the swim teams of both Hempstead and Senior High School for both practice and meets. An upgraded scoring and timekeeping system was funded jointly by both schools' booster clubs in 2003. The city recreation department also allows the general public to use the pool when school is not in session.
There is also a large auditorium
complex near the eastern end of the school. This complex features movable walls, and can be divided into one or more (up to six) seating areas. However, the design of this auditorium, because of its low slope, lack of a flyspace, and modified theater-in-the-round concept, has proved impractical for many productions. Therefore, musicals are currently performed at the Five Flags Theater, and concerts are held at Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School.
: however, a building-wide air conditioning system was never installed. The administrative offices were air conditioned, but the rest of the building was not.
As part of the renovation process, the school is upgrading the heating and cooling system. The school will use a geothermal system, and wells are being dug near the softball and football
fields for this new system.
, 30 (1.6%) were Black
, 21 (1.2%) were Asian
, and 3 (.2%) were American Indian
. 16 (.9%) students were Hispanic, and may be of any race. Additionally, 943 (51.7%) were male
, and 881 (48.3%) were female
.
The school is generally meeting No Child Left Behind proficiency standards, outpacing its goals in both reading and math.
The Hempstead Mustang Marching Band
is directed by Mr. Gregory Dowe. The group of around 115 students competes in 4A competitions in the state of Iowa
. They received Best Overall Drumline and Best Drum Major awards at the 2006 Marion Marching Invitational and Best Drumline in 4A at the Little Hawk Invitational in Iowa City in 2007. Devin Burgess is currently the percussion caption head and arranger of the 2008/2007 season and instructed for the 2006 season. The band has received Division I ratings at the State Marching Contest for over ten years.
, which was presented in January 2007.
Before she appeared in TV and movies, Kate Mulgrew
appeared in performances in 1970 and 1971 at the school, which included "David and Lisa
" and "The Importance of Being Ernest."
2005 Inductees
Julie Kaesbauer-Spelhaug
Bill Peck
Leroy Cain
Dan Dunham
Vern VanCleve
2007 Inductees
Norm Anderson
Donna (Metz) Loewen
Donald Moody
Clarence Ruden
Robert Timmerman
2008 Inductees
Herman "Babe" Derouin
Tim Hodge
Tom Rusk
2003 - Volleyball
1992 - Co-ed Golf (Lou Ann McMullen-Matt Lewis)
1984 - Boys Tennis
1984 - Baseball (30-3 record)
1983 - Baseball (25-9 record)
1979 - Football (10-2 record)
1978 - Baseball (29-4 record)
1975 - Volleyball
1974 - Baseball (25-5 record)
Football
The Mustangs have made the state football playoffs 12 times—1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1995, 2002, 2003, 2008. In addition to the state title in 1979, Hempstead finished as the state runner-up to Mason City (coached by Barry Alvarez
) in 1978.
Two players - Tom Rusk and Tom Holt - are members of the IHSAA Football Players Hall of Fame. Rusk was a fullback/linebacker and 1975 graduate. He later played linebacker for the University of Iowa. Holt helped lead the Mustangs to the state title in 1979.
Cheerleading
The Hempstead Cheerleading Squad has competed in the State Cheerleading Championships in 2008, 2009, 2010, competing in the toughest division of 4A. In '08 they finished 11th out of 14. In '09 they finished 4th out of 14. In 2010, they won the State Championship in their division out of 12 other teams from across Iowa. That year, they also placed 6th and 8th out of 33 teams in the Stunt Group Division. In 2010, they had the best jumper in the state, Alyssa Bauer. Hempstead cheerleading made national headlines when they qualified to compete in the National Cheerleading Championships in Orlando, Florida in February 2011, when the DCSD denied them the right to go because they were not a state sanctioned sport and didn't follow paperwork guidelines. Eventually, the were granted permission, and competed at the National event and made it all the way to finals, becoming National Finalists and placing 7th in the nation. Since 2008, Hempstead cheerleaders have been coached by Jenny Kress. In 2009, the district hired an assistant coach, David Eisbach, who is the teams weight training coach.
In 2009, Coach Jenny Kress and the 08-09 Hempstead cheerleaders won the Iowa Cheer Coaches Association Sportsmanship award.
Prior to 2008, other Hempstead cheer coaches have been: Chrissy Data, Angie Fuhrmiester.
Baseball
Boys Swimming
The Mustangs have won six individual titles at the state meet. Rob Strauch won the 50-yard freestyle state championship in 1987; Chip Reed won the 100-yard backstroke title in 1988. Donny Warren won the 200 IM title and finished 2nd in the 100 Backstroke Both earning All-American honors in 2009. Ben Loeffelholz won the 50-yard freestyle state championship in 2010 and finished 2nd in the 100 freestyle. In 2011 Ben Loeffelholz won the 50-yard freestyle state championship and the 100-yard freestyle state championship. In addition Ben was also awarded Swimmer of the meet at the Iowa swimming state meet. Ben went on to be named an ALL American in 2011.
Girls Swimming
Boys Tennis
Boys Track
Girls Track
The Mustangs have won 9 events at the state meet. Kris Roebken won the 100 meters in 1994, and helped Hempstead win the 4x100 and 4x200 relays in 1994 and 1995.
In 2004, the Mustang shuttle hurdle team (Nina Schnee, Nichole Schnee, Cali Lyons, Leah Timmerman) won a state title, and Ashley Simpson won the shot put crown.
Two athletes in the 1980s won the state discus - Sonia Shoelen (1989) and Jennifer Van Etten (1983).
Softball
Volleyball
Hempstead won the state title in 1975 and 2003, and were state runners-up in 1973, 1976 and 2000. They've made 12 state tournament appearances—2010, 2008, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1984, 1980, 1976, 1975, 1973.
In 2003, Emily Luensmann was the Class 4A player of the year, and Julie Kieffer was the Class 4A coach of the year.
Wrestling
Cliff Moore won three individual state titles for the Mustangs, and later wrestled for the University of Iowa
. For Hempstead, Moore compiled a 139-2 record, and was undefeated his sophomore, junior and senior seasons; he finished as the state runner-up as a freshman. In college, Moore was the NCAA champion at 141 pounds in 2004, and was a three-time all-American.
The Mustangs have won 8 individual state titles. In addition to the three won by Moore, the other state champions for Hempstead are Tom Rusk (1975), Trent Moore (1996), Ryan Heim (1999, 2000) and Adam Gottschalk (2002). Heim finished his career with the most wins in city history (140), but was passed by Gottschalk (144 career wins) in 2003.
Coaches
--Dick Core led Hempstead to eight state tournaments (1974–1999) and won four championships in baseball. He compiled a 650-344 career record at Hempstead and Dubuque Senior. The school named its baseball field Dick Core Field after he retired. In 2007, Core came out of retirement to coach the East Dubuque baseball team.
--Bob Timmerman compiled a 107-58 record as head varsity football coach, and had a career 157-76-5 record in 26 years as a head football coach (he also coached at Dyersville Beckman). Timmerman resigned as the varsity coach in 1991 and has coached the freshman team since. He is still active as of 2008, and has been coaching football for 50 years.
--Dan Dunham was the first wrestling coach when the school opened in 1969, and stayed in that post for 30 years. He sent over 100 wrestlers to the state tournament, and was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1999. The wrestling room was named the Dunham Wrestling Room in 2002. Dunham, who started his career as the coach at Jesup High School, compiled a 232-196-6 career record.
--LaVerne Kloster was inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2001. He coached girls cross country, girls track and girls basketball at Moorehead, East Monona, Woodbine, Storm Lake and Hempstead. He is a member of the Iowa Association of Track Coaches Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Iowa Girls Coaches Association Hall of Fame (basketball coaches) in 1991.
Kloster's career basketball record was 532-247 in 33 years, with 12 of those coming at Hempstead. At Woodbine, his basketball teams were champions in 1968, third in 1969, and third in 1974.
His track teams at Woodbine were state indoor champs in 1975 and 1976, and outdoor champions in 1973, 1974 and 1975. He has coached 12 state individual champions, 8 state relay champions plus 5 Drake Relays champions in track. At Woodbine, Kloster coached Debbie Esser, who went on to run track at Iowa State, where she became the first woman in the history of the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, (AIAW), to collect four national titles in the same event (400-meter hurdles).
--Mike Marty guided the Mustangs to five state tournaments in volleyball (including the 1975 state championship), was a three-time Mississippi Valley Conference coach of the year, and finished with a career record of 380-70. He was inducted into the Iowa Girls' Coaches Association in 2006.
--Norm Anderson has coached boys track for 50 years, and has been the school's head track coach since the school opened in 1969.
Notable alumni/students
Renovation
In 2004, a renovation program began using proceeds from a one-cent sales tax
approved by Dubuque County voters in December 2002. The seven-phase program is projected to eventually cost $30 million, roughly five times the original cost of constructing the school in the 1960s.
2006 marked the beginning of a two-year complete remodeling of the main classroom wing and locker bay. While the renovations are greatly appreciated, some controversy has arisen during the construction. Hundreds of students were forced to move out of their lockers with twenty-four hours notice, only to be allowed back in a week later. Several classes are being held in the auditorium, and the stage has become departmental offices, forcing music and drama programs to perform off-campus. Finally, the renovation is stirring up Hempstead's long-standing insect problem, although new sections of the building are designed to be inhospitable to termites and cockroaches.
See also
External links
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
. It is one of three high schools in the Dubuque Community School District
Dubuque Community School District
The Dubuque Community School District is a school district based in Dubuque, Iowa . The DCSD, which operates schools in eastern Dubuque County, is the seventh largest school district in Iowa...
, and enrolls 1,824 students in grades 9-12. Hempstead is named in honor of Stephen P. Hempstead
Stephen P. Hempstead
Stephen P. Hempstead was the second Governor of Iowa. A Democrat, he served from 1850 to 1854.-Biography:...
, the second governor of Iowa. The school's mascot is the Mustang
Mustang (horse)
A Mustang is a free-roaming horse of the North American west that first descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but there is intense debate over terminology...
, and it competes in class 4A of the Mississippi Valley Conference.
History
After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the population of Dubuque moved further out to the west. The children born during the post-war baby boom
Baby boom
A baby boom is any period marked by a greatly increased birth rate. This demographic phenomenon is usually ascribed within certain geographical bounds and when the number of annual births exceeds 2 per 100 women...
also were in their late teens at the time. The community found that Senior High School would no longer be enough to serve the needs of the community.
In 1966, the district began planning for Hempstead. District employees were encouraged to offer their thoughts on the design of the new building. In the spring of 1967, a $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
6.7 million dollar bond issue was approved to cover the costs of the building. In the fall of 1968, construction began on the new building, with completion scheduled by the fall of 1969. Construction was delayed by labor strikes and bad weather, which resulted in the building not being complete until the spring of 1970. The layout of the building looked like a letter "H" from an overhead view.
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of Hempstead High School is to educate each student to meet successfully the challenges and opportunities in a changing world.
Because Hempstead was not yet ready, classes for Hempstead students were initially held at Senior High School. In the spring of 1970, students began receiving education at Hempstead for the first time under Principal Dr. Roger Kampschroer. In 1970, there was no graduating class because there was no senior class that first year.
In the 1990s, the windows on the second floor were replaced with windows that could be opened. The locker bay was recently refurbished. In the summer of 2005, construction began to expand the school, as enrollment is expected to increase over the next several years. Over the next several years the school district has formulated plans to completely remodel the school.
Hempstead was affected by the mumps
Mumps
Mumps is a viral disease of the human species, caused by the mumps virus. Before the development of vaccination and the introduction of a vaccine, it was a common childhood disease worldwide...
outbreak that struck Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
in 2006 and ravaged the student body. While school was not shut down and only a small number of students were infected, the long-standing Tri-II Music Festival which Hempstead was hosting that year was downscaled, and several sports matches were canceled.
In 2007 Hempstead lost two students in the span of two weeks. Lauren Schmidt was killed when she was struck while crossing Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the school. A week later Chris Runde died after a car accident the night before the day of homecoming.
Campus
The building is a three-level structure with an open courtyard in the center of the school. The school used to feature a locker bay on the ground floor, but has been recently renovated and it now contains more classrooms to increase the school's learning capabilities; all student lockers were formerly centralized in the locker bay.Renovations currently under way will relocate lockers to the school hallways. The second level contains classrooms, an indoor pool, gyms, art, music, driver education, and FHACS (Family Health & Consumer Sciences) classrooms. The third level holds the administrative offices, library/media center, math, science, business classrooms, a physical fitness room, cafeteria/commons area, industrial technology, wood working, and automobile shops. The third level also features an auditorium complex.
The school is divided into wings. The "A" wing contains music, speech and driver education classrooms. School offices are in the "B" wing, the eastern edge of the triangle. Most of the general education classrooms are in the "C" wing, the southern side. To the west is the "D" wing, home of industrial education, art, and FHACS. An addition to the southwest corner of the building was added in late 2005 providing new classrooms for several general education subjects. The "E" wing on the north side of the building contains the cafeteria, gym, and pool. The locker bay classrooms added in 2004 and 2005 are part of the "L" wing.
The gym can be divided into three separate areas, with retractable curtains for each section. There is also retractable bleacher seating along the eastern and western walls typically used for assemblies, ballgames and other functions.
Hempstead features a 25-yard indoor swimming pool. Although swimming is no longer part of the wellness education requirement for students occasional classes are held in the pool and it is also used by the swim teams of both Hempstead and Senior High School for both practice and meets. An upgraded scoring and timekeeping system was funded jointly by both schools' booster clubs in 2003. The city recreation department also allows the general public to use the pool when school is not in session.
There is also a large auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
complex near the eastern end of the school. This complex features movable walls, and can be divided into one or more (up to six) seating areas. However, the design of this auditorium, because of its low slope, lack of a flyspace, and modified theater-in-the-round concept, has proved impractical for many productions. Therefore, musicals are currently performed at the Five Flags Theater, and concerts are held at Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School.
HVAC
The building was originally designed to be fully air conditionedAir conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
: however, a building-wide air conditioning system was never installed. The administrative offices were air conditioned, but the rest of the building was not.
As part of the renovation process, the school is upgrading the heating and cooling system. The school will use a geothermal system, and wells are being dug near the softball and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
fields for this new system.
Students
In the 2007-2008 school year, HHS enrolled 1,824 students. Of those, 1,754 (96.2%) were WhiteWhite American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
, 30 (1.6%) were Black
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 21 (1.2%) were Asian
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, and 3 (.2%) were American Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. 16 (.9%) students were Hispanic, and may be of any race. Additionally, 943 (51.7%) were male
Male
Male refers to the biological sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...
, and 881 (48.3%) were female
Female
Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...
.
Academics
Hempstead, being one of the largest schools in the state, is able to offer fourteen advanced placement courses. This has enabled the school to rank highly on the Iowa AP Index published by the Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education, coming in ninth in the state in 2006 (based on the class of 2005).The school is generally meeting No Child Left Behind proficiency standards, outpacing its goals in both reading and math.
Music
Michael Gilbertson, class of 2006, is an accomplished composer who has written several pieces for orchestra, piano, and ballet. His works have been performed by the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, the Flint Symphony Orchestra, and the Rockford Symphony Orchestra. He will be the first graduate of Hempstead to study at the Juilliard School of Music.The Hempstead Mustang Marching Band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
is directed by Mr. Gregory Dowe. The group of around 115 students competes in 4A competitions in the state of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. They received Best Overall Drumline and Best Drum Major awards at the 2006 Marion Marching Invitational and Best Drumline in 4A at the Little Hawk Invitational in Iowa City in 2007. Devin Burgess is currently the percussion caption head and arranger of the 2008/2007 season and instructed for the 2006 season. The band has received Division I ratings at the State Marching Contest for over ten years.
Student government
Hempstead is noted for its student government program, widely accepted to be one of the most active in the state. The program consists of an eight-member executive council and a 40-member senate, 10 elected from each class. Spring Wind, a week-long festival featuring speakers and activities every March or April, is completely organized by the student government, which is elected in May for the following year.Theatre
Hempstead had the distinction of being one of the first schools to perform a stage version of High School MusicalHigh School Musical
High School Musical is a 2006 American television film, first in the High School Musical film franchise. Upon its release on January 20, 2006, it became the most successful film that Disney Channel Original Movie ever produced, with a television sequel High School Musical 2 released in 2007 and...
, which was presented in January 2007.
Before she appeared in TV and movies, Kate Mulgrew
Kate Mulgrew
Katherine Kiernan Maria "Kate" Mulgrew is an American actress, most noted for her roles on Star Trek: Voyager as Captain Kathryn Janeway and Ryan's Hope as Mary Ryan...
appeared in performances in 1970 and 1971 at the school, which included "David and Lisa
David and Lisa
David and Lisa is a small independent film directed by Frank Perry, often cited as one of his best works. Based on the novel by Theodore Isaac Rubin, the screenplay, written by Frank Perry's wife Eleanor, tells the story of a bright young man suffering from a severe case of obsessive-compulsive...
" and "The Importance of Being Ernest."
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at St. James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personae in order to escape burdensome social obligations...
Economics
Since the National Council for Economics Education Economics Challenge was inaugurated in 2001, Hempstead has been extremely successful at the national level. The team won first place in 2002, second in 2001 and 2005, and third in 2004. In the seven years of state competition (2001–2007), Hempstead has been first in Iowa every year and often has fielded the second-place team as well. Much of the credit given to Hempstead's nationally recognized economics team goes to economics teacher Dennis C. Schroeder.Hall of Fame
The Mustang Hall of Fame, started in 2005, recognizes former teachers, staff, students and community volunteers who have contributed to the school's success.2005 Inductees
Julie Kaesbauer-Spelhaug
Bill Peck
Leroy Cain
Dan Dunham
Vern VanCleve
2007 Inductees
Norm Anderson
Donna (Metz) Loewen
Donald Moody
Clarence Ruden
Robert Timmerman
2008 Inductees
Herman "Babe" Derouin
Tim Hodge
Tom Rusk
Sports
Hempstead competes in Class 4A, the largest classification in Iowa, and in the Mississippi Valley Conference. The conference consists of schools in Dubuque, Cedar Rapids/Marion, Waterloo/Cedar Falls and Iowa City.State championships
2010 - Cheerleading2003 - Volleyball
1992 - Co-ed Golf (Lou Ann McMullen-Matt Lewis)
1984 - Boys Tennis
1984 - Baseball (30-3 record)
1983 - Baseball (25-9 record)
1979 - Football (10-2 record)
1978 - Baseball (29-4 record)
1975 - Volleyball
1974 - Baseball (25-5 record)
Football
The Mustangs have made the state football playoffs 12 times—1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1995, 2002, 2003, 2008. In addition to the state title in 1979, Hempstead finished as the state runner-up to Mason City (coached by Barry Alvarez
Barry Alvarez
Barry Alvarez is a former American football player and coach and currently the Director of Athletics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He served as the head football coach at Wisconsin for 16 seasons from 1990 to 2005, compiling a career college football record of 118–73–4...
) in 1978.
Two players - Tom Rusk and Tom Holt - are members of the IHSAA Football Players Hall of Fame. Rusk was a fullback/linebacker and 1975 graduate. He later played linebacker for the University of Iowa. Holt helped lead the Mustangs to the state title in 1979.
Cheerleading
The Hempstead Cheerleading Squad has competed in the State Cheerleading Championships in 2008, 2009, 2010, competing in the toughest division of 4A. In '08 they finished 11th out of 14. In '09 they finished 4th out of 14. In 2010, they won the State Championship in their division out of 12 other teams from across Iowa. That year, they also placed 6th and 8th out of 33 teams in the Stunt Group Division. In 2010, they had the best jumper in the state, Alyssa Bauer. Hempstead cheerleading made national headlines when they qualified to compete in the National Cheerleading Championships in Orlando, Florida in February 2011, when the DCSD denied them the right to go because they were not a state sanctioned sport and didn't follow paperwork guidelines. Eventually, the were granted permission, and competed at the National event and made it all the way to finals, becoming National Finalists and placing 7th in the nation. Since 2008, Hempstead cheerleaders have been coached by Jenny Kress. In 2009, the district hired an assistant coach, David Eisbach, who is the teams weight training coach.
In 2009, Coach Jenny Kress and the 08-09 Hempstead cheerleaders won the Iowa Cheer Coaches Association Sportsmanship award.
Prior to 2008, other Hempstead cheer coaches have been: Chrissy Data, Angie Fuhrmiester.
Baseball
One of the most successful programs traditionally has been the baseball team. The Mustangs won four state championships (1974, 1978, 1983, 1984) and finished second in 2003. Hempstead has made 12 trips to the state playoffs (1974, 1978, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010).
Boys SwimmingThe Mustangs have won six individual titles at the state meet. Rob Strauch won the 50-yard freestyle state championship in 1987; Chip Reed won the 100-yard backstroke title in 1988. Donny Warren won the 200 IM title and finished 2nd in the 100 Backstroke Both earning All-American honors in 2009. Ben Loeffelholz won the 50-yard freestyle state championship in 2010 and finished 2nd in the 100 freestyle. In 2011 Ben Loeffelholz won the 50-yard freestyle state championship and the 100-yard freestyle state championship. In addition Ben was also awarded Swimmer of the meet at the Iowa swimming state meet. Ben went on to be named an ALL American in 2011.
Girls Swimming
Brigit Brunsman won the 100-yard breaststroke title in 2001, the first female to win an individual title at the state meet.
Boys Tennis
The Mustangs won the team title in 1984, and were runners-up in 1987. John Ottavi and Tom Ottavi won the state doubles title in 1984. Matt Pigg and Mark Bradley were the state doubles runners-up in 1987, as were Steve Derouin and Mike Smith in 1988.
Boys Track
There have been two individual state champions -- Terry Bensink in the high jump (1993) and Eric Dasso (2002) in the 800 meters.
Girls TrackThe Mustangs have won 9 events at the state meet. Kris Roebken won the 100 meters in 1994, and helped Hempstead win the 4x100 and 4x200 relays in 1994 and 1995.
In 2004, the Mustang shuttle hurdle team (Nina Schnee, Nichole Schnee, Cali Lyons, Leah Timmerman) won a state title, and Ashley Simpson won the shot put crown.
Two athletes in the 1980s won the state discus - Sonia Shoelen (1989) and Jennifer Van Etten (1983).
Softball
The Mustangs' Kamber Hyde (1997) and Julie Kaesbauer (1987) were named to the first team overall all-state teams.
VolleyballHempstead won the state title in 1975 and 2003, and were state runners-up in 1973, 1976 and 2000. They've made 12 state tournament appearances—2010, 2008, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1984, 1980, 1976, 1975, 1973.
In 2003, Emily Luensmann was the Class 4A player of the year, and Julie Kieffer was the Class 4A coach of the year.
Wrestling
Cliff Moore won three individual state titles for the Mustangs, and later wrestled for the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
. For Hempstead, Moore compiled a 139-2 record, and was undefeated his sophomore, junior and senior seasons; he finished as the state runner-up as a freshman. In college, Moore was the NCAA champion at 141 pounds in 2004, and was a three-time all-American.
The Mustangs have won 8 individual state titles. In addition to the three won by Moore, the other state champions for Hempstead are Tom Rusk (1975), Trent Moore (1996), Ryan Heim (1999, 2000) and Adam Gottschalk (2002). Heim finished his career with the most wins in city history (140), but was passed by Gottschalk (144 career wins) in 2003.
Coaches
--Dick Core led Hempstead to eight state tournaments (1974–1999) and won four championships in baseball. He compiled a 650-344 career record at Hempstead and Dubuque Senior. The school named its baseball field Dick Core Field after he retired. In 2007, Core came out of retirement to coach the East Dubuque baseball team.
--Bob Timmerman compiled a 107-58 record as head varsity football coach, and had a career 157-76-5 record in 26 years as a head football coach (he also coached at Dyersville Beckman). Timmerman resigned as the varsity coach in 1991 and has coached the freshman team since. He is still active as of 2008, and has been coaching football for 50 years.
--Dan Dunham was the first wrestling coach when the school opened in 1969, and stayed in that post for 30 years. He sent over 100 wrestlers to the state tournament, and was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1999. The wrestling room was named the Dunham Wrestling Room in 2002. Dunham, who started his career as the coach at Jesup High School, compiled a 232-196-6 career record.
--LaVerne Kloster was inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2001. He coached girls cross country, girls track and girls basketball at Moorehead, East Monona, Woodbine, Storm Lake and Hempstead. He is a member of the Iowa Association of Track Coaches Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Iowa Girls Coaches Association Hall of Fame (basketball coaches) in 1991.
Kloster's career basketball record was 532-247 in 33 years, with 12 of those coming at Hempstead. At Woodbine, his basketball teams were champions in 1968, third in 1969, and third in 1974.
His track teams at Woodbine were state indoor champs in 1975 and 1976, and outdoor champions in 1973, 1974 and 1975. He has coached 12 state individual champions, 8 state relay champions plus 5 Drake Relays champions in track. At Woodbine, Kloster coached Debbie Esser, who went on to run track at Iowa State, where she became the first woman in the history of the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, (AIAW), to collect four national titles in the same event (400-meter hurdles).
--Mike Marty guided the Mustangs to five state tournaments in volleyball (including the 1975 state championship), was a three-time Mississippi Valley Conference coach of the year, and finished with a career record of 380-70. He was inducted into the Iowa Girls' Coaches Association in 2006.
--Norm Anderson has coached boys track for 50 years, and has been the school's head track coach since the school opened in 1969.
Notable alumni/students
- LeRoy Cain, manager of Launch Integration at NASA's Kennedy Space Center
- Tom ChurchillTom ChurchillTom Churchill was a native of Dubuque, Iowa, where he started in radio as on-air weatherman at WDBQ-AM Radio at the age of 13 in August 1974....
, radio & TV meteorologist, inventor of digital weatherman; 1979 graduate - Kate MulgrewKate MulgrewKatherine Kiernan Maria "Kate" Mulgrew is an American actress, most noted for her roles on Star Trek: Voyager as Captain Kathryn Janeway and Ryan's Hope as Mary Ryan...
, actress best known for playing Captain Kathryn Janeway in TV series 'Star Trek: Voyager'; (attended Hempstead in 1970-71) - Sharon Nichols, archeologist on team that discovered Egyptian tomb in the Valley of the Kings in 2005
- Eric Powers, drummer for band Great WhiteGreat WhiteGreat White is an American hard rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1978. The band gained popularity during the 1980s and early 1990s. The band released several albums in the late 1980s and gained airplay on MTV with music videos for songs like "Once Bitten, Twice Shy"...
from 2001 to 2003; 1990 graduate - Kevin RhombergKevin RhombergKevin Jay Rhomberg is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball. He was selected by the Cleveland Indians of the American League in the 14th round of the 1977 amateur draft, and made his major league debut on June 9,...
, former Major League Baseball player - Mark SteinesMark SteinesMark Anthony Steines is an American broadcast journalist and host of the syndicated gossip and entertainment round-up program Entertainment Tonight since 2004. He joined the show on August 24, 1995.-Personal life:...
, current host of Entertainment Tonight; 1982 graduate - Cody Jochum- student 2008-2012
Renovation
In 2004, a renovation program began using proceeds from a one-cent sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
approved by Dubuque County voters in December 2002. The seven-phase program is projected to eventually cost $30 million, roughly five times the original cost of constructing the school in the 1960s.
2006 marked the beginning of a two-year complete remodeling of the main classroom wing and locker bay. While the renovations are greatly appreciated, some controversy has arisen during the construction. Hundreds of students were forced to move out of their lockers with twenty-four hours notice, only to be allowed back in a week later. Several classes are being held in the auditorium, and the stage has become departmental offices, forcing music and drama programs to perform off-campus. Finally, the renovation is stirring up Hempstead's long-standing insect problem, although new sections of the building are designed to be inhospitable to termites and cockroaches.
See also
- Dubuque Community School DistrictDubuque Community School DistrictThe Dubuque Community School District is a school district based in Dubuque, Iowa . The DCSD, which operates schools in eastern Dubuque County, is the seventh largest school district in Iowa...
- Dubuque, IowaDubuque, IowaDubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
- List of high schools in Iowa
External links
Dubuque Community School District
The Dubuque Community School District is a school district based in Dubuque, Iowa . The DCSD, which operates schools in eastern Dubuque County, is the seventh largest school district in Iowa...
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....