Hauge Looking Forward To Strong Season With Blue Hawks
Culbertson’s Makena Hauge hopes to end her collegiate basketball career with a bang as she enters her senior season for Dickinson State University in North Dakota.
Hauge is coming o_ her most successful season in the college ranks. The 5-10 guard was one of the first players o_ the bench for the Blue Hawks.
“My role was going in and playing good defense, getting rebounds and passing to my teammates,” Hauge said. “And score when I needed to.”
The daughter of DJ and Val Hauge ranked eighth on the team for minutes played. Makena averaged 4.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.
“I was happy with my improvement,” Hauge said.
She finished her high school career in Culbertson with more than 1,000 points scored and earned All-State honors in multiple years. She explained she has changed quite a bit since those seasons.
“I’ve gotten a lot more physical and quicker with my moves,” she said. “I’m still a good shooter, but I’m better down low now.”
During this summer, she is preparing for next season by shooting in the gym, performing basketball drills and hitting the weight room.
The Blue Devils are excited about Keithan Gregg as the program’s new head coach. Gregg as previously served as associate head coach at Idaho State University. He was also with the Portland State women’s basketball program for 10 years including four years as associate head coach.
Teammates for Hauge include Wolf Point’s J’Elle Garfi eld and Bainville’s Elsie Wilaon.
Hauge said it’s nice to have friends from eastern Montana at the school both on the team and throughout the campus.
Also nice is that her parents along with other relatives come to cheer her on at every home contest.
“It helps a lot,” Hauge said of the support from her parents. “They are my biggest supporters.”
The senior will graduate next May with a degree in exercise science. Her plans are to become a personal strength coach or a nutritionist.
But first, she wants to have a great senior season on the basketball floor. “I just want to win more games. I want to end my career on a high note.”
