歪歪漫画

Few athletes are as simultaneously beloved and feared as Mia Hoffmann.

She walks the halls at Bemidji High 歪歪漫画 with a smile on her face, boasting a kind-hearted personality and exuberant leadership for teammates in cross country, Nordic skiing and track and field. She leads workouts during practice, not just to benefit herself but also to make those around her better. In all facets, Hoffmann is a cherished companion.

鈥淪he has what every coach wants in an athlete,鈥� said BHS Nordic skiing head coach Mark Walters. 鈥淵ou appreciate the athleticism and the dedication, but she鈥檚 humble about it. Her sportsmanship is stellar. She has a way of communicating with her teammates and fellow competitors that鈥檚 appreciated. But once she puts her foot on the line, it鈥檚 all business.鈥�

Hoffmann has become one of the most decorated BHS athletes ever. She鈥檚 a four-time qualifier for the state cross country meet, including a second-place finish on Nov. 4 鈥� the best in school history. She鈥檚 a three-time state-qualified track and field athlete and has advanced to state twice in Nordic skiing.

鈥淲e鈥檝e had a number of really good athletes come through BHS in a number of different sports,鈥� said Ryan Aylesworth, Hoffmann鈥檚 coach in cross country and track. 鈥淪he鈥檚 one of the most competitive and driven athletes I鈥檝e ever coached.鈥�

Annalise Braught / Bemidji Pioneer

Hoffmann is a four-time section champion and a four-time runner-up in individual and team competitions across her three sports. And now, she鈥檚 the first current BHS athlete to be named Pioneer Sportsperson of the Year.

The annual award, first introduced in 2020, is meant to annually recognize a sports figure who significantly went above and beyond within the Bemidji community鈥檚 sports scene.

Hoffmann鈥檚 resume stands out. But under the surface of her first-place finishes and her shelves full of accolades, there鈥檚 a science to her success that鈥檚 rooted in her unmatched level of intensity.

鈥淢y mentality is to go all out,鈥� Hoffmann said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been given this gift, and I鈥檓 not going to waste it. Why would I settle for giving anything less than my best? You can be the most gifted person in the world, but if you don鈥檛 have that determination and the drive, a person with more drive than you will beat you every time.鈥�

Hoffmann鈥檚 distance pursuit started in 2017-18 as a sixth grader. Running gave her a rewarding feeling early on, so she gave middle school cross country and track a shot.

Two years later, Hoffmann joined the Nordic skiing team. It didn鈥檛 take long for her to make a name for herself.

鈥淚 had a breakthrough race at sections,鈥� she said of her freshman cross country season. 鈥淚 realized it was something I could pursue. After that, I realized that if I took it seriously and kept pushing myself I would do pretty well.鈥�

Hoffmann qualified for state for the first time in 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic quashed any chance of there being an official Minnesota State High 歪歪漫画 League state competition. But getting a small taste of what she knew she could become was all she needed to ramp up her training efforts.

Contributed

鈥淕oing into my freshman year, I didn鈥檛 know where I was going to be (in the lineup),鈥� Hoffmann recalled. 鈥淭o qualify for state on our home course, that鈥檚 what pushed me to keep going. I saw the hard work I was doing pay off. It made me want to work harder. It made me want to be the best I could be.鈥�

Hoffmann鈥檚 bubbly personality gained an edge after she tasted success, which led her to turn seasonal training regimens into year-round routines.

鈥淭here is no downtime,鈥� Hoffmann said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a never-ending cycle. There are days when it鈥檚 hard to get out of bed and go for a run or go out in the cold and ski. But those are the days you get better and that鈥檚 what motivates me. When I don鈥檛 want to train, I think about what my competitors are doing. I think about what they鈥檙e doing to be faster than me and that makes me want to be faster than them.鈥�

As she gradually shed seconds, and even minutes, off of her times, Hoffmann鈥檚 competitiveness grew.

鈥淓ven if my coach tries to have me run at a tempo during a race, I struggle to run at that tempo,鈥� Hoffmann continued. 鈥淚 just want to race, and I want to win. Sometimes, I have to reel myself in, even in practice, to not be as competitive because I want to win. I want to be the best.鈥�

Hoffmann鈥檚 efforts have afforded her opportunities most athletes never get. On Nov. 13, she inked her commitment to run cross country and track at North Dakota State.

She didn鈥檛 know running collegiately was an option for her until her junior season. Hoffmann said she was initially surprised when coaches reached out to gauge her interest in running for their program after high school.

Jared Rubado / Bemidji Pioneer

By the time Hoffmann entered her senior cross country season, she was already revered as one of the state鈥檚 best distance runners, and she proved it. Her runner-up finish at state was the best of any BHS runner in program history. But for Hoffmann, it was a moment that validated what she already knew she could achieve.

鈥淭o me, anything I accomplish doesn鈥檛 feel as significant as others might see it,鈥� Hoffmann continued. 鈥淚 see it as me finishing all of the work I put in. I see it as something I already knew I could accomplish because I put in that work day in and day out. Other people just see the result, so the reaction is more drastic to them.鈥�

She added that sometimes it鈥檚 difficult for her to put her accomplishments into that perspective.

鈥淪omeday, I鈥檒l look back and be amazed at all of the things I was able to accomplish, and I鈥檓 excited for that,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut I鈥檓 not done yet.鈥�

Hoffmann鈥檚 eye-opening level of competitiveness doesn鈥檛 consume her because she won鈥檛 allow it. At the center of every workout is an immense appreciation for her ability to compete, aided by the people who support her.

鈥淢y family has brought me to practices for as long as I can remember,鈥� Hoffmann said. 鈥淭hey always do it with a smile. They spend countless hours driving to meets in St. Michael or other places that are really far away. They鈥檙e always excited to see me run or ski, and I鈥檓 so thankful they support me because this isn鈥檛 possible without them.鈥�

As she鈥檚 gotten older, Hoffmann has had to develop into more than just an elite runner. She said she had pulled leadership traits from those who graduated before her, specifically Mary Beth Mathews, Regan DeWitt and Lauren Berg.

鈥淏eing a leader is about including everyone and making time for them,鈥� Hoffmann said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about listening to what they need and putting aside what I need. I鈥檝e had a lot of great leaders to look up to when I was younger, and I want to be a positive leader for my teams now.鈥�

Annalise Braught / Bemidji Pioneer

Hoffmann still has one more Nordic and track season, which means she has more record-breaking races in her sights before she hears her name called at graduation.

After she鈥檚 done running for the Bison, Hoffmann hopes to run a marathon and compete in a triathlon. When the time comes, she鈥檚 going to run those races like she runs her current ones: like they鈥檙e her last.

鈥淭here are races where the mental thoughts creep in and I slow down,鈥� Hoffmann said. 鈥淭hen, when the race is over, I beat myself up for not giving it my all. But then I think, 鈥榃hat if something were to happen to me and I couldn鈥檛 race tomorrow?鈥� I want to give it my all every race because nothing is guaranteed.鈥�

Hoffmann doesn鈥檛 want to be remembered as the perennial state meet competitor and one of the most decorated BHS athletes ever. She doesn鈥檛 want to be known as the girl with the record-breaking times with the box full of medals.

Instead, Hoffmann wants her legacy to mean more than standing on any podium ever could.

鈥淚 want to be remembered as someone who was kind and helpful,鈥� Hoffmann said. 鈥淚 want to be remembered as a good teammate. Records come and go. At the end of the day, people are going to remember how you treated them and the impact that you left on them.鈥�

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Pioneer Sportsperson of the Year winners

2023: Mia Hoffmann, Bemidji distance athlete

2022: Taryn Frazer, Cass Lake-Bena girls basketball player

2021: Chelsea (DeVille) Stoltenberg, BSU women's basketball head coach

2020: Troy Hendricks, BHS activities director