Hayfield grads continue basketball careers in college

Four recent graduates of Hayfield High School are a part of their basketball programs at the colleges they are attending.
2021 graduate Ethan Slaathaug is a senior forward at Dakota State University in Madison, SD. The Trojans are an NAIA school that plays in the North Star Athletic Association Conference. DSU has started the season 2-1 and Slaathaug is averaging 6.0 points per game, 3.3 rebounds per game, 1.7 assists per game, and shooting 58.3%. Last season, he was a starter and averaged 10.3 points per game before suffering a season-ending knee injury in the eighth game of the season. After undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL, Slaathaug rehabbed hard and was cleared to play this season three months earlier than the original diagnosis. Dakota State finished last season with a 17-13 record, including 6-6 in the NSAA Conference. Slaathaug graduated last Spring from DSU with a Business Finance major and is completing classes currently to add a Business Technology major as well. In high school, Slaathaug finished with 1816 career points, ranking third in school history for boys. He was a starter and leading scorer on the Vikings class A state championship team in 2021. Ethan is the son of Gregg and Tina Slaathaug.
2023 graduate Isaac Matti is a sophomore guard at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN. The Gusties are an NCAA Division III school that competes in the Midwest Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Gusties have had a couple scrimmages against Sioux Falls College and Concordia-St. Paul already and officially open their season Nov. 9-10 in Eau Claire, WI against UW-La Crosse and UW-Eau Claire. Last season the Gusties finished 18-11 overall, 14-6 in the MIAC. They won the MIAC Conference Tournament to qualify for the NCAA Division III National Tournament where they lost to Loras in the first round. As a freshman, Matti played in 14 total games and scored nine points. He also played on the JV team last season, getting a lot of playing time and gaining valuable experience. He is expected to see increased minutes this season for the Gusties. In high school, Matti finished his career with 2170 points, ranking second in school history for boys. He was a starter on back-to-back state class A championship teams in 2021 and 2022. Isaac is the son of Mike and Leah Matti.
2024 graduate Natalie Beaver is a freshman forward at Luther College in Decorah, IA. The Norse are an NCAA Division III school that competes in the American Rivers Conference and are projected to finish 5th this season. They finished last season with a record of 11-15 overall, 6-10 in the ARC. Luther opens their season on Nov. 13th at home against Crown College. Beaver finished her high school career 2048 points, ranking second in school history for girls. She was a part of two state tournament teams in 2022 and 2023. Natalie is the daughter of Bryan and Christina Beaver.
2023 graduate Ethan Pack is in his first season at the University of Minnesota as a manager on the men’s basketball team. He played football at Gustavus as a freshman last year and transferred to Minnesota at the start of the school year. As a manager, Pack attends all practices and home games and some road games and assists the program in various ways. The managers also play games against other team’s managers throughout the season. Last season, the Gopher managers were ranked first in the country at one time. They are 1-0 this season with a win over UW-Milwaukee. In high school, Pack finished his career with 1263 points, ranking fifth in school history for boys. Ethan is the son of Chris and Linda Pack.