Food Systems Class Update
Food Systems students explored the parts of the beef industry, nutritional information and various ways of raising and producing beef in the United States. They then conducted observations, cooking techniques and assessed flavor profiles of grass finished and conventionally raised beef. Learning about where food comes from, how it is produced and the impacts and benefits of various production methods is the core of our learning and exploring in this course! We are getting ready to travel to farms and a food production facility in the spring, as well as a field trip to the University of Minnesota College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Badminton - Hay Blu Day
My name is Hay Blu and I am a graduate of Harding High School. As a student I played badminton all four years and have helped coach for the badminton program for two years. This will be my third year with the program and my first year as head coach. I am honored and grateful to be part of a program with such dedicated, passionate, and ambitious young ladies. I look forward to each one of their growth in badminton and in life as well.
Boys’ Tennis - Tou Ger Xiong
I have been coaching for 8 years as of now. I started my coaching career back in 2017 as a youth tennis coach through Saint Paul Urban Tennis. I came back to Harding and helped coached the boys and girls tennis team as an assistant back in 2021. I took over as head coach for the boys tennis program in 2023. I am a 2018 Harding Alumni and have been playing tennis for over a decade now. I am looking forward to having a great season and building life-long connections with players. I want to help mentor them as they prepare for their future, both as a player and student.
Girls’ Basketball - David Iverson
I started coaching elementary basketball at 15 years old while in high school. Since then, I have coached youth basketball in multiple formats such as tournament leagues, and AAU. I coached the boys JV at the high school I graduated from in Bigfork, Minnesota for 5 years. Just before coaching the Harding Lady Knight's, I was the head boys' basketball coach in Deer River for 4 years. In my second year in Deer River, we went to state for the first time in school history. I am a Regional Prevention Coordinator for alcohol, tobacco (commercial), and Other Drugs, who serves state Positive Community Norms BIPOC Grantees in the metro and southeast regions of Minnesota. I enjoy assisting communities in their Prevention efforts. My office is with the Association for Nonsmokers-MN in St. Paul.To me, basketball has always been about bringing people together. I look forward to using basketball to bring joy to the East Side and Harding community.
Girls’ Golf - Emily Yang
Hi! My name is Emily Yang and I am the Harding girls' golf coach. This is my 20th year teaching social studies at Harding and this will be my second year coaching golf. I have golfed recreationally my entire life-all four of my grandparents played regularly and now I love to be able to play with my kids AND my parents! My husband and I have two boys who are involved in lots of activities so that definitely keeps us busy; their current favorites are flag football, wrestling, nordic skiing and tennis. I am primarily a nordic skier, but have loved playing more golf recently. I am a huge proponent of lifetime sports! I have really enjoyed the time I have been able to spend with the Harding golfers. I look forward to helping our returning players continue to improve their game while introducing golf to new players!
Boys’ Volleyball - Insai Vangsoua and Annabelle Vangsoua
My passion for volleyball originated from participating in club volleyball in France during my youth. My coaching career began in the Fall of 2016, marking this season as my ninth year of coaching volleyball. I bring a diverse range of coaching experiences, including coaching both girls' and boys' club teams, coaching during summer and fall leagues, and competing at prestigious events such as the USAV Girls Junior National Championship, ASICS Girls National Volleyball Championship, AAU Boys National Championship, and most recently, the MN High School Boys Volleyball State Tournament.
As the head coach of the Harding Boys Volleyball program, I am dedicated to fostering the personal, academic, and athletic growth of all student-athletes. This is achieved through rigorous and advanced volleyball training, refining their developmental and fundamental skills, and enhancing their overall performance levels.
My name is Annabelle and I have coached Volleyball for 5 years. Before coaching for Harding High School, I coached girls club volleyball Summer and Fall league for Hype Volleyball, I have been at Harding the last three years. During the three years of high school boys volleyball season, I also coached 18u boys club volleyball for Kokoro and 17u girls club volleyball for Kokoro. I have played volleyball for 8 years and played collegiate volleyball for an year, I played as a defensive specialist and libero. I enjoy hanging out with my family and I am currently pursuing a degree in exercise science to hopefully become an occupational therapist. I look forward to working with a wide range of athletes who are very determined and motivated to further their skills, I am also looking forward to seeing athletes growth throughout the season.
Softball - Matthew Grill - New Co-Head Coach
I have been coaching at Harding since 2008, spending 16 years as a Varsity assistant Baseball coach. During that time I have also been a science teacher at Harding, teaching physical science, 10th grade biology, EL biology, Sped biology and now IB Biology.
I am married, with 2 puppies, a bearded dragon, 4 axolotls, and dozens of fish. I graduated from Harding in 2003 and have not taught or coached anywhere else.
I am very excited to coach softball this year, we are a senior heavy team and have a team GPA of about 3.8. I have loved my one year with the softball team, I have been able to bring a new approach to mechanics and been able to focus on mental approach on and off the field.
Baseball - Tanner Wright
This will be my 7th year coaching baseball at Harding, and my first year as the varsity head coach. I spent five years as the JV coach, and last year, I was the assistant varsity coach. I graduated from Harding in 2011. Additionally, I have taught in SPPS for the past 4 years (6 total years) including a single year at Harding. I'm currently teaching English at E-STEM. In my free time, I like to stay active with baseball, golf, or chasing around my 2 dogs and 2-year-old. My wife and I are expecting our second child in July! I'm looking forward to continuing to serve and to connect with my hometown community of the East Side. Additionally, I'm excited to continue growing the game at Harding and to see the growth and development of the great student-athletes that we have at Harding.
Football - Tim Daniels Jr.
Hello, I am Tim Daniels Jr and I have held a variety of coaching positions. I have coached basketball and football as the 9th grade head coach and assistant varsity coach. I have also helped facilitate strength and conditioning camps for 10 years. I am a father to three children and have been married for 16 years. I enjoy spending time with my familty and playing any sports and fishing. I graduated in 2004 from North St. Paul High school where I played football basketball and track. In my role as the Varsity Head Football Coach I am looking forward to rebuilding the football community as our student-athletes succeed in life, on and off the football field. I will help foster an environment that will focus on building a foundation of gold standard character and reaching attainable goals, while striving for greatness!