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Katie Hildebrandt selected as the 2021 female recipient of the Pat Richter Award for most outstanding three-sport athlete

07/22/2021, 11:00am CDT
By Norbert Durst

Katie Hildebrandt of McFarland has been selected as the 2020-21 female recipient of the Pat Richter Award from WisSports.net as the Triple Threat Athlete of the Year.

The Triple Threat Athlete of the Week is an honor given on WisSports.net to the top senior boys and girls three-sport athletes in the state. At the end of the school year, those awarded with the weekly honor are eligible for the Pat Richter Award, which will go out to the top boys and girls three-sport athlete of the season.

Hugh V. "Pat" Richter is one of Wisconsin's most storied student-athletes in state history. He was a three-sport athlete at Madison East High School, competing in football, basketball, and baseball. He went on to fame at the University of Wisconsin, earning nine varsity letters in three sports, and would later become the Athletic Director at Wisconsin.

Hildebrandt, who stands 6-foot-2, competed in volleyball, basketball, and soccer at McFarland. As a senior, she helped lead her volleyball and soccer team to the state tournament, and the basketball team to a sectional final appearance. 

In volleyball, Hildebrandt helped the Spartans to a Division 1 state semifinal appearance in the alternate season, falling to eventual state champion Appleton North.

Hildebrandt earned honorable mention WVCA All-State as a junior for the Spartans when she helped lead them to a Division 2 state runner-up finish. 

In basketball, she helped lead the Spartans to a Division 2 sectional final appearance, falling to eventual state runner-up Reedsburg.

Hildebrandt, a versatile forward, earned honorable mention WBCA All-State, averaging 13.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and 2.6 blocks per game for the 9-5 Spartans, which had a delayed start to their season due to COVID-19 regulations in Dane County. She scored over 1,000 points in her career. 

In soccer, she was the Spartans' goalkeeper and helped lead them to an undefeated season and the 2021 Division 3 state championship, the program's first state title. Hildebrandt allowed just one goal and had seven saves at the state tournament. 

She was named honorable mention all-state by the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association as a sophomore. The 2021 all-state team has not yet been announced. 

When Hildebrandt was featured on WSN in September, she said that her favorite part about playing three sports was the variety she gets throughout the year. 

"They are all so different from each other, yet similar at the same time which makes me love them all," Hildebrandt told WSN. 

Hildebrandt is signed to play NCAA Division I basketball at North Dakota State University. 

To view our initial profile of Hildebrandt as part of our Triple Threat Athlete of the Week series, please click here.

Past winners of the award include Lexi Donarski of Aquinas (2019-20), Tara Stauffacher of Beaver Dam (2018-19), Caitlin Link of Madison Edgewood (2017-18), Lexi Smith of Northland Pines (2016-17), Grace Mueller of Verona (2015-16), Megan Gustafson of South Shore (2014-15), Kennedy Blahnik of Algoma (2013-14), Jenna Orr of Rice Lake (2012-13), Kailee Kamps of Belmont (2011-12), Kendall Wienkes of Highland (2010-11), and Andie Varsho of Marshfield (2009-10). 

Tag(s): Triple Threat AOTW  News Archive  GBB News  News  News  Norbert Durst