A familiar face is back at Hillcrest Union in Kalona. Former Iowa Mennonite School and Hillcrest Academy multi-sport star Yani Gutierrez, Class of 2021, has joined the Raven girls basketball team this season as an assistant coach. She spoke with KCII Sports recently about joining the staff, what she learned from her coaches at Hillcrest and her interest in coaching. “I had thought about coaching when I was in high school. Mitchell (Drey) approached me over the summer about maybe me wanting to be an assistant coach with him. Help him out during basketball season. (Kari Huesinkveld), my coach, was great at explaining things. She just knew everything. I really want the girls this year to push to win games. I want to help develop them as players, athletes and people. I’m excited to see their reactions after good games, and for me as the head JV coach.”

Gutierrez was part of an Iowa Mennonite girls basketball team that made an improbable run her freshman season to the Class 1A regional semifinals. She was a multi-time all-Superconference performer in volleyball, basketball and academically. She ended her hoops career at Hillcrest with 486 points, 418 rebounds, 83 assists and 83 made three pointers in her three varsity seasons under head coach Kari Huesinkveld. Gutierrez joins Mitchell Drey, who is in his second year as girls head basketball coach at Hillcrest Academy.