PONY TRIPLE THREAT

Dani Wagner always dreamed of being a Blue Pony. She always dreamed of being a star athlete and excelling for Havre High, and after a lifetime of hard work and dedication, it’s safe to say she has achieved what she wanted.

But, the fact that Wagner is a star athlete for the Ponies isn’t necessarily what makes her unique — the fact that she has done it in three different sports is what puts her among the top female athletes in the history of Havre High.

When looking at Wagner’s achievements, it’s easy to see that it’s a long and impressive list. The senior is one of just a few athletes to earn All-State honors in three sports: basketball, volleyball and softball. She has also played in the state tournament in each of those sports, reaching that level multiple times in both basketball and volleyball.

Wagner even played a key role on the Ponies’ 2014 state championship team in girls basketball. She was just a sophomore then, but that’s when Wagner really started coming into her own and when her legend was really born.

“It was kind of neat how she came up through the program,” HHS head girls basketball coach Dustin Kraske said. “I remember her getting her first varsity time at divisionals in the championship at CMR against Browning. She went out there and on her first play, she ran over a defender and got called for a charge. That was Dani Wagner’s introduction to varsity basketball. It was cool to see her as a freshman out there, playing as hard as she could.

“Then, as her sophomore season went along, she worked her way into the rotation,” he added. “And then she had a great divisional and state tournament for us and was a big contributor on a team that played well as a team and went on to win it in the end.”

It’s rare to have an athlete who can do it all, but in Wagner’s case she can, and in terms of a high school sports career, she pretty much has. Winning a state title in a sport like basketball, competing in state tournaments in other sports and earning top individual honors in all three takes Wagner to heights few athletes at Havre High have ever reached. And in terms of female athletes, the only other one who comes to mind is the legendary Loree Payne.

“It was always a goal of mine,” Wagner said of her achievements. “Being a Blue Pony has always meant a lot to me. That was always a dream of mine growing up and I worked my whole life to get where I’m at and I think that’s why it will mean so much to me when I look back on it.”

Wagner’s legendary career may have taken off when she was a sophomore, but her legacy as a Pony great has really been cemented over the past two years, not only on the basketball court, but in volleyball and softball as well.

This past season, Wagner helped resurrect a Havre volleyball team that hadn’t been to the state tournament in nearly a decade. But, with Wagner leading the way, the Ponies became a force once again in Class A. And when the Havre softball made it to the state tournament back in 2014, Wagner sent Havre to its first win at the Class A state tournament with a two-run, game-winning home run.

Those are just examples of what Wagner has done on the big stage. Last year, as the Ponies tried to defend their state championship, Wagner helped Havre power its way to a win over Hardin in the quarterfinals at the state tournament, scoring 22 points and grabbing eight rebounds.

As a junior on the hardwood, Wagner earned Class A All-State honors after averaging 12.4 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game. Yet, this season, her final one at Havre High has been substantially better.

For a good chunk of the season, Wagner led all of Class A girls basketball in scoring and even now, she is second in the state with an average of 18 points per game as the Ponies head to the Eastern A Super Divisional in search of a fifth consecutive trip to the state tournament.

“She has continued to progress,” Kraske said. “And now she has really come into her own. She is a handful to guard, she is really athletic and she’s just the kind of kid that you can count on to make plays when you needed someone to.”

There is no question, that after a lifetime of practice and devotion to sports, Wagner has come into her own and she has done so because of two qualities she possesses: An insane work ethic and a competitive streak that only a Wagner could understand.

To know exactly what that means, you need to know a little about Wagner’s upbringing. She is the youngest of five children born to Dan and Mary Wagner and for as she long as she can remember, her family has been one of athletes.

Her sisters, Lisa and Julie played golf, basketball and volleyball for the Ponies, while her brothers Gary and Billy were three-sport athletes at Havre High. Of course, Gary Wagner may be the most well-known Wagner athlete, as he quarterbacked the Ponies to a state championship in 2004 and later Carroll College to an NAIA national championship, but with her credentials, the youngest Wagner is starting to catch up.

"It's been a lot of pressure to live up to that," Wagner said. "And sometimes I feel like I am never going to be good enough, but my family has made me the person that I am today. They have pushed me to get better and helped me get better, so I wouldn't be where I am at without them."

Yet, she did quip, when asked where she ranks in the Wagner hierarchy that, "I think I'm right up there."

At this stage of her career, she is definitely getting up there, but she is far from finished, and with the chance to get back to the Class A state tournament again, the chance to add even more to her legacy is right in front of her. That quest starts tonight against Laurel in the quarterfinals of the Eastern A.

Wagner, who will continue her basketball career at Carroll next year and beyond, will have more chances to prove her greatness while she is a Pony, and at the end of the day, no one should be surprised if ultimately, she does something this weekend at the Eastern A or in two weeks at the state tournament, that will only cement her status further in the history of Havre sports.

"It means everything to me," Wagner said of getting back to state. "With it being my senior year, that is the number one goal. If we can do that and get to state, anything can happen, but that's my focus right now is getting back to state."

For someone like Wagner, the big stage isn't just something to fear, it's a place to shine, and regardless of what happens this weekend or in softball or beyond, there is no doubt that during her time as a Pony, she has always been at her best when the lights shined brightest.

And that more than anything, more than all the achievements and the accolades, will be how Wagner will be remembered by all who had the pleasure of watching her don the royal blue at Havre High.