Former Western Equestrian team member Kayla Hanson returned to the University of Minnesota Crookston prior to the 2013-14 season to serve as assistant women's equestrian coach. Hanson was elevated to head coach for the Minnesota Crookston Equestrian program in 2015, after serving as the assistant coach for two seasons.
In five seasons as head coach for the Golden Eagles, she has helped lead the Golden Eagles to success at the IHSA and NCEA levels.Â
In her first season as head coach in 2015-16, Krueger led the Golden Eagle hunt seat team to High Point Team honors at their home show, the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, and at the University of Minnesota. In addition, Hanson aided Minnesota Crookston to two Reserve High Point Team titles. She helped Selena Young, Monika Frame, and Megan Motter advance to the IHSA Zone Championships. Hanson helped the Golden Eagle hunt seat team to a fourth-place finish at IHSA Zones. Young moved on to the IHSA National Championships in Lexington, Ky., where she placed fifth in Individual Novice Equitation over Fences, and sixth in Individual Novice Equitation on the Flat. Hanson also helped Young earn High Point Rider honors at Wisconsin-River Falls. In Western, Hanson helped Minnesota Crookston to High Point and Reserve High Point accolades at North Dakota State University. The Golden Eagles claimed High Point honors in a pair of home shows, while they were Reserve High Point Team at the University of Minnesota. Hanson aided Amanda Guimont to Reserve High Point honors at a pair of shows at the U of M. At the conclusion of the season, she helped Minnesota Crookston to a Reserve Regional Team Championship. In addition, she coached Guimont to a IHSA Semifinal appearance.
In her second season at the helm in 2016-17, Hanson coached the western squad to Reserve High Point Rider accolades in a home show. In addition, she led the team to a tie to Reserve High Point Team at a show at NDSU. At the end of the season, she helped Minnesota Crookston to a strong regular-season finale with High Point Team honors at their home show. In addition, she coached Cathy Ackroyd and Madeline Drayna to the IHSA Semifinals. As coach of the hunt seat team, Hanson led Minnesota Crookston to Reserve High Point and High Point Team honors at Wisconsin-River Falls. Hanson led Minnesota Crookston to a a pair of Reserve High Point Team accolades at Wisconsin-River Falls later in the fall. The Golden Eagles claimed High Point Team honors during a show at the U of M. They were Reserve High Point Team in a pair of home shows in February. They ended the season as the Reserve High Pont Team in the region. Mazie Pini, Young, and Emma Howey all advanced to IHSA Zones, with Pini moving on to the IHSA National Championships in Lexington, Ky., where she placed 11th on her fences course.
The Golden Eagles continued to find success in Hanson's third season leading the charge in 2017-18. Minnesota Crookston claimed Reserve High Point Team honors in hunt seat at a pair of home shows to open the slate. The Golden Eagles went on to pick up two more Reserve High Point Team accolades at Wisconsin-River Falls. In a pair of shows at Wisconsin-River Falls, Minnesota Crookston took High Point Team honors, while Megan Motter claimed High Point Rider accolades. The hunt seat team opened the 2018 portion of their schedule by claiming High Point Team at the U of M. The Golden Eagle hunt seat squad finished the 2017-18 season as Reserve High Point Team. Hanson helped coach Young, Motter, and Amanda Olson to IHSA Zone appearances. In addition, the Golden Eagles competed for the first time in western and hunt seat disciplines at the NCEA National Championships, where they took on some of the best equestrian teams nationally for the first time in program history. In western equestrian, the Golden Eagles took home High Point Team accolades at the U of M. At NDSU, Katelynn Robertson claimed High Point Rider honors for the western squad. Minnesota Crookston was named Reserve High Point Team at Wisconsin-River Falls. Hanson helped coach Katie Warner to an appearance at IHSA Semifinals.Â
During the 2018-19 slate, Hanson aided the western squad to Hight Point Team honors at a home show. In addition, the Golden Eagles claimed High Point Team accolades in two shows at NDSU, while Whitney Fenna claimed a pair of High Point Rider showings. The Golden Eagle western team claimed High Point and Reserve High Point Team at shows hosted by Wisconsin-River Falls. The Minnesota Crookston western team ended the season as the Regional Reserve Champion, while Beatrice Streifel advanced to the IHSA Semifinals. For hunt seat, at Wisconsin-River Falls, the Golden Eagles claimed Reserve High Point Team, while Kayley Melton took home High Point Rider honors, and Kristina Schroeder claimed Reserve High Point rider. Minnesota Crookston claimed High Point Team honors in a pair of home shows, while Melton continued a strong season by being named Individual Reserve Champion, with Morgan Schelske being named Individual High Point rider. The Golden Eagles completed one of their most successful seasons for hunt seat, as they were named Regional Champions and the conclusion of the season with Pini, Young, Melton, Buttolph, and Eichhorn moving on to the IHSA Zone Championships. Young advanced to the IHSA National Championships for the second time in her career, finishing eighth in Individual Open Flat.Â
The Golden Eagles continued to build on their success under Hanson for the 2019-20 season. Minnesota Crookston started out the season with a pair of Reserve High Point Team showings at Wisconsin-River Falls for the hunt seat squad. The Golden Eagles claimed two more Reserve High Point Team honors at Wisconsin-River Falls later in the fall. The Golden Eagles ended the fall portion of their schedule as they won a pair of High Point Team honors at the U of M, to go into the break leading the region. Minnesota Crookston ended the regular-season on a great note and then claimed the IHSA Regional Championship for the second-straight season under Hanson. Minnesota Crookston advanced Rachel Johnson, Melton, Taylor Barlage, Morgan Schelske, Schroeder, and Anna Woidyla to the IHSA Zones. They were also set to compete as a team prior to the shortening of the season due to Covid-19. In western, Minnesota Crookston opened the season by claiming a High Point Team honor and a Reserve High Point Team accolade at a home show, leading the region to open the season. At NDSU, the Golden Eagles continued their strong start by taking home High Point Team and Reserve High Point Team honors once again. The Golden Eagles ended the season by sending Drayna, Alyssa Evavold, Rae Ann Michel, and Savanna Weber on to IHSA Semifinals. The four were unable to compete due to Covid-19.Â
Hanson was an accomplished rider for the western team during her three years (2009-12) with the Golden Eagles. She advanced to the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Western Semifinals in Findlay, Ohio as a junior where she placed sixth in the Advanced Horsemanship division. Hanson helped the Golden Eagles take fifth place overall as a team at the IHSA Western Semifinals in 2011. In 2020, (Krueger) Hanson was named to the Minnesota Crookston Equestrian All-Decade Team for the 2010's.
Hanson has worked with horses in different capacities. During the summer of 2011 she worked at Briggs Show Horses in Pilot Point, Texas. At Minnesota Crookston, Hanson worked as a stable hand for the equine facility. She also worked as a horse riding instructor for five years at Camp Birchwood in Laporte, Minn. and worked as a stable hand at Rocky Meadow Farm for seven years in Guthrie, Minn. This past year she has been working as a trainer in Montana.
Hanson, originally from Walker, Minn., graduated in the spring of 2012 with a bachelor of science in equine science with an emphasis in agricultural business. Hanson's maiden name is Krueger. She married Eric Hanson in 2019.
