Community Mourns the Loss of Ulen Athlete Alivia Mortenson

Alivia Mortenson was killed in a rollover in northwestern Minnesota last weekend

HAWLEY, Minn. — Alivia Mortenson may have only been seventeen, but that was old enough to have touched the lives of those who knew her.

“Alivia was just an outstanding person, I mean, she really was,” Norman County East Ulen-Hitterdal softball coach Steve Radnecki said.

After her untimely death, the communities of Ulen, Hitterdahl and Twin Valley are left reeling.

“People were just in total disbelief. I mean to see a young lady like that, just finished her junior year in high school, had her whole life to look forward to, it is devastating,” says Radnecki.

A three-sport athlete from NCEUH, it is easy to remember Mortenson for her abilities on the court or the field, but her presence will be missed most not because of her highlight reel, but because of the generous person she was.

“I’d watch her around the other kids, little kids just adored her,” Radnecki recalls.”She was just so kind to them and they looked up to her and seems like she always had the time for them.”

“Her teammates looked up to her. If one of her teammates stumbled, she was the first one to pat them on the back and say ‘Hey, don’t worry about it.'”

Mortenson was also the kind of person that was always ready to lend a hand.

“I think what they’ll remember is not only a really good athlete, but they’ll remember a really good person too,” adds Radnecki. “Somebody who was always there for them with a kind word and willing to help them. I use to ask Liv in practice, ‘Hey would you work with this girl for a little bit and help her with her swing or help her with something, and show her how to play this spot?’ and she was always willing to do that.”

Losing someone like that at such a young age is unimaginable for any community, but there may just be a silver lining amidst the tragedy.

“I think Alivia lived the kind of life that I think people can see and say she lived life the way it’s suppose to be and she treated people the way you are suppose to and I think that will serve as a fine example for our young people,” Radnecki said.