Just me and a multi-millionaire in my compact rental car. His horse had once pulled off a Triple Crown upset. Wish I had asked him more. After last week’s introduction to this column, I did not expect to begin a nearly seven-decade remembrance of spectating with a sport about which I know little and with which I have little experience – horse racing. I have enjoyed a few days … [Read more...]
I am older than the 3-point basket, the 2-point conversion
Decades of sports, mostly spectating Lonnie Morken, Hall of Fame volleyball coach at Mabel-Can¬ton, once suggested I should write about all of this. I dis¬missed any c o n s i d e r ¬ation of add¬ing anything to an already c r o w d e d sports writ¬ing sched¬ule. But now - with high school sports interrupted by a pandemic - there is time to challenge my sports memory. If this … [Read more...]
Cross – Lake City Triangular
Lake City Triangular (Chatfield’s girls (27) beat Lake City (29) while D-E was incomplete. Tessa McMahon (13:23), Abbi Gillespie (13:24), and Belle Carr (13:46) finished three-four-five. Lake City’s Jacey Majerus (13:10) took first, D-E’s Malia Nelson (13:17) second at a 3,200-kilometer race. The Gophers boys took second (43) to Lake City (20) with D-E third (66). Tigers Joe … [Read more...]
2020 Caledonia/ Spring Grove/ Houston Soccer Preview
Soccer girls bring back the attack The Caledonia/Spring Grove/Houston soccer girls bring back seven starters among 14 letter winners. Both all-conference performers graduated, but senior forward Gabby Roble received honorable mention during the Warriors’ 3-14 campaign last autumn - the most wins in the last four seasons. Chris Jandt is back for his sixth season as head coach … [Read more...]
2020 Cross Country Preview
Lewiston-Altura/Rushford-Peterson: Last year’s headlining C-C team came from the L-A/R-P share. Matt Kingsbury’s guys took the next, big step. After taking fourth at the Section 1A Meet in 2018, LARP finished second to Lake City in 2019 and earned a trip to Northfield and the state meet. There, they finished 15th of 16. Team black and red also took second at the TRC meet for a … [Read more...]
COVID’s Impact Alters 2020 Fall Sports Season
It will be a unique fall sports season. With the Minnesota State High School league coming to the decision to move near-contact sports football and volleyball to the spring (due to COVID-19), cross country and soccer will be the only fall sports (pertaining to local schools) left to go on. It makes what would’ve been a very busy fall sports season, a skeleton of its former … [Read more...]
MSHSL Board of Directors approve some fall activities, move others
The Minnesota State High School League’s Board of Directors, at its meeting on August 4, approved moving forward as scheduled with four fall activities: girls tennis, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls soccer and girls swimming and diving beginning on August 17 with limitations. The Board of Directors also approved moving football and volleyball to a modified spring … [Read more...]
Grinde is Lion Most Valuable Player; Hagen, Holland also voted honors
Junior Caden Grinde was voted Most Valuable Player by his 2020 Spring Grove basketball teammates and also received the Hustle Award, determined by statistics. Senior Kyle Hagen was voted the Lion Award while freshman Hunter Holland was the team’s choice for Most Improved. Awards were finally announced online in June after the pandemic forced cancellation of the annual potluck … [Read more...]
High School Sports Year in Review 2019-2020
This past high school sports season, and high school year itself, will always be remembered for its ending. The corona virus terminated the state girls basketball play-offs prematurely, ended boys basketball state before it even transpired, and suspended and then cancelled spring sports. The school year followed, at least in the classroom learning. Graduations, proms, and … [Read more...]
A Decade’s Worth of Sports Part X
The All-Decade Top 18 for cross country. Due to time constraints, coaches weren’t contacted for comment. Rankings are based off team and individual conference, sectional, and state performances (places and times). Said rankings are subject to debate! Any time comparisons and ‘bests’ refer to TRC, Section 1A, and State meets collectively only. They are denoted by (*). … [Read more...]