Part three of a series Owen Hagen said when he started kindergarten in Spring Grove in the 1930s, he could not speak English, only Norwegian. “It was kind of hard for me,” he recalled. “Kids would laugh at me but that changed in a hurry,” he added without explanation. For Tinka Bergrud Rud (1915-2004), speaking Norwegian at school in the early 1920s was not a problem with … [Read more...]
Late Lion Surge Buries LeRoy-Ostrander Girls
Emerson Ingvalson poured in a career-high 26 points as the Spring Grove girls remained undefeated in conference play with a 70-51 home win over a young, but pesky crew of Cardinals from LeRoy-Ostrander on Dec. 15. Ingvalson did more than score, close to a double -double with 9 rebounds along with 5 steals and 4 assists (only 1 turnover). Kylie Hammel turned in a second … [Read more...]
Lion boys emerge from low-scoring start, crush Cardinals
The Spring Grove boys persevered through a record-tying, low-scoring first half before racing away from LeRoy-Ostrander after intermission for an ultimately convincing 54-17 road win on Dec. 19. Two Lions posted double-doubles with Jacob Olerud scoring 13 points plus career-records with 13 rebounds and 8 assists. Ben Udstuen had career-highs with 13 points plus 10 boards. Jaxon … [Read more...]
Record-Breaking Ball-Handling Lifts Lion Girls Past Schaeffer
Siri Konkel hit four of five free throws in the final 19 seconds as the Spring Grove girls held off Schaeffer Academy, 42-38, on Dec. 12 at Rochester. Grove overcame cold 26% shooting with superb ball-handling, only five turnovers – believed to be a program record. Schaeffer shot much better (43%) but not nearly as often. With 27 turnovers, Schaeffer attempted only 40 shots to … [Read more...]
Spring Grove Boys Survive Lancer rally, 60-57
The Spring Grove boys would fall behind after seeing their 14-point lead disappear, but the Lions survived with a 60-57 road win against previously undefeated Class AA La Crescent-Hokah. The game ended with the Lancers missing a potential game-tying 3-point shot. Down 51-50, the Lions regained the lead with 3-balls from Ethan Crouch and Isaac Nerstad. A jump shot from Jacob … [Read more...]
Spring Grove boys open with road rout of Schaeffer
The Spring Grove boys opened the 2023-2024 basketball season with a runaway 68-36 road win over Schaeffer Academy on Dec. 12. Those other Lions residing in Rochester, hit a pair of early 3-point field goals and two free throws to lead 8-4 before being engulfed and undone by an avalanche of turnovers. Spring Grove outscored Schaeffer by 17 points in the first half (32-15) and by … [Read more...]
Grove girls Pulverize Pirates in Border Battle
Thirteen of the 14 Lions were credited with rebounds as the Spring Grove girls pounded Postville (Iowa), 63-18 in the annual Minnesota-Iowa Border Battles in Decorah. It was a mismatch from the get-go, and the Pirates (1-5) did not score in the second quarter on the way to a 48-7 halftime avalanche. They added only two points in period three and overall, had more turnovers (34) … [Read more...]
Lion Girls Lead All Night, Defeat Knights, 52-44
The Spring Grove girls led throughout a 52-44 home win against Kingsland, an early-season result that could significantly affect the conference race later in the campaign. The Lions scored the first six points, led by seven at halftime (26-19) and would leads by as many as 13 in the second half before winning by eight. Spring Grove outscored the visitors by four points from the … [Read more...]
Strinmoen Voted Team MVP, Among Four All-District Lions
Jaxon Strinmoen was voted Most Valuable Player by his Spring Grove football teammates. He received Honorable Mention on the coaches’ 9-Man All-State Team and merited the prestigious Academic All-State award for his cumulative grade point average during his high school football career. He is one of four Lions named to the All-District Team: Strinmoen (6’4” 180 Sr. WR/LB), Jacob … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Lutefisk, Oyster Stew and Santa Claus Came by Helicopter
Lutefisk and oyster stew were Christmas traditions for many families around Spring Grove in the first half of the 1900s. And Santa visited every year, too. The following Christmas memories were part of an oral history project made possible through a grant from the Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning. In the winter and spring of 1997, six Spring Grove … [Read more...]