The 2024 cross country season for teams from LARPH, Chatfield, LFC, GMLOS, and Kingsland was highlighted by LARPH boys going to state for a sixth straight year while gals Autumn Rakosnik (LFC) and Lexi Kivimagi (Chatfield) made state individually, each (at least) repeating doing so. LARPH returns a large group from its state team. Rakosnik and Kivimagi are also back, as said … [Read more...]
Houston School Preps for Fall
The Houston School Board began turning the page on summer and looked ahead to fall and the coming school year at their August 7 regular meeting. Student board representative Grayden Beckman shared that the student council had met with new high school principal John Cassellius to plan for Homecoming 2025. Since the Homecoming football game will be played on Saturday, there … [Read more...]
Houston Welcomes New Principal
John Cassellius visited the Houston School Board meeting July 10 to introduce himself to the school board. Cassellius is the high school principal; he comes to Houston from Winona Senior High where he taught physical education and health. The board also greeted a newcomer to the school board. Claire Reay is the new student representative to the board. She replaces graduate … [Read more...]
Postseason Baseball Awards
The 2025 baseball season saw Caledonia redeem a tough postseason last year with a Section 1AA runner-up performance, as the Warriors went 18-8. Only two of the eight Journal-covered programs finished above five-hundred, but all won at least seven games. Four SEC players notably made All-State. Southeast Conference Baseball Awards Lyle/Pacelli (13-1, 20-4) won the SEC over … [Read more...]
Boldt and Goergen Titles Highlight State Track and Field Meet
For a fifth straight year, St. Michael/Albertville High School hosted the Class A state track and field individual meet. GML-OKS, RPH, LFCMC, Chatfield, and Cale-donia/Spring Grove were all represented. One Southland runner and one Houston all-around athlete headed the cast by bringing home state titles. For Southland sophomore, GMLOKS track and field athlete Tate Goergen, … [Read more...]
Unique Pathways for Houston Students
At the June 5 Houston School Board meeting, Superintendent Mary Morem lauded the three student speakers for the recent graduation ceremonies at MNVA and the three student speakers at Houston High School. Each speaker wrote their own unique speech which showed their personalities and pathways at the schools. Morem noted Houston was very blessed to have so many choices available … [Read more...]
Softball (6/16)
Multiple All-State Players Highlight Postseason Softball Awards It was a highly entertaining and successful season for Journal-covered softball teams with Caledonia and Houston making it all the way to the section finals, plus Chatfield making the 1AA Final Four. Five of eight “Journal” teams finished above five-hundred and they combine for seven All-State players. Three … [Read more...]
Track and Field: GMLOKS, RPH, LFCMC and Chatfield Bountiful in State Qualifiers
The 2025 Section 1A track and field meet was marked by a plethora of area athletes making state by standard, particularly from Chatfield and LFCMC. Meanwhile, RPH and GMLOKS saw its stars shine. For GMLOKS, it would have been a complete shocker if sprinter Chantle Reiland did not shine in a fast and long way at her last 1A Meet. The Kingsland senior made her first state … [Read more...]
Softball (6/9)
Hurricanes Earn First Section Runner-Up in Decades They had an unbelievable year. Houston softball progressed further than it has in decades. They fell a couple wins short of state but piled up the runs, scoring 324 (which may be a state record). By contrast, state champion Chatfield in 2023 scored 218 runs in four more games (albeit Class AA pitching is oft better than … [Read more...]
Hot Shots
GMLOKS’ girls won the Sub-2 meet. Chantle Reiland won four events (100, 200, Long Jump, 4x200) including resetting her own program record in the Long Jump (17’8”). Breeley Galle (Triple Jump, 300-hurdles, 100-hurdles, 4x200) and Gracie Foster (100-H, 300-H, T-Jump, 4x100) each also qualified for sections four times. Chatfield’s Charlotte Oeltjen won the 3,200-meters, … [Read more...]