The girls basketball season starts with some changes. This year is the first year of the shot clock. Mabel-Canton does not have enough for a squad, nor does Glenville-Emmons, so the SEC has just nine teams. It will be one big league (no divisions). M-C is sharing with Spring Grove. Section re-alignment took place. Notably, defending 1AA champion Goodhue is back in Section … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project: The Biden Administration’s Struggle in the Middle East: A Growing Crisis Unfolds
By Isaac Vick The Biden administration finds itself entangled in a complex web of diplomacy and crisis management in the Middle East, as it grapples with the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. The president and his top diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, face a daunting challenge in persuading the Israeli government to temporarily halt its offensive against … [Read more...]
Halverson is Lion MVP, among four All-SEC selections
Joelle Halverson was voted Spring Grove’s top volleyball honor as 2023 Impact Player of the Year (MVP) and was one of four Lions named by the coaches to the All-Southeast Conference Team. Kendal VanMinsel is a repeat All-SEC honoree while Sydney Holland moves up to First Team All-SEC this year after receiving Honorable Mention last year. Jordis Neeley completes the all-league … [Read more...]
Excellence Consistent for Spring Grove Volleyball
Spring Grove extended a string of highly-successful volleyball seasons in 2023 with a 22-7 record, the Lions’ third consecutive 20-plus win season under the tutelage of former Spring Grove standout Kelsey (Anderson) Morken. Not counting the shortened COVID season of 2020, the wins over the most recent seasons have been 22, 28, 20, 19, 26 and 22. Going 12-2 in Southeast … [Read more...]
Volleyball: Post-Season Awards
It was a special year for area volleyball teams, both team-wise and individually. Mabel-Canton and Caledonia each made state. The Cougars were the SEC-East champions. Chatfield won the TRC. Fillmore Central was 1A runner-up. Grand Meadow and LeRoy-Ostrander shared the SEC-West. Spring Grove did not win anything per se, but went 22-7. Rushford-Peterson and Lanesboro both also … [Read more...]
Spring Grove Elementary Students Raise More Than $400
Student Council Representative Taylor Reinhardt proudly reported at the Spring Grove School Board’s November 20 meeting that grades K-6 participated in a coin war, raising $444.59 to be donated to the Houston County Food Shelf. Chairman Aaron Solum called the board’s regularly scheduled meeting to order at 7 p.m. Board members present included Aric Elton, Stephanie Jaster, … [Read more...]
Football: Undefeated #5 Kingsland Heads to State for First Time in 20 Years
Kaaleem Reiland rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns while also passing for 135 yards and two more scores as Kingsland sped past Spring Grove, 44-14, in the 9-player football Section One championship game at Austin. The sophomore quarterback also ran and passed conversions. Beau Wiersma (25-130 rushing) scored three TDs – two rushing and one pass reception – plus added a … [Read more...]
Hot Shots
Spring Grove (4-seed, 22-6) volleyball led game five of a 1A quarterfinal versus Alden-Conger (5-seed, 23-5) by a 9-5 tally, but fell 16-14 to lose the match 3-2 (15-25, 25-16, 16-25, 25-20, 14-16). Joelle Halverson had 23 kills and Sydney Holland 25 digs in the defeat, as the Lions’ season ends at 22-7. Rushford-Peterson (7-seed, 15-12) also lost a 1A quarterfinal match in … [Read more...]
Volleyball Playoffs – Section 1A (10/31)
(Quarterfinal) 5-seed Alden-Conger (23-5) 3, 4-seed Spring Grove (22-6) 2 > 15-25, 25-16, 16-25, 25-20, 14-16 (SG: S. Holland 25 digs, 19-19 serving; J. Halverson 23 kills; Jordis Neeley 16 kills, 19 digs, 3 aces; Hailey Normann 10 kills; Kendal VanMinsel 5 kills, 48 assists, 2 aces; Izabel Kaufmann 16 digs. The teams essentially took turns in controlling the first four … [Read more...]
Lions close with Five-Set Section Loss to Alden-Conger
The Spring Grove 2023 volleyball season ended on Halloween at Rochester with a 3-2, five-set Section 1A quarterfinal setback to No. 5 seed Alden-Conger. With the No. 4 seed, the Lions evened the match by taking the second set 25-16 and the fourth set 25-20 after the Knights had won the first set 25-15 and the third set 25-16. The back-and-forth momentum held as A-C won again in … [Read more...]