Fillmore Central football and volleyball are each defending section champs. Looking for big seasons, each started with big wins. Falcon volleyball, ranked #1 in Class A, opened by dispatching #6 in Class A Kenyon-Wanamingo 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-20) in a rematch of last year’s 1A title game. The set with the only real drama was the last, where FC ended on an 8-3 run to break … [Read more...]
Youth Baseball Academy Hits a Home Run
The Eitzen Lions/Caledonia Haulers Youth Baseball Academy is a summer baseball program that captures the spirit of small-town America. The Academy serves children ages 4 to 10, with players coming from New Albin, Spring Grove, Caledonia, Eitzen, Houston and Rushford. Caledonia preschool teacher and high school varsity baseball coach Shawn Bauer founded the Academy in 2018. … [Read more...]
2026 Prep Volleyball Preview
A year ago, was another strong season for area volleyball teams. Chatfield (Section 1AA) and Fillmore Central (Section 1A) each repeated in winning their respective section titles. The Gophers (27-8) and Falcons (27-7) each went to state, bringing home hardware. Elsewhere, TRC champ Caledonia (26-6), SEC-East champ Mabel-Canton (29-4), and SEC-West champ Grand Meadow (22-7) won … [Read more...]
Caledonia Legion Softball Team Wins State Title
Just a couple months removed from winning the Section 1AA title in high school softball and taking fifth (consolation champs) in their first ever state berth, girls softball players from Caledonia added another notch to their impressive belt. The Caledonia Post #191 Legion team were substate Southeast Champions. At state, Caledonia beat Bemidji 19-1, Wayzata 9-0, and then … [Read more...]
Chatfield and Fillmore Central Football Teams Compete in Speed and Strength Showcase
With the high school football season fast approaching, teams from Chatfield and Fillmore Central got together for a “combine” of sorts. Coaches from the Gophers and Falcons decided to do something similar to the NFL, which tests prospects across a range of speed, strength, and agility skills prior to its draft. The idea was spawned by FC and Chatfield strength and … [Read more...]
Local Girls Play in 12U Little League World Series
A local girls 12-and-under softball team based out of St. Charles recently made history, traveling to Whitetown, Indiana, to play in the Little League World Series Regional Tournament. This opportunity started with area coaches wanting to expand opportunities for their players to compete on the national stage. Since Little League International is the largest governing body of … [Read more...]
Mabel-Canton Team, Spring Grove Individuals Enjoy Success at National Trap
The Mabel-Canton trap team finished among the top third of the field at the 2026 USA Clay Target League National Championship on July 8-12 at Mason, Michigan. Christian Bjerke of Spring Grove was highest-finishing individual among Journal-area shooters and one of only 23 senior marksmen nationwide to qualify for the national tournament for six consecutive seasons. Kingsland … [Read more...]
His Path to the Final Four Began in Houston
He is arguably the most celebrated college athlete from Houston County, an All-American who helped lay the groundwork for what became the most successful Division I college basketball program in the nation. John Green began his basketball career at Houston, Minnesota, long before being pictured on the cover of Sports illustrated on the way to March Madness, playing a leadership … [Read more...]
Area Wrestlers Recognized
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame - Minnesota Chapter event was held April 25, 2026. Receiving awards, top photo, front row: Mike Langlais, Annette and Corey Olson. Middle row: Caley Graber, Tricia Saunders (Senior Female Wrestler of the Year, Northfield), Northfield Coach Geoff Staab, Steve Costanzo and Russ Holland. Standing: Paul Vaith, Bill Benson, Matt Clark and Bruce … [Read more...]
Ronnenberg, Volkart and Spring Grove Team Excel at State Trap Finale
Rushford-Peterson marksman Colton Ronnenberg, LeRoy-Ostrander super shooter Kimberley Volkart and the Spring Grove trap team all earned exceptionally high honors while competing versus the very best in Minnesota’s grand clay target finale on June 26. After tiebreakers, Spring Grove finished fourth among more than 400 teams, and Ronnenberg was state runner-up among more than … [Read more...]