Last year could’ve been a year of great things for Chatfield softball. An annulled season per COVID changed all that, ending the senior class of 2020’s softball story without a true culmination. The 2021 season started with a lot of new faces on the team, but those players guided the Gophers to a 4-1 week, a strong start to the season. At Pine Island, Chatfield only managed … [Read more...]
Spring Grove baseball: “walk-in” win over GMLOK; losses at W-K and L/P
Spring Grove’s Isaac Griffin was exceptional on the mound in what was a classic pitchers’ duel until it turned out to be a pitchers’ nightmare for visiting Grand Meadow/LeRoy-Ostrander/Kingsland. The Lions’ 2-1, “walk-off, walk-in” conference win on April 15 was sandwiched between less satisfying road setbacks - a 12-3 non-conference loss at Wabasha-Kellogg on April 12 and an … [Read more...]
Bjerke, Pieper pace C/SG boys to runner-up finish at first track meet
Junior Reid Bjerke won the 100-meter dash, ran second at 200 meters and was part of the second-place 4x100-meter relay foursome for the Caledonia/Spring Grove track and field boys, who finished as the team runner-up at the five-team GMLOKS track meet on April 16 at Grand Meadow. Chris Pieper had a personal-record 6-foot, 2-inch high jump to win that event while junior Logan … [Read more...]
Spring Sports Previews
Track and Field Chatfield Varsity Coaches: Jeff DeBuhr (Head), Scott Schmaltz, Damien Nickelsen, Jenny Bradt, Barb Storsveen, Niki DeBuhr, Maddy Kammer, Shane Fox Where we left off in 2019: The Gopher boys and girls each took 8th at the TRC Meet. The boys took fifth at the 1A True Team Meet, the girls took 7th (of 15 teams). The boys 4x100 (Carson Larrabee, Ben … [Read more...]
Spring Grove handles Houston in baseball opener, 13-2
Isaac Griffin, with both his arm and the bat, sparked Spring Grove to a soggy, season-opening 13-2 baseball win at Houston on a rainy April 9 afternoon. The Lions scored a run in the second inning, added a pair in the fourth inning and then sealed the win with back-to-back, five-run eruptions to win with the 10-run rule after six innings. Meanwhile on the mound, Griffin … [Read more...]
Leahy voted Lion MVP; Spring Grove girls honor four
Junior Jordian Leahy was voted Most Valuable Player by her 2021 Spring Grove basketball teammates. Junior Ava Olerud was honored with the Lion Attitude Award, while eighth grade guard Emerson Ingvalson was the choice for Most Improved. Freshman Katelyn Kraus was voted the Hustle Award. Leahy (MVP), a 5-foot-6 junior guard who received Honorable Mention on the … [Read more...]
Massive Half Sends Hurricanes to Defeat in State Quarters
Houston girls basketball had looked up at first half deficits before. Versus Hayfield in the 1A semis, they trailed 10-1. Versus Kingsland in the 1A finals, they trailed 9-3. But versus #1-ranked Minneota (22-0), in a battle of undefeated teams in a state quarterfinal contest, Houston (18-0) dug a hole too deep against a squad way too good. The Vikings entered as … [Read more...]
Young baseball Lions step into varsity spotlight, open at Houston
It ranks as one of the most inexperienced and youngest Spring Grove High School baseball teams. After COVID-19 canceled baseball for every Minnesota high school last spring and American Legion last summer, every coach seeks to restore skills last polished in 2019. Coach Chris Strinmoen starts with 16 varsity candidates. All but one has played baseball since childhood (except … [Read more...]
Peterson voted Spring Grove volleyball top honor
Senior VaNessa Peterson was voted the Impact/Most Valuable Player by her 2020 Spring Grove volleyball teammates and also shared the Heart Award in a COVID-19-delayed awards presentation. Maggie Lile was the choice for the Hustle Award and for the second season voted the Heart Award, sharing that honor this year with Peterson, Addyson McHugh and Kelsey Bratland. Kenadee Gerard … [Read more...]
Grinde repeats MVP; Spring Grove gridders honor five teammates
Spring Grove senior Caden Grinde was voted both Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year - both for the second straight season by his 2020 Lion football teammates. Senior Tristan Hammel was the choice for Lineman of the Year while senior Isaac Griffin was voted Outstanding Leader. Sophomore Tysen Grinde was selected Rookie of the Year, and sophomore Caleb … [Read more...]