It is a lot easier to do at a three-team meet.  Nonetheless, it is still a pretty nice accomplishment.  At their second event of the year, Chatfield’s girls posted the cross country perfect score.  Jayna Tangen’s Gophers took first, second, third, fourth, and fifth places to easily win the St. Charles Invite.  Chatfield had 15 points, the Saints 51, and Schaeffer Academy was … [Read more...]

(G) Cotter 13, Cal/SG/Hou 0 (The visiting Cotter girls scored just 12 seconds into the match. About seven minutes later, the Ramblers scored twice within 35 seconds to make it 3-0. A penalty kick goal made it 6-0 a half-minute before halftime. Cotter (4-0, 4-0 TRC) scored again just a minute and 49 seconds into the second half. Cotter, the conference and section favorite, had … [Read more...]

The top 50 teams of the fall from 2010-2019 continues.  As before, squads from the “Journal 10,” FC, R-P, Chatfield, Kingsland, M-C, Houston, Lanesboro, GM, SG, and L-O, are eligible.  As before, ranking across different years, and involving teams from three different sports, is difficult and thus subject to debate.  Teams ranked in the 45-40 may have lost to teams in the 46-50 … [Read more...]

It is to be expected.  When you are a defending state team qualifier with your top runners back, and then the number of teams at every cross country meet are diminished due to COVID-19, you will probably win often.  In their second meet of the year, LARP’s boys again ran to victory.  Matt Kingsbury’s group (19) didn’t have much trouble beating R.A.A.C.E. (40) and W-K (78) to … [Read more...]

(B) PEM 20, GMLOS 58, Lyle/Paceili 58 (PEM’s Baylor Hagen (17:38) took first and L/P’s Jayden Lewis (17:48.3) second at the 5-K run.  GMLOS’ top runner was Christian Hjelman (18:40.9), who took sixth.  The Bulldogs had runners 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9); (G) PEM 30, L/P 43, GMLOS 53 (PEM’s MollyKate Hagen (20:06.4) took first, L/Ps Kirsten Koopal (20.18.1) took second at the 5-k … [Read more...]

Just me and a multi-millionaire in my compact rental car. His horse had once pulled off a Triple Crown upset. Wish I had asked him more. After last week’s introduction to this column, I did not expect to begin a nearly seven-decade remembrance of spectating with a sport about which I know little and with which I have little experience – horse racing.  I have enjoyed a few days … [Read more...]

Decades of sports, mostly spectating Lonnie Morken, Hall of Fame volleyball coach at Mabel-Can¬ton, once suggested I should write about all of this. I dis¬missed any c o n s i d e r ¬ation of add¬ing anything to an already c r o w d e d sports writ¬ing sched¬ule. But now - with high school sports interrupted by a pandemic - there is time to challenge my sports memory. If this … [Read more...]

Lake City Triangular (Chatfield’s girls (27) beat Lake City (29) while D-E was incomplete. Tessa McMahon (13:23), Abbi Gillespie (13:24), and Belle Carr (13:46) finished three-four-five. Lake City’s Jacey Majerus (13:10) took first, D-E’s Malia Nelson (13:17) second at a 3,200-kilometer race. The Gophers boys took second (43) to Lake City (20) with D-E third (66). Tigers Joe … [Read more...]

Soccer girls bring back the attack The Caledonia/Spring Grove/Houston soccer girls bring back seven starters among 14 letter winners. Both all-conference performers graduated, but senior forward Gabby Roble received honorable mention during the Warriors’ 3-14 campaign last autumn - the most wins in the last four seasons. Chris Jandt is back for his sixth season as head coach … [Read more...]