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...]

Lewiston-Altura/Rushford-Peterson: Last year’s headlining C-C team came from the L-A/R-P share. Matt Kingsbury’s guys took the next, big step. After taking fourth at the Section 1A Meet in 2018, LARP finished second to Lake City in 2019 and earned a trip to Northfield and the state meet. There, they finished 15th of 16. Team black and red also took second at the TRC meet for a … [Read more...]

It will be a unique fall sports season. With the Minnesota State High School league coming to the decision to move near-contact sports football and volleyball to the spring (due to COVID-19), cross country and soccer will be the only fall sports (pertaining to local schools) left to go on. It makes what would’ve been a very busy fall sports season, a skeleton of its former … [Read more...]

The Minnesota State High School League’s Board of Directors, at its meeting on August 4, approved moving forward as scheduled with four fall activities: girls tennis, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls soccer and girls swimming and diving beginning on August 17 with limitations. The Board of Directors also approved moving football and volleyball to a modified spring … [Read more...]