Senior Jaxon Strinmoen, one of the most-often honored athletes in Spring Grove High School history, was selected as 2023-24 Spring Grove Male Athlete of the Year while junior Emerson Ingvalson was the coaches’ choice for Female Athlete of the Year. Both were three-sport athletes with multiple conference credentials.
Photo submitted
Ingvalson was an All-Southeast Conference selection in both basketball and softball. It was the first baseball season in which Spring Grove players were eligible for conference honors since the Lion program was reinstated in 2023. She achieved in the classroom as well, earning Academic All-SEC while also defending at third-base. With a year of eligibility of remaining, Ingvalson has already lettered eight times: amazingly five years in basketball while lettering in both years of the Lion softball program and receiving her first letter in volleyball.
In basketball, the 5-foot-7 guard and team co-captain, sparked the Lion defense with a team-best 3.9 steals per game average. Her 112 thefts rank as the sixth-best season ever for Lion girls. This season, she ranked second in both assists (3.5 apg), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5) and efficiency with 22.2 efficiency points per game. That assist-to-turnover ratio was the 10th-best single season in the record book. She averaged 9.1 points and 4.7 rebounds.
With a season of eligibility remaining, Ingvalson already ranks ninth in career steals (244), 13th in career assists (218), 17th in career 3-point field goals (57), 18th in scoring (737 points) and 20th in blocked shots (38).
Ingvalson, for the second straight season, shared her basketball teammates’ Grit Award, recognizing the program philosophy of “intensity, passion and toughness every single day.”
In softball, the junior third base player, ranked second on the team with 12 runs batted in while batting .281.
Strinmoen received 9-Man football All-State Honorable Mention. He was All-Conference or All-District in all three sports, three times in baseball, twice in basketball and once in football the season after receiving Honorable Mention. In baseball, he was three times an All-Section selection and received Honorable Mention on the 2024 All-Area Team.
Academic All-State is one of the most exclusive recognitions for Minnesota high school senior athletes. Strinmoen was so honored in all three sports. The class valedictorian was Academic All-Conference in each sport in all three years.
In addition to earning every possible academic honor and receiving almost every accolade from area coaches, Strinmoen was likewise recognized by his Lion teammates who voted him Most Valuable Player in all three sports this school year. He is one of only three Lions to be Baseball MVP three times (Todd Oakes, Dakotah Rostad). He earned 11 varsity letters – amazingly four times in basketball and also four times in baseball along with three letters in football.
Strinmoen was Spring Grove’s male nominee for the Triple ‘A’ Award, which recognizes high school seniors from across Minnesota for their achievements in academics, the arts/activities and athletics. To qualify, students must have a 3.0 grade-point average or better and participate in League-sponsored athletic and arts/activities programs.
His name is all over the record book. Combining all three sports, he ranks among the top 10 all-time in nine different categories. He broke a school record in baseball and scored more than 1,000 points in basketball while amassing well over 2,000 yards of all-purpose running in football.
In addition to being voted baseball MVP, Strinmoen was also the choice for the Cy Young Best Pitcher Award. The very-versatile pitcher/infielder/outfielder, was the most-used pitcher (6-2 record, 55 1/3 IP, 46 H, 22 R, 13 ER, 15 BB, 38 K, 1.65 ERA) while leading the Lion staff in wins (6), saves (2) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.53). He led SG in fielding percentage (1.000), was the third leading hitter with a .304 average and had the fewest strikeouts in the batting order.
Strinmoen now holds the school record in career stolen bases (59), ranks second in career base hits (91), 11th all-time in runs batted in (50), 13th in career extra-base hits (16), 25th in career strikeouts pitched and has the 26th-highest career batting average (.338).
In basketball, Strinmoen led the 2024 East Division championship Lions in all six critical categories: scoring (16.8 points per game), rebounding (6.9 rpg), steals (3.8 spg), assists (3.2 apg), hustle points (2.8 hppg) and efficiency points (31.8 eppg). He lifted 109 steals, the fourth-best season on record; his efficiency point average was the 10th best season. In addition to his MVP honor, he won the statistical Hustle Award.
Strinmoen graduates among the top-10 all-time in four basketball statistical categories: fifth in career steals (275) seventh in both career blocked shots (58) and hustle points (277) and eighth in career rebounds (539).
The thousand-point scorer ranks among the top 20 in six other career categories: 11th assist-to-turnover ratio (1.63), 14th assists (220), 14th scoring (1,122 points), 16th free throws made (157), 18th free throw percentage (70%) and 19th in 3-point field goals (83).
In his final football season, the wide receiver/linebacker led the Lions in nine statistical categories: all-purpose yards (1,283 yards rushing, receiving, returning), scoring (68 points), passes broken up (6), punt returns (22.4 yards per return), receptions (34), receiving yards (569), yards per reception (16.7) and yards per carry (7.7) while sharing the lead in receiving touchdowns (5). He also threw five TD passes and was the third leading rusher (425 yards) and third leading tackler (73). He caught 10 passes for 130 yards versus eventual state runner-up Kingsland.
In the career record book, Strinmoen ranks fifth in receiving yards (1,654), sixth in receiving touchdowns (18), seventh in receptions (85), 12th in career interceptions (7) and 16th in all-purpose running (2,401 yards rushing, receiving, returning).
Leave a Reply