The 2016-2017 sports season in Fillmore County was a special one. None in the Journal Sports era produced so many teams with so many good to great seniors, so much senior depth. It seemed just before Y-2-K, a lot of athletic parents were spawning gifted offspring. From state track champion D-1 signees/gridiron juggernauts, to all-time leading scorers, 2,000-assists, 2,000-points, 1,000-digs, 1,000-points, multi-year three-sport athletes; the county-wide Class of 2017 had a bit of it all and then some more.
Fillmore Central’s athletic class, their season of 2017, heads the cast. LFC girls cross-country won multi races, the TRC Meet/title, and was Section 1A Runner-Up, earning its second straight state berth. Chris Mensink’s Falcon football team went 9-2, was Co-District champ, and brought home its second straight 1A Runner-Up trophy. Travis Malley’s volleyball team posted a respectable 18-10 mark. Levi Olstad’s girls basketball team (17-13), a 5-seed, went on a memorable post-season run, winning the 1A East title, finishing as 1A Runner-Up. Both boys and girls golf won TRC-East titles. Aaron Mensink’s girls won Section 1A and placed second at state, their fourth straight appearance in Becker. Brad Holten’s boys were 1A Runner-Up. LFC girl’s track and field won Section 1A, clinching its first ever True Team state berth. The girls 4×400 and 4×800 repeated as state entrants. Keith Larson’s baseball team posted its best season (18-6) in over ten years. Seniors led the way. Kiera Olson, a Wendy’s High School Heisman winner, had one of the most accomplished FC running careers with her seven total state qualifications. Tayah Barnes played in seven section title games across four sports, earning three state trips over her career (two runner-ups, state champion). She surpassed the 1,000-dig milestone and was All-State Honorable Mention in volleyball. Riley Means, Samuel Peters, Walker Ward and Jacob Thomas were multi-year three-sport stand-outs. Thomas made state in wrestling. Means established his own football legacy. Kenzie Broadwater was a one-time three-sport athlete. FC’s five-year point guard accrued double-digit varsity letters across her volleyball, basketball, and track/field careers. Her senior year of basketball was a rare blur of stats. Sam Rustad would’ve been a three-sport stand-out had it not been for a knee injury. Then there were the Bennetts. Kendyl amassed over 1,000 career points. Paige was one of FC’s key hitters on the volleyball court. Two-sport athlete Delton Sauer was a state golf participant. Caleb Kath went from non-track-field athlete, to Long Jump state competitor. Underclassmen also joined in, as Kaylee Arndt, Ashley Miner, Maddie Smith, and Emma Breitsprecher were big parts of either or both the cross country and track and field success. Grace Miller and Madison Scheevel led the girls golf team. FC brings home its second straight County Cup (best collective sports programs). They (unofficially) brought home 12 pieces of hardware.
Rushford-Peterson wasn’t too far behind with their Class of 2017. Davin Thompson’s football team owned the fall. They shared the Mid-Southeast-East District title with the Falcons, but beat FC in an epic 1A title game. The Trojans (12-2) got to play twice at U.S. Bank Stadium, finishing up as Class A State Runner-Up. Nicole Schultz’s volleyball team, hit by the injury bug, still posted a 15-13 season. Tom Vix’s boys basketball (20-9) was within a double-overtime eyelash of going to state. Courtesy of Landon Skalet’s big three, they finished as 1A East champ, Section 1A Runner-Up. Terry Pelzl’s girls basketball went 19-7. R-P was headlined by its top-tier stand-outs. Southeast Minnesota sports fans will be lucky to see another Noah Carlson. The 13-time letter winner ended his prep career by beginning his collegiate, signing a D-1 letter of intent to Michigan (track/field). He graduates as a state basketball runner-up and champion, a state football runner-up, and a state track/field 10-time qualifier, five-time champion. He pulled the rarity and competed for a state title in three sports. His senior year of football was a yardage-ripping site to see; one of the best seasons ever by a Minnesota high school running back. He earned MSE Offensive Player of the Year, Associated Press State Player of the Year, and an All-State 1st Team selection (all classes). He later was recognized as one of eight Minnesota High School Scholar Athletes. Then there was Brianna Koop. Her basketball exploits included topping 2,000 career points and becoming R-P’s all-time leading boys and girls scorer. Koop was a four-time basketball All-Conference and All-State Honorable Mention as a senior. Then there is double-digit-letter standout Savannah Skalet. Skalet was All-Conference at least once in three different sports and finished with over 2,000 career volleyball assists. On the wrestling mats, McCoy Tekautz finished his stellar, three-time state-entrant career with a second straight placing at state (third). He competed twice at state as a senior. Ashley Agrimson earned her second track and field state qualification, finishing fourth in the Long Jump. She was a three-year, three-sport standout prior to senior season. Luke Rasmussen was All-Conference in three sports as a senior and had a 13 interception season of football. Mikayla Crawford amassed three good years of basketball and volleyball including going over 1,300 career digs. Ethan Anderson was a key cog on the football and baseball teams for multiple years. Trojan squads brought home five pieces of team hardware.
Mabel-Canton’s sporting focus was on its girls primarily. The small group of not-so-big but gritty fighters helped the Cougars to two pieces of volleyball hardware (SEC-East Champs, 1A East Runner-Up), and one piece each of basketball (SEC East Champs) and softball hardware (1A East Champs). They were the only group of athletes in the county to do so across all three seasons. Lonnie Morken’s volleyball team went 32-5. He picked up his 600th career win. Adam Wilder’s basketball team went 20-8. Kati Bergey’s softball team went 14-7 and advanced in the play-offs for the first time in decades. Leading all three teams was senior Coranda Vickerman, who finishes with 11 All-Conference designations (unofficially). She finishes with over 2,000 career volleyball assists, over 1,000 career digs, and over 1,500 career points on the basketball court, the Cougar boys and girls scoring leader. “C.J.’ earned All-State first team in volleyball, All-State Honorable Mention in softball. Courtney Graves, a senior, was a big part of the volleyball and basketball success. Underclassmen Payton Danielson, Maddy Michels, Lexi Thorson, Kenidi McCabe, and Avery Arneson, like Vickerman, enjoyed success in all three successful girls sports. Junior Savannah Slafter was a one-sport girl, but topped 1,000 career kills in volleyball. On the guys’ side, senior Weston Whalen had a 1,000-yard rushing season and topped 3,000 for his career as the Cougars went 7-3. Drew Wyffels, just a sophomore, was All-Conference across in three sports (football, basketball, baseball). Football coach Karl Urbaniak coach the Minnesota High School All-Star game.
Kingsland’s sports season was generally focused around their senior gals. Jake Vetter’s girls basketball team (18-11) brought home its second straight 1A East Runner-Up trophy. John Fenske’s softball team (18-6) had its second straight program best-season. Courtney Schmidt, Gracie Schmidt, Kellyn Webster, Alayna Meskill, and Cortney Fate were key members on both teams. Kailey Link, Gretchen Corson, and Ericka Kolden helped in one sport apiece. The most impressive Lady Knight was sophomore Lauren Buchholtz, who was All-Conference in volleyball and basketball, a state third place finisher amidst GMLOKS’ 4×200. Girls track and field (GMLOKS) was a multi-time meet and conference champion. All told, GMLOKS sent three individuals (Peter Torkelson, Drew Lewison, Amelia Staat) and two girls relays (4×100, 4×200) to state. Zach Buchholtz, another senior, had a big season on the hardcourt. Junior Simon Broadwater earned his second state golf appearance, a top 20 finish. The Knights brought home just the one piece of hardware, but had a very solid season.
Lanesboro’s best teams’ exploits centered on Ellen Cullen’s LFC cross country (the TRC champ, Section 1A Runner-Up, and state participant), and Jared Pierce’s LFC track and field (whose girls were 1A True Team champs and state qualifiers). Sisters Leah and Bailey Ruen were key runners amidst both squads. Each was on LFC’s repeat state qualifying 4×400 and 4×800 relays too. The three-sport senior Leah finishes having competed at state five different times. She’s one of Lanesboro’s most accomplished runners. On the guys’ side, seniors Collin Scott and Cole Schwichtenberg each earned All-Conference across football, basketball, and baseball. They were Burros boys sports, helping the basketball team to a 14-9 season, the FC/L baseball team an 18-6 campaign. Schwichtenberg ended a 1,000-point scorer. Seniors Haley Polin and Cassidy Ruud had some success on the 12-9 Burro volleyball team. Each amassed double digit varsity letters, essentially playing three sports four years each.
Chatfield had a bit of a down year. Junior Jake Mandt’s 145-pound state wrestling title was the shining achievement. He has qualified individually for state three times now. Mark Eickhoff’s softball team had the best start of any county team, 22-0. They (22-2) brought home two pieces of hardware (TRC-West Champs, 1AA-East Champs) and trekked back to Austin again. Lexi Chase was named second team All-State while Belle Berg hit homers and was super-steady at shortstop. The boys 4×100 and 4×200 squads (Ben Muller, Kevin Bradt, Gage Tuohy, Austin Swancutt) made state in track and field. Mandt wound up All-Conference across three sports. Parker Fossum was the Gophers’ best senior, a two-sport (football, basketball) three-year standout.
Finally, Houston will look to next year. Hurricane football had a very good 2016 campaing (7-3) behind first year coach Cody Hungerholt. With most of their crew coming back, they’ll look to pressure South-East heavyweights Spring Grove and Grand Meadow in 2017. Hurricane girls basketball fought all the good teams in the section tooth and nail. Also young, they’ll return one of the most complete teams in the Section. For teams double-H, 2016-2017 is hopefully just a prelude to 2017-2018.
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