& PLACES Blazing Cats and Warriors are 2023 adapted hockey champions

The 2023 Minnesota State High School League’s adapted floor hockey state championship games may have had spectators wondering if they had traveled back to 2022. Both PI and CI division title games were a repeat match for the teams. But the outcomes would not be the same.

CI Division

The Burnsville/Farmington/Lakeville Blazing Cats avenged last year’s state tile loss in the CI championship, topping the Trojans of New Prague/Tri-City United/ LeSueur-Henderson/Belle Plaine/Jordan, 15-6.

The win gave the Blazing Cats their first state championship in school history.

The Blazing Cats opened up the title game after a close first period, The second period ended 12-5 and there was no looking back. Several Blazing Cats scored more than once. Caden Roseth led all scorers with nine goals. Teammate Riley Deutsch recorded a hat trick and senior Clarke Ruhland was the final Blazing Cat with multiple goals, scoring twice. For the Trojans, Aaron Adamson finished with three goals and Raymond Parker had two.

The Blazing Cats got to the title game by topping White Bear Lake Area and Maple Grove Maple Grove defeated Dakota United, 6-5, for third place. Crimson senior Gaetano Sanders would be successful in overtime, scoring with 1:32 left in the five-minute period.

The Stillwater/Mahtomedi Ponies

Tura takes MDH post

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has announced the appointment of Dr. Robsan (Halkeno) Tura as the new assistant commissioner for the department’s health equity bureau. Tura assumes the post held previously by Dr. Brooke Cunningham, prior to her appointment in January as commissioner of health.

In his new role, Tura will oversee the department’s Center for Health Equity; diversity, equity and inclusion efforts; and the Office of American Indian Health. He will also serve as the department’s lead for proactive and strategic health equity partnerships and will lead the department’s work to advance equity in its day-to-day services and programs.

He previously served as the director of the department’s Center for Health Equity, where he directed the development, implementation and evaluation of efforts to advance health equity in Minnesota. Before joining MDH, Dr. Tura served as deputy director for Blackhawk County Public Health in Waterloo, Iowa. In that role he drove health equity initiatives, strategic planning and implementation of other programs, including disease surveillance and investigation, maternal and child health, and chronic disease prevention.

He also oversaw the county’s first joint assessment of community health needs, including outreach to underrepresented populations. Prior to that role, he served as director of Refugee and Immigrants Health Programs for EMBARC IOWA in Des Moines. He also has extensive experience in international health initiatives serving Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. He earned his doctorate in public health from the University of Iowa and has master’s degrees in public health education and public health nutrition.

“Halkeno brings a great mix of practical experience and skill to our equity work, and I am thankful for his willingness to step into this new role as part of our management team,” Cunningham said. “The challenges of recent years demonstrated how the health – or lack of health – in any claimed the CI consolation crown with a 6-1 win over the North/Tartan Polars. Mason-Mora Clark led scoring for the Ponies with five goals.

The St. Cloud Crush was the eight team in the tournament. The team is made up of athletes from St. Cloud Apollo, Sauk Rapids-Rice, St. Cloud Tech and Sartell high schools.

All-tournament team members are Aaron Blood, Clarke Ruhland and Angel Figueroa, Burnsville/Farmington/ Lakeville; Ada Kramer and Thomas Christopherson, Dakota United;

Alec Singh and Gaetano Sanders, Maple Grove; Landon Malecha, Aaron Adamson and Trystan Seger, New Prague/TCU/LSH/Belle Plaine/Jordan; Kaylee Larios, North/Tartan and MasonMora Clark, Stillwater/Mahtomedi.

The CI Division is for student-athletes with cognitive disabilities.

PI Division

The Brainerd Warriors came away with the title, their sixth state championship and their first since 2019. The Warriors defeated the Hawks of Dakota United, to individuals with disabilities, with the goal of helping them to live more independently and achieve their full potential.

4-3, in overtime.

Seventh-grader Aiden Olsen scored the game-winning goal about a minute into OT. It was a back-and-forth game, and very exciting for spectators.

Brainerd defeated the St. Paul Humboldt Hawks and Anoka Hennepin Mustangs to reach the title game.

The Robins of Robbinsdale/Hopkins/ Mound Westonka defeated the AnokaHennepin, 5-2, for third place. Jose Leon Estrada helped lead the Robins with four goals. The Robins overcame a 0-2 deficient to fly back in the second period.

Maple Grove topped Rochester, 9-8, for the consolation title. Rochester led 6-3 at one point, but a third period comeback was topped by the gamewinning goal from seventh-grader Lincoln Scearcy. Scearcy finished the game with six goals. Teammate Ben Pfeifer chipped in with the other three for Maple Grove.

The Minneapolis South Tigers were the other team in the tournament.

PI all-tournament team members are Joey Tonna and Sophia Reither, AnokaHennepin; Owen Olsen, Andrew Kargel and Cadence Atwater, Brainerd; Jae Bahma, Fiona Sitzmann and Cayden Needham, Dakota United; Bryan Lopez, Maple Grove; Darius Larson and Jose Leon Estrada, Robbinsdale/Hopkins/ Mound Westonka; and Joe Hansen, Rochester.

The PI Division is for student-athletes with physical disabilities.

The tournament was hosted by Bloomington Jefferson High School.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support and excited for the opportunity to use technology to make a positive impact in our communities,” said John Stanton, Accord vice president of stakeholder success. “This grant will allow us to provide laptops and other resources to the people we serve. It will make a significant difference in the lives of people with disabilities. With these new tools and resources, we can help individuals to overcome barriers to independence, access critical services and opportunities, and lead more fulfilling lives.” community or individual impacts the health of all. Advancing health equity is essential to ensuring that all Minnesotans have the opportunity to be as healthy as they can be. Halkeno’s expertise and leadership will help us move forward in our work.”

“I envision a public health system that promotes health equity and combats the root causes of health disparities,” Tura said. “I’ve worked to eliminate health disparities all my career, and I look forward to leading this missioncritical bureau to advance equity for all Minnesotans.”

Lee named to Opportunity Partners board

Jack Lee has joined the board of directors for Opportunity Partners, a Twin Cities disability services nonprofit.

Lee serves as the executive director of Voyageur Outward Bound School (VOBS). He brings many years of business and nonprofit leadership, including at Intel Corporation and Youth Frontiers. He has been involved in Rotary, served on the board of Upstream Arts and was a part of volunteer leadership at the Basilica of St. Mary. He and his wife Laura have three children and enjoy long road trips.

Established in 1953, Opportunity Partners is celebrating 70 years of advancing the quality of life for people with disabilities. Opportunity Partners is a Twin Cities nonprofit that offers employment, enrichment and residential services that help people with disabilities earn an income, live as independently as possible, and participate as active members of the community.

Accord awarded technology grant

Accord, a non-profit organization in the Twin Cities dedicated to empowering people with disabilities, announced that it has received a grant from the state of Minnesota to support its mission of helping people live their greatest lives by giving back to the community and making a difference through innovative technology. The tech grant, which was awarded through a highly competitive process, will enable Accord to expand its efforts to provide cutting-edge technology solutions that benefit individuals with disabilities that are in need.

Accord will be able to provide laptops, education, and support its ongoing programs that promote digital literacy and accessibility. The programs will provide critical support and resources

Accord has a long history of advocating for the rights and needs of people with disabilities. Accord provides a wide range of services and support to individuals with disabilities and their families, including advocacy, education, day support and employment programs.