Fall Sports Yearbook 2019

A.L. football prepares for big season

FALL 2019

L.M. volleyball seeks continued success

Wednesday, September 4, 2019 ALBERT LEA / GLENVILLE-EMMONS / ALDEN-CONGER / NRHEG / UNITED SOUTH CENTRAL / LAKE MILLS / NORTHWOOD-KENSETT

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FALL SPORTS YEARBOOK

2019 Starting 4

4

10

Albert Lea girls’ tennis gets new leadership in the form of co-head coaches

17

N-K football eyes a run at a playoff spot despite losing all eight defensive starters

22

Alden-Conger looks to underclassmen to help fill roles left by last year’s class

25

NRHEG football returns after a trip to the state tournament in 2018 season

Dawn of a new era for A.L. football Lake Mills volleyball primed to continue conference dominance

PAGE 21

12

18

GETTING BACK IN THE POOL

GOALS SET HIGH

Albert Lea junior seeks fifth trip to state swim and dive meet

United South Central football hopes for a return to the state tournament

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FALLSPORTSYEARBOOK Editor Tyler Julson Contributing writers Tyler Julson, Colleen Harrison and Sarah Kocher Cover design by Colleen Harrison Cover photo of JJ Mucha-Owens Photos by Colleen Harrison, Lory Groe, Alllisa Sauer and Tyler Julson To purchase advertising, call 507-379-3427 or fax 507-373-0333 To subscribe, call 507-373-1411

DAWN OF A NEW ERA BRINGS

By Tyler Julson

T

he hype level for Albert Lea football is the highest it has been in a long time. Thanks to the return of several talented players, the energy put forth by the captains and coaches, and the addition of a new state-of-the-art facility, the excitement within the community is palpable.

Despite going 2-8 in 2018, the Tigers were in nearly every game they played. Four of their eight losses came by deficits of seven points or less, including a one-touchdown loss to the eventual Class AAA state runners-up, Fairmont.

In the 2018 season, the Tigers were outscored just 286-215, a difference vastly smaller than many years prior.

Last season also saw the Tigers’ first section playoff victory in over 10 years with a dominating 52-24 win over Red Wing.

“The culture within our team is set, along with the expectations and standards for performance,” said fourthyear head coach Corey Black. “The young men on this team have 100% bought in and trust their leaders and coaches to put them in places to succeed. Our trust in each other will help us execute when we get into tight games, or face adversity within the season.”

Even with all the excitement, the team did not want to set the goals too high for the season just yet.

Their main goal is to execute their jobs in the moment, thus eliminating the missed opportunities that plagued last year’s season.

GAVYN TLAMKA

4 | FALL SPORTS YEARBOOK • Wednesday, SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

Black talked about what the factors are going to be that allow the team to reach those goals.

“Playing fast and trusting our scheme and techniques will be key for our success this year,” Black said.

“Both our offensive and defensive schemes have been streamlined in order to make our student-athletes feel comfortable and confident when the pressure is on.”

The team lost a bit of experience from last season and, according to Black, that will be the biggest difference between the two teams. However, many key athletes from key positions will make their return, allowing Black to keep much of the same schemes that started to blossom last year.

The limited amount of turnover has allowed the coaching staff to focus on teaching the in-depth aspects of the already installed offense and defense rather than reteaching the basics.

“There is an added cohesiveness to this team that has been created with the terminology and learning being the same,” Black said. “Having talented guys step into leadership roles has really streamlined the learning process for the inexperienced guys, because our more experienced players are very knowledgeable on our scheme.

“This team fully resembles our motto of ‘One Team, One Fight,’ As a group we are willing to do what needs to happen to get the job done. The focus is on the team being the best it can possibly be.”

Black said the team’s biggest strength this season is going to be the offensive line. According to Black, the

LOGAN HOWE

line features many smart and physically tough individuals who can play multiple positions. Their ability to protect the quarterback and open up holes for the running game will be pivotal in the success of the team this year.

The backfield will be led by returning All-Conference honoree J.J. Mucha-Owens, along with returning quarterback Logan Howe.

Another major difference this season will be the playing field. After many years on Hammer Field, the Tigers will now play in the new Hammer Complex complete with a new field house and artificial turf. According to

Black, the new stadium is also providing a big boost to the mentality of the team.

“Although the old stadium had history, the new stadium gives a ton of pride to this team,” Black said. “It is something that we are very lucky to have and gives some extra motivation for our students to play harder and defend their own turf.”

The Tigers started their season Aug. 30 against Winona, in what was scheduled as a home game but was played at Rochester Technical and Community College. Their first game in the new stadium will be Sept. 13 against Rochester Mayo.

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ALBERT LEA GIRLS’

SOCCER

By Tyler Julson

U

nder new leadership, the Albert Lea girls’ soccer team looks to improve from a 7-7-2 record from last season.

As long-time assistant coach David Schultz makes the transition into the head coaching role, he will lean on the experience of the team’s 13 returning letter winners.

Those returning letter winners include seniors Sydney Nelson, Sydney Collins, Marissa Vogt, Emily Bos and Turena Schultz; juniors Cynthia Herrera, Laura Flaherty, Lucy Sherman, Maddie Schneider and Mikayla Hillman; and sophomores Esther Yoon, Abigail Chalmers and

SYDNEY NELSON

Lucy Stay.

Schultz has set the high goal of winning Section 2A and advancing to the state tournament.

According to Schultz, the keys to success this season will be the team’s culture and respect for the game.

“(The key is a) strong team culture that embraces above the line characteristics, relentless effort, dedication, team synergy and love and respect for each other,” he said.

The Tigers started the regular season with a road game Aug. 24 in Mankato.

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ALBERT LEA BOYS’

SOCCER

By Tyler Julson

T

he Albert Lea boys’ soccer team will look to replace a host of Section 2A All-Stars when it starts the 2019 season.

The Tigers lose Zach Slegh, Tim Kruen and Phil Ter, all of whom represented Albert Lea in the section All-Star game last season, as well as starting goalkeeper Jayden Emerson.

Leading the Tigers onto the next step will be senior captains and 2018 All-Big Nine honorees Cole Indrelie and Lei Htoo. Head coach Zac Luther described Indrelie as a natural leader and role model not only in the field, but in the classroom and community as well.

Luther said Htoo stormed on the scene as a goal scorer last season, has and excellent work ethic and is a great team player.

Joining Htoo and Indrelie are returning letter winners: seniors Daniel Chalmers, Aung Win, Sam Yoon, Campbell Cichosz and Angel Bermudez-Calvario; and juniors Dante Lopez, Erick Cibert-Palomo and Caleb Hanson.

“I think we will see some reworking of our lineup and that might lead to some growing pains,” Luther said. “Last year it took awhile for us to find our stride. I think we can learn from the struggles last season and hopefully gel as a team more quickly. I think we will be a competitive team in our conference and I expect to host a playoff game in our new stadium. I’d like to see us finish in the top half of the Big Nine

ANGEL BERMUDEZ-CALVARIO

and compete for a top-four seed in our section.”

Luther said the team strength is going to be the midfield. The Tigers return all three of the starting central midfielders and controlling the midfield will be a big factor in winning games this season, according to Luther.

Their weakness will be the unknown. While Luther is confident he has athletes who can step up and take on the roles last year’s seniors left, the only question is how long it will take some of those players to adjust to the speed and physicality of the varsity game.

Luther talked about the keys to success in 2019.

8 | FALL SPORTS YEARBOOK • Wednesday, SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

“(The keys are) reloading the defense and building confidence and chemistry with the new squad,” Luther said. “Once we get rolling, we are a tough team to stop, as we have shown the last two seasons when we have gone on runs of four or five games unbeaten.”

Luther expects Austin and Rochester Mayo to be the top contenders in the Big Nine Conference this season and Worthington to be the team to beat in the section.

The Tigers were the first team to compete in the new Hammer Field Complex on Sept. 3 with a match against Austin. They kicked off their season Aug. 24 with an away game in Mankato.

ALBERT LEA

VOLLEYBALL

By Tyler Julson

C

oming off a winless season, the Albert Lea volleyball team is hoping to take a step in the right direction and get back on a winning path.

Helping the Tigers take that step in the 2019 season will be returning seniors Mallory Evans, Lauren Miller, Karla Obregon, Emma Renchin and Shayna Skaar; juniors Carissa Nelson and Emilee Bauer and sophomore Annika Veldman.

The Tigers will need to replace a handful of seniors from last season, all of whom played a significant amount of time on the varsity court.

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Those players include Kallie Holl, Courtney Harmdierks, Kailey VanRiper, Kendra Olson, Mikaela Pannkuk and Khira Hacker.

Albert Lea ended its season last year with a first-round 3-0 section

loss to Farmington.

The Tigers got their season off to a start Aug. 29 with a road match in Burnsville. Its first home match is scheduled for Sept. 10, when Austin comes to town.

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ALBERT LEA GIRLS’

TENNIS

By Tyler Julson

T

he Albert Lea girls’ tennis team will be under new leadership to start the year for the third consecutive season. Only this time, the Tigers will have co-head coaches in Karol Hanson and Jannessa Runia-Bade. It will be both of their first times as head coach of the tennis team.

Coming off a 3-9 record in 2019, the Tigers will lean on the leadership of returning letter winner and Big Nine All Conference honorable mention Samantha Skarstad.

Joining Skarstad as returning letter winners are seniors Kayla Christenson, Makenzie Herr, Riley Johnson, Kaedyn

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Kirchner, Brooke Maier, Maggie Moller, Madison Prihoda and Carley Talamantes; and juniors Hannah Conn, Dominica Eckstrom and Shelby Hanson.

“Sam Skarstad is a strong leader, positive role model and excellent athlete,” Hansen said. “We also have an experienced group of juniors led by Shleby Hanson and sophomores.”

The Tigers lost No. 1 singles player and captain Lexus Saltou and Maddie Schei.

Hansen said the major strengths of this year’s team are going to be its positive attitudes and its determination to work hard. According to Hansen, this squad has a good number of well-respected leaders who bring both experience and positivity.

The goal for the Tigers this season is to build upon their fundamental skills, make improvements every day, be competitive and make each shot better than the last. The ways they are going to reach those goals are growth, mindset and grit.

SHELBY HANSON

“I think if we can strengthen our fundamentals by reflecting on each shot and working to continually improve, and if we can build mental toughness, we will be successful and achieve our goal of rising together,” Hansen said.

Hansen said she expects Rochester

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Mayo and Owaonna to be the toughest competition in the Big Nine this year.

The Tigers started their season Aug. 20 with an away triangular against Rochester John Marshall and Rochester Century. Their first home match was Aug. 27 against Owatonna.

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ALBERT LEA GIRLS’

SWIMMING

By Tyler Julson

T

he Albert Lea girls’ swim team will have a big hole to fill in its roster when they begin the 2019 season. After losing six-year state qualifier Emily Taylor, the Tigers will lean heavily on junior and four-year state qualifier Jaeda Koziolek.

Koziolek, a returning All-Big Nine and backstroke state qualifier, is one of 11 returning letter winners.

Senior Odelia Jensen, junior Ishika Jain; sophomores Brooke Hanson, Leah Rognes, Taya Jeffrey, Aliyah Studier and Taylor Palmer; freshman Ava Troster and eighth graders Emery Brouwers and Hattie Adams return to the team that finished last season with an overall record of 1-11.

Head coach David Voller talked about Koziolek, the size of some of the other classes and the impact they will have on this year’s team. “(Jaeda) is our do-it-all swimmer, state-level competitor and mutli-time all-conference winner,” Voller said. “Our entire returning sophomore and eighth-grade group are big, talented classes that we are looking for a jump in their development to make us a more competitive team.”

Voller said he expects the team to make a jump this year when it comes to qualifying girls in the top 16 of the section and conference meets. The key to reaching that expectation is going to be their ability to grow, both as a team and individually.

The size of the team is going to

JAEDA KOZIOLEK

TAYA JEFFREY

play as both a strength and a weakness this season, according to Voller.

With having a majority of their swimmers in grades eight through 10, the ability to get everyone in the pool and competing in varsity meets is much higher, meaning there will be plenty of experience gained throughout the year. However, being the smallest team in the Big Nine makes it difficult to win many meets, and the small numbers may leave

12 | FALL SPORTS YEARBOOK • Wednesday, SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

some events open.

In his third year as head coach, Voller will be assisted by Angel Welch. Voller expects Rochester Century, Rochester Mayo and Northfield to be the top contenders in the Big Nine Conference. He said Mankato West will be the favorite to win the section.

The Tigers dove headfirst into their season with a home meet Aug. 29 against the Packers of Austin.

ALBERT LEA

CROSS COUNTRY

By Tyler Julson

T

he Albert Lea boys’ cross country team returns in 2019 with five of the seven runners who took seventh place in the 2018 section meet.

Seniors Sonny Ortega-Roselli and Travis Jensen, juniors Aaron Bauers and Logan Barr, and freshman Gavin Henke will be the key athletes returning for the Tigers. Ortega-Roselli was named to the Big Nine All-Conference team last season and was one place away from a trip to the state meet.

Joining those five are returning letter winners: senior Colby Pathammavong and sophomore Isaac Greinger.

Missing from the lineup this year are Grant Herfindahl and JV Moreno Head coach Jim Haney said the boys are hungry to win the Big Nine Conference and are very dedicated to improving during each meet. Haney expects them to finish in the top four at the conference meet and in the top five of the section meet.

Haney said the keys to success this season will be the same for both the boys’ and girls’ squads.

“Stay healthy and use the experience both the boys and girls have gained in earlier meets to be the best they can be at the conference and section meets in October,” Haney said.

Red Wing and Rochester Century are Haney’s picks to compete for the conference title, and Lakeville North and South will join Red Wing and Rochester Century for top spots in the section.

Girls return full team from section meet

Like the boys’ team, the Albert Lea

SONNY ORETGA ROSELI

KRISTINA ESPINOSA

girls’ team returns a good portion of their team that ran at the section meet.

However, the girls are faring better with all seven of the runners coming back.

Juniors Jaiden Venem, Kat Uthke and Abby Thompson; sophomore Karime Ponciano and freshmen Joey Maiden, Kristina Espinosa and Jai Maligaya all return as key athletes for Haney. Junior Htoo Wah Shee also returns as a letter winner from 2018.

With a 12th-place finish at the Big

Nine meet last year and a 16th-place finish at the section meet, Haney expects the experienced group to improve after every meet. Haney has no specific goal for the girls’ this season; he just wants to see them get more events under their belts and finish as high as they can by the time the end of the season rolls around.

Haney expects Rochester Century to be the favorites in the Big Nine and Farmington to be the favorites in Section 1AA.

Wednesday, SEPTEMBER 4, 2019 • FALL SPORTS YEARBOOK | 13

ALL-AREA FALL 2019

CALENDAR Sept. 5 (THU) Volleyball: Albert Lea at Rochester Century, 7 p.m.

Alden-Conger at Janesville-WaldorfPemberton, 7:15 p.m.

NRHEG at Hayfield, 7:15 p.m.

United South Central at Medford, 7:15 p.m.

Leroy-Ostrander at Glenville-Emmons, 7:15 p.m.

West Fork at Northwood-Kensett, 7 p.m.

Lake Mills at Bishop-Garrigan, 7 p.m.

Boys’ soccer: Albert Lea at Faribault, 7 p.m.

Girls’ soccer: Faribault at Albert Lea, 7 p.m.

Girls’ swim and dive: Owatonna at Albert Lea, 6 p.m.

Boys’ and girls’ cross country: NRHEG and United South Central at Tri-City United, 4:15 p.m.

Northwood-Kensett at Charles City, 4:30 p.m.

Girls’ tennis: Albert Lea at Red Wing, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 6 (FRI) Football: Albert Lea at Red Wing, 7 p.m.

Waterville-Elysian-Morristown at AldenConger/Glenville-Emmons, 7 p.m.

United South Central at Cleveland, 7 p.m.

Harris Lake Park at Northwood-Kensett, 7 p.m.

West Fork at Lake Mills, 7 p.m.

Blue Earth at NRHEG, 7 p.m.

Boys’ and girls’ cross country: Albert Lea at Faribault, 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 7 (SAT) Volleyball: Alden-Conger at Hayfield, 9 a.m.

Lake Mills at Algona, 9 a.m.

Girls’ tennis: Austin at United South Central, 9 a.m.

Sept. 9 (MON) Volleyball: Alden-Conger at Goodhue, 7:15 p.m.

Fairmont at NRHEG, 7:15 p.m.

Girls’ soccer: Albert Lea at Austin, 7 p.m.

Sept. 10 (TUE) Volleyball: Austin at Albert Lea, 7 p.m.

Nicollet at Alden-Conger, 7:15 p.m.

Glenville-Emmons at Randolph, 7:15 p.m.

Northwood-Kensett at Rockford, 7 p.m.

Boys’ soccer: Albert Lea at Winona, 7 p.m.

Girls’ soccer: Winona at Albert Lea, 7 p.m.

Girls’ swim and dive: Tri City United at Albert Lea, 6 p.m.

Boys’ and girls’ cross country: NRHEG at Blooming Prairie, 4:30 p.m.

Northwood-Kensett and Lake Mills at Belmond-Klemme, 4:30 p.m.

Girls’ tennis: Albert Lea at Winona, 4:30 p.m.

United South Central at Southwest Christian, 4:15 p.m.

Sept. 12 (THU) Volleyball: Waterville-Elysian-Morristown at NRHEG, 7:15 p.m.

United South Central at Bethlehem Academy, 7:15 p.m.

Kingsland at Glenville-Emmons, 7:15 p.m.

Eagle Grove at Lake Mills, 7 p.m.

Boys’ soccer: Owatonna at Albert Lea, 7 p.m.

Girls’ soccer: Albert Lea at Owatonna, 7 p.m.

Girls’ swim and dive: Albert Lea at Red Wing, 6 p.m.

Boys’ and girls’ cross country: Albert Lea at Rochester, 4 p.m.

NRHEG and United South Central at Maple River, 4:30 p.m.

Girls’ tennis: Faribault at Albert Lea, 4:30 p.m.

Sibley East at United South Central, 4:15 p.m.

Sept. 13 (FRI) Football: Rochester Mayo at Albert Lea, 7 p.m.

Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons at United South Central, 7 p.m.

Northwood-Kensett at Dunkerton, 7 p.m.

Lake Mills at Bishop Garrigan, 7 p.m.

St. James at NRHEG, 7 p.m.

Sept. 14 (SAT) Volleyball: NRHEG at St. Peter (tournament), 9 a.m.

Northwood-Kensett and Lake Mills at Central Springs, 9 a.m.

Boys’ soccer: Fairmont at Albert Lea, 5 p.m.

Girls’ soccer: Albert Lea at Loyola Catholic, 5:30 p.m.

Girls’ tennis: United South Central at St. James Area, 9 a.m.

Sept. 16 (MON) Volleyball: Blooming Prairie at Alden-Conger, 7:15 p.m.

Janesville-WaldorfPemberton at NRHEG, 7:15 p.m.

Maple River at United South Central, 7:15 p.m.

Glenville-Emmons at Spring Grove, 7:15 p.m.

Boys’ and girls’ cross country: Albert Lea and United South Central at Fairmont, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 17 (TUE) Volleyball: Albert Lea at Faribault, 7 p.m.

United South Central at Alden-Conger, 7:15 p.m.

NRHEG at Le Sueur-Henderson, 7 p.m.

Newman Catholic at Northwood-Kensett, 7 p.m.

14 | FALL SPORTS YEARBOOK • Wednesday, SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

Lake Mills at Garner-Hayfield-Ventura, 7 p.m.

Girls’ soccer: Rochester Lourdes at Albert Lea, 7 p.m.

Boys’ and girls’ cross country: NRHEG meet at home, 4:30 p.m.

Northwood-Kensett and Lake Mills at Osage, 4:30 p.m.

Girls’ tennis: Mankato East at Albert Lea, 4:30 p.m.

Le Sueur-Henderson at United South Central, 4:15 p.m.

Sept. 19 (THU) Volleyball: Albert Lea at Winona, 7:15 p.m.

Alden-Conger at Cleveland, 7:15 p.m.

Bethlehem Academy at NRHEG, 7:15 p.m.

Hayfield at United South Central, 7:15 p.m.

Schaeffer Academy at Glenville-Emmons, 7:15 p.m.

Boys’ soccer: Northfield at Albert Lea, 7 p.m.

Girls’ soccer: Albert Lea at Northfield, 7 p.m.

Girls’ swim and dive: Faribault at Albert Lea, 6 p.m.

Girls’ tennis: Albert Lea at Mankato West, 4 p.m.

United South Central at Tri-City United, 4:15 p.m.

Sept. 20 (FRI) Football: Faribault at Albert Lea, 7 p.m.

Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons at Mayer Lutheran, 7 p.m.

United South Central at Lester Prairie/ Holy Trinity, 7 p.m.

Northwood-Kensett at North Iowa, 7 p.m.

North Union at Lake Mills, 7 p.m.

NRHEG at Martin County West, 7 p.m.

Sept. 21 (SAT) Volleyball: Lake Mills at Forest City, 9 a.m.

Boys’ soccer: Albert Lea at Worthington, 1 p.m.

Girls’ soccer: Worthington at Albert Lea, 1 p.m.

Boys’ and girls’ cross country: Albert Lea at Winona, 9:30 a.m.

United South Central at Milaca, 10 a.m.

Girls’ tennis: United South Central at Jordan, 9 a.m.

Sept. 23 (MON) Volleyball: Alden-Conger at Maple River, 7:15 p.m.

St. Clair at United South Central, 7:15 p.m.

Girls’ tennis: United South Central at Blue Earth Area, 4:30 p.m.

Boys’ and girls’ cross country: NorthwoodKensett and Lake Mills at West Fork, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 24 (TUE) Volleyball: Owatonna at Albert Lea, 7 p.m.

Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial at AldenConger, 7:15 p.m.

Blooming Prairie at NRHEG, 7:15 p.m.

Glenville-Emmons at Lyle-Pacelli, 7:15 p.m.

Northwood-Kensett at Central Springs, 7 p.m.

North Union at Lake Mills, 7 p.m.

Boys’ soccer: Mankato East at Albert Lea, 7 p.m.

Girls’ soccer: Albert Lea at Mankato East, 5 p.m.

Boys’ and girls’ cross country: Albert Lea at Mankato, 3:45 p.m.

Girls’ tennis: Albert Lea at Austin, 4:30 p.m.

Maple River at United South Central, 4:15 p.m.

Sept. 26 (THU) Volleyball: Albert Lea at Mankato West, 7 p.m.

Alden-Conger at St. Clair, 7:15 p.m.

NRHEG at United South Central, 7:15 p.m.

Glenville-Emmons at Mabel-Canton, 7:15 p.m.

Boys’ soccer: Albert Lea at Rochester John Marshall, 7 p.m.

Girls’ soccer: Rochester John Marshall at Albert Lea, 7 p.m.

Girls’ swim and dive: Rochester John Marshall at Albert Lea, 6 p.m.

Boys’ and girls’ cross country: NRHEG and United South Central at Waterville-ElysianMorristown, 4:30 p.m.

Northwood-Kensett and Lake Mills at Central Springs, 4:30 p.m.

Girls’ tennis: Jordan at United South Central, 4:15 p.m.

Sept. 27 (FRI) Football: Albert Lea at Mankato East, 7 p.m.

St. Clair-Loyola at Alden-Conger/GlenvilleEmmons, 7 p.m.

Mayer Lutheran at United South Central, 7 p.m.

Riceville at Northwood-Kensett, 7 p.m.

Lake Mills at Sumner-Fredericksburg, 7 p.m.

Le Sueur-Henderson at NRHEG, 7 p.m.

Sept. 28 (SAT) Volleyball: United South Central at Nicollet (tournament), 9 a.m.

Northwood-Kensett at Dunkerton, 9 a.m.

Lake Mills at Nevada, 9 a.m.

Girls’ soccer: Rochester Century at Albert Lea, 1 p.m.

Girls’ tennis: Albert Lea at Rochester (Conference meet), 9 a.m.

United South Central at Belle Plaine, 9 a.m.

Sept. 30 (MON) Volleyball: Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial at United South Central, 7:15 p.m.

Boys’ and girls’ cross country: NorthwoodKensett and Lake Mills at Garner-HayfieldVentura, 4:30 p.m.

Lyle-Pacelli at Glenville-Emmons, 7:15 p.m.

Northwood-Kensett at Osage, 7 p.m.

Forest City at Lake Mills, 7 p.m.

Boys’ and girls’ cross country: Albert Lea at Austin, 4:30 p.m.

NRHEG at United South Central, 4:45 p.m.

Oct. 1 (TUE) Volleyball: Northfield at Albert Lea, 7 p.m.

Martin County West at Alden-Conger, 7:15 p.m.

Glenville-Emmons at Leroy-Ostrander, 7:15 p.m.

St. Ansgar at Northwood-Kensett, 7 p.m.

Lake Mills at North Iowa, 7 p.m.

Boys’ soccer: Albert Lea at Red Wing, 7 p.m.

Girls’ soccer: Red Wing at Albert Lea, 7 p.m.

Oct. 10 (THU) Football: United South Central at St. Clair, 7 p.m.

Volleyball: Albert Lea at Red Wing, 7:15 p.m.

Maple River at NRHEG, 7:15 p.m.

United South Central at Waterville-ElysianMorristown, 7:15 p.m.

Glenville-Emmons at Schaeffer Academy, 7:15 pm.

Girls’ swim and dive: Mankato West at Albert Lea, 6 p.m.

Oct. 3 (THU) Volleyball: Mankato East at Albert Lea, 7 p.m.

Alden-Conger at Martin Luther-GHECTruman, 7:15 p.m.

NRHEG at Blooming Prairie, 7:15 p.m.

United South Central at Maple River, 7:15 p.m.

Randolph at Glenville-Emmons, 7:15 p.m.

Boys’ soccer: Rochester Mayo at Albert Lea, 7 p.m.

Girls’ soccer: Albert Lea at Rochester Mayo, 7 p.m.

Girls’ swim and dive: Albert Lea at Mankato East, 6 p.m.

Boys’ and girls’ cross country: Albert Lea at Owatonna, 4 p.m.

NRHEG and United South Central at Waseca, 4 p.m.

Oct. 4 (FRI) Football: Kasson-Mantorville at Albert Lea, 7 p.m.

Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons at Cleveland, 7 p.m.

Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton at United South Central, 7 p.m.

Don Bosco at Northwood-Kensett, 7 p.m.

North Butler at Lake Mills, 7 p.m.

NRHEG at Maple River, 7 p.m.

Oct. 5 (SAT) Volleyball: Alden-Conger at St. Clair (tournament), 9 a.m.

NRHEG and United South Central at Blue Earth Area (tournament), 9 a.m.

Girls’ swim and dive: Albert Lea at Cambridge, 1 p.m.

Oct. 7 (MON) Volleyball: Tri-City United at NRHEG, 7:15 p.m.

Boys’ and girls’ cross country: NorthwoodKensett at Lake Mills, 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 8 (TUE) Volleyball: Albert Lea at Rochester John Marshall, 7 p.m.

Loyola Catholic at Alden-Conger, 7:15 p.m.

United South Central at Janesville-WaldorfPemberton, 7:15 p.m.

7 p.m.

Lake Mills at Osage, 7 p.m.

Volleyball: Alden-Conger at Rochester Century (tournament), 5 p.m.

Oct. 19 (SAT) Volleyball: Alden-Conger at Rochester Century (tournament), 10 a.m.

Oct. 11 (FRI) Football: Albert Lea at New Prague, 7 p.m.

Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity at AldenConger/Glenville-Emmons, 7 p.m.

Northwood-Kensett at Janesville, 7 p.m.

Lake Mills at AplingtonParkersburg, 7 p.m.

Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial at NRHEG, 7 p.m.

Oct. 14 (MON) Volleyball: Medford at NRHEG, 7:15 p.m.

Boys’ and girls’ cross country: Northwood-Kensett and Lake Mills at Forest City, 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 15 (TUE) Volleyball: Rochester Mayo at Albert Lea, 7 p.m.

Alden-Conger at Madelia, 7:15 p.m.

Blooming Prairie at United South Central, 7:15 p.m.

North Iowa at Northwood-Kensett, 7 p.m.

Lake Mills at Nashua-Plainfield, 6 p.m.

Girls’ swim and dive: Albert Lea at Northfield, 6 p.m.

Boys’ and girls’ cross country: Albert Lea at Owatonna (Conference meet), 3:30 p.m.

NRHEG and United South Central at Hayfield, 4 p.m.

Oct. 16 (WED) Football: Albert Lea at Austin, 7 p.m.

Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons at Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton, 7 p.m.

Waterville-Elysian-Morristown at United South Central, 7 p.m.

NRHEG at Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop, 7 p.m.

Oct. 17 (THU) Boys’ and girls’ cross country: Northwood-Kensett and Lake Mills at NIACC (conference meet), 3:30 p.m.

Oct. 18 (FRI) Football: Northwood-Kensett at Tripoli,

NorthwoodKensett at GarnerHayfield-Ventura, 9 a.m.

Lake Mills at Algona, 9 a.m.

Oct. 24 (THU) Boys’ and girls’ cross country: Albert Lea at Owatonna (section meet), 3 p.m.

Northwood-Kensett and Lake Mills at TBD (district meet), TBD Oct. 25 (FRI) Football: Rockford at Northwood-Kensett, 7 p.m.

Denver at Lake Mills, 7 p.m.

Oct. 26 (SAT) Girls’ swim and dive: Albert Lea at Rochester Rec Center (Conference meet), 1 p.m.

Wednesday, SEPTEMBER 4, 2019 • FALL SPORTS YEARBOOK | 15

NORTHWOOD-KENSETT

VOLLEYBALL

By Tyler Julson

A

fter a year away from the team, Heather Rheingans makes her return as head coach of the Northwood-Kensett volleyball team.

Last year, the Vikings finished the season with a 6-17 overall record and a 2-6 record in the Top of Iowa East Conference.

Despite losing All-Conference honorable mention player Laura Hopperstad, the Vikings return a handful of varsity experience to help them along the way.

Rheingans expects seniors Natalie Cordle, Clara Davidson and Jaela Parks to be the key athletes this season. Rheingans said she expects Cordle, last season’s offensive MVP, to put up big numbers in both kills and blocks this season as a middle-hitter. She also said Davidson has put in a lot of extra work over the summer and has vastly improved in her hitting and defensive coverage.

Rheingans expects the team to finish in the middle to top half of

CLARA DAVIDSON

the conference this season.

She said the Vikings’ biggest strength is going to be the leadership and resilience brought forth by the returning upperclassmen.

“We have a lot of seniors that are strong, positive leaders,” Rheingans said, “We also have a lot of players that will not give up easily.”

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Rheingans will be assisted this year by Morgan Howie. She expects the conference favorites to be St. Ansgar.

The Vikings got their season started Aug. 27 with a road game against the Wildcats of Riceville..

Their first home match was Aug. 29 against North Butler.

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NORTHWOOD-KENSETT

FOOTBALL

By Colleen Harrison

I

n his 32nd year as the Vikings’ head football coach, Dave Capitani will look to lead Northwood-Kensett to another winning season.

Coming off of last year’s 8-2 overall and 7-1 district record, Capitani will be assisted by Daryl Love, Marty Cotter, Steve Hartman, Ryan Parker, Jordan Reindl, Trevor Hunt and Hunter Julson.

While the team lost a large group of seniors from last year — including eight defensive starters — a number of returning letter winners will be back on the field for the Vikings.

Tristan Rothove, senior offensive lineman and linebacker; Caden Schrage, senior quarterback and defensive back; Gideon Rollene, senior offensive and defensive lineman; Ethan Thofson, senior offensive and defensive lineman; Blake Hagen, senior tight end and defensive lineman; Cade Hengesteg, junior quarterback and linebacker; Brandon Varner, junior running back and linebacker; Kale Julseth, junior quarterback and defensive NORTHWOOD-KENSETT

CROSS COUNTRY

By Tyler Julson

B

ack for their third year since the teams were reinstated, the NorthwoodKensett boys’ and girls’ cross country squads return behind the leadership of one dominant runner on each team.

The girls are led by senior Lindsey Davidson, who will be hunting for her third straight state meet bid. Davidson, a

GIDDEON ROLLENE

back; Carter Severson, junior running back and defensive back; Isaac Renteria, junior offensive and defensive lineman; Kyle Nichols, sophomore running back and defensive lineman; Tyler Mills, sophomore running back and linebacker; and Logan Mayberry, sophomore tight end, defensive back and kicker, all return for Northwood-Kensett.

While depth and experience on offense will be hurdles for the Vikings to overcome, Capitani said three returning All-

two-time Top of Iowa All-Conference runner, is the only female returning letter winner.

The boys’ team will be led by returning letter winners senior Makaio Hoch, junior Nathan Hanneman and sophomore Hayden Moore. Hanneman was named to the Top of Iowa All-Conference second team in 2018.

While the numbers are low for the Vikings, the boys’ team will be able to compete as a team for the first time since being reinstated, and Davidson comes back as one of the top runners in the area

District players on defense (Schrage, Rollene and Nichols) give the team a strong base to work around. Capitani still expects his team to compete for a district title as well as a state playoff berth.

“We need to develop more depth, stay healthy and continue to make progress for each day,” he said.

He considers Don Bosco and Rockford — teams Northwood-Kensett tied with last season for first in the district — to be favorites again this year. and will be at the top of the leaderboard in Class 1A. “(They’re a) group of hardworking kids who are willing to put the miles in,” said head coach Brendan Ehlke. “Experience is starting to be on our side compared to recent years.”

Ehlke said the keys to success this season are going to be putting in the miles early to build a strong base and the athletes pushing each other in practice every day.

Ehlke expects Newman Catholic to be the conference favorites on both the girls’ and boys’ sides.

Wednesday, SEPTEMBER 4, 2019 • FALL SPORTS YEARBOOK | 17

UNITED SOUTH CENTRAL

FOOTBALL

By Colleen Harrison

A

fter going undefeated in the regular season last year, the Rebels football team will hope to make up for the loss of multiple key players.

In his eighth year as a head coach — fourth at the helm for United South Central — Brandon Neseth will be assisted by Pat Frank, Steve Bushlack, Todd Rasmussen and Adam Rajtar.

Neseth considers Zach Niebuhr, senior running back and linebacker; and Issac Meyer, senior quarterback and defensive back, to be key returning athletes this season. “(Niebuhr) has basically destroyed all school records, he has 41 career touchdowns going into his senior year (and) he is also the school’s all-time leading rusher,” Neseth said. “Meyer had the fourth best single season in terms of passing yards last season and will look to build off that in 2019.”

Other returning athletes include letter winners Keagan Meyer, senior offensive and defensive lineman; Carson Wegner, senior offensive lineman and linebacker; Mark Bushlack, senior defensive back; Brevan Linder, senior defensive back and defensive

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lineman; Ethan Dallman, junior defensive back; Riley Staloch, junior defensive lineman; and Micah Hamson, junior linebacker and offensive lineman.

“We want to continue to build on our state run last season. We have a lot of the key components to have success in 1A football, a strong running game and stout defense,” Neseth said. “If we can continue to protect the football and play sound, we should be able to achieve our goals in 2019.”

He considers United South Central’s strength to be its running

game with the talent the team returns. Defensively, he said the Rebels will miss some of the graduated players, but said the team has a strong core back and will have a strong defensive line.

“I think a lot of our success hinges on not beating ourselves on offense and limiting the big play on defense,” Neseth said. “We need to be more successful throwing the football in 2018, which will open up a lot in our running game as well.”

He considers Mayer Lutheran or WEM to be conference favorites, and WEM to be the section favorite.

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UNITED SOUTH CENTRAL

VOLLEYBALL

By Sarah Kocher

A

young but athletic team from United South Central will take to the court this year with the intention of being competitive.

“These kids have put in a lot of time in the offseason, and they are about as coachable as they come,” head coach Joe Kuechenmeister said.

The coach said there may be some growing pains in a conference with two pre-season teams ranked in the top 10 in the state. The team lost seven seniors last year.

“Any time you lose that kind of experience, you have big shoes to fill,” Kuechenmeister said.

However, the team has retained several key athletes, including junior middle hitter Josie Schumann, sophomore outside hitUNITED SOUTH CENTRAL/ALDEN-CONGER

CROSS COUNTRY

By Sarah Kocher

A

t Alden-Conger and United South Central, the girls’ cross country team is strong and hungry.

Head coach Rita Augustine said the team will compete this year with a strong group of junior girls looking to improve individually and as a collective. As a group, they are creative and wellrounded, she said.

“We look forward to seeing the

ter Melany Ehlert and senior libero Kaylee Carlson.

“Josie is our biggest threat at the net, as she mixes a nice aggressive arm swing with an effective block,” Kuechenmeister said, also calling her a great competitor and “work horse.”

Ehlert will switch to outside hitter this season, as the coach said she is one of the best athletes the team can put on the floor nightly.

“She’s lightning-quick, jumps well, is a reliable passer and continues to work on consistency and mixing up her shots at the net,” Kuechenmeister said.

Returning letter winners include senior middle hitter Lexi Roberts, Schumann, Carlson, Ehlert and junior middle hitter Izzy O’Rourke.

The team’s success will hinge on

result of greater strength,” Augustine said.

However, according to the coach, the team is challenged by a gender imbalance.

“Cross country is a unique sport where boys and girls practice together, which aids in keeping it competitive and fun,” she said.

Returning letter-winners include juniors Trystan Servantez, Lauren Thunstedt, Bryn Evans, Jenny Mulholland, Kristen Hubbard and Allie Niebuhr.

Servantez made Gopher AllConference first team, Thunstedt made All-Conference second team and Bryn Evans was an All-

its abilities to serve, receive and play defense. The team will not frequently be the taller of the two, Kuechenmeister said, so it needs to have multiple middle hitter options.

Additionally, the coach said the team needs to stay healthy.

“Last year, we caught the injury bug big-time, with multiple starters suffering both major and/or season-ending injuries early on in the season,” Kuechenmeister said. “To maintain a high level of play, we need all of our kids healthy so they can continue to push and challenge each other through the duration of the season.”

Conference favorites are Waterville-Elysian-Morristown and Medford. Sections favorites are Waterville-Elysian-Morristown and Mayer Lutheran.

Conference honorable mention.

Servantez also received the 2018 Gopher Conference Sportsmanship Award.

Important for the team’s success is to get the fundamentals right: to stay healthy, run efficiently and “master the inner voice that all people have to face when doing difficult tasks,” Augustine said.

Conference favorites are Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton and Waterville-Elysian-Morristown.

Section favorite for the girls is Fairmont, while the boys’ is harder to pin down with several strong teams in the northern area of the section.

Wednesday, SEPTEMBER 4, 2019 • FALL SPORTS YEARBOOK | 19

LAKE MILLS

FOOTBALL

By Colleen Harrison

T

he Bulldogs will look to get back to the winning side of things after a 4-5 season in 2018.

Bill Byrnes returns for his 24th year at the helm — his 34th overall with the program, and will be assisted by Brady Kurtz, Chris Budach, Garrett Patterson, Skyler Ahrens and Ranen Spies.

Returning letter winners for the Lake Mills football team are Mason Fritz, senior quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back; Carson Eaton, junior running back and defensive back; A.J. Ramaker, sophomore long snapper; Colby Groe, senior wide receiver and defensive back; Dalton Thorson, junior running back and linebacker; Logan Prescott, senior running back and defensive back; Casey Hanson, junior running back and defensive back; Tyler Helgeson, senior running back and defensive back; Elijah Wagner, junior offensive lineman and linebacker; A.J. Carter, senior offensive lineman and linebacker; Brayden Lindeman, junior offensive and defensive lineman; Caleb Bacon,

CARSON EATON

junior offensive lineman and linebacker; Riley Kirschbaum, junior offensive and defensive lineman; Bennett Eaton, senior wide receiver and defensive back; and Blake Storby, senior offensive and defensive lineman.

“Offensively, we return many of our skill positions, which is great news for us,” Byrnes said. “We are very talented in those areas.”

He said the offensive line will be athletic, but won’t have a lot of size.

“We have athletes across the board on the offensive line, some are moving to new positions, so how they come together will be a key to our success,” Byrnes said. “Defensively,

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we have experience in the back seven, but once again, finding the four guys up front will be very important.”

He said the Bulldogs’ special teams were outstanding last year, and he’ll look to them to continue that standard.

“We hope to be pushing for a district title,” Byrnes said. “We have many key players back, but will look to be consistent on offense early in the season, as it took us time last year to find that consistency.”

He considers Osage, SumnerFredriksburg and Denver to be formidable district opponents this year.

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BULLDOGS SET SIGHTS ON

By Tyler Julson

T

he Lake Mills volleyball team enters the 2019 season looking to continue the dominance it has played with through the past 15 seasons.

The Bulldogs return five letter winners from last season, which is a high number according to 28th-year head coach Jim Boehmer.

Seniors Megan Groe, Jessa Gasteiger, Olivia Moen and Hope Levine, as well as junior Kylie Greenfield will be heavily relied upon to keep the team’s momentum rolling.

“With 15 straight seasons of more than 30 wins, we have demonstrated we can replace our graduating class,” Boehmer said. “Every year our goal is to prepare our previous year’s freshmen and JV team for varsity action this year. The success those younger players had last year will help fill our needs this season.

We have a talented incoming freshmen class that we add to the mix this year.”

The Bulldogs have won 14 of the last 15 regular season conference titles and were on a 14-year streak until last year when Forest City took the crown. That broken streak is a big factor motivating the team this year, according to Gasteiger.

“We want to redeem ourselves from last year, losing the conference,” Gasteiger said. “We also want to advance as far as we can in tournament play, with the main goal of making it to state.”

Lake Mills has advanced to the state tournament four times since 2001, with the last trip coming in 2012. In order to reach the state tournament for the first time in seven years, the Bulldogs will need great chemistry and court commu-

JESSA GASTEIGER

nication, both things the players said they already have.

“Everybody gets along and we have great chemistry,” said senior defensive specialist Kaylea Mary. “And you have to be willing to be coachable. If you can’t take criticism from anyone, then you’re not getting any better and really just hurting the team in the long run.”

There are many newcomers to the Bulldogs’ squad this year. Along with Mary, juniors Trisity Behrens, Summer Sterrenberg, Lexi Dean, MaKenna Hanson and Emma Hoffman; and sophomores Brooke Bergo, Leah Moen, Kenna Vanek, Erica Jordon and Kit Byers will all play a pivotal role in the team’s success this season, according to Boehmer.

With around 35 players out for the

team this season, Boehmer said there will be competition for some spots on the varsity roster. According to Boehmer, the competition will make the girls work that much harder and make them all better in the long run. He said it might take some time to figure out how they all mesh together and gel on the court.

“We have a number of players who have been working hard all summer that we will expect them to compete for a varsity uniform and for some of those open starting spots,” Boehmer said. “My biggest issue will be fitting these puzzle pieces together properly so we can be as quick as possible.”

The Bulldogs started their season on the road Aug. 29 against the Eagles of West Hancock. Their first home game was Sept. 3 against Belmond-Klemme.

Wednesday, SEPTEMBER 4, 2019 • FALL SPORTS YEARBOOK | 21

ALDEN-CONGER

VOLLEYBALL

By Sarah Kocher

S

ome key player losses means Alden-Conger’s volleyball team comes into the season inconsistent but working hard to improve.

Hard work is one of the team’s strengths, head coach Jolene Bute said.

“Our graduating seniors built an incredible foundation for us to build on,” Bute said. “So, we need to keep reloading.”

The team will reload with returning letter winners Mikenna Erickson, a senior hitter and utility player; junior Abbie Theusch, junior hitter Grace Erickson and sophomore libero Mallory Ignaszewski.

Erickson has been on varsity for all four of her years on the team and has a good work ethic and court sense, Bute said. She also provides leadership for the team.

Bute said Theusch has an incredible vertical and a powerful swing, while Ignaszewski has speed good knowledge of the game. Theusch and Ignaszewski were both All-Conference players. Theusch leads the team in kills, while Ignaszewski leads the team

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in digs.

The team lost Erika Bute, who led the team in several categories and played offense for the team since seventh grade. She now plays at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The team also lost Megan Linn and

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Autumn Soost, though Soost and Trinity Newman will coach the seventh- and eighth-grade teams this year.

Conference favorites are Cleveland and — hopefully, Bute said — AldenConger.

Section favorite is WatervilleElysian-Morristown.

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GLENVILLE-EMMONS

VOLLEYBALL

By Tyler Julson

T

he Glenville-Emmons volleyball team will look to rebuild the program after losing seven seniors from last year’s squad.

Despite the seven losses, the Wolverines also return seven letter winners. Seniors Chloe Anderson, Sara Allison, Kennedy Severtson and Jadelyn Williamson; junior Skyler Cosens, and sophomores Sydney strength, according to Belshan.

Rasmusson and Gracie Dahlum all return The team weaknesses will be its ability from a team that finished 2-7 last season. to control the speed of the game on its Several of the returners were at the top side of the court and maintaining mental of many statistical categories in 2018. toughness in rough patches of the Severtson led the team in assists, matches.

Anderson led the team in ace serves, “Our expectations are to improve on Dahlum led the team in digs and Cosens the past seasons while improving our volwas second in kills.

The losses include Hallee Miller, the team leader in kills and second in aces, blocks and digs; and Kenna Gaines, the team’s leader in blocks.

In her third season as head coach, 300 W Main St. • Glenville, MN •507-448-3981 Krystle Belshan said her returning players have put in a lot of work in the offseason and will come in with the mindset to improve on past sealand MObilE radiO sErviCEs sons. Their leadership on and off the service on all makes of radio & Paging Equipment court will be the Wolverines’ biggest 448-3717 101 1st ave. sW, Glenville, Mn

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leyball skills and finding our own way to play our game on our side of the court, no matter who our opponent is,” Belshan said.

They keys to success for GlenvilleEmmons this season will be playing smart, with communication, quickness and scrappiness.

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Wednesday, SEPTEMBER 4, 2019 • FALL SPORTS YEARBOOK | 23

A-C/G-E

FOOTBALL

By Colleen Harrison

T

he Knights football team returns with a new leader this season.

Casey Soost will coach the Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons team, with Jordan Johnson, Brady Neel and Alex Reichenbach assisting. Soost brings seven years of coaching experience to the job.

The Knights will look to improve on last year’s 5-4 record, all while playing the program’s first full season of 11-man football.

Returning letter winners include Dawson Dahlum, senior running back and defensive back; Dylan Gerber, senior lineman; Derek Miller, junior wide receiver and defensive back; Carter Newman, junior, lineman; Ethan Greenfield, junior lineman; Justin Nemec, senior lineman; and Isaac Burgett, junior running back and defensive back.

Soost considers Dahlum — previously named All-Conference, Burgett and Miller to be key returning athletes for AldenConger/Glenville-Emmons.

“Nobody works harder than” Dahlum at running back, he said, and he considers Burgett to be an explosive running back.

“When he gets in the open field, nobody will catch him,” Soost said of Burgett.

Soost said Miller is quick in his position at wide receiver and defensive back, and “makes good decisions on the field.”

While Soost said the team has

JOSIAH HEDENSTEN

strong skilled-position players, some size is needed for the line.

Keys to his team’s success will be blocking on the line, and the junior class will need to step up

24 | FALL SPORTS YEARBOOK • Wednesday, SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

and fill the void from last year’s graduated seniors, he said.

As the Knights are in a new conference, Soost couldn’t project any favorites as of press time.

NRHEG

FOOTBALL

By Colleen Harrison

I

n his second year as the Panthers’ head coach, Marc Kruger will look to keep the NRHEG football team’s momentum going this season.

Coming off of a 9-3 overall record and a 6-1 conference record, the returning Section 2AA champions will have their work cut out for them with the loss of several key players, such as Brady Agrimson, Alex Buckmeier, Quienten Arndt, Tyler Jaconson, Sawyer Vanmeldinghem and Jacob Schuller.

Letter winners who will return this season include Blake Ihrke, senior quarterback; Lonnie Wilson, senior wide receiver and defensive back; Mason Ferber, senior tight end and defensive end; Andrew Reichie, senior linebacker; Hunter Knutson, senior offensive and defensive lineman; Kordell Schlaak, junior defensive back; Nick Staloch, junior linebacker; and Branden Howieson, junior offensive lineman.

Kruger considers Ihrke, Wilson, Knutson, Schlaak, Teddy Gushwa, Evan Reyna, Staloch and Ferber to be key returning athletes this season.

Ihrke will return as the Panthers’ starting quarterback, after having an out-

BLAKE IHRKE

standing junior year last season with 1,700 yards and 24 touchdowns passing.

“He will be relied on heavily with all the new players replacing last year’s senior class,” Kruger said. “Blake led the area in passing yards last year.”

Kruger considers Wilson to be the top returning receiver and returner, and said he “is the type of player (who) can score from anywhere on the field.”

Knutson is the only returning lineman from last year on both offense and defense, Kruger said, and “is a force on both sides of the ball due to speed and strength.”

Schlaak will move to running back this season after being the backup quarterback. Kruger said Schlaak played as the wildcat quarterback and racked up 300

yards rushing last year.

He said Gushwa and Reyna are “two players looking to take over the other wide receiver spots after (the) graduation of Brady Agrimson and Jacob Schuller.”

Staloch will take over as the leader of the defense after playing on the weak side last year, Kruger said, and while Ferber was mainly a blocking tight end last year, Kruger wants the ball in his hands more this season.

“We will be a young team that will take its lumps yearly,” Kruger said. “There is enough talent to make another run for a section title, though.”

While he considers NRHEG to still be conference and section favorites, he considers Maple River to be a contender as well.

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Wednesday, SEPTEMBER 4, 2019 • FALL SPORTS YEARBOOK | 25

NRHEG

VOLLEYBALL

By Sarah Kocher

A

fter graduating 10 of its varsity players, the NRHEG volleyball program is preparing for what will be a completely different team this season.

“We graduated a lot of experience last year,” head coach Onika Peterson said. “... With that being said, I’m excited to see who steps up their game for this next level of play.”

She said the goal is to continue to grow and improve so the team is playing its best in time for playoffs.

Two students are returning with var-

sity playing time: junior libero Cambria Nissen and sophomore outside hitter Sophie Stork. Middle hitter Anna Jacobson and right hitter Elli Baker, both juniors, will also return to varsity.

Stork finished second in kills last season and third in digs. Nissen was consistent in the back row in serve receive and defensive coverage, Peterson said.

“We will look to both of these players for their varsity experience and leadership this upcoming season,”

Peterson said.

The team’s strength will be its energy, work ethic and desire to improve. To be successful, its players need to stay resilient and optimistic, the coach said.

Conference favorites are Medford or Waterville-Elysian-Morristown.

Section favorites are Stewartville or Kasson-Mantorville.

NRHEG volleyball’s best finish was in 2015, when it went 14-13 overall and was subsection runner-up. Last year, its overall record was 11-15-1.

NRHEG

CROSS COUNTRY

By Sarah Kocher

T

he NRHEG boys’ cross country team is making a run for the conference championship.

This is head coach Miles Otstot’s hope for this year’s season, but to get there, the team needs to stay focused and work hard every day, he said.

“If we are able to do that, this team should have a great year,” he said of the boys’ and girls’ teams.

The boys’ team is returning the entire team that took them to third in the conference.

“This should allow us to pick up where we left off last year,” Otstot said.

Those returners include returning letter winners Addison Deyle, senior;

Daniel Nydegger, junior; Caden Riewer, junior; Gavin Anderson, junior; Tylar Malakowsky, sophomore; and Eric Arvis, sophomore.

Nydegger and Deyle were both second team All-Conference, while Riewer was an All-Conference honorable mention. Nydegger was also team MVP. Deyle won the Panther Award — recognition for a hard worker who is essential to the team and makes everyone around them better, Otstot said.

Nydegger is the fastest returning runner, who ran a good season last year before ending early due to injury.

Riewer had a strong track season, Otstot said, and will hopefully continue growing in his contribution to the team.

26 | FALL SPORTS YEARBOOK • Wednesday, SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

Girls aim to field full team For the girls’ team, Otstot’s goal is to field a full team and work on individual improvement every race.

However, numbers is still a weakness for both the boys’ and girls’ teams, the coach said. Still, he said he hopes NRHEG can field full boys’ and girls’ teams for all varsity races this year.

Returning letter winners are seniors Micaela Vaale, Jade Mely and Mia Williams.

Vaale was an All-Conference honorable mention and team MVP, while Mely, also an All-Conference honorable mention, was the most improved athlete last year.

“Micaela is a hard worker, and we are looking forward to her having an injury-free season and building on her finish last year,” Otstot said.

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