Sports Journal Spring 2020 by Daily Journal

SPORTS JOURNAL

THE LOST SEASON: SENIORS WEIGH IN ON PANDEMIC THE DAILY JOURNAL SEASON AWARDS SPRING 2020

The Daily Journal media FERGUS FALLS / HILLCREST LUTHERAN ACADEMY / UNDERWOOD / BATTLE LAKE / HENNING / OTTER TAIL CENTRAL / PELICAN RAPIDS / ASHBY / WEST CENTRAL AREA / ROTHSAY/BRECKENRIDGE

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SPRING SPORTS JOURNAL

2020

SENIOR PERSPECTIVE 2 Ethan Olson

3 Sabrina Fronning 4 Thomas Zwiers

TEAM OF THE YEAR

5 Wyatt Blomseth 7 Nik Gardin 10 Halie Johnson 11 Parker Fraki 16 Maddie Guler

SURPRISE TEAM OF THE YEAR

GAME OF THE YEAR

SPRINGSPORTSJOURNAL Editor Zach Stich Contributing Writers Zach Stich, Mat Holding Eagle Cover design by Deb Erickson Photos by Mat Holding Eagle, Zach Stich, Tammie Olson Editing by Zach Stich and Mat Holding Eagle

17 Courtney Koefod 18 Kaleb Getz 20 Jayna Gronewold To purchase advertising, call 218-739-7019 To subscribe, call 218-739-7014 SPRING SPORTS JOURNAL â&#x20AC;¢ SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2020 | 1

FERGUS FALLS

ETHAN OLSON

ergus Falls senior Ethan Olson had a strong fall and winter season. His winter season would be cut short as the Otter boys’ basketball team were set to play in the Section 8AA championship with a chance to go to state. Olson weighed in on the subject. : You’re in a unique situation because you’ve had two sports affected by the order and it’s your senior year, in a sense your sports career could end without you ever competing again, how are you processing the situation? : It is definitely difficult to process that my basketball and sports career had to end the way it did and it’s hard not getting the closure of playing that section final game. : After having such a successful regular season what was your reaction to hearing the news that the state tournament was being canceled? : After hearing the state tournament was canceled it left everyone on the team in shock and heartbroken for sure. We worked extremely hard to put ourselves in the right situation to play for a chance at the state tournament. : What would have been your dream spring sports season? What were some of your individual goals this season? What were some of your team goals? : It had been years since I was last able to play baseball due to injuries so getting to play again was a hope for me. As a team, improving every year and getting a chance to play at state is always the goal. : Are you keeping in contact with coaches and teammates through this and if so

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how? : I’ve been trying to keep in touch with teammates at least once a week over social media and coach will send out some texts or emails occasionally. My hope is to get everyone together as soon as it is possible. : What is substituting your time instead of sports and are you doing anything to stay ready in case the state order is lifted? : I have been focusing on online school and finding ways to workout whenever I can find a chance. : What has been the highlight of your senior year both academically and athletically? : The highlights of my senior year have been the improvement of our football team throughout the year and just the basketball season as a whole. Academically be-

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ing named to the academic all-state team is a great honor. : Having your senior year cut short what will you miss most about your senior class and high school sports? : I’m going to miss the camaraderie of all my teammates and classmates and the connections I’ve built with all of them through my school career. : After going through coronavirus, distance learning, the loss of the state tournament, a delayed spring season, what would you tell upcoming classes, and what have you taken away from this whole ordeal? : I would tell the future classes to soak in every moment because it goes by way faster than you think and this whole ordeal is giving me a whole new appreciation for everything.

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2 | SPRING SPORTS JOURNAL • SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2020

FERGUS FALLS

SABRINA FRONNING

ergus Falls senior Sabrina Fronning completed her basketball season just before the sports shutdown, but had a promising senior season of track to look forward to. Fronning talked about what her goals were for the season and her future plans. : How do you feel about the suspension and possible cancellation of the start of spring sports? : I am sad to have lost out on my senior year of track. I was really looking forward to working at achieving some personal goals this last year. : As a multiple state participant in track who’s consistently improved year after year this has had to have been especially hard for you, how are you processing the current situation? : I am just trying to accept what is taking place. This is a bizarre situation and it’s hard knowing there is nothing we can do about it. : What would have been your dream spring sports season? What were some of your individual goals this season? What were some of your team goals? : My dream spring sport season would have included making it down to the state meet again. I was hoping to try and run the 400 and the 200 more frequently than previous years. My personal goals included dropping time off of my 300 and 100 hurdles. I would have liked to make it the Hamline Elite Meet again as well. As a team I think we would’ve had a great chance to do well at true team. Along with that I think we could’ve had a great 4x100 and 4x200. : With plans to potentially compete in college sports how has that process been affected by the current health climate both academically and athletically? : I am looking to play basketball next year so athletically it hasn’t really been affected besides the good training that comes from track and field. Academically I am still able to finish all my classes and get the credits needed to play next year. I am more worried about the “what ifs and whens” then anything else. Like will it be over by fall, will my college classes start on time and what if it does affect next year’s college athletics. : Are you staying in contact with coaches and teammates if so how do they seem to be handling the order? : I’ve talked to the coaches and teammates a few times and they seem to be dealing with it the same way as me. They are all sad and a bit disappointed but in the end just want everyone to stay healthy and safe! :What is substituting your time instead of sports and are you doing anything to stay ready in case the state order is lifted? : I’ve enjoyed being able to slow down and do some of the things I enjoy that I don’t normally have time to do. I’ve been coloring, painting, doing some puzzles, organizing, and of course still have schoolwork to do! I haven’t really been training for my normal track events but I have been running distance (I never thought I would say that). I try to run at least a mile every other day and along with that I do some arm, leg and ab workouts! :What has been the highlight of your senior year both academically and athletically?

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: Athletically I’d have to say my basketball season was one of my most enjoyable seasons I’ve ever had. It was such a great year with amazing teammates and coaches. I looked forward to each practice because I just enjoyed spending time with my team. Academically I’d have to say my work-based learning class was by far my favorite even though it got cut short. This class allowed me to go out in the community and take part in a few internships. I loved being out in the workplace and I learned a lot about potential careers that I am interested in. : Having your senior year cut short what will you miss most about your senior class and high school sports? : During school hours I’d have to say my favorite thing is my free hour. There’s a fun group of kids and we just have a lot of great memories together. I have loved my senior year of high school and I wish I could have finished the 2020 school year. Athletically I will miss all my amazing teammates and coaches. I love the relationships I had between them all and it’s sad to think I’ll never get to play with some of them again! : After going through coronavirus, distance learning, a delayed spring season, what would you tell upcoming classes, and what have you taken away from this whole ordeal? : Do not take anything for granted! I know every senior always says this but it is the truest thing. It’s going to be over way before you realize and there’s no going back. Be involved and make memories because those are the times you will remember. I was always one that didn’t really enjoy high school, I couldn’t wait to move on to the next chapter. I want to go out into the real world on my own and I guess you could say I “couldn’t wait to grow up” but looking back I wish I would’ve had a different perspective on things. My senior year was by far my favorite year of high school and it was cut short. I didn’t start stepping outside my comfort zone till senior year and I can only think about all the great memories I might have missed out on! So don’t hesitate to take part in high school activities because you will not regret it!

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SPRING SPORTS JOURNAL • SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2020 | 3

HILLCREST

THOMAS ZWIERS

senior standout for the Hillcrest Comets, Thomas Zwiers is very competitive. But while he would like some sort of spring sports season, other important things including a mission trip were also put on the backburner. Zwiers talked about what he has missed about school and athletics. : How did you feel when you heard the news that the start of spring sports season was being suspended and possibly canceled? : I was disappointed, because it means that I would get to spend less time with my friends and teammates : Hillcrest’s annual mission trip is a right of passage for seniors at the school how do you feel about not being able to take part in that tradition? : It was hard to find out we weren’t going to get to go, but hopefully we will go later at some point. : What would have been your dream spring sports season? What were some of your individual goals this spring? : At this point my dream season would be just being able to compete. My goals were to win because I hate losing. : Are you keeping in contact with coaches and teammates through this and if so how are they handling the current situation? : Yeah, my teammates are disappointed, and trying to stay in shape just in case we somehow get to go back. : What is substituting your time instead of sports and are you doing anything to stay ready in case the state order is lifted? : I’ve used this time to both rest and work out in case we can go back, and spend-

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ing a lot of time in the woods : What has been the highlight of your senior year both academically and athletically? : Passing calculus tests have been my highlight academically, my highlight athletically has probably been playing on teams that are willing to work hard and enjoy playing with each other : Having your senior year cut short what will you miss most about your senior class and high school sports? : I will miss the competition that comes with sports and playing with the same

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people since junior high. I have a great class and since a lot of them are from different parts of the country and world we wont see each other often and that will be hard. : After going through coronavirus, distance learning, a delayed spring season, what would you tell upcoming classes, and what have you taken away from this whole ordeal? : Don’t take any part of your year for granted, because you never know if you will get the next game or practice or even the next day of school. So do everything like it’s the last time you get to do it

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M STATE

WYATT BLOMSETH

State sophomore golfer Wyatt Blomseth was already celebrating a MCAC/Region XIII title and was preparing to compete in the NJCAA Div. III National Tournament in June, but the ruling by NJCAA canceled spring sports and tournaments. Blomseth gives his impression of the season and the current state. : What are some of your achievements? : NJCAA Division III honorable mention all-American, finished 14th overall at nationals. : Does this season mark the end of your golf career with the Spartans or will you be going anywhere else to play golf? : I’m not 100% sure yet, I might come back for a third year because of the way my business classes might play out. So, I might come back for a third year because they gave me my year of eligibility back, so that’s kind of up in the air right now, I’m not sure what I’m going to do. : How long after the cancelation announcement did you find out that you were going to have the option to come back and compete for the Spartans for the third year? : I found out pretty much right away, (Spartans head coach) Jason Retzlaff had contacted all of us and let us know. : How did hearing the news that you were keeping a year of eligibility lessen some of this season’s disappointment? : That made a big difference, that was a huge factor, it creates the opportunity to go again in the future. : How do you feel about the Spartans men’s golf team qualifying for nationals in the fall only to reach spring sports and find out it was all for not because the season has been canceled? : We were all extremely excited because our team was starting to make some pretty significant strides and improvements, so we were all looking forward to playing and when we found out the season was over everyone got pretty bummed because we thought we were going to have a pretty good shot at win-

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ning it all. : What were your first thoughts when you heard the news? : When I initially heard it I was really upset for about a week and then it kind of set in that ‘Well, if I’m able to play a third year that might alleviate the stress.’ We were all pretty upset about it but you know there’s not really anything anyone can do about it you just have to keep moving forward because it’s the same for everybody else as well. : Thinking about spring golf what would have been your dream scenario? : To get out right away and practice on the courses as much as we could have every single day for hours on end. Hopefully, get our games fine-tuned so we could compete at the highest level possible. : You finished 14th at nationals last year and were an honorable mention all-American, what were you doing to improve from last year? : I was working on a lot of swing changes that were really starting to show a lot of progress, so my overall golf game would have improved significantly with these changes I made over the winter, it would have helped a lot. : Are you still in contact with teammates and coaches?

: Yes, I talk to my teammates every single day and I talk to my coaches probably once a week. : How do they seem to be handling the order? : I think it hit us all pretty hard, it wasn’t a shot in the dark but it was almost a shot of reality like, ‘Whoa, we’re actually not going to get to go even though we worked so hard to get there and went through so much in the fall.’ : How has long-distance learning been going for you? : They all switched to online which was an easy transition for me because most of my classes were online anyways. So the few classes that weren’t, it was pretty easy but it is different getting used to that certain class that wasn’t online but now it is. : With everything you’ve been through this year with sports the highs and lows, the cancellation of the season, distance learning, academics, what have you taken away from this whole ordeal? : I think we just have to take it as it comes, we’ll get through it eventually it’s just a matter of time. If we can keep working on our games on our own I think we’ll be OK. We’ll get to it, we’ll get there, we just have to keep our heads up and keep focused on what we want to accomplish with it.

SPRING SPORTS JOURNAL • SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2020 | 5

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UNDERWOOD

NIK GARDIN

he start of the 2019-20 school year was great for Nik Gardin as he helped lead the Underwood football team to the Section 6A title and state playoffs. He would compete for the Otter Tail Central Bulldogs wrestling team in the winter. With the spring season suspended, Gardin looked back on his senior year and what he would tell those about appreciating your time in the athletic arena. : How do you feel about the suspension and possible cancellation of the start of spring sports? : I feel like the suspension of spring sports is extremely disappointing for many athletes and especially seniors. I understand the safety precautions. : If the 2020 spring sports season ends without you ever competing will you have closure/something you can live with or do you think you’ll always think about “what if ... ?” : I definitely will have thoughts about what our team could have accomplished, but most importantly I will have regrets about not having a final season full of lasting memories. : What would have been your dream spring sports season? What were some of your individual goals this season? What were some of your team goals? : Every dream sport season is to make it out of the section. My main individual goal was to make the all conference team. A team goal that was set was to compete highly within our difficult conference. : Are you keeping in contact with your baseball coaches and teammates

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through this and if so how? : Our baseball coaches send us practice plans through email everyday. As far as teammates, we usually keep in contact all year long. : What is substituting your time instead of sports and are you doing anything to stay ready in case the state order is lifted? : The workouts keep me somewhat ready, but my time is usually filled with quality family time and homework due to the stay at home order. : What has been the highlight of your senior year both academically and athletically? : Winning the section for football with my friends in our first year as an 11man team was something we will all never

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forget. Getting a 4.0 GPA last semester probably highlights it academically. : Having your senior year cut short what will you miss most about your senior class and high school sports? : I will miss the bonds I built through high school sports with my classmates. I will also miss being close to all my fellow classmates; this was one perk of going to a small school. : After going through coronavirus, distance learning, a delayed spring season, what would you tell upcoming classes, and what have you taken away from this whole ordeal? : Do not take anything for granted! I have learned that you are not guaranteed anything, and you should enjoy the moment when you can.

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SPRING SPORTS JOURNAL • SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2020 | 7

AREA TEAM OF THE YEAR

UNDERWOOD FOOTBALL

The Rockets would rebound from the loss in a shootout victory over Pelican Rapids (46-44) and would go on to win their final three games of the regular season over Wadena-Deer Creek (53-14), New York Mills (22-8) and Cass Lake-Bena (42-6). A successful regular season gave the Rockets the top seed in the section and saw them receive a first round forfeit. In the section semifinals, the Rockets would do just enough to top New York Mills

(12-6) a second time. Underwood would now travel to the Fargodome to take on the Breckenridge Cowboys in the section championship. In the matchup, the Rockets had several strong defensive efforts to stymie the Cowboys. Underwood took control of the game early and would go on to gain 405 yards of offense on the way to a 44-18 win and a state playoff berth. With the Rockets returning to state,

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8 | SPRING SPORTS JOURNAL • SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2020

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here are a lot of worthy candidates for team of the year. Several teams advanced to state tournaments, while other had strong seasons to be commended for. While there are several that stand out, our pick for the team of the year goes to the Underwood Rockets football team. The Rockets, coming off successful years in 9-man football, made the transition to the 11-man game during the 2019 season. While many expected a learning curve, the Rockets proved to be formidable as they would build a 7-1 record and receive the top seed in the Section 6A playoffs. The season began on Aug. 29 as the Rockets traveled to take on Lake Park-Audubon. In their first test in 11-man football, the Rockets passed with flying colors as they handed the Raiders a 46-6 loss. Underwood would use its rushing attack to take care of business as they scored five touchdowns on the ground, led by quarterback Nik Gardin (3). The next two weeks were similar as the Rockets blasted past Frazee (44-18) and Roseau (44-8). With a 3-0 start, the Rockets began to turn heads across the area. In Game 4, the Rockets experienced their only hiccup of the regular season. In a home game against the Ada-Borup Cougars, the Rockets were limited to 241 yards and a single score with three turnovers. The Cougars would build a 22-0 lead in the first half and never looked back as they finished with 427 yards of offense on the way to a 36-6 win.

they also had an opportunity to avenge their only loss of the season as Ada-Borup claimed the Section 8A title and would meet Underwood in the first round of the state playoffs at Moorhead High School. In the state quarterfinal, the Rockets came out ready to play as they scored on an 8-yard touchdown run by Tim DeVaney, followed by a Zane Swanson two-point conversion. But the wind would be taken out of the sails of the Rockets on the ensuing kickoff as Brady Borgen ran back a 70yard kickoff to put the score at 8-7. The Rockets would continue to use their lethal rushing attack, but struggled to convert on several key downs. The Cougars would score another touchdown near the end of the first quarter to take a 13-8 lead and add a 91-yard touchdown run by Verdis Barber with just over five minutes left in the half. With snow gentling falling through the game, neither team could continue their momentum in the second half. Although their season came to an end, the Rockets were awarded for their play through the year. Gardin, Wyatt Thorson, Zane Swanson, Winston Heifort, Logan Aune and Tyson Rieken were named to the Section 6A All-Section team. All Northwest District, South subdistrict honors went to DeVaney, Heifort, Thorson, Gardin and Swanson. Honorable mention selections were Rieken, Aune and Slade Moore. Thorson was named the Defensive Lineman of the Year for the subdistrict and Swanson was chosen as Offensive Player of the Year. Underwood head coach Chuck Ross was also awarded the South Sub-District Coach of the Year. The season would also be the last for coach Ross as he announced that he would be stepping down and turning over the reins to offensive coordinator Ryan Hendrickson.

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SPRING SPORTS JOURNAL • SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2020 | 9

BATTLE LAKE

HALIE JOHNSON

attle Lake senior Halie Johnson closed out her high school sports career in the winter, but loves competing and is upset that her friends and classmates were not able to enjoy a spring sports season. Johnson spoke about keeping in contact with teammates and about seeing her senior year cut short. : Are you keeping in contact with coaches and teammates through this and if so how? : I have a class with both my volleyball and basketball coach so I still get to hear from them a couple of times a week through Google meets. : What has been the highlight of your senior year both academically and athletically? . The highlight of my senior year academically has been maintaining my GPA, which was a goal of mine at the beginning of the year. Athletically, during the volleyball season when we beat Underwood in five sets. It was such a fun experience and a really special moment to be a part of Battle Lake volleyball. : Having your senior year cut short what will you miss most about your senior class and high school sports? . The biggest thing I will miss about my senior class is just getting to finish off all of the “lasts” with them. Most of us have been together since kindergarten and some of us even went to day care together, so I was definitely looking forward to ending my high school career surrounded by those people. : After going through coronavirus, distance learning, a delayed spring sea-

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son, what would you tell upcoming classes, and what have you taken away from this whole ordeal? . I would tell upcoming classes the typical thing, which is to not take their senior year for granted. It really does fly by and not having these last few months has been challenging. Everyone looks forward to getting out of high school and moving on to the next level of life, but when you don’t really have the chance to close this chapter it feels kind of weird moving on to the next.

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I would also say to really enjoy your senior “lasts,” make the most of them because they really are the things you will remember the most. I have taken away from the whole online learning and coronavirus situation that Battle Lake School still does a great job of staying connected. Our teachers have really stepped up and done their best to stay connected with us. They have made the transition to online learning pretty easy and have been very positive, which has helped to shine a light on this whole situation better!

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HENNING

PARKER FRAKI

hile many athletes were looking forward to the spring, Henning senior Parker Fraki was looking forward to completing a winter season that saw the Henning boys’ basketball team return to state and the opportunity to defend their Class A state title. Fraki spoke about the “what if” and what he will miss most about his senior class. : The Hornets basketball team won the section title this season just to find out the next day MSHSL had canceled the state tournament, how did you handle hearing the news? : I was pretty sad. I was actually on my way down to the cities to watch the girls play in the state tournament with coach Randy Misegades and a couple of teammates. We were all disappointed to hear the news. : How do you feel about not being able to defend the state title and how does this affect the team’s legacy? : I feel like we’ve shown, throughout the season, how good we really are. We had some good competition and some major wins, so I don’t think it affects the legacy at all. New year. New story. : I know it’s a little too early to tell but do you think personally you’ll ever have closure, or will this season be something that always leaves you questioning “What if ...?” : I’m sure as I grow older I will always remember this and it will definitely be something that’ll bother me forever. : What has been the consensus between coaches and your teammates on the basketball team about how you ended your season?

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: It is a very unique situation. There was an understanding before our section final game that it might be our last one ever. So we were happy to end the season with a win. : What is substituting your time instead of sports and are you doing anything to stay ready in case the state order is lifted? : I’ve been spending my time mostly doing homework or going for walks. I got my basketball hoop set up outside and to pass time, I’ll go outside when it’s nice and shoot. Sometimes I bring my sister out to shoot with me. : What has been the highlight of your senior year both academically and athletically? : One highlight for me this year academically is being nominated to be a part of National Honor Society. Sports wise the highlight was when a fellow senior Jessee Keonen was awarded a varsity jersey to play

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on senior night. He got his jersey right after we won the conference. : Having your senior year cut short what will you miss most about your senior class and high school sports? : Some things that I will miss the most is messing around in the library with my friends when we were supposed to be doing our online classes. Sports wise, I’m going to miss out on a second chance at state which is quite saddening. I’m just thankful for the opportunity that we got last year. : After going through coronavirus, distance learning, a delayed spring season, what would you tell upcoming classes, and what have you taken away from this whole ordeal? : I would have to say to any underclassmen, don’t take anything for granted. You may not know when something is going to be taken away from you. Cherish every moment that you get and don’t waste anything.

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FALL SPORTS JOURNAL • SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2020 | 11

SURPRISE TEAM OF THE YEAR

HENNING VOLLEYBALL When looking at the landscape of sports in the area in 2019-20, there were several teams and individuals that were expected to do amazing things and possibly advance to state meets and tournaments. After going through several teams and the fall and winter season, The Daily Journal decided that Surprise Team of the Year went to the Henning volleyball team. Beginning the 2019-20 season, the Henning volleyball team was like many others with high hopes and goals to improve on last year. But as the season unfolded, the Hornets

proved that the season would be a special one as they finished with a 20-7 regular season record, won the Section 6A

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championship and went on the Class A state tournament. The regular season started out great for the Hornets as they won their first 10 matches in the season including all four matches at the Browerville/ Eagle Valley Tournament. The start was consistent with the success of the team the past two seasons as good starts help build the team to 20-plus win seasons. What wasn’t was that the Hornets did not allow an opponent to win a set during that time. With 10 wins in their pocket the Hornets traveled to Wadena to take on the Wadena-Deer Creek Wolverines, one of the section’s annual favorites. The game was battled back and forth, but it would be the hosting Wovlerines that took home the 3-2 victory. The road would not get easier as the Hornets traveled to Burnsville for the Class A Showcase tournament. The tournament did not start out well for the Henning girls as they were swept in their two pool play games by Kittson

County Central (2-0) and Russell-Tyler-Ruthton (2-0) and fell in the first round of the Silver Bracket 2-1 to Kenyon-Wanamingo. The losses saw the Hornets drop four consecutive games in three days. But perserverance is what makes a championship squad and the Hornets picked themselves up winnin the next two games in the tournament. These would be two-set sweeps over Barnesville and New Life Academy. The Hornets would return to dual match play and add four more victories and did not allow a set win from any of the teams. People began to recognize that Henning would be a force to be reckoned with in the sectoin tournament coming up. In their next challenge, the Hornets traveled to Perham to compete in their third regular season tournament of the year. The tournament would start out like the last as the Hornets could not get in their groove in pool play. Henning would take on three Class AA teams in Roseau, Mel-

rose and Pequot Lakes. In their first match, the Hornets were swept by Roseau (2-0), while their next two pool play matches saw splits with Melorse (1-1) and Pequot Lakes (1-1), eventual Section 8AA champ. Although they only won two sets out of six, the higher level of competition would prove valuable this late in the year. To close out the tournament, the Hornets took on Highway 210 rival Underwood for the bronze title. In their first meeting, the Hornets swept the Rockets and this match would be no different as Henning won in two sets 25-19, 25-7. Another rejuvenation, the Hornets would go on a tear to finish their regular season. Henning would win its last three games against Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley (3-2), New York Mills (3-0) and Verndale (3-0). This would propel the Hornets to having the top seed in the Subsection 6A South. With the momentum going their way, the Hornets wasted little time manuveuring through the section tournament as they swept through Hancock (3-0), Breckenridge (3-0) and Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley (30). This would set up a match with Wadena-Deer Creek for the section championship and a trip to the state tournament. The match would take place in Perham as the Hornets and Wolverines took the court. Wadena-Deer Creek was looking to return to the state tournament after taking a hiatus last season, while Hennning was looking for its first-ever state berth. Learning from the prior matchup, the Hornets would cruise through the game winning 3-1 and punching their ticket to the state tournament. In the state quarterfinal, the Hornets fell 3-0 to Waterville-Elysian-Morristown and played a tight matchup against Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa dropping the game 3-2. Although the team fell in both their matches of the state tournament, they made school history with their first state appearance.

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GAME OF THE YEAR

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teams had played their prior two games at the school with neither having an issue with the neutral court. The game was highly anticipated with several side stories including Otters head coach Brad Strand being a former Pelican Rapids boys’ basketball head coach. The Otters would open the game with the first basket, but the tide quickly turned as the Vikings muscled their way under the hoop to grab the lead. Fergus

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he Daily Journal Game of the Year was an easy choice as it pitted two of the best girls’ basketball teams in the area vying for a section championship and state playoff berth. After posting an undefeated 25-0 record during the regular season, the Pelican Rapids Vikings looked to prove to doubters that they were the real deal. The Vikings would continue their success in the first three rounds of the playoffs as they defeated Barnesville (50-39), Crookston (49-44) and Hawley (51-42). In the other corner, the Fergus Falls Otters, a team that won the Section 8AAA title the prior year and competed in the state tournament. The Otters schedule rarely saw Class AA foes and even saw the team take on Class AAAA teams. While not going undefeated, Fergus Falls blew out most of their competition and seemed destined for a return to the state tournament. The Otters outscored their three prior playoff opponents 234-152 with wins over Wadena-Deer Creek (63-42), Park Rapids Area (82-51) and Roseau (89-59), last year’s section champion. The showdown would take place at Concordia College in Moorhead. Both

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a charge call on Greta Tollefson gave Fergus Falls the ball back with 31 seconds to play. Moving the ball to midcourt, the Otters would call a timeout with 14 seconds remaining to set up what many assumed to be the final play. After an inbound, the Otters attempted to drop the ball down low but the pass was out of reach and went out of bounds. This gave the Vikings the ball back with 5.6 seconds left to play and the entire length of the court to go. The Otters would need to play a soft defense as any foul would send the Vikings to the line. Pelican Rapids would inbound the ball to senior guard Maddie Guler. Guler sprinted down court and with time expiring, heaved a shot at the hoop and watched it bank in sending the Pelican Rapids crowd into a frenzy. Guler was swarmed on court after the shot as the Vikings captured the section title and punched their ticket to state. The Vikings saw the majority of their points come from Tollefson (18) and Anna Stephenson (16), while the Otters were led by Ellie Colbeck (22). The Otters finished their season with a 25-5 record. The Vikings season would conclude with a trip to the state tournament where they fell in the opening round to Waseca (3222), but won a consolation over Concordia Academy (59-45). The tournament would be cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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PELICAN RAPIDS

MADDIE GULER

elican Rapids senior Maddie Guler has etched her name in school history with her game-winning shot in the Section 8AA girls’ basketball championship. But Guler is also a state champion in track. Guler spoke about this past season and how she would dream the spring season to be. : You have a unique situation because your team was in the middle of competing at the girls’ state tournament when MSHSL canceled it because of the potential health impact, how did you take hearing the news? : I was sad, everyone was sad but I wasn’t focused on the cancelation, I was more focused on we had one game left to play and that was before our game, so I was still trying to stay focused on that game because I wanted to end my high school career on a win. : If the tournament had continued how do you feel the team would have finished? : I think we would’ve finished strong since we won the last game we played it would have been a fifth-place game and that would have been good to be a part of. : As a state champion in track what’s been the hardest thing to process about possibly not having a final high school season? : That there’s always going to be unfinished business even when you do graduate and to not have the chance to go back to state or conference and all that, it’s hard to comprehend. : How have they been handling the situation?

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: Just hoping that we will get the chance to get to be on the track one last time together, the seniors with everybody else, but we know that life is more than just sports and that there are things going on that are bigger than us right now out in the world. : Describe how your dream spring sports season would have gone? : The same as last year’s. We made it to the state meet and we weren’t looked at as potentially placing first and we really did surprise a few people. So this year we would have come in probably with a target on our backs — people wanting to take us down — but I would’ve loved to have ended my senior spring sports season with another blue medal around my neck. : What has been the highlight of your senior year both academically and athletically? : Athletically it would be going to state in basketball, that’s always been my dream ever since I was a little girl. It’s just awesome to represent Pelican Rapids in that way because I know that when I was younger I always looked up to the girls who made it to state. When I was in elementary school I remember going to a game, going down to the barn when they played there, I was all oranged out to represent Pelican Rapids in that way. So to inspire the younger girls meant a lot to me. Academically I would say the highlight of my year would be winning the ‘Triple A’ (arts, athletics and

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16 | SPRING SPORTS JOURNAL • SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2020

academics) award or being top 2% in my class. : Having your senior year cut short what will you miss most about your senior class and high school sports? : With high school sports I’ll miss the family aspect of it. I’m involved in three sports and one of the sports, cross country and that one not too many people are in it that are in my school, and so I’ll miss the closeness of that and how I got to meet some of the younger kids through that area because we all work together. For my senior class, I’m going to miss how we were always the fun of the school, we were always causing … sometimes the problems (laughs), we were just the ones that could make the teachers laugh but also have fun ... I’m going to miss that. : After going through coronavirus, distance learning, a delayed spring season, what would you tell upcoming classes, and what have you taken away from this whole ordeal? : Never take anything for granted, I know you hear that from the other seniors, saying ‘things go by too fast,’ ‘you never realize what you have until it’s gone’ but that has really come into play this year especially. No one ever thought that a pandemic would end our senior year, put it on hold how it did. I don’t think this has happened to anyone and it’s really put a perspective on things, that you really don’t have control over what’s going on.

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ASHBY

COURTNEY KOEFOD

multiple all-conference player throughout her varsity career starting in eighth grade, Ashby senior Courtney Koefod still had one more season of softball. Koefod reflects on the time at hand and her high school career. : How do you feel about the suspension and possible cancellation of the start of spring sports? : I feel weird and sad that my last year of softball probably isn’t going to happen. It’s something that no one ever expected or thought of. : If the 2020 spring sports season ends without you ever competing will you have closure/something you can live with or do you think you will always ask yourself “what if?” : I think there will always be the what-ifs because when you look back on your high school life or even just your senior year those are the types of things that you remember and now I don’t get to create those last memories with my friends and teammates. : What would have been your dream spring sports season? What were some of your individual goals this season? What were some of your team goals? : My dream spring sports season would be that it would’ve started on time (as it never does) and we could play as many games as possible. This season I wanted to increase my batting average and become an even better teammate and leader for the underclassmen. As I team, I wanted us to have more wins than last year and just overall have a good time together. : Are you keeping in contact with coaches and teammates through this and if so how? : Not a lot; every once in awhile my coach will send out reminders with workouts or ideas of things to do. As my teammates go, many of them are in my class and we have a class chat on Snapchat which is the way I pretty keep in touch with everyone during this time. : What is substituting your time instead of sports and are you doing anything to stay ready in case the state order is lifted? : I work out every day and try to get outside as much as I can. Otherwise I just spend a lot more time sitting around and doing homework. : What has been the highlight of your senior year both academically and athletically?

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: Academically I have achieved a 4.084 GPA and athletically I finished my basketball career with 1,369 points, and I also have decided to continue my education and basketball career at Concordia. : Having your senior year cut short what will you miss most about your senior class and high school sports? : My class is very small and most of us have done everything together since preschool so I think most of us will stay in touch but I will miss showing up to school and seeing them every day. I will miss joking around with everyone and complaining about what seems like a million things that we have to do. As far as high school sports go, I will miss being able to play with all of my friends and the bus rides to and from games. This year my volleyball and basketball season didn’t go as I wanted but I made so many memories on the bus rides that that’s what I’ll miss the most. : After going through coronavirus, distance learning, a delayed spring season, what would you tell upcoming classes, and what have you taken away from this whole ordeal? : Never take anything or anyone for granted and treat every game, practice, or day in general for granted because you never know when it will all just suddenly end. Also, never complain about going to school or practice because when you can’t anymore you wish so badly that you can, especially when it’s all your lasts as it comes quick.

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WEST CENTRAL AREA

KALEB GETZ

aleb Getz closed his senior wrestling season in the winter, but was looking to compete in a spring sport in his final athletic season at West Central Area Getz talked about how he is handling the suspension of the baseball season and what he is substituting his time with. : How do you feel about the suspension and possible cancellation of the start of spring sports? : It’s sad, I was looking forward to playing my last year here at WCA. I didn’t really plan on going further with sports but at the same time, I was just excited to go out there and play one more time. It’s sad to see it go but you just have to move on. : If the 2020 spring sports season ends without competing will you ever have closure or will it be something you always look back on with questions? : It’s going to take time. I still haven’t thought about this like ‘this could be the end,’ it’s hard to imagine, I’ll get over it but it’s going to be sad. : Describe how your dream spring sports season would have played out? : This year we weren’t going to be as good, we lost a bunch of good seniors last year but I really wanted to go out there and just have fun with all my good buddies and all the juniors that are going to be playing next year. I mean thinking about the other kids that aren’t even seniors, they’re going to lose out on building how good they could become, you know? It sucks for everyone. We weren’t going to be great but we were going to have fun doing it. : Are you keeping in contact with coaches and teammates through this? : Oh yeah, I’ve been talking to my teammates, coaches all the time. Coach, he’ll text our group chat every now and then, I talk to his son he’s on our baseball team, he’s one of my best friends so I’ve been keeping in touch that way talking to everybody through Snapchat, texting and FaceTimeing. : How do your teammates appear to be handling the suspension of spring sports?

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: I think everyone’s just kind of in shock right now, like ‘what’s going on?’ but I know a lot of people are real upset about it and mad that we’re not going to be able to play but at the same time most of us are just kind of confused. : What is substituting your time instead of sports and are you doing anything to stay ready in case the state order is lifted? : I still have to focus on my schoolwork and stuff but I’ve also been working too. So now I’m going to start working five days a week and then also doing homework, and then workouts whenever I can. : What has been the highlight of your senior year both academically and

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athletically? : Athletically I’d say being in the wrestling room at least. Now seeing that it can be taken away I’m just happy that I got to do sports for WCA one more year. Academically I’m proud that I struggled with my schoolwork, doing it, and this year I enjoyed my senior year. I haven’t had that much work that was too hard and I’ve been getting better grades I feel like, so I’m proud of that. : Having your senior year cut short what will you miss most about your senior class and high school sports? : I’m going to miss all the days going to practice, hanging out with your friends, I mean sometimes practice sucked but at least

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you get to see your friends, all your good buddies. I’m going to miss my friends, that’s for sure. : After going through coronavirus, distance learning, a delayed spring season, what would you tell upcoming classes, and what have you taken away from this whole ordeal? : I’d tell everybody don’t take anything for granted, it might get cut short like as you’ve seen it. You can’t go through life thinking ‘whatever happens, happens.’ You have to make your time worth something. It sucks, I wish I could have played baseball and now that it’s cut short I feel bad because I wish I could have done more but … that’s what I would tell people.

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ROTHSAY

JAYNA GRONWOLD

othsay senior Jayna Gronwold may have completed her fall and winter seasons, but with a chance to return to track in the spring, it was upsetting to see the opportunity dashed. Gronwold talked about her future and what she has learned during this experience. : How do you feel about the suspension and possible cancellation of the start of spring sports? : I am actually really disappointed, because I was looking forward to track season. : What would have been your dream spring sports season? What were some of your individual goals this season? What were some of your team goals? : Well, I this would have been my first year doing track since my sophomore year, so some goals would have been making it to sections as a jumper. : I know you plan to play sports in college, how has this affected those plans academically and athletically? : I joined track again to help me get stronger and faster for volleyball and basketball in college, without that I will have to work twice as hard before those seasons. I also have been running a lot and doing some workouts at home due to the cancellation. : Has your college coach reached out to you through this? : Yes, we have talked a lot and I am super excited to play for her! : What is substituting your time instead of sports and are you doing anything to stay ready in case the state order is lifted? : I have been going for runs and doing at home workouts. : What has been the highlight of your senior year both academically and athletically? : I think my highlight would be HAIR DESIGN breaking a lot of my Carla Moen school records, espe201 First St. NW • Rothsay, MN • 218-867-2102

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cially scoring 40 points to break most points scored in a game. For academically, I have maintained a 3.87 GPA. : Having your senior year cut short what will you miss most about your senior class and high school sports? : I will miss just hanging out with my class. There are only nine of us, so we are really close. I am going to miss seeing all my teachers and underclassmen as well. : After going through coronavirus, distance learning, a delayed spring season, what would you tell upcoming classes, and what have you taken away from this whole ordeal? : Throughout the past few weeks I have learned to really value my time more. I have had to become creative with some activities to do, so that has helped time pass a lot quicker. Some advice would be to never wish that school was over, because there are so many things to cherish throughout your senior year. Learn to love with people you go to school with even if it’s one of the hardest things to do, in the end it will be worth it. This year I have really became a lot closer with my classmates and people in the school and I wish that wasn’t taken away from me so fast.

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Sports Journal Spring 2020

Articles inside

Jayna Gronewold

Parker Fraki

Maddie Guler

Courtney Koefod

Nik Gardin

Halie Johnson

Sabrina Fronning

Wyatt Blomseth

Thomas Zwiers