Spring Sports Preview Featuring: St. Peter Saints • Le Sueur-Henderson Giants Tri-City United Titans • Cleveland Clippers
Wednesday, April 4 & Thursday, April 5, 2018
St. Peter softball team has right ingredients to go far again By PAT BECK
pbeck@stpeterherald.com
St. Peter Softball COACHES Head coach: Heidi Niemeyer, 5th year as head coach, 18th year coaching softball in St. Peter Assistant coaches: Dani Roehrkasse – 2nd year at SPHS; Tom Witty – 42nd year coaching; 21st year at SPHS; Amanda Rodning – 5th year coaching KEY PLAYERS “Senior Olivia McCabe, one of our captains, was on our disabled list last season due to an injury that she sustained during her basketball season in 2016-2017,” Niemeyer said. “She will be back in full this spring, and we are excited to see how strong, competitive and determined she is to get back on the field. She has an amazing range at shortstop along with superior quickness and agility. She is also a great leader on and off the field. In 2016, her batting average was .377. “Junior Mackenzie Brey has been such an asset to our team for the past three seasons. She stepped into the varsity pitching role as an eighth-grader and has continued to amaze us year after year. She is the one who wants the ball or the bat when the game is on the line. She plays her best in a tough situation and never backs down. Mackenzie is a pitcher who can also field the ball. She is a 3rd baseman when she isn’t on the mound. Her presence in the batters box is strong and smart. Mackenzie is also acting as one of our captains this year. She threw a career high 107 strikeouts last season and ended
St. Peter Mackenzie Brey leaps for joy after she strikes out the final batter in the seventh innings to propel the Saints past Jordan 4-3 for the section championship a the team’s first trip to state in 10 years. (Pat Beck/St. Peter Herald)
the season hitting .361 including two home runs.” “Senior Xandra Zachman was an exceptional DP for us last year. She is very strong and has good knowledge of the game. Hitting is definitely her strength, but I think that she will also be a threat for us on defense this year. Her season batting average was .416 with 4 home runs. “Sophomore Allie McCabe joined us as a freshman in the catcher role. She has a strong arm, true grit, and really good speed. I foresee great things for her this year at the plate and on defense.
Even as a freshman with no section tournament experience she managed to hit a whopping .312 in those 6 games. “Senior Kayla Oeltjenbruns, a captain this year, was our shortstop last season because of an injury to our starting shortstop. She stepped up and did an incredible job. She has a good glove and a quick reaction in difficult situations. She is a hard worker and was constantly working to be better, quicker, and more accurate. With our starting shortstop back from injury it will be interesting to see where the two of them will play. Fielding percent-
age at shortstop for the season was .880. “Senior Ellie Johnson was a great addition to our starting line up last season. She is strong, accurate, and consistent. She has a great arm in the outfield and seemed to always get a hit when we needed it with runners in scoring position. As a senior this year, I can only foresee even greater ways that she will help our team. Season batting average was .351.” KEEP YOUR EYE ON Junior McKenna Reese, and sophomores Olivia Stevens, Shelby Paul, Brielle Bushaw, Ella Rosburg,
Madi Kisor, Breanna Hagen and Carson Kennedy. “Because we lost so many seniors and our returners are small in number, we will be needing to add to our starting line up with some of these girls,” Niemeyer said. MOVED ON Kelli Hanson, Kaitlyn Brey, Taylor McCarthy, Hailey Kennedy, Haley Goebel, Alex Eberhart, Jordan Schueneman, Mallorie Chabot, Claire Thompson, Lex Reese and Kenna Burmeister. 2018 SEASON OUTLOOK Last year’s overall record for the Saints was 20-6. The Saints were 10-2 in the conference and 7-2 in the section. “We finally captured the blue ribbon in the 2AA Section Tournament,” Niemeyer said. “The Section tournament was such good competition, and it really was a team effort. However, we did go 0-2 in the State Tournament, but both games that we played were close games to two other good teams Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton (0-1) and Albany (2-4). It was a great experience and something no of us will ever forget. “I believe that these three teams will again be the ones to beat this year. “Jordan — With returners Adamek and Plechaty pitching along with their steady and consistent spots in their offensive line up they will continue to be a team to be watched. “Fairmont — They will again be another good team to beat. They have a great pitcher and a couple strong hitters. We won a 16 inning game against them to propel us into our 15 game win streak. It
was a pivotal point in our season, and I believe they will be just as strong this year, if not stronger. “Le Sueur-Henderson — We can never count them out. They have a great program at LS-H and they are always a great opponent. They have some very talented underclassmen that will be big parts of their success this year. COACH’S COMMENTS “I am highly anticipating another competitive season for our St. Peter Saints,” Neimeyer said. “We have a great pitcher returning along with some exceptional infielders and outfielders who will have to pave the way with their State Tournament experience. We are coming from a very exciting and successful season last year and hope to do what we need to do to return again this season. Some of our strengths include hardworking, team minded, trustworthy, and willingness to do what needs to be done to meet our goals. We have strong hitters and some excellent defensive players. We also have a few players who are very quick and can cover lots of ground on defense. Our keys to a successful season will be to help our team to stay within the path of our team expectations, to continue to play as a team, and to stay strong and healthy. These girls are hungry and determined to get back to the State Tournament, and I believe that they will do what they need to do to be their best.” — Heidi Niemeyer, head coach Reach Sports Editor Pat Beck at 931-8566 or follow him on Twitter.com @SPHSportsPat.
PAGE 2
VALLEY SPORTS PREVIEW
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW: St. Peter girls track fields deep team By PAT BECK
pbeck@stpeterherald.com
St. Peter girls track and field COACHES Head coach: Jeff Portugue, 20 years, plus 8 years as assistant Assistant coaches: Kris Sandborg, 5 years; George Schoenborn, 21 years; Dan Guelle, 2 years; Bill Stuewe, 12 years as varsity assistant, plus 5 years junior high KEY PLAYERS “The 27 returning letter winners will be the key to our season,” Portugue said. “If all return this season, we will be a good team with quite a bit of depth. If a few step it up, we could be a very good team and if a few more from our incoming freshman can contribute in a several events, we might be able to surprise a few teams in the conference, subsection and section.” The Saints have 10 returning section qualifiers: Senior Jordan Keeley, 13th in the shot put (31 feet, 3.75 inches), 16th in the discus throw (63-06).
Senior Bethany Bresnahan, seventh in the 100-meter dash (13.07). Senior Tia Schott, 10th in discus (89-09). Junior Claire Nuessmeier, sixth in state high jump (5 feet, 2 inches). Junior Caitlin Salfer, fifth in the 400 dash (1:01.61). Sophomore Amelia Carlson, fifth in the triple jump (34-02). Sophomore Allie Madden, sixth in the triple jump (32-10.5). Sophomore Izzy Lind, did not finish 3,200. Freshman Maddie More, 16th in state (5:55.17). Carlson, Salfer and junior Emily Peterson, fourth in 4x400 relay (4:17.50). KEEP YOUR EYE ON “I think there is a lot of talent in our incoming freshman class; if they can fill into our lineup in the right spots, we could be a fine team. They might be the key for us this season. We had some outstanding seniors last season, and we will need help from our
freshman to replace some of those points we lost to graduation.” MOVED ON Katie Schilling, Ingrid Harbo, Thais Caceres-Fugon 2017 RECORD Big South Conference finish 5th, Marshall 1st Subsection finish 2nd, Belle Plaine 1st Section finish 5th, Belle Plaine 1st State 27th, Minneapolis Edison 1st COACH COMMENTS “Looking forward to the season, and we should competitive in most of the events. Our strength might be our depth and experience.” — Jeff Portugue, head coach BY THE NUMBERS 2 — school records broken last season- Both by Katie Schilling in triple jump and 100-meter hurdles 73 years — coaching experience of girls staff 27 — Returning letter winners 32 — grades 9-12
St. Peter sophomore Allie Madden hands off the baton to senior Bethany Bresnahan in the runner-up 4x200-meter relay last season. The Saints, who began practice Monday, March 12, open the season at 6 p.m. Friday, March 23 vs. Blue Earth Area, Fairmont, New Ulm, St. James Area and Waseca at Minnesota State University, Mankato. (Pat Beck/St. Peter Herald)
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SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW: St. Peter boys track team is young and growing By PAT BECK
pbeck@stpeterherald.com
St. Peter Boys Track and Field COACHES Head coach: Keith Hanson, 20 years Assistant coaches: Erick Boe, 30 years; Marc Bachman, 21 years; George Schoenborn, 21 years; Kris Sandborg, 5 years; Dan Guelle, 2 years; Bill Stuewe, 12 years as varsity assistant, plus 5 years junior high; Kris Glidden, 5 years KEY PLAYERS Jade Reicks, junior, state place finisher 300-meter intermediate hurdles, state 4 x 400 relay member Mo Abdi, junior, state 4 x 400 relay member Abdikadir Mohamed, senior, state 4 x 400 m relay member Jacob Regenschied, junior, sprinter
Ben Bode, junior, state place finisher shot put and discus Jakob Grawe, senior “Utility man,” he does everything! KEEP YOUR EYE ON Isaac Hagen, sophomore, distance runner Eli Hunt, sophomore, throwing events MOVED ON Mo Isaack, state placer in 300 hurdles 4 x 400 relay member Dawson Yost 2017 RECORD Big South Conference finish 6th, Fairmont 1st Subsection finish 5th, Le Sueur-Henderson 1st Section finish 9th, Jordan 1st State 15th, Plainview-ElginMillville 1st 2018 SEASON OUTLOOK “We return a lot of younger athletes who hopefully have matured and are ready to take a bigger role for our team,” Hanson
said. “Our numbers look very promising which should give us some depth in events as we work on improving and getting better every day.” COMMENTS FROM THE COACH “We have a good core of athletes returning, especially the members of the state place finishing 4 x 400 relay, so we hope this will make our younger teammates strive to be a part of this and contribute to the team“ – Keith Hanson, head coach BY THE NUMBERS 5 — returning junior letterwinners 9 — freshman 10 — juniors total 27 — grades 9-12 57 — grades 7-12 Reach Sports Editor Pat Beck at 931-8566 or follow him on Twitter.com @SPHSportsPat.
Abdikadir Mohamed hands the baton to Mo Abdi in the first and second legs of the St. Peter winning 4x400-meter relay in Section 2A last year at Mankato West. (Pat Beck/St. Peter Herald)
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PAGE 4
VALLEY SPORTS PREVIEW
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW: St. Peter baseball team brings back lots of experience By PAT BECK
pbeck@stpeterherald.com
St. Peter High School Baseball COACHES Head coach: Kurt Moelter, 17th year coaching Assistant coaches: Warren Peterson, Ryan Myhra, Jake Malz, Justin Helget, Shea Roehrkasse KEY PLAYERS Owen Little (Senior, P/OF, 2 time letter winner, All Big South) “One of our top returning hitters and pitchers,” Moelter said. “Are looking to have him be a leader for us, both in games and practice.” Jeremy Zuhlsdorf (Senior, P/ IF, letter winner) “Played 3rd base for us last year and will need him there again this spring,” Moelter said. “We graduated some innings last year, and Jeremy is one of the kids we are looking to in order to fill those innings.” Ryan Connolly (Senior, P/ OF, letter winner) “We lost some depth in the OF and will need Ryan to help there,” Moelter said. “A kid with some speed and overall athleticism that will help us anywhere on the field.” Tony Putz (Senior, P/IF) First year playing since late sophomore year. “We are hoping he can be a middle of the order kid and help us offensively.” Brock Bushaw (Senior, IF, letter winner) “Anchored our lineup last year in the 4 spot,” Moelter said. “The experience he gained last year will make him a dangerous hitter for us. We will need him to be our RBI guy and drive in the speed that gets on base ahead of him.” KEEP YOUR EYE ON Andy Regner (Junior, P/IF, 3
Lefty Owen Little follows through on a fast ball to a Belle Plaine batter in the Saints’ tough 8-7 loss to the top-seeded Tigers in the Section 2AA Tournament. (Dana Melius/St. Peter Herald)
time letter winner, All Big South) “Andy will continue to be a top of the order kid who will eat up innings at the top of our rotation. We are planning on Andy to continue his progress as a leader for us and to lead our offense.” Joey Baron (Junior, IF, letter winner) “One of the best 2B we’ve had,” Moelter said. “Defensively, he is as good as it gets. He gained valuable experience last year and that will only make him better this year.” Hunter Wilmes (Junior, C/ IF, letter winner) “We are hoping he can fill our void at catcher. He has all the tools to do it and will
need him to be a tough out in the middle of our order.” Tyson Sowder (Junior, OF/ IF/C, letter winner) “Had a great sophomore year, and we will need him to continue to progress. He will lead our OF and could be called upon to play some IF along with catcher. He is a kid that can get on base and make things happen for us. A very versatile player.” Isaac Peterson (Junior, P/IF) “We will lean on Isaac to pitch for us this spring,” Moelter said. “He is a strong kid who throws well and has some pop with the bat. He gained a little experience late last year and we hope that will help
him this spring. He has the ability to be a middle of the order hitter for us and to be a run producer.” Brock Hanson (Junior, P/ IF) “Brock might be the pitcher to close out games, if need be,” Moelter said. “He has the ability to be a starter and we will use him there. But, he is a big, strong kid who has the ability to intimidate hitters and would be ideal in late innings. He has not seen a lot of varsity pitching (as a hitter), so we hope that he can quickly adjust and be a hitter that can carry us if called upon.” Dylan Graft (Junior, P/OF) “Dylan’s biggest strength is he is
left-handed. He throws well and has the ability to get people out. Dylan is valuable in that he is durable and able to pitch on shorter rest, if needed.” David Doherty-Bohn (Junior, OF/IF) “DDB’s ability to play anywhere in the field makes him very valuable to us,” Moelter said. “Every successful team has the kid that can play anywhere and do it well. He is that kid for us. He is a solid hitter who will only get better as the season progresses and he gains more experience.” Sean Miller (Junior, IF) “Sean is a kid who simply needs more experience. He works hard and is always improving. It is a big jump from JV to varsity, and hard work is the best way to ease that move. Sean can play some corner IF for us. As coaches, we need to do our best to find time for him to get him some AB’s.” Clay Roessler (Junior, IF) “Clay will play middle IF for us,” Moelter said. “He is another kid, who can play a variety of positions. As coaches, we appreciate the fact that Clay will do anything we ask of him. He has grown and has become stronger which will help him personally, and help our team as he improves throughout the year.” MOVED ON Carter Hrdlicka, Jake McCabe, JP Ardison, Parker Baron and Maccoy Blaschko 2018 SEASON OUTLOOK In 2017, finished 15-11, section runner-up and 5-7 in the Big South. 2018: “As usual, Belle Plaine will be a section favorite,” Moelter said. “LS-H also is returning quite a bit from last year’s team that reached the section semi-finals. Fairmont is always a threat and a
well coached team.” Conference favorite: New Ulm and Marshall. COACH’S COMMENTS “We have the same approach every year, to improve each day. Whether at practice or a game, our goal is to improve and get better. We lost some very key players from last year’s team. They were key players in how they played, but more importantly, how they handled themselves and reacted to situations. Baseball is such a mental game, in that a kid could have all the talent in the world, but if they do not have the ‘head’ for the game, they will not experience any success. Our kids need to continue to understand the mental aspect of the game and be able to handle adversity when it happens. “We had a successful year, last year. That doesn’t mean anything this year. We still need to work hard every day and mentally challenge ourselves to get better. If we do those things, the wins and losses will take care of themselves. Success is not always measured by your record. We measure success by improvement, enjoying/accepting the challenges that await us and by how we handle and react to adversity.” – Kurt Moelter, head coach BY THE NUMBERS 11 and 12 — “For the first time in a long time, we should be able to field a varsity roster consisting of only 11th- and 12th-graders,” Moelter said. “This is a good thing. Sometimes, player movement can have a negative effect on the younger levels. This helps solidify our younger levels and allows them to enjoy successes together and to grow together.”
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PAGE 5
SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW: Bigger St. Peter girls golf team has high goals By PAT BECK
pbeck@stpeterherald.com
St. Peter Girls Golf COACHES Head Girls Golf Coach: Pat Klubben (10th season) Jr. High/Assistant Coach: Sean Keating (5th season) KEY PLAYERS Returning Letter winners: Senior Miranda Bresnahan, a section qualifier and Big South All Conference player last year, and 4 time varsity letter winner returns to the lineup with big shoes to fill. “She will be expected to take over the No. 1 position left by Anna Amos with the capability of breaking 90 and bringing in a 9 hole average of 47.6,” Klubben said. Senior Kennady Legg, a section qualifier and 3 year varsity letter winner, leveled off last year shooting consistently in the low 100s. Kennady will look to improve upon her 9 hole average from last year of 52.9. “She will be expected to step up her game this year and compete for a top spot in the Saints lineup,” Klubben said. Junior Amelia Wernsing, a section qualifier and 3 time varsity letter winner, “showed great strides last year and continues to move up the ladder,” Klubben said. “She brings back a career high 18 hole score of 93 while carrying a 50.4 nine hole average.” Sophomore Heidi Mayo, a section qualifier, earned her first varsity letter last year while filling the role of a supporting cast member. “Although she finished as one of our top 4 scorers a number of times last year, this year she will be expected to consistently finish in the top 4,” Klubben said. “We hope that she can drop her 9 hole average of 57.8 down to the low 50s.
St. Peter senior No. 1 player Miranda Bresnahan pitches to the 18th green at Shoreland Country Club. (Pat Beck/St. Peter Herald)
Sophomore Rae Smit, a Section qualifier, also earned her first varsity letter last year. “Rae was one of the hardest workers last year, and it really showed in her scores,” Klubben said. “Her 9-hole average was a 58, but I know she will come in much lower than that based on her dedication over the summer.” Freshman Mia Hansen earned her first varsity letter last year. “Her biggest accomplishment was carding a 9-hole score of 49 at the Fairmont Invitational in her first varsity competition,” Klubben said. “She comes in with a good chance of earning a varsity spot as a No. 5 or No. 6 player.” Freshman, Emily Salfer also earned her first varsity letter last
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year and has her eye on getting some more varsity action this year, Klubben said. “Emily will be a solid player with a great work ethic.” KEEP YOUR EYE ON Freshmen Maddie Doose and Anna LoFaro as well as 8th-grader, Kate Salzwedel are back from last year. They played mostly in junior varsity and junior high meets last year and will be looking to play well enough to crack the varsity lineup this year. MOVED ON Anna Amos 2018 SEASON OUTLOOK 2017 Regular Season: 7-0 “After completing the dual season last year undefeated, one could only assume that we would
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which means we have a much better chance of fielding a full varsity, junior varsity, junior high schedule. There will be competition from day one for Varsity and JV positions which will only make us better. Having depth this year will be a luxury that we have not had in a long time. There has been many occasions in the past that when one of our Varsity players couldn’t compete, we did not have anyone to fill the spot. This year we will not only be able to fill the spot, but also have competition for that spot.” Conference: 5-0, Big South East Division champions “Last year we repeated as Big South Conference East Division winners (the old SCC) and fin-
ished runner up to Marshall in the BSC overall,” Klubben said. “We hope to reload and make a run at Marshall and the rest of the BSC again this year, which will be a tough task as the East Division will be better and the West Division has historically been stronger over the past few years. The BSC will look a little different on the Girls side this year as St. James has dropped their entire golf program, and Redwood Valley will not have the numbers to participate in girls golf this year.” Section: “Last year we finished in 2nd place after the first day of section and qualified as a team for the section finals,” Klubben said. “Our team also finished in 2nd place at section and only managed to qualify one individual for state competition (Anna Amos). Miranda missed the cut by one spot again, and we hope this is the year that she finishes above the cut line. We would like to play well enough at the first round of section to again qualify as a team for section finals. Just like last year, I believe that if our team can’t make it to state, that we certainly have a couple of players that have the ability to make it individually.” COACH’S COMMENTS “With 7 varsity letter winners returning from last year, I feel that this team is in position to finish near the top in most tournaments, conference play, and section play and with at little luck send the team or a couple of individuals to the State Tournament.” — Pat Klubben, head coach BY THE NUMBERS 7 - Returning varsity letter winners 19 - Players this year (most players in last 10 years)
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PAGE 6
VALLEY SPORTS PREVIEW
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
St. Peter boys golf drives for another good season By PAT BECK
pbeck@stpeterherald.com
St. Peter’s Carter Doose pitches to the ninth green last year in the Section 2AA meet at New Prague Golf Club. (Pat Beck/St. Peter Herald)
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St. Peter Boys Golf COACHES Head coach: Neil Doose, 10th year Assistant coaches: Sean Keating, 5th year KEY PLAYERS Carter Doose (11th) averaged a 39.6 on 9 holes 2017, 4 year letter winner, Big South All conference last 2 years (7th place last year). Doose finished in the top half of the AA state tournament as a 10th grader. He led the team last year in scoring average, pars, putting, fairways hit and greens in regulation. “He will need to improve in all those areas to reach his goals this year,” Doose said. “Carter played all summer in the Jr. PGA Players Tour and the Hurricane Tour which really helped him improve his game and has also been taking lessons all off-season which will hopefully pay huge dividends for him this spring.” Kendall Nicolai (9th) averaged 43.8 scoring average, 3 year letter winner, 25th in the Big South conference standings last year. “Kendall really improved his decision making on the course, but still needs to improve on that part of his game,” Doose said. “Kendall tallied the most bogeys for the Saints last year and will need to try and convert many of those to pars this year to help the team. He lowered his score by almost 4 strokes per 9 and hopefully that trend continues this year.” Cade Horner (10th), 46.7 scoring average, 1 year letter winner and 55th place in the Big South. “Cade lowered his scoring average
by 4 last year and hopefully he can do that again this spring,” Doose said. “He played a lot of golf last summer which will help a lot.” Marshall Nicolai (8th), 47.1 scoring average, 1 year letter winner and 41st place in the Big South. “Marshall learned a lot about the game of golf last year and will need to do more of that this year,” Doose said. “He is not afraid to practice and work on his weaknesses in his game which will only help make him better.” Kaidan Schmitz (10th), 49.1 scoring average. 1 year letter winner, 85th in Big South. “Kaiden got his 1st taste of varsity last year and we look forward to him stepping up this year and contributing to this team,” Doose said. Seth Lokensgard (11th), 50.3 scoring average, 1 year letter winner and 85th in Big South. “Seth was a 1st year golfer last year and really had some good moments on the course,” Doose said. “If he can stay away from 1 bad hole per 9, his average will drop into the low to mid 40’s this spring. He really wants to be a good golfer and I know he will work hard to achieve that goal.” KEEP YOUR EYE ON “Alex Wenner (10th) New to the team this year and hopefully he can compete and contribute at the varsity level this year,” Doose said. “Michael Molin (10th) Also a newcomer this year, and we are looking forward to seeing if he can step into a varsity spot at some time this spring.” “Charlie Remmert (10th) “Averaged 67 as a JV player last spring and we look forward to having him improve and contribute to the JV team.
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“Logan Moe (9th) Averaged 52 as a JH and JV player last year. He has really grown this past year and we will see if that translates to a big improvement in his game. I am hoping he can fight for a varsity position this spring. “Ryan Braun (9th) Averaged 60 last year and played some junior high and JV. He is stronger this spring which will help his game improve. “Nolan Larson (9th) 66 scoring average, Nolan also played junior high last year and we will see if he can improve and contribute on this years JV team as well. “Will Borgmeier (7th) Will has played some golf and we are hoping he can play well competitively and hopefully help our JV this spring. “Sam Buffington (7th) Sam will be learning the game of golf this spring. He is a good kid and will be very coachable and I’m excited to see how much he can improve this spring.” MOVED ON Joey Wenner, 2 state tournament appearances in 2016 and 2017 Reid Reicks, 3 year letter winner 2018 SEASON OUTLOOK In 2017, St. Peter finished first in the Big South East division and third in the final Big South standings. The Saints were 12-4 in the conference, 48-18 overall and second in Section 2AA. Doose said the section favorites are BEA, Shattuck, Jordan and Albert Lea. “We believe we have a good returning crew that can compete in the subsection, section and conference meets this season,”
Doose said. COACH’S COMMENTS “I am very excited for the 2018 golf season. A lot of this year’s team lives on the course in the summer, and I know they are capable of big things. I am hoping that some of our younger players can make a big leap for us this year as well. We have some talent, but we really need to improve our decision making on the course and get better at our chipping and putting. The Big South Conference is always tough, and our section is very top-heavy again this year as far as teams go, so we will have to work hard on our games all spring and improve each and every day. I am excited to see how this group progresses on and off the course this season. We are a very young team that needs to really take advantage of the practice time that we have this year.” – Neil Doose, head coach BY THE NUMBERS 15 — number of golfers (7-12) 10 — total years varsity experience for this team 6 — number of golfers returning with some varsity experience 5 — number of golfers averaging under 50 per 9 holes returning this season 4 — number of newcomers to golf this spring 2 — number of years in a row with at least a share of the Big South East division title 1 — number of golfers with state tournament experience Reach Sports Editor Pat Beck at 931-8566 or follow him on Twitter.com @SPHSportsPat.
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Wednesday, April 4, 2018
VALLEY SPORTS PREVIEW
PAGE 7
Cleveland baseball team hopes to keep stepping up By RICHARD ROHLFING
Correspondent
Cleveland Baseball COACHES Head coach: J.J. Helget – Entering 7th year as head coach; 3 years as JH coach at Cleveland/ Le Center Assistant coaches: Mike Krenik, Joe Schmudlach KEY PLAYERS Austin Plonsky – Senior, SS/P, 5-year letter winner, captain this season. Last year he had the Clippers’ best batting average (.462), the most hits (30), the most RBIs (21), was tied with Brandon Seitz for runs scored (24), and was tops in stolen bases (23). On the hill, he had 20 IP, a 3-1 record and a 2.49 ERA. He was chosen as a member of the Valley All-Conference first team last season and a member of the All-Section Team. Carter Kopet – Senior, IF/OF/ P/C, 4-year letter winner, captain this season. Kopet missed playing last season due to an injury, but he kept a leadership role on the team at every practice and all but one game. In the 2016 season, he had the team’s best batting average (.571). He had the most doubles (seven) and had the team’s only home run. On the mound he had a 3-3 record and had one save. He recorded 30 strikeouts and had a 3.99 ERA. Carter was a 1st team Valley All-Conference Selection in 2016, All-Conference in 2015 (they did not do 1st/2nd teams then), and All-Conference Honorable Mention in 2014. Bryce Novak – Junior, 3b/ SS/P, 4-year letter winner. He was a member of the Valley AllConference first team last season. He batted .357 with 17 RBI and stole 15 bases. He had 23 IP with
Six seniors will form a strong core for the Clippers. They are, from left: Kyle Pope, Ben Lunderburg, Sam Kaderlik, Cade Olson, Austin Plonsky and Carter Kopet. (Richard Rohlfing/Le Center Leader)
a 3-1 record, a 1.24 ERA and 35 strike outs. Danny McCabe – Junior, OF, 2-year letter winner. Last season McCabe batted .358, scored 17 runs, had 12 RBIs and led the team in extra base hits (three doubles, four triples). On the mound, he logged 10 IP with a 1.31 ERA. He was an All-Conference Honorable Mention last season as well as a member of the All-Section team. In section play, He batted .462 (6/13) and had five RBIs.
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KEEP YOUR EYE ON Lucas Mueller – Sophomore, C, 2-year letter winner Cade Olson – Senior, RF, 2-year letter winner Sam Kaderlik – Senior, DH/1B, 1-year letter winner (sat out last year) Brendon Brown – Junior 1B/ OF, 1-year letter winner Shane Rogers – Junior, OF, 1-year letter winner MOVED ON Brandon Seitz (P/CF), Nick Douglas (C), Josh Baker (1B)
and Cody Conroy (OF). All were starters 2018 SEASON OUTLOOK In 2012, the Clippers’ first year after splitting away from Le Center, the Clippers had four wins. A year later it was four again, and then only two wins in 2014. But it has been steady improvement since then. In 2015 the Clippers were back to four wins. In 2016-it was nine in the victory column. Last year, with a 14-7 record and a respectable fifth place in the very competitive Section 2A, the Clip-
Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman and AtwaterCosmos-Grove City (ACGC). COMMENTS FROM THE COACH “We are looking to build off of last year’s success. We lost four very valuable players and will be looking for players to step up. Getting Carter Kopet back this year will help ease some of that. I feel our top four hitters are as good as any in the conference and am looking forward to seeing 5-9 step up to create a strong, balanced 1-9 lineup. Our top three pitchers (Bryce, Carter, Austin) in my opinion give us the ability to have three No. 1 pitchers. Anytime any of them have the ball in there hand, good things will happen. Our focus will be on throwing strikes and playing championship level defense. If we can do this, I feel we have a team built to contend for both the conference and the section.” – JJ Helget, head coach BY THE NUMBERS 3 – Number of 1st Team AllConference players returning for the Clippers (Plonsky and Novak in 2017, Kopet-2016) 6 – The number of years Austin Plonsky has started for the Clippers. (Kopet would have the same number if he wouldn’t have gotten hurt). 6 – Number of seniors on the team (Kopet, Plonsky, Kaderlik, Olson, Kyle Pope and Ben Lunderburg) 14 – Number of wins last year 23 – The total wins from 20122016
pers had their best season in recent history. They were 5-3 in the conference, which was good for fourth place. After coming back from 4-2 deficit to beat Mankato Loyola in the section elimination bracket, their season ended when they lost to Springfield. Conference favorites this season are Martin Luther/GranadaHuntley-East Chain/Truman Reach Sports Editor Pat Beck and St. Clair. Section favorites are Springfield, Bird Island-Lake at 931-8566 or follow him on Lillian-Olivia District (BOLD), Twitter.com @SPHSportsPat. Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s, Martin
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PAGE 8
VALLEY SPORTS PREVIEW
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW: This is Cleveland softball team’s time to shine By RICHARD ROHLFING
Correspondent
Cleveland Softball COACHES Head coach: Dan Fredrickson – 6th year coaching Assistant coach: Sandy Hollerich – 3rd year KEY PLAYERS Lily Hollerich – Senior, shortstop, captain. She started for the Clippers four years ago at shortstop as an 8th grader. In 2017, she batted .417, scored the most runs for the Clippers (20), had the most doubles (8) and was tied with McKenna Robb for the most home runs (2). Hollerich was also voted by her teammates as the Most Valuable Player and Best Defensive Player. She also received a unanimous vote by the coaches in the Valley Conference for membership on the All-Conference first team. “Lily has been a stalwart for us the last 5 years,” said Fredrickson. “She is an elite level player and competitor. She is a great role model for all our young players. She will be playing on a torn ACL this season, but she is so mentally tough that I don’t see it slowing her production much at all. She is a player every coach dreams of coaching.” Katelyn McCabe – Junior, infield/outfield. “Katelyn will be our starting left fielder this year,” Fredrickson said. “Katelyn is a fearless defensive player with a very good arm. She will be counted on for a big offensive role this year. Katelyn was swinging a very good bat at the end of last season. She competes with lots of confidence. Katelyn helps round out a very talented and athletic outfield.” McKenna Robb – Sophomore, 3rd base and pitcher. Last season she had the Clippers’ highest bat-
With all but one starter from last year returning, the Clippers hope to be in the winner’s circle this spring. (Richard Rohlfing/Le Center Leader)
ting average (.429), the most hits (30), the most triples (2), the most stolen bases (18) and the most total bases (43). On the mound, she her four saves were the most for the Clippers. She was an All-Section player and made the All-Conference second team after getting edged after an initial tie to make the first team. “McKenna is an absolute difference maker,” Fredrickson said. “She had a monster season as a freshman and will only continue her assault on area teams this season. McKenna has all the tools: elite level hitter, pitcher and defensive player. She is a very special player and will help lead the Clippers to a memorable season this year.” Joie Weller – Junior, pitcher and outfield. She had the most wins (9) last year and recorded the most strikeouts (42). She was an AllConference Honorable Mention. “Joie has been carrying a very large load for us on the mound the last
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two seasons, and she has shined,” Fredrickson said. “She had a big season last year and helped lead us to a 2nd place finish in the conference. Joie has been working hard on her pitching this offseason. Her bat looks ready to make a big impact this year as well. She’s a very talented player.” Karna Ziebarth – Junior, 1st base and 3rd base. “She is an excellent defensive player and saves a lot of throws from errors with her stellar defensive play,” Fredrickson said. “She is also developing into a very good hitter. She has an excellent approach and swing path. Karna had some very clutch hits for us last season. She is poised to very big season this year.” Julia McCabe – Junior, outfield/ infield. Her 19 RBIs last year were the most for the Clippers. “Julia is a big-time defensive center fielder,” Fredrickson said. “If it’s hit she’s going to get it. She has an elite level
arm as well. At the plate she became our leadoff hitter midway through the year last season, a role she excelled in. Julia will be our leadoff hitter again this year and no doubt a catalyst for our success. She’s an impact player.” Lexi Hollerich – Sophomore, catcher. “Lexi is absolutely fearless behind the plate,” Fredrickson said. “She has all the skills you want in a catcher and has amazing instincts for the position as well. She has played an integral role to our success. Lexi has the ability to be a dynamic offensive player as well as evidence by her hot start last season. I look for Lexi to continue to grow into a special all-around player. She has so much talent.” Allison Schmoll – Junior, infield. “Allison has been a Swissarmy knife for us the last couple years,” Fredrickson said. “If we have a spot that needs to be filled the most likely candidate has been
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Allison. That’s a credit to her and her athletic ability. Not all players can move so seamlessly to different positions. For this year though she has found a home at 2nd Base. At the keystone position she forms a very talented middle-infield combo with Lily. I look for Allison to have a big year at the plate as well. She’s an aggressive hitter and her swing has looked very good so far. She’s a talented player and a vocal leader too.” KEEP YOUR EYE ON Sydney Klingel – Junior, outfield. “Sydney has the inside track on right field this year,” Fredrickson said. “She is a very good outfielder and plays the game hard. She has very good speed on the bases. At the plate she can create some havoc with her legs. She should have a very big role this year.” Emma Hahn – Junior, pitcher/ infield. “Emma is a very talented pitcher and has an opportunity at innings this year,” Fredrickson said. “She throws very hard and is dominant when she is on. She has done a nice job with her swing this preseason and looks good fielding the ball as well.” MOVED ON Amanda Smith (RF), Cheyenne Kunkel (1B), Shania Weber (OF) 2018 SEASON OUTLOOK The Clippers finished the 2017 season with a 12-8 record with all the losses to quality teams. They were 7-2 in the conference, which tied them for 2nd place with MCW and Nicollet. Non-conference Randolph was the top seed in Section 1 and was state ranked when they beat the Clippers early in the season. The Clippers lost two games against conference rival Nicollet, but topped the Raiders twice too, including in the second round of the Section 2A tournament. Nicollet
beat Mountain Lake to advance a step further in the section playbacks than the Clippers but fell 2-1 to section runner up Mankato Loyola. The Clippers lost to Loyola 2-1 during the regular season and then were eliminated by the Crusaders in the sections. Section champion Sleepy Eye St. Marys, which ended up in third at the state tournament, was another regular-season loss for the Clippers, while top seeded New Ulm Cathedral, which beat the Clippers 4-0 in the third round of the sections took third. Mountain Lake edged the Clippers in the regular season 6-5. COACH COMMENTS “We have all the pieces to make a run deep into the playoffs this season. Our pitchers throw strikes, we have very talented defensive players, and we have lots of hitters coming back with a lot of varsity experience. We have an opportunity to compete well with every team we play. We have a very tough schedule. We play in a very good softball conference, and we play in a brutally tough section. But with all that said, I expect us to be able to play well with all of them. It’s our time. I truly believe it is. I have no comments on conference or section opponents other than I expect us to beat them all. I’m looking forward to a very memorable season. These girls have worked hard. Get out and see them compete. – Dan Fredrickson, head coach BY THE NUMBERS 1 – There is only one starting senior 8 – The number of returning regular starters, a luxury for the Clippers 4.6 – The average runs allowed per game last season (3rd in their section)
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Wednesday, April 4, 2018
VALLEY SPORTS PREVIEW
PAGE 9
Mankato Loyola/Cleveland track team is senior strong By RICHARD ROHLFING
Correspondent
Loyola/Cleveland Track & Field COACHES Head coach: Dale Compton – 21st year Assistant coaches: TJ Palesotti – 15th year, Joe Remiger – 4th year, Justin Cafourek – 3rd year, Danielle Pierce – 1st year KEY ATHLETES Landon Javens – Senior, distance; 6-year letter winner. His membership on the first place 4x800 team and first place finish in the 800 earned him All-Conference honors at the Valley Conference meet last year. At the subsection meet, he was champion in the 800, a member of the first place 4x800 team as well as the secondplace 4x400 team. He competed in the state meet last season as a member of the school and section record setting 4x800 relay team. Hunter Westman – Senior; sprints, jumps; 5-year letter winner. He was All-Conference in the high jump and triple jump last year. At the subsection meet, he was first in the high jump, second in the long jump and third in the triple jump. With a silver finish at the section meet, he went to state in the high jump. Kyla Haas – Senior, distance; 6-year letter winner. Eaden Javens – Senior; middle distance. At the subsection meet, she took fourth in the 800 to advance to sections. Brady Omtvedt – Senior, distance. 5-year letter winner; Last season he was All-Conference as a member of the first place 4x800 team, an All-Conference Honorable Mention in the 1600. At the subsection meet, he qualified for sections in three events: he was the 400 champion, earned another gold part of the 4x800 team and took a second as a member of the 4x400 team. He competed in the state meet as a member of the 4x800 team. Micah Rentschler – Junior, distance. At subsections, last season he was third in the 800 and was a member of the second-place 4x400 team and the first place 4x800 team. He was All-Conference and
With all members of a state third place cross country team from last fall on the track team this spring, look for distances to be a strength. Here Mitchell Johnstone, Brett Omtvedt, Evan Skinner and Jerrett Peterson warm up before their first race of the year, which took place at the Crusader Invite, held at MSU-Mankato Tuesday. (Richard Rohlfing/Le Center Leader)
went to the state meet as a member of the 4x800 team. Mitchell Johnstone – Sophomore, distance. His second place finish in the 3200 last season earned him an All-Conference Honorable Mention. In the subsection, he was third in the 3200. He is coming off an All-State performance last fall in cross country. KEEP YOUR EYE ON Payton Remiger – Senior. He took second in both the pole vault and the 110-M hurdles at the Valley Conference meet last season for All-Conference Honorable Mentions. Jerrett Peterson – Sophomore. He earned an All-Conference award last season as a member of the first place 4x800 team. Brett Omtvedt – Sophomore, distance. He was the subsection
runner up last year in the 1600 and fourth at that meet in the 3200. Ellie Nygren – Sophomore, distance Evan Skinner – Senior, distance Sydnee Germscheid – Sophomore, sprinter MOVED ON David Ohene-Frimpong (sprints), Joey Zalusky (mid-
dle distance), Alyssa Compton (sprints), transfer Megan Mettler (jumps, throws) 2018 SEASON OUTLOOK Last season for the boys, Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial/ Nicollet finished ahead of both Loyola/Cleveland and St. Clair in the section true-team meet, and St. Clair beat both teams to win the
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Valley Conference outdoor meet, where the Crusaders took second. However, the Crusaders beat both teams to win the subsection meet. At the section true team meet, the boys were fifth and the girls were 13th. The boys were second and the girls were fifth in the Valley conference. Eleven athletes advanced to the section.
Look for Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial/Nicollet and St. Clair to be strong competitors again this spring. With members of a state thirdplace cross country team participating (Mitchell Johnstone, Jerrett Peterson, Landon Javens, Brett Omtvedt, Brady Omtvedt, Payton Remiger, Micah Rentschler and alternates Evan Skinner and Alec Schaefer), look for distances to be the strength for the boys team this season. COMMENTS FROM THE COACH “Both the boys and girls teams have a very strong group of seniors. We are excited about the leadership they will bring to our younger athletes. Besides their leadership, they will bring a strong presence on the track and in the field as well. We are looking for our seniors to score quite a few points for the team this spring.” – Dale Compton, head coach BY THE NUMBERS 6 – All-State athletes returning: Landon Javens, Brady Omtvedt, Micah Rentschler — All-State last spring (4x800); Mitchell Johnstone — All-State Cross Country last fall; Kyla Haas and Eaden Javens — AllState from 2014 (4x800) 13 – Seniors participating 20 – Returning letter winners participating 17 – The number of Cleveland athletes on the varsity team (seniors: Brady Omtvedt, Evan Skinner, Payton Remiger and Kyla Haas; juniors: Chantal Weber and Alec Schaefer; sophomores: Mason Conroy, Mitchell Johnstone, Brett Omtvedt, Jerrett Peterson, Cooper Thomez, Sydnee Germscheid, Kielee Grams and Ellie Nygren; freshman Landon Clark and Tyler Erickson; 7th: Sarena Remiger)
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PAGE 10
VALLEY SPORTS PREVIEW
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Experienced Tri-City United girls and boys golf teams shoot higher By PAT BECK
pbeck@stpeterherald.com
TCU Boys and Girls Golf COACHES Head coach: Adam Larson, 3rd year Assistant coaches: Bryce Brunz, 2nd year KEY PLAYERS “Dylan Borchardt, senior, and his length and experience are his biggest strengths, Larson said. “Josh Lebrun, junior, very consistent and his smarts around the course. “Jacob Duque, junior, long hitter and his short game is very good. “Grace Smith, senior, incredibly smart and is very steady, great leader. “Faith Factor, senior, getting better every match and is ready to soar this year “Emma Chimal, senior, very athletic and very long, time to put it all together.” KEEP YOUR EYE ON “John Davies, senior, will be a steady rock for us,” Larson said. “Jorgia Pumper, junior, long off the tee and is getting better around the greens “Keeley Oak, sophomore, hard worker and a perfectionist.” MOVED ON Tyler Henze and Brandon Pelowski 2018 SEASON OUTLOOK “Our boys’ team took second place in conference last year, closely behind Jordan for the title,” Larson said. “I expect to challenge them again this year. They have a little more top end talent, but our consistency may surprise them, and we could be tough this year. We have a very competitive conference and it’s fun to compete
Faith Factor of Tri-City United watches her putt approach the cup last year on the 17th green of Montgomery National Golf Course. (Photo by Alex Kerkman/Le Center Leader)
each and every meet. “Our girls’ team continued to make strides and finished third in conference this past year and hope to improve our finish this upcoming season. Jordan and Le Sueur will be the top two favorites to win the conference, but we have five seniors who expect to make big leaps and hope to end well.” COACH COMMENTS “I truly have the best job in the world. I get to coach great kids in the best sport in the world,” Larson said. “We are not only student athletes, but we are going to try to give back to our community and others this year, by hosting large invitationals and doing public service projects.
“My athletes make great choices each day, which makes our job easier to mange. “It’s going to be sad to see 10 seniors finish up their career this spring, they’ve done a lot to push this program along.” BY THE NUMBERS 5 – Senior girls that have been together their whole high school career. 42 — players out for golf this year, moving from 10 in 2015, 27 in 2016, 38 in 2017 and 42 in 2018, great growth. 3 — coaches, which will allow us to give the kids more individualized instruction. 16 — players out for golf from Josh Lebrun of Tri-City United blasts out of the sand trap on the third hole at Le Sueur Country 7th and 8th grades. Club. He shot a 49. (Pat Beck/St. Peter Herald)
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
VALLEY SPORTS PREVIEW
PAGE 11
SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW: Titans hope for shot at conference title By ASHLEY MURTHA
amurtha@lecenter.com
Tri-City United Baseball COACHES Head: Bruce Davis, 32nd year Assistants: varsity assistant coach – Jay Fredrickson, 3rd year; junior varsity coach – Matt Miller, 13th year; 9th-grade coach – Mark Gregor, 7th year; 8th-grade coach – Austin Pinke, 1st year; 7th-grade coach – Jason Hollom, 1st year KEY PLAYERS Zach Sexe – senior, outfielder. Third year lettering, 2017 All-Conference player and voted Mr. Defense. Davis said Sexe is an “excellent leadoff hitter and centerfielder.” Brad Davis – senior, infielder. Third year lettering, was a 2017 AllConference player and was voted Mr. Offense. “(Brad is) excellent in using the entire field when hitting and can pick up runs-batted-in (RBIs) when needed,” Davis said. Zach Mikel – senior, outfielder/ pitcher. Third year lettering and was a 2017 Honorable Mention All-Conference player. Zach will be a starting pitcher and outfielder. Marty Kalina – senior, catcher/ pitcher/shortstop. “(Kalina has a) great ability to play multiple positions,” Davis said. Jack Skluzacek – senior, second baseman. Skluzacek will provide offense for the Titans. Tyler Milford – senior, pitcher/ outfielder. Milford will provide the Titans with depth in the batting order and a left-hander on the mound. Devin Vosejpka – junior, third baseman. Vosejpka is looking for a break-out season after moving into starting lineup last year, Davis said. KEEP YOUR EYE ON Matthew Feddema – junior, shortstop. Tyler Sladek – junior, pitcher/ outfielder.
Brad Davis was voted an all-conference player as well as Mr. Offense for the Titans last year. (Leader file photo)
Sam Barnack – junior, outfielder. Evan Traxler – senior, first baseman. Jud Saemrow – senior, third baseman. Kody Glende – junior, pitcher. “Kody could see a lot of innings on the mound for the Titans,” Davis said. MOVED ON Isaac Pint, Kyle Hintz, Blake Sladek, Dominic D’Amato and Cade Readmond 2018 SEASON OUTLOOK Last season the Titans had a 1010 record and lost in the first round of the Section 2AA tournament to
Maple River. In the Minnesota River Conference the Titans were 5-7. The section favorite this year will be St. Peter. “They return two very good pitchers and have a very good coach in Kurt Moelter,” Davis said. But the Minnesota River Conference will be wide open with all of the teams having a shot at the title. “The key to the Titan’s baseball season will be in their pitching,” Davis said. The Titans will have nine varsity pitchers to pick from and Davis said they will use the regular season to find out which pitchers will be ready for the Section Tournament.
“Zach Mikel and Tyler Milford will for sure be two starting pitchers for TCU,” Davis said. “Kody Glende will get a chance to show what he can do at the varsity level. Brad Davis and Devin Vosejpka will be asked to give the Titans important innings. Zach Sexe pitched well last summer and he will get a good look on the mound this spring also.” Hitting should not be a problem for the Titans, Davis said. The top six hitters from last year return and with the addition of Tyler Milford to the lineup the batting order will be very balanced from one to nine. Zach Sexe led the team last year with a .359 hitting average and Brad
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Davis was right behind him with a .356 hitting average. Brad also had 21 RBIs throughout the season. Zach Mikel was at a .333 hitting average as well. “With Marty Kalina, Jack Skluzacek, Tyler Milford and Devin Vosejpka in the lineup, each game will have a different offensive leader,” Davis said. The Titans return a two-year starting catcher in Marty Kalina as well and Davis said that when Marty pitches or plays shortstop Brad Davis or Carter Simon will be asked to go behind the plate for the Titans. Three seniors will anchor the outfield: Zach Sexe, Zach Mikel and
Tyler Milford. Each of these kids will also be on the mound which will give Tyler Sladek and Sam Barnack a chance to show what they can do, Davis said. Brad Davis returns to first base, Devin Vosejpka returns at third base and Jack Skluzacek returns at second base so the infield looks strong again this season. The open spot will be at shortstop. Matthew Feddema will get the first shot at the position and Kalina will be able to put in innings as well. “The Titans are very excited about the upcoming season,” Davis said. “If the Titan’s pitching proves to be above average, the defense and offense take care of itself and the Titans get better each week of the season, the team will have a very successful season.” COACH COMMENTS “The coaching staff is very excited for the upcoming season. There will be 20 players on the varsity roster this spring. This will create very good competition between players to win each starting position. The Minnesota River Conference is as even as I have ever seen it. Any of the seven teams could win the championship. Andover, Austin and Columbia Heights will come to Montgomery and Lonsdale on May 5 for a tournament and we are very excited to start that up again after a number of years off. “In my 32 years as the head baseball coach, this may be the toughest regular season schedule the Titans have ever played. The Titans have a class AAAA team and two class AAA teams on the schedule this spring.” – Bruce Davis, head coach BY THE NUMBERS 6 – returning starters 3 – returning All-Conference players 8 – seniors
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VALLEY SPORTS PREVIEW
Ellie Singleton is the Titans’ main shortstop player. She suffered some injuries last year, but she is ready to play this year.
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Elly Novak is the team’s only returning All-Conference player and she was an All-Section player last year as well. She was voted pitcher of the year in the Minnesota River Conference last year, and coach Murry said she is one of the best players in the area. (Leader file photos)
SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW: Titans face one of their youngest line-ups ever By ASHLEY MURTHA
amurtha@lecenter.com
Tri-City United Softball COACHES Head coach: Phil Murry; 24th year as a head coach, 27th year overall Assistant coaches: Carolyn Harmeyer, 13th year; Andrea Dubanoski, 2nd year; Sarah Blaschk, 2nd year; Jillian Gangle, 1st year; Sarah Adams 12th year KEY PLAYERS Elly Novak – junior, pitcher/ shortstop. This is Novak’s third year lettering. She was an honorable mention All-Conference player for two seasons and an All-Conference and All-Section player last year. Novak was voted pitcher of the year in the Minnesota River Conference
last year and hit over .550 a year ago. “Elly is an extremely talented player,” Murry said. “She is one of the best players in the area. She puts in a ton of time outside of the season playing softball year-round.” Mattie Hellerud – senior, first baseman. Hellerud was a two-time letter winner and was an All-Conference player a year ago. She hit .342 last year and led the Titans with 14 RBIs. “Unfortunately Mattie was lost for the season when she tore her ACL in the final basketball game this season,” Murry said. Cami Vargo – senior, catcher. This is Vargo’s third year lettering and she hit a .255 last year. “(Cami) really came on as a catcher last year once she got healthy,” Murry said. “(She) gives us a very athletic player behind the plate.”
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Ellie Singleton – sophomore, shortstop/pitcher. Singleton batted .274 last year and “continued to improve as the year progressed,” Murry said. “(Ellie) battled some injuries last season but is healthy now.” KEEP YOUR EYE ON Cohl Paggen – sophomore, infielder/catcher. “With a year under her belt and hopefully good health, she could make major contributions this year,” Murry said. Emily Krautkremer – senior, outfielder/designated hitter. “(Emily) came out of nowhere last year to win the most improved player award,” Murry said. “(She) should provide a solid bat.” Jocelyn Flicek – senior, pitcher. Flicek lettered for the first time last year. “She gave us a solid No. 2
starter that allowed us to give Elly some well needed breaks,” Murry said. Younger players: “This has the potential to be one of my youngest line-ups ever,” Murry said. “We will need to have some younger players step up if we are going to be competitive in the strong Minnesota River Conference and Section 2AA.” MOVED ON Kaitlyn Buss, Alyssa Quist, Lauren Miller and Megan Erickson 2018 SEASON OUTLOOK AND COACH COMMENTS Last year the Titans had an 1112 record overall. “We improved by 4 wins in 2017 and ended up 11-12. As always we are looking to take that next step into the upper half of our
F IR S T S T A T E B A N K O F L E CE N T E R GOOD LUCK TITANS!
conference. That task got a little bit tougher as we lost All-Conference first baseman and cleanup hitter Mattie Hellerud to a torn ALC during the basketball season. She is a tremendous worker and leader and we will be looking for someone to step in and fill her shoes. “As always, we want to improve every time we step on the field. We have a lot of holes to fill, but we bring back three very key players in pitcher Elly Novak, catcher Cami Vargo, and shortstop Ellie Singleton. Those three make us very strong up the middle. We need to find the other pieces to compliment those players. How well we do will depend on how some players that haven’t seen a lot of varsity playing time step up and handle the everyday pressure.
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“Our conference is extremely balanced led by Jordan who returns most of their conference leading line up. There really isn’t a night off in our conference any more. Anybody can beat anybody else on any given night. We need to show up ready to play every night. The same is true of our section as it is probably as balanced as I’ve seen it in my 27 years of coaching. “I’m excited about the chances for us this year. We have some kids that can really play the game well. We just need to get them all on the field at the same time and performing up to their abilities.” – Phil Murry, head coach BY THE NUMBERS 1 – returning All-Conference and All-Section player 3 – seniors
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Wednesday, April 4, 2018
VALLEY SPORTS PREVIEW
PAGE 13
Titan girls tracksters are balanced with talent, ability By ASHLEY MURTHA
amurtha@lecenter.com
Tri-City United Girls’ Track and Field COACHES Head coach: Brian Fogal; ninth year Assistant coaches: Chad Polson – distance coach, fifth year; Air Chantharak – throws coach, first year; Jon Hammerschmidt – pole vault coach, second year KEY PLAYERS Gabby Robinson – senior; middle distance racer and long jumper. Robinson holds school records in the 800, 4x800, and 4x400. She is captain of track and competes in both volleyball and basketball. Abby Schleis – senior; high jumper. Schleis was a high jump state participant and is a school record-holder. She has also competed in cross country. Jaylee Hanvelt – junior; 2-mile racer. Hanvelt was a state participant in both 2-mile races in track and cross country. KEEP YOUR EYE ON Maddie Dull – senior; sprints. Dull missed out last year due to injuries, but when she is healthy she should be a key contributor in sprints. She is also a basketball player. Sarah Novak – junior; pole vaulter and long distance relay racer. “Novak will be our top vaulter this year and should be an important piece in our distance relays,” Fogal said. Novak was part of the school’s current record in the 4x800 relay and was a top cross country athlete. Novak was also in basketball. Maggie Trnka – junior; thrower. Trnka will be the team’s top thrower again this year and Fogal said she may try her hand
Sarah Novak, left, is part of the school’s current record in the 4x800 meter relay race and will be one of the team’s top pole vaulters this year. (Leader file photo)
in jumps as well. Trnka also participates in both volleyball and basketball. MOVED ON Joslyn Vargo – a five-time letter winner in both track and basketball and a six-time letter winner in cross country. Vargo holds the school’s record in pole vaulting. Captains Allie Hertaus, Grace Krautkramer and Lexy Malecha were also a good core of last year’s sprint team. 2018 SEASON OUTLOOK Last year the girls’ track team sent four players to the Section 2A meet. None of them went on to the state meet, but they took 17th place out of 27 schools as a
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team. They also took fourth place in the Minnesota River Conference meet last year. This year, the girls’ track and field 7-12 grade team will have around 50 girls total. “As usual we should be very competitive in every meet and compete with Belle Plaine and Jordan for the top spot in the conference,” Fogal said. “With only three seniors on the team we will be younger than most of the teams we compete with, but I am confident we have a very talented and competitive team.” COMMENTS FROM THE COACH “I am looking forward to the season. The girls have been working really hard these first couple weeks and, despite being stuck inside, the attitude and effort has been fantastic. “I see our team this year as very balanced with talent and the ability to score points in every event. With nearly every track athlete on the team competing in multiple sports we should have a great deal of both balance and flexibility in all 18 events. One of our main goals is to develop well rounded athletes that can compete and improve in multiple sports.” – Brian Fogal, head coach BY THE NUMBERS 13 – returning letter winners who are all multisport athletes 6 – returning TCU track record-holders: Gabby Robinson, Jaylee Hanvelt, Sarah Novak and Anabelle Davies in the 4x800 relay; Gabby Robinson in the 800 meter race and 4x400 relay; Jaylee Hanvelt in the 1600 m race; and Grace Factor in the 4x400 relay
Jackson Nesmoe was a MRC champion last year in pole vaulting. He was also named to the AllConference team and went to the Class A State meet. (Leader file photo)
Titans team grows but remains inexperienced By ASHLEY MURTHA
amurtha@lecenter.com
Tri-City United Boys’ Track and Field COACHES Head coach: Craig Nordling; second year as head coach, sixth year coaching track at TCU Assistant coaches: Chad Polson – distance coach, fifth year; Air Chantharak – throws coach, first year; Jon Hammerschmidt – pole vault coach, second year TOP RUNNERS Hugo Ruiz – sophomore; 800and 1,600-meter racer. Last year Ruiz was a Minnesota River Conference Runner Up and an AllConference Honorable Mention. Tyler Nesmoe – senior; 100m and 200m racer. Zach Tuma – senior; 200m and 400m racer. Hunter Rutt – sophomore; 1,600m and 3,200m racer. TOP FIELD ATHLETES Reach Reporter Ashley Murtha Jackson Nesmoe – junior; pole at 507-931-8572. vaulter. Nesmoe was a Minnesota
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River Conference champion last year. He was also on the AllConference team and went to the Class A State meet. Conrad McCrady – junior; pole vaulter. McCrady was a Subsection 2A champion last year. KEEP YOUR EYE ON Mike Fischer – junior; sprinter. Sam Miller – junior; shot put and discus player. Steve Miller – junior; shot put and discus player. Aaron Baker – junior; 100m and 200m racer. MOVED ON Taylor Jackson, Evan Wood and Jaymin Vargo. 2018 SEASON OUTLOOK Last year the boys’ track and field team sent seven players to the Section 2A meet and one went on to take 15th place at the Class A State meet. As a team, they took 14th place out of 26 schools at the section meet. The boys also took fifth place as a team at the Minnesota River Conference meet
last year. This year, there are many new faces on the team that Nordling hopes will contribute heavily in both field and running events, but he said the team will still be extremely inexperienced. COMMENTS FROM THE COACH “Our numbers are growing. Half of the members of the team have not ran in a varsity track meet. We are returning with three pole vaulters who all advanced to the Section meet last year. They will again be exciting to watch this year. It will be fun to watch how the team progresses throughout the spring.” – Craig Nordling, head coach BY THE NUMBERS 12 – freshmen 10 – returning letter winners 2 – seniors Reach Reporter Ashley Murtha at 507-931-8572.
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VALLEY SPORTS PREVIEW
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Giants golf teams bring back experience with surprises By PAT BECK
pbeck@stpeterherald.com
Le Sueur-Henderson/Cleveland/Sibley East Golf COACHES Head coach: Cathy Schluter, 19th year Assistant coaches: Cedric Schluter and Craig Hink KEY PLAYERS “Mak Reinhardt is a freshman returning after last year’s trip to state,” Schulter said. “She played a lot of golf this summer and has been working on her game all winter. Junior captains Whit Weick and Kylie Dunning will be looking to capitalize on last year’s strong finish. Junior Kindra Spinler is looking to take on a key role for the team. The girls are also excited for the 7th and 8th graders and for the four girls from Sibley East that have joined the team. “The boys will rely on juniors Alex Wilson, Blake Olness, sophomore Will Becker and 8th grader Jack Ammann. After sitting on JV, Cleveland’s Kendall Lusty, our only senior, will be looking to step up. Again there is a nice crop of 7th and 8th graders to look to the future. Also sophomore Kyle Thelemann and Tim Kulzer could factor in. There are also some up and coming boys from Cleveland that may make an immediate impact.” MOVED ON Girls lost: Hannah Allen, a six year player, and Al Spinler, an excellent leader and motivator, Schluter said. Boys lost: Ryan Bach, an excellent captain and role model, Harry Redmann, the player that never let us take it too seriously, and Carson Stepka, last year’s 7th
Le Sueur-Henderson/Cleveland/Sibley East head coach Cathy Schulter watches as junior cocaptain Blake Olness pitches from behind the green on the ninth hole last year at Le Sueur Country Club. He shot a 55. (Pat Beck photos/St. Peter Herald)
player at state and a solid four year player for the squad, Schluter said. 2018 SEASON OUTLOOK “The girls want to improve from their second-place finish in the MRC and one stroke off of second place in sections,” Schluter said. “With no seniors, they want to build something. “The boys, after losing the conference MVP, will again hope to finish ‘not last place.’ With the last start this season, it will be up in the air about which team can get out of the shoot quickly. The boys want to peak in June.”
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COMMENTS FROM THE COACH “I look for a solid season with lots of surprises. There are always a couple kids you don’t expect that seem to step up and fill the gaps. We also are concentrating on finishing strong in the classroom. Both teams are defending section academic champions. “Last year, one of the quotes from the kids was ‘a bad attitude is worse than a bad shot’ and we will be stressing that.” — Cathy Schluter, head coach
BY THE NUMBERS 4 – “June 4th is the section finals and we hope not the last day for golf. We are also playing together for four scores,” Schluter said. 9 – “All nine holes are important,” Schluter said. “Even if you have a bad hole, you can recover and help the team. Never give up until the last putt drops.” Reach Sports Editor Pat Beck at 931-8566 or follow him on Twitter.com @SPHSportsPat.
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Wednesday, April 4, 2018
VALLEY SPORTS PREVIEW
PAGE 15
Giants baseball has a young, experienced team By BEN FARNIOK
bfarniok@lesueurnews-herald. com
Le Sueur-Henderson Baseball COACHES Head Coach- Rick Bruns, 8th year as head coach, 24th year overall Assistant coaches- Lon Berberich, Mike May, Jordan Sinell KEY PLAYERS Phil Champagne- senior Two-year letter winner, All Conference in 2016, and All Conference honorable mention in 2017. Committed to UMCrookston. Catcher, hits and throws right-handed. “Phil has done an amazing job for the Giants behind the plate,” Bruns said. “We need him to continue to be solid, both defensively and offensively for the Giants to have success this season. Phil is also going to have to log some innings on the mound as well.” Mitch Casperson- sophomore One-year letter winner, All Conference in 2017. Hits lefthanded, throws right-handed. Middle in-field and pitcher. “Mitch showed his versatility and athleticism last season, making varsity as a freshman,” Bruns said. “He finished the season hitting .325 in conference play, as well as picking up a couple of wins on the mound. I’m excited to see Mitch continue to develop and progress as an athlete, and we need him to pick up where he left off last season.” KEEP AN EYE ON Jayce Luna — junior “Jayce is an athletic kid who threw some innings for us last year,” Bruns said. “I expect him
Le Sueur-Henderson’s Phillip Champagne will continue his usual role as a catcher for Giants baseball team. (Ben Farniok photos/ Le Sueur News-Herald)
to continue where he left off last season, and will also be in the outfield.” Mitchell Borchardt — senior “Mitchell hit a ‘sneaky’ .333 in conference play, but more impressively was the fact that he was 83-for-83 at first base defensively,” Bruns said. “Mitchell has quick hands, and a very high baseball IQ.” Burke Nesbit — junior “Burke saw a little time on varsity last season, and will get the opportunity to do a lot this year,” Bruns said. “Burke, like a The Giants are young, but they have experienced leaders to lot of the team, is a multi-sport make things works. Mitchell Borkert beats a throw to third.
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to compete for positions. Cole Pengilly and Zack Thomson are continuing their baseball careers at the collegiate level.” OUTLOOK “Last season, we finished at 14-11 and finished 3rd in the section behind St. Peter and Belle Plaine,” Bruns said. “We were 6-6 in the MRC. Obviously, we hope to build on last season and improve. We’d like to think that we will be in contention this season. It’s hard to say who will be at the top in the conference. Belle Plaine has had a number of years of really solid baseball, and until someone beats them, they are still on top. In the section, St. Peter always fields a solid club.” COMMENTS FROM THE COACH “While we lost a number of athletes last year, I don’t feel like we are rebuilding. There’s a lot of talent on this year’s team. I feel really good about our pitching. We are young but experienced on the mound, and as long as we stay healthy, I feel good about our chances any night. — Rick Bruns, head coach BY THE NUMBERS 3 — Number of seniors on this year’s squad. 3.5 — Last year’s ERA, which was almost half from the year before. .275 — Team batting average from last season. 15 — Number of games the B team won last year.
athlete who does a lot well. He’ll see some time on the mound, as well as in the OF for the Giants.” Tommy Gupton — sophomore “As a sophomore, Tommy will get the opportunity to play some middle IF and pitch for the Giants,” Bruns said. “He’s an athletic kid who will help out in a number of places.” MOVED ON Reporter Ben Farniok can be “Wow, where do I start with reached at 507-931-8576 or folthis one?” Bruns said. “We had low him on Twitter @LNHben. 11 graduates last season; so needless to say, we have a lot of opportunities for incoming players
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VALLEY SPORTS PREVIEW
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
The LS-H softball team juniors will be charged with leading the team as the oldest players on the squad. (News-Herald file photo)
Le Sueur-Henderson pinch runner Halle Bemmels slides around the tag of St. Peter shortstop Kayla Oeltjenbruns while stealing second base. (Pat Beck/St. Peter Herald)
By BEN FARNIOK
nior season.
After losing a set of key seniors, the Le Sueur-Henderson softball team is looking to add a few more key players to the varsity roster, but they have big shoes to fill, after losing a senior class, along with a few current seniors who did not return for their se-
LS-H Softball COACHES Co-Head Coaches: Eric Lewis — 16 years in program, and Anne Lewis — second year as head coach. Assistant coaches: Emily Wenzlaff — two years, Larry Milam — 17 years, Jennifer Wilson — 2 years, Lauren Weierke first year.
KEY PLAYERS Returning starters from the 2017 season include: Kelsey Berndt — Junior Liz Milam — Junior Erica Cronk — Junior Mia Prehus — Junior Olivia Fritz — Freshman Callie Jo Miller — Sophomore Karragen Straub — Freshman KEEP YOUR EYE ON “We have some spots to fill
Giants softball looks to carry forward with a young team bfarniok@lesueurnews-herald. com
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after losing 4 seniors last year, we will again have a young team with no seniors on the roster,” Eric Lewis said. MOVED ON Mikayla Rehinardt Alison Schwartz Alyssa Eostvos Katie O’Brien SEASON OUTLOOK Record last year: 9-13 Tied for 5th in Section
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BY THE NUMBERS 4 — Juniors on the team. 7 — Returning starters. Reporter Ben Farniok can be reached at 507-931-8576 or follow him on Twitter @LNHben.
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VALLEY SPORTS PREVIEW
Lukas Graff and LS-H’s track and field team is looking to find a few new ways to score for their 2018 season. (News-Herald file photo)
PAGE 17
After an issue with depth last year and narrowly missing a trip to state, the LS-H girls track and field squad is hoping to perform even better than before. Senior hurdler/relay runner Kim Scheffler, who made state two years ago, hopes to return this year (News-Herald file photo)
e S e r e ders track a d field pes t fi is By BEN FARNIOK
bfarniok@lesueurnews-herald. com
LeSueur-Henderson Giants Boys and Girls Track and Field COACHES Head coach: Jeff Christ, 11th year. Assistant coaches: Becky Straub 20-plus years; Terry Turek, four years; Sue Hynes, second year. KEY ATHLETES Boys 9th grade: Lukas Graff (hurdles, jumps). Juniors: Aaron Barnard (dis-
tance, relays), Jorge Hernandez (sprints, distance, relays), Lane Schwarz (distance, relays), Gabe Webster (throws, relays), William Clarke (hurdles, jumps). Seniors: Jared Miller (hurdles, jumps), Evan Eibs (distance, relays). Girls 8th grade: Hailey Juarez (distance). 9th grade: Arlett Rios (distance). Juniors: Vicky Flores (distance), Alexis Ewanga (sprints, relays, jumps), Gabby Straub (hurdles, jumps, relays), Rylie Lynch (hurdles, jumps, relays). Seniors: Kim Scheffler (hurdles, relays), Dana Bach (throws).
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KEEP YOUR EYE ON Girls Freshmen Abby Strom (distance), Bella Kapsner (sprints), Greta Nesbit (hurdles). Sophomores Grace McDonald (throws), Morgan Goettlicher (jumps), Karina Lieske (sprints). Boys Sophomore Trace Edmondson (distance). Juniors: Corey Steinborn (sprints, jumps), Rylee ChristianFredrickson (sprints), Peter Turek (distance, throws), Brenden Lapp (throws). Seniors: Jacob Tesch (distance), Matthew Pleisies (distance).
MOVED ON Rhett Streeter (sprints, relays) Frank Turek (sprints, relays, jumps, throws) Daniel Felmlee (distance) Mason Straub (throws, sprints, relays) Jack Schwartz (distance) Chris Healy (distance) Jenny Arndt (sprints) Amanda Stutsman (throws) SEASON OUTLOOK “We are looking be competitive in both the boys and girls teams,” Christ said. “We should have pretty good depth and spread our points out across all events. Boys finished second in Minnesota River Conference last
season, girls were third so we 16 — returning letter winners hope to continue to finish in the (8 boys, 8 girls) top three with both groups.” 3rd — girls place in 2017 MRC Meet BY THE NUMBERS 2nd — boys place in 2017 77 — total athletes on the MRC Meet roster
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VALLEY SPORTS PREVIEW
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
St. Peter boys tennis rejoins Section 2A with same high goals By PAT BECK
pbeck@stpeterherald.com
Saint Peter Boys Tennis COACHES Head coach: Aaron Rothenberger, 6th year as head, 12th year overall with St. Peter boys tennis Assistant coaches: Bob Messerli, 2nd season KEY PLAYERS No. 1 and No. 2 singles players Drew Elofson and Rafat Solaiman, both seniors, both letter winners from 7th grade to 12th grade. Both have been all Big South Conference winners and state qualifiers for multiple years. Finished 4th in doubles at the state tournament last season. Will Miller (senior) and Bailey More (junior) have lettered multiple years. KEEP YOUR EYE ON This season returning varsity letter winners that are seniors: Hunter Braun, Bennet Madden, and Casey Osborne; juniors Matt Pettis, Mikinley Prafke and Ken Ringler and sophomore Liam
St. Peter’s Rafat Solaiman hit a backhand volley in winning the semifinal doubles match over Rochester Lourdes last year. Solaiman and Drew Elofson won the section to qualify for state where they placed fourth. (St. Peter Herald file photo)
Dixon MOVED ON Earl Foster and Connor Prafke 2018 SEASON OUTLOOK Last season the boys tennis
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ferent schools. All of Section 2A is located in the metro area. “Mound Westonka and Breck will be some of the competitive opponents the Saints will face in section play,” Rothenberger said. “Saints also hope to compete well in BSC conference and look to take back another conference title along with a section title.” COMMENTS FROM THE COACH “We look forward to the upcoming season with many top 10 opponents on our schedule that will prepare us for section playoffs. We are a veteran team again, and I believe that this year seniors led by captains Drew and Rafat will give our team opportunities to succeed and also provide a fun environment for our younger players.“ – Aaron Rothenberger, head coach BY THE NUMBERS 120 – Record for most individual wins in a career (Nathan Huber class of 2013) 117 and 111 – number of indi-
vidual career wins earned by Rafat Solaiman and Drew Elofson respectively. 36 — number of total players participating in boys tennis. First time over 35 participants in 15 years 11 — returning letter winners 2 — Saints boys tennis returns to Section 2A
1 — “One team with members committing themselves to the road of success in life!” Rothenberger said. Reach Sports Editor Pat Beck at 931-8566 or follow him on Twitter.com @SPHSportsPat.
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• Fracture and trauma care
• Hand and wrist care
• Sports medicine
• Foot and ankle care
• Joint replacement
• Arthroscopy
Celebrating 135 Years
C e le b rat i n g 135 Y ea rs
Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato. Call 507-594-7474 for more information.
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mayoclinichealthsystem.org
PAGE 20
VALLEY SPORTS PREVIEW
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Le Sueur
15
22
Dermatology
MANKATO CLINIC DANIELS HEALTH CENTER
LOCATED AT RIVER’S EDGE CAMPUS
N. Washington Ave.
Sunrise Dr.
Bro
adw
ay
Av e.
169
99
Mankato
ST. PETER - RIVER’S EDGE CAMPUS 1900 Sunrise Drive, Suite 300 St. Peter, MN 56082 507-934-2144 ➜ mankatoclinic.com