Sauk Centre Herald 03-02-2023

Registration for noncitizens

Driver’s Licenses for All bill poised to become state law

BY BEN SONNEK | STAFF WRITER

Having passed the Minnesota House and Senate, the Driver’s Licenses for All bill – also called the Freedom to Drive bill – seems bound to become state law. The bill is currently undergoing language agreements, but there is ongoing debate as to whether the legislation would help or hurt the state.

For Patty Keeling, with the Latino advocacy group Fe y Justicia, the passage of this bill represents an exciting, historic moment for the state, returning to undocumented residents an opportunity they had prior to Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s rescinding it. She looks forward to when anyone can make an essential trip – whether it is driving to work, dropping off children at school or going to the doctor – and do it safely and confidently.

“No matter where we are from or what we look like, Minnesota should be a place where everyone feels safe and protected,” Keeling said. “This action has taken way too long for our communities across Minnesota. You could feel it in the cheers the early morning it was passed and when you spoke to people the following day. Everyone wants to drive legally to follow the law. The children and the families will have a heavy burden lifted from the worry of doing something wrong. We thank God for walking this path to finally see this through.”

The bill has been stonewalled in the state Legislature for some time. Keeling attributes its possible passage this year to a coalition of labor unions, community groups, faith communities, law enforcement, the business community and agriculture producers who came together in

Driver’s Licenses page 4

Redhead Creamery’s cheddar named among best in country

BY BEN SONNEK | STAFF WRITER

BROOTEN – With a score of 98.6 out of 100, Redhead Creamery’s Lucky Linda Clothbound Cheddar has placed in the top 20 out of 2,249 entries in the biennial United States Championship Cheese Contest, distinguishing the cheese as one of the best in the country.

Redhead Creamery page 2

Messer retires from SCPS buildings, grounds director position

NBY BEN SONNEK | STAFF WRITER

ot counting his infancy, John Messer has spent all but nine years of his life either studying at or working for Sauk Centre Public Schools. Now, even though he retired from his buildings and grounds director position at the start of 2023, he plans to consult with the school as they prepare for their renovation.

“You always treat the place like you own it,” Messer said. “It’s your school; it’s your taxpayer dollar that built and supports it.”

So far, Messer has been satisfied with the new buildings and grounds director, Kyle Winberg, who started work at the beginning of this year.

“I think the district is in great hands,” Messer said. “Kyle’s a very, very smart young man (with) great

Unconditional

Treat it Treat supprt

mechanical aptitude, great people skills and very good work ethic, and you don’t find that in everybody.”

A Sauk Centre native, Messer was educated at SCPS and graduated from Sauk Centre High School in 1978; his wife and three sons have also attended SCPS. Messer returned to SCPS as a member of the custodial staff in 1987, hired by Jerry Toenies, the buildings and grounds director at the time.

“I can’t say enough about Jerry Toenies,” Messer said. “Jerry was a great guy, one of the people who was very helpful to me during my time in the district. The superintendent at the time, Dan Brooks, was a phenomenal help also.”

Originally, Messer had wanted a job in the SCPS bus garage; the trans-

portation director was getting close to retirement, and Messer was working at John Wiese Ford and would help maintain the school buses, especially when they needed serious motor or transmission repairs. When he put his name in as a potential transportation director candidate, he was told about the custodial staff opening, and Toenies talked him into it.

Then, the school hired someone else for the transportation director position, and Messer was told by Toenies that he was in line to become the next buildings and grounds director. While it was not what Messer had in mind, he took to the task after years of training and advanced to the position in 1995 after Toenies’ retirement.

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Therapy dog helps SCES students

BY BEN SONNEK | STAFF WRITER

For the past school year, Sauk Centre Elementary School has had a new four-legged staff member: Marvin, the golden retriever therapy dog. The canine companion has already proven to be a tremendous assistant for his owner, speech pathologist Bailee Jackson, not to mention a friend to students and teachers alike.

“This has kind of been a transitional year, getting him in the door, because he is so young,” Jackson said. “Having him here a lot of days a week has been a pretty big milestone for us.”

Jackson, who grew up in Lakeville, got Marvin when she was just out of graduate school; her friend and internship supervisor raised golden retrievers.

“She was right across the street, so I’d go and visit every day,” Jackson said. “She was having puppies a couple of summers ago, right before I started my job here out of grad school. I picked (Marvin) out and fell in love with him; I knew he had a good temperament

because the parents did.”

Jackson did not originally intend on making Marvin a therapy dog; in her line of work, she knew she would want one at some point, but she didn’t know if Marvin would be ready so soon. However, he passed his puppy classes with flying colors, and people started commenting on his friendly temperament, so Jackson had him go through therapy dog training.

To be certified as a therapy dog, Marvin needed to pass two basic obedience classes and the canine good citizen test. After that, he was certified through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, which required passing another test with an evaluator, and then he got checked by a vet and received letters of recommendation from people who had witnessed his good behavior at school.

As a speech pathologist, Jackson services students with a variety of needs, including children who have trouble with articulation and language as well as those with learning disabilities, autism, Down syndrome and emotional and behavioral disorders. Through this, Marvin engages with a wide range of students.

“It’s interesting because he interacts with each age and each disability a little differently,” Jackson said. “He knows who needs him emotionally and maybe

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PHOTO BY BEN SONNEK

Marvin sits with Bailee Jackson, speech pathologist, in her office at Sauk Centre Elementary School Feb. 24. Marvin is a golden retriever who is a year and a half old.

PHOTO BY BEN SONNEK John Messer stops by Sauk Centre Public Schools Feb. 10.

Messer worked for SCPS for over 35 years, 27 of which were spent as the buildings and grounds director.

POLICE ACTIVITY Sauk Centre

Second quarter Wall of Fame students selected

The following Sauk Centre Secondary School Students were recognized through the “Wall of Fame” which is a part of the Renaissance Program. Students who have been recognized for their extraordinary efforts by the faculty for the second quarter of the 2022/2023 school year are:

Ag/Technology: Sevrin Anderson, grade 10, student of Brian and Erin Anderson; Emmit Ruegemer, grade 7, student of Nicholas and Jen

Driver’s Licenses from front

support of the bill. Stearns County Sheriff Steve Soyka, Cold Spring-Richmond Police Chief Jason Blum and Sauk Centre Police Chief Bryon Friedrichs all wrote and signed a letter to the Legislature in support of the bill, agreeing it would make the state safer and enforcing the law easier.

However, for some legislators, like District 12 Senator Torrey Westrom (R), Driver’s Licenses for All could represent a serious threat to state security.

“When this legislation becomes law, anyone can receive a driver’s license that is indistinguishable from a legal citizen’s standard Class D license,” Westrom said in a recent media release. “This means that there will be absolutely zero precautions to stop potential terrorists and criminals from using this ID in a variety of official capacities. For example, an individual could use this license to get onto military bases and into federal buildings across the nation and potentially airplanes.”

During the floor debate, senate Republicans proposed 26 amendments to the bill, including adding denotations that the license is for driving privileges only and not voting; addressing an issue where, until Real ID standards are enforced in 2025, noncitizens can use their licenses to access federal buildings and flights; and requiring data sharing to help crime victims. None of the proposals were added.

Keeling, though, holds that these issues were held up as a distraction from the need for comprehensive immigration reform.

“Minnesota has already made available Real ID to noncitizens with lawful status,” Keeling said. “Those documents are indistinguishable, and they have not presented an issue. Additionally, a Minnesota Class D license is already marked with ‘Not

Ruegemer.

English: Anna Lin grade 9, student of Fei Zhuang and Wei Lin; Livia Jennissen, grade 7, student of Patrick and Brenda Jennissen.

Mathematics: Serena Middendorf, grade 11, student of Julie Beack; Benny Merten, grade 7, student of Emily Kerfeld.

Science: Devin Crawford-Klinnert, grade 11, student of Thomas Klinnert and Crystal Crawford; Zhou Ta-

sic, grade 8, student of Steven and Arian Weishair.

Band/Choir/Art: Bryce Parish, grade 10, student of Brent and Gena Parish; Galaydrielle Weber, grade 8, student of Jeremy and Sara Weber.

Health/Phy Ed: Jerricka Roering, grade 10, student of Isaac and Ashley Roering; Aliya Shoutz, grade 7, student of Jamie and Tricia Shoutz.

Foreign Language: Noah Christen, grade 9, student of

Glen and Becky Christen.

Social Studies: Matthew Zenzen, grade 9, student of Daryl and Abby Zenzen; Alex Helgeson, grade 8, student of Lowell and Dorothy Helgeson.

Family and Consumer

Science: Hunter Dickinson, grade 10, student of Daniel and Amber Dickinson; Jaden Lahr, grade 8, student of Aaron and Lisa Lahr.

Lunch with Gutiérrez

Fe y Justicia director visits Sauk Centre

BY BEN SONNEK STAFF WRITER

The Stearns County Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party hosted Ma Elena Gutiérrez, director of the Latino advocacy group Fe y Justicia, Feb. 25 at El Mezcal restaurant in Sauk Centre to hear and ask questions about the progress the organization had made and what they hope to achieve in the future.

Gutiérrez began her talk recalling how noncitizens had previously been able to obtain Minnesota driver’s licenses, herself included; after Gov. Tim Pawlenty removed that ability, though, she could not help but notice the consequent increase in arrests. Her own brother was arrested and deported many times, and Gutiérrez had to help support her sister-inlaw through that period.

“When I see families arrested, kids crying and the wife alone with the kids …, that is why I decided to organize,” Gutiérrez said.

She helped found Fe y Justicia in 2005, and her leadership experience includes starting the St. Cloud chapter of Asamblea de Derechos Civiles (Assembly for Civil Rights), with help from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.

for federal identification purposes,’ which already distinguishes it from Enhanced and Real IDs. The federal government has decided that a standard Class D driver’s license is safe for now in extending the deadline for Real ID and allowing Class D driver’s licenses to continue to be used for air travel and entry to fed-

Through her advocacy, Gutiérrez noticed the way the language in bills and polls seemed geared against noncitizens, referring to them as “illegals” or “illegal immigrants,” thereby starting with a negative impression. That was one of the issues she fought to change.

With her polling of the area’s Latino communities, Gutiérrez knows their top priorities are driver’s licenses, healthcare and housing. Toward that end, she praised the Minnesota Legislature’s recent passage of the Driver’s Licenses for All bill, which will likely return to noncitizens their ability to be licensed.

Gutiérrez knows education is essential for the Latino community, some who are afraid of receiving medical help. She recalled one person she knew who was

eral buildings.”

Westrom hopes the bill’s passage will make the roads safer by increasing the likelihood of more noncitizens getting vehicle insurance and acquiring driving skills through the needed driver’s exam.

Even so, according to Westrom, there are an estimated 81,000 noncitizen immigrants

sick for four days and who she had to drive to the hospital because he was afraid to take himself there. Gutiérrez also knows of places where employers will not let their Latino employees go to the doctor, in case their documentation status results in complications.

Although there are issues to be overcome, Gutiérrez feels grateful she is able to lobby for change in the first place.

“In my country, if I do something like this, the police will be (there),” Gutiérrez said. “I feel free.”

While hosted by the Stearns County DFL, Gutiérrez confirmed Fe y Justicia is a nonpartisan organization, concerned with educating, serving and representing the area’s Latino community.

currently living in Minnesota, and as was testified in a recent Senate Finance Committee hearing, it is anticipated 20% of them will apply for the license in the first year, making it less likely for citizens to schedule a timely exam for themselves.

Westrom is also concerned that, when combined with the automatic voter registration effort, the bill will compromise elections as it does not require data to be shared with other agencies, including the Secretary of State.

“In fact, this legislation prohibits such data from being shared, making it even more troubling and fraught with election security concerns and outright fraud,” Westrom said.

Keeling maintains noncitizens know they will be deported if they illegally use their licenses to vote and so will not take that risk.

“This bill will make us all safer,” Keeling said. “Minnesotans without immigration status would need to pass a written and driving test to obtain a driver’s license. This means fewer accidents and fewer uninsured drivers. Additionally, restoring access to driver’s licenses means boosting local economies by ensuring agricultural workers can get to work safely.”

PHOTO BY BEN SONNEK Ma Elena Gutiérrez, director Fe y Justicia, meets with Stearns County Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party members Feb. 25 at El Mezcal in Sauk Centre. Gutiérrez helped found Fe y Justicia in 2005.

Gratitude for everyone. Share that sparkle.

Overcome with the positive emotion of gratitude this weekend, I had teary eyes and a smile that wouldn’t end. How did this happen? A couple I encountered during a visit through our church’s Homebound Ministry Program left me awestruck. Their appreciation for my time and service left me with feelings of gratitude I’ve never experienced in my almost 37 short years of life.

I’ve brought Communion to homebound people for a few years now, and all are wonderful and appreciative. I’m not sure why; however, one particular visit this past weekend had me pausing hard for a good minute or two. During those few minutes, I took special notice and appreciation for the ability to share God’s love with some of his children and for them to share his love with me. The moments that followed this particular visit were truly indescribable and very emotional. To be honest, my heart is fluttering, my eyes are tearing up and my smile is returning still as I type this column.

As I think about that morning, I realize how very sweet and intentional each moment was. I vow to include more intentionality in my life and ponder how I can accomplish that while keeping the focus simple, sweet and intentional.

In a world where many people choose to keep to

themselves out of the fear of being offensive or canceled, remember that kindness can be simple and communication is more important than ever.

Simple acts of kindness go a long way, so why not share them more frequently and freely? Kindness allows sparkle to enter our otherwise monotonous, mundane lives like glitter from a party bag. That stuff gets everywhere.

Why overcomplicate things? A smile to someone as you drive past, a simple “Hi” as you walk by, high-fiving a player at a sporting event when they’ve given their all, holding the door for someone, letting a parent whose child needs the restroom sooner than you budge in line and simply saying “Thank you” goes a long way. Honestly, the list could and should go on.

I am going to fill my life circle with people who live simple, sweet and intentional lives. I can’t wait to see what joys we will bring into each other’s lives.

When you look at the people in your life, do they add value or stress to your wellbeing? If they don’t make your life sparkle like glitter from a party bag then maybe it’s time to talk about what can make you both sparkle. Let’s build one another stronger.

Who inspires you?

Who inspires you? Who has made an impact on you? These were questions posed to our group that attended a recent conference, and as simple of a question that it appears to be, it seemed to also be thought-provoking. I feel there’s a need for more questions before you can come to an answer. I can rattle off the names of influential and meaningful exchanges with teachers from grade school and high school. I can name coaches who made an impact, and also through my life, there are different people who made an impact on who I am as a mom and an employee, or those that I look up to that make an impact in our community. But how often do we take the time to thank those people for the impact they’ve made?

Joe Schmit was the person we had the privilege of listening to at our MCCE Annual Conference; he is an award-winning broadcaster, community leader, author and popular keynote speaker who has won 18 Emmys from the National Television Academy. I tell you what, he certainly inspired the room, and there’s no doubt he made an impact on all those that had been in attendance. As a result, the Sauk Centre Area Chamber has some exciting news! We are bringing Joe Schmit to Sauk Centre to share this same message with our business community, about the Culture First Mindset.

Now that you know who is coming, we’d better let you in on when this is taking place and how to get your tickets. This event will take place on Thursday, March 16, as part of our monthly Third Thursday Networking Events. It is being held at the Sauk Centre American Legion, and we will have room for 200 people to attend. Our chamber members can register two people per business at no charge and had access to an early registration period. However, as of March 1, the registration opened to non-members for a fee, and members can now register additional employees and people from their organization at a special members-only rate. As of the time of this article, we do have room left available, and I sincerely hope we see you there. I promise, this is one you don’t want to miss. The registration link can be found on our Cham-

Life Hacks

ber website events calendar at www.saukcentrechamber.com/events/calendar, or you can email us at saukcentrechamber.com.

Our Sauk Centre Ambassadors, Hailey Hokanson and Hayley Klockenga, have made Conquering Mental Health Through Conversation and Kindness their platform during their reign. Joe also has two books about the Silent Impact, and as I sat and listened to his presentation, there were parts that hit strongly on the topic of the importance of being kind and the difference we can make in someone’s life, how we too can inspire others. This part of the presentation was inspiring and a great message to be shared with our youth too.

As a result, this led to discussions with our school. After chatting with Don Peschel, who also seemed excited about the topic, he stated it fit with current curriculum. It’s exciting to know that, through a partnership with the Sauk Centre School, not only is he going to speak to our chamber members, but he will be carving out time to share his message with grades seven through 12 too. The opportunity to collaborate is incredible.

I hope this has maybe sparked a bit of interest and you will join us on March 16. I also hope this has you pondering who has inspired you. Then, let’s take this another step further: Who do you hope to inspire and how can you make a difference for someone else? That last part can often be easier than expected. Sometimes, a simple act of kindness and inviting others to the table, whether literally or figuratively, is all it takes to be the catalyst of change or inspiration.

If you are interested in Chamber membership, please email us at saukcentrechamber@gmail.com or visit our website at www.saukcentrechamber.com to learn more about members by checking out our business directory. We appreciate the opportunity to continue serving and celebrating our businesses.

The difference a week makes

Isn’t it weird how two weeks can be so different and yet so similar at the same time?

Wednesday, Feb. 15:

After getting the Feb. 16 edition of the Sauk Centre Herald out to print, I go home early to pack; my family and I are about to fly down to Texas for the wedding of Jackie, my oldest sister-inlaw. After packing, though, I return to work in the evening to cover and write up the latest Sauk Centre city council meeting.

Wednesday, Feb. 22:

I return to the office in time to look over the Feb. 23 Herald before it goes to print; I’m feeling rather tired as I was up late the previous night to cover and write up the school board meeting. Hey, the news never stops.

Thursday, Feb. 16:

As we park the car at the airport and roll out the luggage, my toddler son, Eoghan, is literally doubled up with excitement; it has been over a year since he last flew, which is literally half of his lifetime, and he would have his own chair today. And so, after sauntering through the weekday TSA gauntlet and filing through the terminal, my wife, Maggie, and I make sure Eoghan gets the window seat so he could watch, as he put it, “Plane go up in sky!”

Of course, midway through the flight, he asked, “We stop now?”

Fortunately, God did not grant the literal interpretation of Eoghan’s prayer, and so we land in Texas instead of crashing in Kansas. The kids pass out during the car ride to Tyler; on arrival, I meet Jackie’s fiance, Tim, and his majestic moustache. (Tim, if you’re reading this, Maggie insisted the previous sentence remain in the column, and I agree that the world needs to know of your moustache majesty.)

Thursday, Feb. 23:

I’m nearly an hour late for work because I needed to excavate my house first. Good thing I bought a new snow shovel. It’s a little sad to replace my old snow-removal implement; it was the first thing I purchased for our house right before we moved in, because why wouldn’t we get a snowstorm in October 2020? However, the shovel has a big crack in the middle thanks to some tough ice, so it was about as useful on this day as a Kleenex tissue against a grenade.

Friday, Feb. 17:

This day is almost all wedding prep, and I help by staying out of the way. We walk to the church for the Mass rehearsal; the temperature’s about in the 40s and 50s, a little chilly for Texas, but at least the sun is shining. At the rehearsal, while Maggie is going over the music she would be singing for the wedding, they ask me if I’d be the altar server during the ceremony itself. I haven’t been a regular server in years, I’m not very familiar with the church and I wasn’t really paying attention during the Mass overview, so I say “Sure.”

Friday, Feb. 24:

I’m almost late for work again – this time because my car struggles to turn over in the 12-below temperatures, and the noises the engine made during the trip let me know I’m committing a vehicular war crime. Good thing the sun warmed up the car during the day, because I later had to go to Sauk Centre Public Schools to do a story about their therapy dog. I have little to no experience with therapy dogs, so when I was offered the story, I said “Sure.”

Saturday, Feb. 18:

Being an altar server, I’m close enough to the couple during the Mass that I can see Jackie’s bouquet shake. I’m sure it’s not moving as much as my arm, though; being the tallest guy in the sanctuary, I have to hold the book way out to the side so I’m not blocking the priest’s view, and some of his prayers can be pretty long. Still, my arms stay in their sockets, Maggie’s singing is beautiful as always, Eoghan sleeps through the Mass and the wedding is valid, so everyone agrees the whole thing went well.

The reception is also a hit, with all of Jackie’s sisters giving a collective speech for the ages, and Maggie and I even get a chance to swing dance before the evening is done. Then, we needed to get the kids to bed, preparing for a party tomorrow and our flight home the day after that.

Saturday, Feb. 25: Weddings or otherwise, people keep holding events on the weekend, so my late morning today involves bouncing around downtown to cover various happenings. Then, I return home to write this column; I need to finish before Mass this evening, even though I won’t be serving this time. I’ve also got to make sure everyone’s wearing a heavier coat when we head to the church because, hey, we’re not in Texas anymore.

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ISSN: Print: 2831-980X Online: 2831-9818

noon on Thursday.

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Chamber Chat by Stacie Michels

Kayla’s Korner by Kayla Hunstiger Ultra Sonnek by Ben Sonnek

Grateful to live here

By Gail Nelson, Sauk Centre

Last week, I was once again reminded how blessed we are to be living in a community where we watch out for each other.

It all began when a USPS carrier observed something out of the ordinary while delivering mail to my residence. This concern led to a phone call to our local police department. An officer came to my home to check things out.

The good news was that nothing was amiss and I was safe and sound.

How grateful I am, as we all should be, knowing that good Samaritans live and work among us.

Biden’s failures

By Roger Lahr, Grey Eagle

It seems as each day passes, new reasons surface to not support President Biden and his incompetent administration. Indecisive leadership and lack of transparency haunts this White House. His policies have, and continue to be, disruptive to the lives of so many Americans.

Let’s start with his war on fossil fuel and our loss of energy independence. This, along with uncontrollable spending, are major contributing causes of inflation. Our national debt now exceeds $31 trillion.

Who can forget our dismal withdrawal from Afghanistan, resulting in Americans losing the respect and trust of our allies throughout the world?

Then, there is the self-inflicted crisis on our southern border with human trafficking and fentanyl, being largely ignored by Biden and most Democrats. According to the Washington Examiner, illegal Chinese immigration has increased by over 1,230% in the month of January alone. You can be certain that, if China is spying on us from the skies, they are surely inserting human assets as well, making the potential of espionage real. Current policies are betraying our nation and causing us to lose our sovereignty.

Lack of consequences for violence and other illegal activity has left many Americans to live in fear and mistrust.

How has your life become better under this administration? How has filling critical governmental positions based on gender, race or ideology instead of experience and qualifications helped our nation? Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg are good examples of gross incompetence.

Biden’s two years in office have become a collection of untruths. Is it attributable to his cognitive decline or outright intentional deception? I suspect it is both.

Whether or not the Biden family will ever face any real consequences for their corruption and influence peddling remains to be seen.

Barack Obama was right when he reportedly said, “Never underestimate Joe’s ability to (mess) things up.”

The Times: No longer relevant to traditional values

By Julie J. Condon,

St. Cloud

I recently read Ben Sonnek’s Herald column about the St. Cloud Times’ decline. As a resident of the St. Cloud area and a former subscriber to the Times, I’m writing today to offer my opinion on the topic.

We received the Times Saturday and Sunday editions at home for more than 15 years. I read most of it and enjoyed keeping up on local news. We also valued the ads and were accustomed to looking through them each week and planning our grocery shopping as well as clipping applicable coupons. In addition, our Springer Spaniel, Lindy, was fond of jobs to do and really looked forward to bringing in the newspaper on the weekend.

However, over time, we started to question why we were paying money to have our traditional values insulted. The quality of the newspaper content declined along with the quality of community life here. We especially disliked the tradition of a publication endorsing political candidates, which were never the ones we would be voting for. Eventually, we proclaimed, “That’s it! We’re done!” and we ended our subscription. Lindy had a brief adjustment period with the paper no longer coming, but being very smart, she got past it. We did, too. We got better at using the computer to view the ads we really needed, and we looked up topics of local interest as the need arose.

In contrast, I enjoy the Herald and read most of it. The wide variety of topics are tailored to the local population and continue to fill a reasonable number of pages. Articles on local business, employment ads and special sale ads support the area’s development as the happening place to be. In short, I don’t think you need to worry about the decline of the print newspaper in this rural community. Keep up the good work!

COMMUNITY STARS

Bemidji State University

BEMIDJI – Maggie Warring from Sauk Centre is among the 440 students named to the fall 2022 president’s list at Bemidji State University in Bemidji. To be eligible for the president’s list, students must be enrolled for at least 12 credits and earn a GPA of 4.0 during the semester.

Minnesota North College

HIBBING – Anthony DeCristofaro from Sauk Centre was one of the students named to the Minnesota North College dean’s list for the fall 2022 semester. The college congratulates all those who made it onto the list by completing 12 or more credits in the semester while earning a GPA of 3.25 or higher.

Guards display greatness in winning week for Streeters

Sauk Centre girls basketball enters playoffs as second seed

BY EVAN MICHEALSON STAFF WRITER

With the Section 6AA Girls Basketball Tournament, the Sauk Centre Streeters girls basketball team ensured it would enter the postseason strong.

After entering the halftime break tied at 31 against the Wadena-Deer Creek Wolverines in a game only scheduled earlier in the week, the Streeters’ defense came alive in the second half, guiding Sauk Centre to a 64-47 triumph in its regular season finale Feb. 25

Girls Basketball page 9

Community Ed corner

Student Activities/ Classes:

We have the following new activities and classes. Please view the website for more information or contact us.

– Kids Cooking Classes, grades 2-6: Come for an afternoon of fun making holiday treats to sample at class and take some home to share with your family. Please bring a container to class as you will have items to bring home with you! We will meet in the FACS room, #123 in the 5-8 Building. These classes are for grades 2-6 and will be from 3:10-4:50 p.m. The

instructor is Mary Schmidt, a retired FACS instructor at LPGE Schools.

– March 29

– April 26

– May 17

Adult Activities and Classes:

– Morning Lap Swim: Monday through Thursday, 6-7 a.m.

– Defensive Driving Course, In-Person 4-hour Refresher: April 4, 5:008:45 p.m., in the auditorium.

Registration Information:

– Paper registration directions: Please include

100 years ago • March 1, 1923

Local branch of building and loan organization established

Those who are interested in building homes and contributing to the growth of Sauk Centre will now have the assistance of a building and loan association. Recently, 20 citizens have become members of the Minnesota Building and Loan Association, forming a local branch, which can expect generally better service than is generally afforded to local building and loan associations. The MBLA has $25,000,000 in authorized capital and is purely a loaning and not a speculative institution; it will endeavor to promptly attend to all applications for loans approved by the local board.

50 years ago • March 1, 1973

Longtime local John Deere dealership sold Ed Borgmann has announced the sale of his John Deere dealership, Borgmann Implement, to Allan Bromenshenkel of Sauk

your name, address, phone number and the name of the class along with payment. Please contact us if you have questions.

– Online registration directions: Registration is accessed online at our website by selecting the RevTrak Online Store; then, click on the Community Education tile to bring you to our Community Education listings.

Contact info

Angie Christians, Activities/Community Ed. Assistant, angie.christians@ isd743.org or (320) 3522258 Ext. 4006

by Brent Lieser SC Community Education Coordinator

Brent Lieser, Community Education Director, brent.lieser@ isd743.org or (320) 3522258 Ext. 4005

Follow us on Facebook @saukcentreschools or on Twitter @streetercommed.

Centre and Vern Lindquist of Alexandria. Borgmann Implement has been in the Borgmann family for over 30 years, and the dealership will now do business as Central Minnesota Equipment Co. Bromenshenkel has been a 20-year employee of the firm and will act as manager and machinery salesman; his partner, Lindquist, has been associated with John Deere for 24 years and is also the owner of Linquist Equipment Co. in Alexandria. A get-acquainted open house is planned for this spring.

25 years ago • March 3, 1998

Sauk Centre schools enhance curriculum

After a period of cutting programs, the Sauk Centre School District’s principals presented new advanced programming at the schools’ recent board meeting. At the junior high level, principal Larry Sorenson said program enhancements would include a new music position, an agriculture course and a career and keyboarding course; the career program is now part of the state’s graduation rules, and the demand for keyboarding and computer skills is increasing. At the senior high level, principal Tom Hiebert had a long list of advanced placement and college level classes, and the upcoming 1998-99 school year will also see advancements in agriculture, health, math, youth service and language arts. The school board considered hiring an administrative position for the express purpose of monitoring quality curriculum.

10 years ago • Feb. 28, 2013

Weber sculpts “Think spring” flowerpot in Sinclair Lewis Park

The area has received much snow lately, and Jeremy Weber, who owns Taste of Heaven with his wife, Sara, decided to put it to good use by going across the road from his business to Sinclair Lewis Park and building a snow sculpture. With the help of a passerby city worker with a Bobcat, Jeremy sculpted an enormous flowerpot full of flowers, coloring them with food coloring and a small amount of latex paint; the pot itself has the words “Think spring” emblazoned on the side. Jeremy said he used to make snow sculptures when he was in tech school, but this latest creation has been his most popular one so far.

PHOTO BY EVAN MICHEALSON

Sophomore Sienna Klaphake battles a Menahga player for position for a rebound during their contest Feb. 24 in Menahga. Sauk Centre opens the Section 6AA playoffs March 2 at home against Mora.

Otters outmuscle North Stars in playoff battle Eekhoff excels at inaugural Albany archery tournament

Prairie Centre’s season ends with section showdown

BY EVAN MICHEALSON STAFF WRITER

A lot of things could have derailed the Prairie Centre North Stars’ boys hockey season.

From a 13-game losing streak that saw the North Stars struggle to find bounces in close games to inconsistencies in physicality and scoring, there were opportunities for negative emotions to take over.

However, Prairie Centre never did, and even though its season came to an end with a 9-1 loss to the Fergus Falls Otters in the first round of the Section 6A Boys Hockey Tournament Feb. 24 at Fergus Falls Ice Arena in Fergus Falls, the team does not have many regrets.

“I always say in playoffs, you have to play your best game of the year,” said Chad Wehrman, head coach. “It doesn’t matter if it’s first round, second round or third round. If you play your best game and the other team beats you, you tip your cap and feel good about your effort, and I think our guys can do that.”

Fergus Falls, a seven-time state entrant with 13 wins against a vaunted Central Lakes Conference schedule, quickly took control of the pace and flow of the game, scoring two goals in the first six minutes. Prairie Centre, despite being placed on the back foot, had its opportunities but could not find early goals against Fergus Falls goaltender Ben Swanson.

“I didn’t feel like they were pinning us in,” Wehrman said. “It didn’t feel like a 9-1 game. We had some chances and didn’t capitalize and they were capitalizing on their chances.”

The Otters, having de-

nied Prairie Centre’s initial close-range opportunities, made sure to close that window fast. It was all Fergus Falls in the second period, with the hosts outshooting the North Stars 19-5, including three more goals.

Prairie Centre did break through before game’s end, and in appropriate fashion.

Senior Derick Sorenson slid a beautiful stretch pass over to fellow upperclassman Eli Fletcher for a highlight-reel goal in the final game of their careers.

“This was a pure breakaway and he went in against one of the best goalies in the area and he got him to bite early and just waited him out,” Wehrman said. “When you’ve got 150-some goals, it does seem fitting to get one in your last game.”

Even though the North Stars bow out of the section playoffs after a tough road showing, there was a lot to like from the 2022-23 winter season, including a cohesive coaching staff that included Wehrman, Hunter Fletcher, Noah Fletcher and volunteer Jake Zollman, a strong senior leadership group and several head-turning young-

Girls Basketball

from page 8

at Sauk Centre High School in Sauk Centre.

“We needed to ramp up the defense – and we did,” said Scott Bergman, head coach. “We were also able to get their best player in foul trouble. She was guarding Cierra (Kortan), and C got to the rim several times, drawing fouls.”

With the freedom to play her game, Kortan excelled by getting the ball at the perimeter and driving it to the net in physical sequences. The sophomore guard ended the game with 22 points, including a stellar 7-for8 mark at the free-throw line. This supplemented a brilliant offensive showing from senior Torry Kerfeld, whose first-half heroics and eight 2-point field goals provided Sauk Centre with a sound 1-2 punch.

“Cierra was able to get by her girl repeatedly and Torry did a lot of her damage in transition,” Bergman said.

Also stepping up in the action-packed out-of-section bout was Maddy Schuster. The vigilant defender compiled an efficient game on the other end of the court, making 4 of 6 shot attempts, including her lone 3-point try.

“She was having some good offensive games before her concussion – this was her best since,” Bergman said. “I predict this trend will continue.”

All-in-all, Sauk Centre’s last test before the section tournament came down to shooting. WDC won the rebounding battle and only turned it over nine times, but the Streeters made the most of its looks with a 42% shooting percentage.

“We have played three games now since Tory Jennissen came back to the lineup and we have played well in all three games,” Bergman said.

er talents.

“I think there’s a lot of positives,” Wehrman said. “Hopefully, they’ll take the next step and grow a bit.”

Sauk Centre takes first place once more

BY EVAN MICHEALSON |

With any athlete, the intense environment of competition can often be a daunting one.

For Sauk Centre senior archer Samantha Eekhoff, striving to consistently succeed comes with a price: struggling to stay out of her own head.

“I’m reminding her, ‘You know how to do this, your body knows how to do this,’” said Jeff Schuster, Sauk Centre archery head coach. “What she needs to do sometimes is get her brain out of the way and let her body perform.”

Eekhoff did just that at the first annual Albany Huskie Archery Tournament Feb. 25 at the Blattner Energy Community Center in Albany. The upperclassman showed off her incredible technique to make an immediate impression, registering a perfect 150 score from 10 meters as the Streeters took first place out of four teams.

“It was the first time any of us had seen anyone shoot 15 tens in a row,” Schuster said. “She is in control of her emotions and doesn’t worry what the competition is doing. She’s become very good at that.”

With 3,288 points, Sauk Centre received statement showings from several archers. Alex Drevlow continued his seventh-grade ascent with a 283, while senior Cassius Zirbes, junior Keegan Middendorf and junior Dylan Gruenes rounded out the top five at 281, 278 and 276, respectively. Also thriving in the boys rankings was freshman Caleb Primus, who put up an impressive 275, the fourth-highest mark in his grade class.

“He’s shown a lot of growth and potential this year,” Schuster said. “He’s one of those archers that had a great day and showed his hard work when he stepped onto the range.”

“We are headed into the playoffs with good momentum and confidence.”

The Streeters enter the playoffs as the No. 2 seed in Section 6AA, having defeated Holdingford earlier in the season to win a tiebreaker for the spot. Sauk Centre will defend its home court against the Mora Mustangs at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 2, at Sauk Centre High School in Sauk Centre.

WDC 31 15 47 SC 31 33 64

Kortan 22 points (4R), Kerfeld 18 (4R, 5S), Schuster 9 (3A), Jennissen 6 (6R, 3B), Heidi Lieser 5, Emily Peters 2 (3R) and Sienna Klaphake 0 (4R). Sauk Centre 52, Menahga 40

With Sauk Centre shifting into must-win games, there is no better time for Kortan to catch fire.

The big-time playmaker posted an electrifying 28 points, keeping a close pace with the entire opposition in a 52-40 win over the Menahga Braves Feb. 24 at Menahga High School in Menahga.

“She came out strong from the opening tip, shot it well and got to the rim,” Bergman said. “She scored versus their man, box-and-one, zone, it didn’t matter. That has to be her mindset at all times: ‘It doesn’t matter the defense – I’m going to look to score.’”

Sauk Centre did most of its damage in the first half, building a 13-point halftime behind strong scoring. Kerfeld provided eight points and three rebounds, Jennissen contributed 12 rebounds and an absurd eight blocks and Lieser knocked down a 3-pointer as the

pulled away with a huge

Sauk Centre’s second-best girls archer on the day was junior Carmen Loxtercamp, whose 276 placed her ninth in the overall girls competition out of 122 participants. Zach Klimek’s 273, Bryce Parish’s 272 and Grant Linscheid’s 270 all eclipsed the 270-point mark and gave the Streeters a scoring boost.

“One of the things we tend to bring is we may not always have the first-place archer, but rest assured, we’ll have 12 really strong scorers,” Schuster said.

The Streeters also registered first-place finishes at the elementary school and middle school divisions, piling up 2,734 and 3,153 points amongst those teams, respectively. Mylee Middendorf finished in the top three Sauk Centre middle school scores with 11 tens, while Gage Welle landed at 252 for the team’s top elementary school performance.

“One of our secrets to success over the years is we have a strong elementary program,” Schuster said. “I think the amount of effort we put into getting them a strong start and having them continue really pays dividends as they get up in the middle school and high school divisions.”

Sauk Centre’s next appearance is at the 2023 Alexandria Area High School Invitational, set to take place Saturday, March 4, at Alexandria Area High School in Alexandria.

STAFF WRITER

PHOTOS BY MELISSA BABOLIAN, FERGUS FALLS JOURNAL

Eli Fletcher (right) fakes out Fergus Falls goaltender Ben Swanson for the final goal of his high school career Feb. 24 at Fergus Falls Ice Arena in Fergus Falls. The goal came on a breakaway off a stretch pass from Derick Sorenson.

PHOTO SUBMITTED Samantha Eekhoff ’s target is near-perfect following the Albany Huskie Archery Tournament Feb. 25 at the Blattner Energy Community Center in Albany. Eekhoff recorded a 150 from 10 meters, a rare feat for a high school archer.

Derick Sorenson (left) fights through contact during a physical Section 6A playoff matchup Feb. 24 at Fergus Falls Ice Arena in Fergus Falls. The contest was the last of the senior Sorenson’s career.

PHOTO BY EVAN MICHEALSON

Junior Emily Peters slides under the arm of a Menahga defender to put up a shot during their non-conference game Feb. 24 in Menahga. Peters had four points and three rebounds, and the Streeters won 52-40.

Thiesen, Bulldogs capture conference crown

All season long, it felt like Maesyn Thiesen and the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs women’s basketball team were on a crash course for the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championship.

Sauk Centre-Melrose wrestling sends pair to state

Co-op competes at Section 8AA championships

BY HERMAN LENSING STAFF WRITER

BY EVAN MICHEALSON Michealson’s Minutes

Ranked by the NCAA as one of the strongest Division II teams in the country, UMD turned potential into reality, defeating the Minnesota State University-Mankato Mavericks 80-74 Feb. 28 at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota to seize the conference crown for the third year in a row and clinch a spot in the NCAA Division Women’s Basketball Tournament.

The Bulldogs established momentum early in the contest, building a 28-14 lead by the end of the first quarter. While the Mavericks outscored UMD in every quarter after that, it was not enough to claw away the advantage from the Bulldogs.

- Thiesen played a team-leading 40 minutes of court time, making an impact all across the floor. The graduate student compiled 11 points, pulled down five defensive rebounds, dished out a team-high seven assists while also adding two steals and a block. The dynamic guard was one of three Bulldogs named to the NSIC All-Tournament Team.

- Sadly, such a storybook ending was not in sight for the St. Cloud State Huskies women’s basketball team, led by Sauk Centre’s Kelsey Peschel and Tori Peschel St. Cloud State closed out the regular season with momentum. Trailing 33-23 at halftime against the University of Minnesota-Crookston, the Huskies outscored the Golden Eagles 45-25 in the second half for the victory Feb. 18. Kelsey logged nine points, six rebounds and two assists, while Tori pitched in two points, nine boards and four assists.

The duo had previously combined for eight points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists in an 81-77 loss to Bemidji State Feb. 16.

The first round of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament saw SCSU fall behind in the fourth quarter in a 76-68 defeat to Southwest Minnesota State Feb. 26, ending their season. Tori went 3-for-4 from the field in a seven-point, six-rebound, five-assist outing, while Kelsey provided a point, three rebounds and an assist.

- The postseason stage has also reached the swimming pool. Checking in with solid performances at the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships Feb. 15-18 at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center in Minneapolis were Mikayla Haskamp and Riley Engle from the College of Saint Benedict.

Haskamp, a freshman, recorded a personal record in the 100-yard freestyle finals at 54.81 seconds after finishing 18th in the event preliminaries. She also compiled 22nd-place times of 25.48 in the 50 freestyle and 1:16.03 in the 100 breaststroke, both personal bests.

Engle, in her second foray into conference competition, picked up season-best marks in the 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle preliminaries at 57.36 and 2:08.40, respectively. Additionally, the sophomore earned a PR in the 50 freestyle preliminaries, hitting the wall at 25.61.

CSB snagged fifth with 536.8 points over the course of the four-day event.

- Kali Sayovitz of the Purdue Boilermakers Division I women’s swim and dive also performed admirably. The junior and Sauk Centre record-holder posted a 57.28 time in the 100 butterfly preliminaries at the Boiler-Make-It Last Chance Meet Feb. 25, a season-best mark that gave her fifth in the event.

An ever-present speedster in the pool, Kali also recorded a 26.22 in the 50 butterfly finals, registering yet another PR in a strong showing.

Earlier in the week, Kali also qualified for the College Swimming and Diving Association of America’s National Invitational Championship March 9-11 with a PR in the 100 freestyle preliminary race: 51.04 seconds. This swim came at the Big Ten Conference Championships Feb. 15-18 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

- Also participating in the postseason pizzazz was Kayla Sayovitz of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Blugolds women’s swim and dive team.

A sophomore, Kayla punctuated her growth as a swimmer with a season-best 33.55 race in the 50 breaststroke preliminaries at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships Feb. 15-18 in Brown Deer, Wisconsin.

Along with this result, Kayla also competed in the 100 breaststroke preliminaries, 200 breaststroke preliminaries and 200 individual medley preliminaries at the statewide competition.

- For the fourth time this season, setter Sara Kittelson and the Midwest Power 16’s volleyball team, based out of St. Cloud, competed at a large-scale tournament to meet highly-talented competition. This time around, it was the NorthStar Volleyball United Presidents’ Day Challenge in Minnetonka Feb. 18-19.

- Against teams from the Twin Cities metro area, southern Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin, MWP played hard in several close matches, going 1-4 overall in the bronze bracket. The squad’s win came in thrilling fashion, as MWP took down Cottage Grove 25-5, 25-13, 25-14.

Also competing at the Presidents’ Day Challenge was the Midwest Power 17’s Gold roster, which includes Sauk Centre players Mackenzie Ritter, Isie Kolbo, Brooke Rieland and Raya Sebek. The 17’s displayed their clutch factor; sitting at 0-2 in the tournament, they fought back to win four matches in a row, all in two sets.

- For the first time in over 15 years, both the Prairie Centre Bantam B and PeeWee B squads advanced to regions, a shining achievement for a growing wave of young hockey talent in the area.

The PC Bantam B team, seeded fourth in the 2023 Bantam B District 15 Tournament Feb. 17-19, made an impressive run on their home ice in Sauk Centre. The vigilant group battled past No. 5 Northern Lakes 7-3 in the first round Feb. 17 before slipping down to the elimination bracket with a 4-3 loss to topranked Alexandria Black in the semifinals. Not be deterred, the Bantams soared past Morris-Benson Area 10-3 before defeating Northern Lakes again in the consolation championship to advance as the district’s third seed.

The Prairie Centre PeeWee roster experienced a near-identical trajectory to the next round. They won 5-2 over Alexandria Black as the bracket’s second seed before suffering a serious setback in a 6-0 loss to Brainerd Blue in the semifinals. Bouncing back in a major way, the PeeWees won 5-3 over Moorhead Orange before winning the consolation spot with a 6-4 victory over Alexandria Black.

“You get to the end of the season, you want to be playing your best hockey,” said Jamie Kleinschmidt, coach of the Prairie Centre Bantam B team. “They came together and made it a goal that they wanted to try and get there, and they did it.”

The Prairie Centre Bantam B team faces Minneapolis in the 2023 Minnesota Hockey Bantam B West Region Tournament at 5 p.m. Friday, March 3, at Moorhead Sports Center in Moorhead. The Prairie Centre PeeWee B squad battles Osseo-Maple Grove in the 2023 Minnesota Hockey PeeWee B West Region Tournament at 6 p.m. Friday, March 3, at Benson Civic Center in Benson.

All but two Sauk Centre-Melrose Defenders wrestlers saw their seasons end Feb. 25 at the Section 8AA Individual Wrestling Tournament at Detroit Lakes High School in Detroit Lakes.

Junior Jose De Los Santos Morales, with a 27-11 record, finished second in the 132-pound tournament, earning a trip to the Minnesota State High School League Class AA Wrestling State Tournament. He joins junior Lanna Walter, (120, 19-2) as the only Defenders at state this year. Walter won in the girls section contest Feb. 11 at Sartell High School in Sartell.

The individual state tournaments will be March 3 to 4 at the Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul.

De Los Santos Morales posted wins of 14-10 and 4-3 before falling in the championship bout. That sent him to the true second contest. He earned a 10-4 win to reach state.

Will Sjogren (30-11), a 285 senior, lost in both the championship and true second bouts.

The Defenders had a few others who came close to qualifying, only to suffer a loss when they needed a win. For the most part, the Defenders started well with six of the 12 wrestlers they sent to the meet winning their first matches.

Four of those reached the semifinals and two were in championship matches.

Mitchell Christen, a 138-pound senior with a 29-17 record, opened the tournament with a technical fall win and a victory by decision in reaching the semifinals. He was sent to the wrestlebacks by eventual champion senior Kale Geiser of Thief River Falls. He rebounded with a pin in the wrestlebacks, but his season and career ended in the third-place match as he took fourth place.

Wrestling the most matches was Noah Christen (28-18),

a 120-pound freshman who wrestled six matches. He also opened with a technical fall before running into a ranked wrestler. In the quarterfinals, he fell to 10th-ranked ninth grader Jacob Luebke of Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton. A pin and major decision victory in the wrestlebacks placed him into the wrestleback semifinals, where he lost before winning by forfeit in the fifth-place match.

Sophomore Dominic Kerzman (32-12), 113, also took fourth place. His win by pin in the quarterfinals placed him

against third-ranked, undefeated Parker Zutter of Pequot Lakes/Pine River-Backus, who won by pin. Kerzman scored a 3-2 win in the wrestlebacks before falling in the third-place match.

Another fifth was earned by Jonny Lara (8-15), 195, who had two byes. He had a win and a loss in the wrestlebacks. He took fifth by injury default.

Sophomore Isaac Frericks (23-24) wrestled for fifth at 220 but took sixth place.

The individual state tournaments will be held March 3-4 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

106: Tyaus Meyer went 0-2 and did not place. He lost 3:17, received a bye and lost by major decision 120. 113: Kerzman went 2-2 and took fourth. He received a bye, won 5:25, lost 5:25, won 3-2 and lost 1:48. 120: Teddy Wiechmann went 1-2 and did not place. He received a bye, lost 1:19, won 7-5 and lost 19-2 (TF 4:23). 126: Noah Christen went 4-2 and took fifth. He won by major decision 14-2, lost 16-1 (TF 5:06), won 1:11, won by major decision 10-0, lost 5:10 and won by forfeit. 132: De Los Santos Morales went 3-1 and took second. He received a bye, won 14-10, won 4-3, lost 11-9 and won 10-4. 138: Mitchell Christen went 3-2 and took fourth. He won 16-1 (TF 2:00), lost 9-5, won 4-2, won 1:37 and lost 9-3. 145: Ben Friedrichs went 0-2 and did not place. He lost 3:58, received a bye and lost 3:43. 152: Dan Frericks went 0-2 and did not place. He lost 0:50, received a bye and lost 0:14. 160: Cesar Avalos went 0-2 and did not place. He received a bye, lost 1:38, received a bye and lost 1:09. 195: Lara went 2-2 and took fifth. He received a bye, lost 0:52, received a bye, won 10-4, lost 0:39 and won by injury default. 220: Isaac Frericks went 1-3 and took sixth. He received a bye, lost 9-3, received a bye, won 0:56, lost 3:35 and lost 2:42. 285: Sjogren went 2-2 and took third. He received a bye, won 1:09, won 8-1, lost 0:42 and lost 3-1.

Streeters continue strong stretch of play

Boys basketball defeats Holdingford, Osakis

BY HERMAN LENSING STAFF WRITER

Perhaps it was post-win blues off the back of a thrilling overtime victory, but the Sauk Centre Streeters boys basketball team found themselves in a back-and-forth, close battle with the six-win Holdingford Huskers Feb. 27.

The Section 6AA foes went into the halftime break separated by two points with an offensive-minded 36-34 firsthalf score in favor of the Streeters. The winner of the game would need to be determined by defense.

Sauk Centre keyed in on Holdingford’s playmakers and held the Huskers off the scoreboard in the second half, outscoring its area rival 43-19 in the final 18 minutes in a 7953 win at Sauk Centre High School in Sauk Centre.

“I felt in the first half, we were not connected defensively, but in the second half, we made some adjustments and got stops when we needed them,” said Kevin Kuefler, head coach.

With the game knotted up at 38, Sauk Centre started drilling shots from all around the gym with a 12-point surge entirely consisting of 3-pointers. The Streeters knocked down 12 threes on the night on 29 attempts, good for over 41%. Leading the way in this category was Damian Ahrens, who went 4-for-6 from the perimeter.

“Versus Holdingford, he did a great job of playing off the ball, relocating on teammates’ drives, which freed him up to get some open looks, and he knocked them down,” Kuefler said.

Jay Neubert totaled 30 points, including five threes and five free throws, while Ethan Riley and Matthew Warring added eight points each.

Sauk Centre went on a 14-3 run to seal the victory, punctuated by Ahrens recording a quick steal and layup and reserve senior Hunter Novak pulling up and connecting on a 3-pointer, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.

“I was happy with the run we made in the second half,”

Kuefler said. The Streeters will take on the Melrose Dutchmen in its regular season finale at 7:15 p.m. Friday, March 3, at Melrose Area High School in Melrose. HOLD 34 19 53 SC 36 43 79

Neubert 30 points (3R, 4A, 3S), Ahrens 14 (3A), Riley 8 (7R), Warring 8 (3R, 3A), Corey McCoy 6 (3R), Andrew Drevlow 5 (4R), Novak 3, Carter Ziemer 3, Troy Hansen 2 (3R) and Ashton Trisko 0 (3R).

Sauk Centre 70, Osakis 67 (OT)

In a rematch of a Section 6AA playoff matchup a year ago, the Sauk Centre Streeters earned hard-fought revenge over the Osakis Silverstreaks, finding key buckets in the final minutes of a 70-67 win Feb. 25 at Osakis High School in Sauk Centre.

“I was proud of our guys’ mental toughness to not quit and play until the final buzzer,” Kuefler said. “It was a team win, and a barrage of players stepped up and made key plays down the stretch.”

The Streeters led 27-26 at halftime but eventually fell behind 56-50 with a minute left in the game, which held massive section seeding implications. With head-to-head being the main tiebreaker between teams side-by-side in the standings, the winner likely would possess a higher seed come playoff time.

The comeback began when McCoy snagged an offensive rebound before dishing the ball to Warring, who hit an ice-cold 3-pointer to pull Sauk Centre within one possession. Osakis twice drained 1 of 2 free throws to stay ahead, but made the mistake of fouling Neubert on a 3-point try with 1.4 seconds remaining. The steel-willed junior hit all three free throws to send the game to overtime.

“Jay was clutch down the stretch, showing his mental toughness, as most of the game, he was held in check offensively,” Kuefler said.

Neubert continued to exert his willpower in extra time, driving to the hoop for a pair of hard-fought field goals to give Sauk Centre a 62-59 lead. The Silverstreaks tied the game with a three-ball, but Drevlow scored six straight points to give the Streeters the advantage for good, part of a 21-point, 10-rebound performance.

“Andrew stepped up and played how we as coaches know he can,” Kuefler said. “He is a mismatch for teams due to his ability to shoot from the outside as well as creatively finish inside, whether off the drive or a post-up.” An unfortunate bounce led to a Sauk Centre turnover, giving the Silverstreaks one final shot at tying the game. The high-arching shot did not fall, resulting in the Streeters’ 18th victory and its most exciting one of the campaign.

“After the buzzer went off, I will admit, I was shocked we had pulled it off,” Kuefler said.

SC 27 31 12 70 OSK 26 32 9 67 Neubert 24 (9R, 4A), Drevlow 21 (10R), Riley 10 (5R), Warring 9 (8R), Ahrens 6 (3R) and McCoy 0 (5R).

Ready for regions

PHOTO BY MIKE KOSIK

Mitchell Christen looks to stay upright during a 138-pound match at the Section 8AA Individual Wrestling Tournament Feb. 25 at Detroit Lakes High School in Detroit Lakes. The senior ended his high school wrestling career with a fourth-place medal.

PHOTO BY MARK KLAPHAKE Senior Hunter Novak prepares to launch a 3-pointer seconds before the buzzer sounds at the end of Sauk Centre’s 7953 win over Holdingford Feb. 27 in Sauk Centre. Novak sunk the shot for the Streeters. Sauk Centre plays in Melrose March 3.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

The Sauk Centre PeeWee B team (front, from left) Tucker Price and Ryan Anderson; (middle, from left) Katlyn Warner, Bentley Ritter, Connor Kane, Damian Lopez and Rylan Nelson; (back, from left) Coach Bill Friedrichs, Coach Shane Deters, Blake Kleinschmidt, Andrew Friedrichs, Nolan Trierweiler, Eli Warring, Sawyer Deters, Leevke Brunkhorst, Coach Kim Breitenfeldt and Coach Tim Ritter took third place in the district competition and will play in the regions March 3-5 in Benson.

Fast-paced Fusion

set records during section meet

Seven Sauk Centre-Melrose athletes qualify for state

BY HERMAN LENSING STAFF WRITER

By almost any measure, the Melrose-Sauk Centre Fusion performance in the Section 5A Boys Swim and Dive Meet Feb. 24-25 at Cougar Pool at the University of Minnesota-Morris in Morris was a success.

The team earned second place and qualified seven athletes in eights event for the Minnesota State High School League Boys Swimming and Diving State Meet. In the process, it broke three school or team records and ended a diving drought.

Jacob Robischon started that record-making trend, setting the Sauk Centre record with a 2-minute, 5.58-second finish in the 200-yard individual medley, earning him a trip to state. Robischon will also be competing in the 100 butterfly and on relays.

“He is such a strong all-around swimmer,” said James Schreiner, co-head coach. “He literally can do it all. Swimming the individual medley is a challenge. You have to have four great strokes and Jacob doesn’t have a weakness. His butterfly has been and continues to be his strength. But, Jacob also had our fastest split on the 400 free relay, which shows how strong of a sprinter he is as well.”

Sevrin Anderson is going to state with his second-place finish, setting the Sauk Centre school record at 1:02.82 in the 100 breaststroke. Anderson and Robischon are members of the 200 medley relay team along with Adam Wilwerding and Grant Eveslage, which won the section title in the first event of the day.

“That was an exciting way to start the meet,” said Nathan Meyer, co-head coach. “We had great swims and great performances.”

A third record holder swimming with the 200 medley relay unit is Adam Wilwerding. He finished the 100 backstroke with the best time ever in Melrose Area High School and Fusion history. Alex Wilwerding, his brother, earned third and will also be swimming at the state

meet. “Adam’s swim in the backstroke was impressive,” Schreiner said. “Using his underwater kicks makes him so fast. People think about swimming as being something you do on the surface, but the most successful swimmers are usually fast because of what they do underwater. We are excited to see what he can do at the state meet.”

Adam Wilwerding, Eveslage, Robischon and Thatcher Van Beck will be competing at state with the 400 freestyle relay. Van Beck will be competing individually in the 500 freestyle.

“Thatcher is making his first trip to the state meet and he earned it,” Schreiner said. “His 500 has been improving constantly all season. Going in, he knew it was going to be a battle, but he showed the same mental toughness he showed in how he prepared in practice.”

The team’s younger swimmers all showed their potential on both days. All of them qualified for the second and final day and earned points for the team’s second-place score.

“Every team member scored points at this year’s section meet, which is an awesome accomplishment,” Meyer said. “As far as we can remember, this is the first time everybody made it back to the second day.”

Those points added up. The Fusion, with 426 points, finished behind the 490.5 earned by Alexandria.

None of divers competed the second day, as all the diving was done the first day. Still, all M-SC divers reached the final round. Andrue Stalboerger’s third-place finish qualified him for state, Spencer Marthaler reached the victory podium in seventh and Zaron Olmschenk finished in

10th place.

“He (Stalboerger) is the first Fusion diver to go to state since 2002, when Kevin Frericks went,” Meyer said. It is not just the athletes bringing the success to the team. Following the meet, it was announced that Meyer and Schreiner were named the section’s coaches of the year. Spencer Van Beck was named assistant coach of the year.

The state competition begins at noon Thursday, March 2 with the diving competition. Swimming preliminaries begin at noon Friday, March 3, and the swimming and diving finals will begin at noon Saturday, March 4. 200MR: 1. Adam Wilwerding, Anderson, Robischon and Eveslage1 minute and 14.19seconds. 200FS: 4. Nolan Fleischhacker 1:55.09, 5. Van Beck 1:55.83 and 13. Sullivan Stumler 2:09.67.  200IM: 2. Robischon 2:05.58, 4. Anderson

2:10.06, 12. Zander Olmschenk

2:33.93 and 13. Hunter Leslie 2:39.53. 50FS: 6. Eveslage 23.67, 9. Isaiah Zink 24.97 and 12. Samuel Stangler 25.12.  Diving:3. Stalboerger 349.5, 7. Marthaler 261.15 and 10. Zaron Olmschenk 244.20. 100FLY: 3. Robischon 56.19, 7. Zink

1:05.42, 11. Zaron Olmschenk

1:08.23 and 12. Rayden We-

shot OF THE WEEK

ber 1:10.81.  100FS: 5. Adam Wilwerding 50.96, 8. Eveslage 53.46, 9. Alex Wilwerding 54.32 and 14. Stangler 57.04. 500FS:

3. Van Beck 5:12.65, 4. Fleischhacker 5:16.26, 10. Stumler

5:51.22 and 13. Parker Sorenson

6:05.65  200FSR: 4. Anderson, Zink, Van Beck and Fleischhacker 1:38.77. 100BK: 1. Adam

Wilwerding 52.89, 3. Alex Wilwerding 58.12 and 13. Leslie

1:10.53.  100BR: 2. Anderson

1:02.82, 10. Zander Olmschenk

1:11.12 and 16. Stalboerger

1:17.46. 400FSR:2. Robischon, Eveslage, Van Beck, Adam Wilwerding 3:27.24.

S t r e e t e r Streeter SCOREBOARD

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BOYS BASKETBALL

SC defeated Holdingford 79-53 SC JV defeated Holdingford 55-50 SC C squad lost to Holdingford 42-37 SC defeated Osakis 70-67 (OT) SC JV defeated Osakis 45-40 SC C squad lost to Osakis 33-31 (OT) SC 7th grade team lost to Minnewaska Area 45-18 SC 7th grade team lost to Osakis 37-25 SC 7th grade team lost to Melrose 31-30

GIRLS BASKETBALL

SC defeated Wadena-Deer Creek 64-47

SC defeated Menahga 52-40 SC JV lost to Menahga

10 YEARS AGO

In making a shot against Wadena-Deer Creek last week, Sauk Centre senior point guard Patrick Knoblauch became the fifth boys’ basketball player in Sauk Centre Public Schools’ history to eclipse 1,000 points for a career; his teammate, Nick Adams, also recently hit the 1,000-point mark.

Quote of the week

Melrose-Sauk Centre Fusion breaststroke swimmer Sevrin Anderson on making it to the Minnesota State High School League Class A Boys Swimming and Diving State Meet: “After seeing my time, my immediate reaction was, ‘I bet I could get that down a bit further.’ I beat the record, but I still think I have a long way to go before I’m satisfied.”

PHOTO BY MARK KLAPHAKE

Head Coach Kevin Kuefler (front) and the Sauk Centre bench erupts when Hunter Novak canned a 3-pointer from the top of the key at the end of their 79-53 win over Holdingford Feb. 27 in Sauk Centre.

PHOTOS BY HERMAN LENSING

Showing their runner-up team trophy following the Section 5A meet Feb. 25 in Morris are Jacob Robischon (front, from left), Zaron Olmschenk, Adam Wilwerding, Andrew Berscheit, Andrew Berscheit, Sam Stangler, Andrue Stalboerger and Sevrin Anderson; (second row, from left) Grant Eveslage, Sully Stumler, Macen Toavs-Etcheverry, Alex Wilwerding, Isaiah Zink, Hunter Leslie and Thatcher Van Beck; (back row, left) Zander Olmschenk and Nolan Fleischhacker; (not pictured) Spencer Marthaler, Parker Sorenson and Rayden Weber. Every diver and swimmer competed on both days of the section meet. (Left) Spencer Marthaler dons his seventh place diving medal Feb. 24 at the Section 5A meet in Morris. Marthaler joined diving this year.

Sevrin Anderson swims to a qualifying position in the 200 IM Feb. 24 at the Section 5A preliminary meet in Morris. He set a Sauk Centre record Feb. 25 in the 100BT.

Neal Leagjeld ASSOCIATE BROKER 320-815-4500 Neal.Leagjeld@CbCrown.com

PHOTO BY ALEE PHOTOGRAPHY

The Blue Devils Hockey Team (front, from left) Kyra Swanson, Maddie Koltes, Allie Lemke, Kennedy Lemke, Natasha Ludwig, Caelyn Breth, Lisa Straninger and Naomi Dalton; (middle, from left) Head Coach David Wright, manager Makenna Koltes, Baylee Cummins, Carly Gruenes, Sophia Mueller, Brooke Nelson, Assistant Coach Jordan Ramey and Assistant Coach Brooke Ostendorf; (back, from left) Arianna Lopez, Maria Buntjer, Katelyn Jones, Lindsay Bailey, Izzy Lee, Dalelyn Diedrich, Alex Woltman, Brynlee Ostendorf and Assistant Coach Leif Ludwig finished the season with a 6-16-1 record. They had two seniors on the team. Not Pictured: Nicole Mellgren.

PHOTO BY ALEE PHOTOGRAPHY

The Prairie Centre Hockey Team (front, from left) Jesse Williams, Evan Herickhoff, Blake Proell, Owen Zigan, Ethan Isenbart, Zack Larson, Asher Cebulla and Manager Chloe Kerfeld; (middle, from left) manager Kate McKeown, John Williams, Owen Christians, Kris Hanson, Derick Sorenson, Kyle Sayovitz, Eli Fletcher, Eric Isenbart and Assistant Coach Hunter Fletcher; (back, from left) Assistant Coach Noah Fletcher, Logan Anderson, Demario Lopez, Caiden Frerichs, Dylan Gruenes, Noah Zinniel, Carter Holman, Keegan Christians, Aiken Lambrecht, Zac Bick, James Rieland and Head Coach Chad Wehrman, finished the season with a 7-19 record. They had seven seniors on the team. Not Pictured: Kingston Diedrich.