Cougars post two last-winning wins in 2-1 week

BY BRUCE STRAND SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR

Centennial rallied for two road wins last week, over Maple Grove 5-4 Monday and Rogers 5-2 in 10 innings Wednesday, then fell to Osseo 6-4 Thursday at home.

BRUCE STRAND | CONTRIBUTED Cougar pitcher Josh Lee looks to first base before throwing out a Rogers

Girls Golf

Centennial placed fifth of 14 teams in the Northwest Suburban mid-season tournament Thursday at Majestic Oaks, while losing two dual meets, last week. In the NWSC meet, in intermittent rain, Taylor Thor placed eighth with 84 and Marina Allen ninth with 87 (she birdied 18) among 82 golfers. Ella Friedman shot 104, Tatum Knox 109, Charlye Weymann 109 and Lily Rupert 116. Maple Grove won with 325. The Cougars had 384. Centennial lost to Andover 185 to 191 on a cold, windy Monday with some snow and hail at Bunker Hills. Thor was low with 40 including a par-five birdie on No. 2. Allen shot 48 (third place), Friedman 53 and Rupert 56. Blaine outstroked the Cougars 181 to 193 Wednesday at Majestic Oaks. Blaine’s Kathryn VanArragon sizzled with a 34. Allen shot 42 (second place), Thor 49, Weymann 50 and Knox 52.

Girls Track

Centennial participated in the inaugural event of a new White Bear Lake outdoor track facility, the White Bear Lake Coed Invitational, in chilly, overcast conditions Saturday. The Cougars placed fourth of seven teams. Spring Lake Park won. The Centennial distance runners sparkled. They had a 1-2 finish in the 1600 with Lauren Klein

(5:13.99) and Kylie Nelson (5:15.93), the program’s two best times in eight years, a coach reported. They won the 4x400 with Nelson, Anna Swanson, Klein, and Julia Zalewski (4:21.25).

The Cougars (6-2) trailed Maple Grove 4-2 but scored two in the fifth and the go-ahead run in the seventh when Vinny Wry singled, took second on Anders Wessman’s bunt, and scored on Will Whelan’s double. Wry was 2-for3 (walk, three runs) and Wessman 2-for-3 (run, RBI). Tyler Gruye got the win in relief (three innings, no runs, one hit, three strikeouts). Whelan, the starter, gave up four runs.

Boys Lacrosse

Against Rogers, the Cougars trailed 2-0 as starter Josh Lee yielded two runs on six hits in two innings. Lee then threw four shutout innings, and Luke Gunderman threw four more (one hit, two walks) to get the win. Two bunts helped take the lead in the 10th. Jack Dagostino struck out but reached first on a third-strike wild pitch. He was bunted to second by Gunderman, took third on Wry’s single, and scored on Wessman’s squeeze bunt. After an error, Peyton Streit delivered a two-run single. Owen Hackett was 3-for-4 (double, RBI), Wessman 2-for-4 (two runs), and Sam Menne 1-for-3 (double, sacrifice fly).

Against Osseo, Dagostino, first of four pitchers, took the loss (3 1/3 innings, three runs). Delivering RBI hits were Whelan, Lee and Menne.

Abigail Woods won the 3200 (12:17). Placing second were Nelson in the 800 (2:25.88), Amelia Launinger in the 400 (1:05.94) and Alyssa Draheim in high jump (5-0). Zalewski was third in the 400 (1:06.41).

Girls Lacrosse

Centennial’s defense has been stellar in four straight wins, allowing just nine goals. Last week the Cougars beat Spring Lake Park 17-3 Monday and Andover 6-3 Wednesday. The defensive corps, coach Hallie Berg said, consists of Elizabeth Clough, Avery Sauber, Maddie Perron, Mallory Haffeman, Katie Hemr and Maria Waller. The midfielders are also a huge help in establishing defensive discipline, Berg added, while goalkeeper Peyton Breezy “has kept us in some really tough games.” Against SLP, Callie Cody notched four goals, Ella O’Hearn three (plus four assists), Kayler Whiteworth and Ella Weist two each, and Ella Fenstermacher, Lillian Brausen and Noelle Hemr one each. In the defensive tussle against Andover, O’Hearn tallied three goals and assisted on the other three, all by Cody.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Brol Scherman

Centennial Lacrosse

Centennial is 4-2 after picking up conference wins last week over Coon Rapids/Spring Lake Park 12-6 on Monday in Coon Rapids and Andover 17-7 at home Wednesday. Against CR/ SLP, Brol Scherman tallied four goals, Logan Adams three, and Gavin Krage, Kellen Krumwiede, Tyson Bautsch, Cooper Larson and Colden Anderson one each. Tyler Case had eight ground balls and Krumwiede six. Against Andover, Adams and Scherman each tallied five goals. Solomon Marshall added two goals and Samuel Lewis, Kai Hermodson, Krumwiede, Larson and Anderson one each. Marshall had six ground balls and Case five. Carson Bednar in goal made 12 saves in the two games.

Tennis

Centennial stands 5-0 after rolling past Spring Lake Park 7-0 and Coon Rapids 6-1 last week. Winning against SLP were Joaquin Bliss, JJ Bliss, Jesse Simso and Ian Gangl in singles, and Sean Oslund/Zack Chaffey, Trevor Allen/Brody Johnson, and Andrew Abraham/Drew Gangl in singles. The Cougars won 84 of 96 games. Winning against Coon Rapids were Oslund, Chaffey and Sims at 1-2-3 singles, and Bliss/Bliss, Allen/Johnson and Abraham/Gangl in doubles.

Softball

Centennial lost to two strong rivals last week, Maple Grove 6-0 Monday and Brainerd 4-3 in 10 innings Friday, both on the road, while defeating Osseo 4-1 at home Thursday. The Cougars are 4-3. Maple Grove (7-1) got a three-hitter by Maddie Whilm with 12 strikeouts and a two-run homer by Alyssa Wernz. Riley O’Connell took the loss while striking out 10. Against Osseo, O’Connell spun a two-hitter (one walk, 10 strikeouts) and Jordan Lemire belted a three-run double. Against Brainerd (6-1), Lemire was 3-for-3 with two doubles and knocked three more runs. Peyton Corbin had a hit and two runs, and Adrianna Thomas two hits. Maggie Olson pitched 3 2/3 innings (eight hits, three runs). O’Connell fired four shutout innings before giving up an unearned run in the 10th. An error put Elsa Borchart on base. She scored third on a close play at the plate when Ella Chaussee looped a single over the drawn-in infield.

Boys Track

Centennial participated in the inaugural event of a new White Bear Lake outdoor track facility, the White Bear Lake Coed Invitational, in chilly, overcast conditions Saturday. The Cougars placed fourth of eight teams. Spring Lake Park won. Centennial highlights were Timothy Ball winning discus (143-7) and taking second in the shot put (46-4), and Charles Bolkcom winning the 800 (2:08.13). In the 100 dash, Brock Burgraff ran second (11.48) and Samuel Zeresany third (11.55). In the 200, Zeresenay took third (23.44), Gavin Moore fourth (23.99) and Isaiah Tandoh fifth (24.02). Jacob Podratz was third in the 400 (53.36). The Cougars were second in the 4x200 and 4x400.