SPORTS REVIEW

SECTION C JUNE 23, 2011

GOLF
Boys: Pages 2 and 7 Girls: Pages 1 and 7 Boys: Page 6

TRACK AND FIELD

Boys: Pages 1 and 8 Girls: Pages 2 and 8 Boys: Pages 5 and 8 Girls: Page 5

BASEBALL
Pages 3 and 8 Pages 4 and 6

SOFTBALL
Pages 3 and 7 Pages 4 and 6

Highlights aplenty for boys track team, individuals

Huskies win Sentinel Relays, Cook wins state championship
by DAN CONDON Sports Editor The season for the Jackson County Central boys track and field team had plenty of highlights, both as a team and for individuals. The biggest team highlight came with the win at the Sentinel Relays on May 6 when the Huskies scored 119 points to win the team title. Winning the Sentinel Relays was a big highlight, head coach Brian Cook said. It was also nice to have a successful section meet. The section meet saw the 4x800-meter relay team win to advance to state. Senior Justin Cook also won the 800-meter run and sophomore Jason Vongsavanh won the 200-meter dash, meaning both qualied for state. The biggest individual highlight of the season came at state when Cook used a program-best time of 1:55.97 to win the gold medal in the 800. The rstplace nish was the rst individual state championship for JCC in track and eld. Cook was also on the 4x8 team that nished seventh at state. Also on the team were juniors Ben Kocak and Taylor Freeman and senior Marc Strom. Strom and Cook made up half of the 4x8 team that won the state title last season. That was really nice to go back-to-back in getting to state in the 4x8, especially after we only had two runners back, Coach Cook said. We were able to put together a team that was successful again at state. Besides winning the 800 at state and nishing seventh in the 4x8, Cook had plenty of other successful showings this spring. He won the 1,600-meter run at the Southwest Conference meet, with his time of 4:30.35 being second on the JCC honor roll list of best times in team history. He also posted the 10 thbest time in the 400-meter dash (53.88) and was on Jason Vongsavanh (right) gets ready to hand the baton to the 4x4 team that had the Steven Salzwedel during the 4x200-meter relay. fastest time in JCC history (3:33.95). Also part of that JCC boys track and field results relay team were Vongsavanh, Zach Post and FreeMeet Score Place man. Mt. Lake 123 2nd Cook led the Huskies Windom 53 4th with 244 points this spring, Fairmont 38 3rd with Vongsavanh coming in Sentinel Relays 119 1st second with 197. VongsaSection True Team 545 3rd vanh nished second in the Trojan Relays 52 8th 200 at the conference meet, Southwest Conference 76.5 5th won the 100 and 200 at the Sub-Section 125.33 2nd See BOYS TRACK on C8

JCC boys track and field

Top point scorers 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Justin Cook ...........................................244 Jason Vongsavanh .................................197 Zach Post...............................................182 Taylor Freeman ....................................181 Marc Strom ...........................................164 Steven Salzwedel .................................136 Ben Kocak.............................................114 John Isaacson ..........................................93 Evan Koep ..............................................92 Darnell Taylor-Breck .............................66

Photos by Dan Condon

Justin Cook races with the baton during the 4x800-meter relay at the section track and field meet. Cook and the 4x8 team finished seventh at state and Cook won the 800-meter run at the state tournament.

Girls golf team picks up experience, several wins

Bensons success at state highlights 6-5 season for Huskies
by DAN CONDON Sports Editor With a team consisting of just one upperclassman, the hope for the Jackson County Central girls golf team was to gain experience this spring and hope the experience would benet the team in the future. The Huskies got much more than that as the team, led by junior Kaylee Benson, won six of its last seven dual matches to nish 6-5 and won the sub-section title for the third straight season. The girls had an amazing year, head coach Mike DiBrito said. We lost ve great senior golfers from last season. This young group made some nice improvements. They stepped up their game and nished with a winning record, which was very impressive for a young group. Benson carried the team much of the season, earning medalist honors in all but two meets this spring. After nishing second in the season-opening loss, Benson medaled in 14 straight events and nished third at the Class AA state tournament. Kaylee had an outstanding season, DiBrito said. To have a season average in the 30s is amazing. She played great golf; there is no way around that. She is a great golfer who pretty much beat everyone she competed against. With Benson posting the low score in almost every meet, the Huskies were able to use ever-improving scores from the rest of the team to pick up their sixwins. One player who saw her score drop throughout the spring was eighth-grader Alison Benson. Benson opened the season with back-to-back 60-plus scores, but was never higher than 55 after that. Her low round of the spring came when she shot 47 in a win over Luverne. Benson also shot 48 twice, but the highlight of her rst season on varsity was her third-place nish at the sub-section tournament when she shot an 18-hole score of 96. Alison Benson averaged 53.6 shots per nine holes and had her score count in 13 meets. Because she kept lowering her score as the season went along, Alison was named the teams most improved player. Emma Lilleberg and Blaike Smith both averaged 54.1 shots per nine holes, with Lillebergs score counting 11 times and Smith 10 times. Lilleberg played consistent golf all spring, with her best score being the 18-hole score of 101 at the section tourney. She shot 52 twice and shot 57 or better eight times. She had a fantastic section tournament, DiBrito said of Lilleberg. Smith shot a low of 49 and never shot higher than 57. Smith nished the year strong, with 103 at the subsection meet and 111 at the section tournament. Shelby Benson averaged 57.5 shots per nine holes and had her score count six times. Her best score was 52 and she shot 55 or better six times. Lexie Hoffman had her score count in three meets and posted a season-low 50 in a win over Estherville Lincoln Central. Having a veteran like Kaylee Benson, who played at state for the fourth time this spring, lead the team was huge, DiBrito said. Kaylee did such a nice See GIRLS GOLF on C7

JCC girls golf results

Opponent Result Spirit Lake L Fairmont L Worthington L Windom L Worthington Invitational 3rd Redwood Valley W Red Rock Central W Estherville Lincoln Central W Marshall L Luverne W Pipestone W Blue Earth Area W Southwest Conference 3rd Sub-Section 1st Section 3AA 4th
Photos by Dan Condon

Score 215-196 216-211 209-201 210-201 419 197-218 193-220 191-228 205-202 196-215 205-244 196-224 409 383 397 Emma Lilleberg sends a chip toward the hole at the section tournament. Lilleberg had a consistent spring season, averaging 54.1 shots per nine holes.

Kaylee Benson chips onto the green during a match this season. Benson medaled 14 times this spring and finished third at the state tournament.

Overall record: 6-5 SWC record: 3-3

Family Dentistry
Pictured, from the left, Jesse Anderson, R.D.A.; Becki Goss; Jaime Leiding, R.D.H.; Dr. Debby Christopher

COLLEEN ANDERSON INSURANCE AGENCY

Auto Health Home Commercial Farm Colleen Anderson, Agent

We plug teamwork!

MN Agent Lic. # 6791

Lakeeld 662-5442

Debby Christopher, D.D.S.

302 Second Street - Jackson

847-3317

colleenanderson@orbitcom.biz

305 2nd Street P Box 211 .O. Jackson, MN 56143 (507) 847-3891 Fax (507) 847-3422

www.federatedrea.coop Jackson 847-3520

C2

Sports Review
Asa twins, Ward cap successful careers for JCC boys golf team
by DAN CONDON Sports Editor meant a lot to the team for quite a long time, DiBrito said. Tanner, Tyler and Colton were very valuable to the program, he said. They have golfed for JCC since middle school. Throughout the golf season, they have contributed big time. And having them qualify for sections was a good way for them to end their career, DiBrito said. It was nice to see all three seniors get to sections, he said. The section tournament is competitive and it was nice that they got to experience this on their last high school competition. Tanner Asa had the best nish in the section tourney, but his 18-hole score of 80 left him short of the state tournament. He had a senior season to remember, though, as he was the main man for the Huskies most of the spring. Tanner medaled three times, including when he shot 35 against Marshall. He shot 39 to medal against Pipestone Area and never shot higher than 45. Asa saved his best golf for the postseason as he shot 18hole scores of 76, 78 and 80 to wrap up his career. His 76 put Asa fth in the conference meet and his 78 qualied him for sections. Tanner Asa had the lowest average for the Huskies, averaging 40.3 shots per nine holes. He was the low JCC golfer 11 times and had his score count in all 14 meets. Tyler Asa also medaled three times, with his low score coming when he medaled with 38 against Fairmont. Asa shot 40 twice and shot 45 or lower in nine of 11 nine-hole rounds. He averaged 43.2 shots per nine holes and had his score count 13 times. Tyler has a lot of accomplishments, DiBrito said, listing one as being part of the team that played at state in 2007. He was a valuable player and had a nice high school golf career. Tanner Asa earned allconference honors for the first time after being an honorable-mention pick the last two seasons. Tanner was an honorable-mention all-conference performer

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Four Huskies go to sections as team finishes 7-4

this spring. Wa r d a v e r a g e d 4 5 . 8 shots per nine holes and tied for medalist honors with his score of 42 against Worthington. Ward had his score count nine times and played well down the stretch. Ward shot 86 at the conference meet and 89 at the sub-section tourney, where he qualied for the section tournament after coming out of a playoff. Colton was always smiling, always positive, DiBrito said. Brinkman also needed a playoff to make it to sections after he shot 89 at the sub-section tournament. The eighth-grader shot 83 at the conference meet and shot a low of 44 four times. Brinkman was as consistent all season, with all of his nine-hole scores between 44 and 47. His 18hole scores ranged from 83-92. His score counted in See BOYS GOLF on C7

For the Jackson County Central boys golf team, the season could not have gotten off to a better start. The Huskies opened the spring with a one-stroke win over Spirit Lake, Iowa, and were 4-0 before the calendar turned to May. The Huskies nished the season with a 7-4 mark and were 3-3 in the Southwest Conference. JCC nished third in the conference meet and was second in the sub-section. The boys had a great season, head coach Mike DiBrito said. They had a lot of nice wins. Despite not making it to the section tournament as a team, the Huskies sent four individuals to the tournament. Qualifying for the Section 3AA meet were seniors Tanner Asa, Tyler Asa and Colton Ward and eighth-grader Joe Brinkman. Those three seniors

JCC boys golf results

Opponent Result Spirit Lake W Fairmont W Worthington W Windom W Worthington Invitational 4th Redwood Valley L Red Rock Central W Estherville Lincoln Central W Marshall L Luverne L Pipestone W Blue Earth Area L Southwest Conference 3rd Sub-Section 2nd Overall record: 7-4 SWC record: 3-3 Score 173-174 170-189 173-187 176-182 338 180-156 167-178 170-184 159-145 174-171 171-197 182-166 328 342

JCC boys golf individual results

Player Best Score (Holes) Tanner Asa 35 (9) Tyler Asa 38 (9) Joe Brinkman 83 (18) Kyle Edlin 41 (9) Colton Ward 83 (18) John Marker 44 (9) Kyle Christopher 46 (9) Average 40.3 43.2 44.8 45.4 45.8 46.8 48.8

Photo by Dan Condon

Tyler (left) and Tanner Asa write down their score during a match this spring. The senior twins led the Huskies again this season as both medaled three times. Tanner had the low JCC score in 11 of the Huskies 14 events.

JCC girls sprint to successful season on the track

Donnelli qualifies for state; one of many talented athletes set to return next year
by DAN CONDON Sports Editor A deep Jackson County Central girls track and eld team relied on its sprinters to score most of its points this season, with four in particular racking up points in bunches. Senior Courtney Donnelli, sophomore Sydnee Donnelli and eighth-graders Riley Schneekloth and Julia Schumann accounted for 868 points this season, with most of them coming in sprint events or relays. The four combined to run the 4x100- and 4x200meter relays when all were healthy and blazed around the track. They won the 4x1 at the Southwest Conference meet and were third in the 4x2 at the same meet. The foursome nished second in both relays at the sub-section meet and were third in the 4x1 and fourth in the 4x2 at the section meet. The four combined to run the fourth-fastest time in both the 4x1 and 4x2 in team history, posting a season-best 52.03 in the 4x1 and 1:50.88 in the 4x2. The strength of the team was the sprinters and middle-distance runners, head coach Brian Cook said. Those groups were very strong. Sydnee Donnelli led the team with 315 points, giving her 549 in the past three seasons. Her total of 315 is Photos by Dan Condon the most scored in a season Julia Schumann (right) takes off after getting the baton from Riley Schneekloth during for JCC since Amanda Dara relay. The duo combined to score 320 points for the Huskies this season. ling tallied 409 points as a junior in 2006. Donnelli qualied for the state tournament for the rst time in the 100-meter dash after nishing second in the event at the Section 3A meet. She won the race in the sub-section meet and was second in the 100 at the conference meet. Sydnee was named the teams most valuable runner and her fastest time of 12.9 in the 100 puts her 10th on the JCC honor roll. Donnelli also did well in the long jump, qualifying for sections in the event. She ranks fth on the honor roll with a season-best jump of 165.75. Courtney Donnelli was second on the scoring list for the second year in a row after leading the team in points in 2009. Donnelli scored 233 points after a successful season running the 200-meter dash and relays and competing in the shot put. She qualied for the section meet in the 4x1, 4x2, 200 and shot put after nishing third in the shot put and fourth in the 200 at the sub-section meet. Donnellis best distance of 3511.75 is the secondbest in team history, with sophomore Jessica Voehl ninth on the list (301.25). Schneekloths 166 points put her third, with Schumann scoring 154 points to nish fourth on the team.

Courtney Donnelli Eighth-grader Jade Holthe scored 67 points this season and qualified for sections in the 4x800-meter relay, 4x400-meter relay and 1,600-meter run. Rounding out the top 10 scorers were junior Tracey Steffen (61), eighth-grader Kathryn Nasby (38), senior Hope Belknap (31), senior Megan Johnson (28) and senior Sarah Voehl (26). Belknap, Johnson and Sarah Voehl were on the 4x8 team that made it to sections, with Nasby and eighth-graders Faith Hansen and Jessica Jandera joining Holthe on the 4x4 team at sections. Johnson was named the teams most inspirational athlete, with Jessica Voehl named the most valuable in eld events. Kaitlyn John and Kaitlyn McCaslin both earned managers awards for their work as studentSee GIRLS TRACK on C8

Sydnee Donnelli flies through the air during the long jump at the section meet. The event was one of four in which Donnelli competed in at the section meet. She finished second in the 200-meter dash to qualify for the state tournament for the first time.

JCC girls track and field

Top point scorers 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Sydnee Donnelli ...................................315 Courtney Donnelli ................................233 Riley Schneekloth ................................166 Julia Schumann .....................................154 Jade Holthe .............................................67 Tracey Steffen.........................................61 Kathryn Nasby........................................38 Hope Belknap .........................................31 Megan Johnson .......................................28 Sarah Voehl .............................................26

JCC girls track and field results

Meet Mt. Lake Windom Fairmont Sentinel Relays Section True Team Trojan Relays Southwest Conference Sub-Section Score 83 92.5 36 99 468.5 53 44 104.5 Place 4th 4th 4th 3rd 5th 6th 7th 4th

WERE PROUD TO SUPPORT

JCC Huskies!
We Try Harder

A family business, doing business like family!

JACKSON FEED, LLC

Main Street Lakeeld, MN

Hwy. 71, Downtown Jackson

507-847-5582
Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Sat., 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

507-662-6777
Industrial Road Jackson, MN (507) 847-2590 800-967-2032

Daily Dining Specials Carry-Out Available! Now Open at 11:00 a.m. MondaySaturday for lunch Sundays at noon 105 Sherman St. Jackson 847-4595

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Sports Review

C3

Senior-loaded baseball team wins a dozen games

bracket that included New JCC baseball results Ulm, Worthington, Luverne and JCC, among many othOpponent Result Score ers. Adrian W 8-3 The Huskies beat Windom Area W 4-2 Fairmont on April 29, but Pipestone Area W 4-1 had their season end to the Pipestone Area W 12-7 Cardinals in the second Fairmont W 16-8 round of the Section 3AA by DAN CONDON New Ulm L 6-11 playoffs. Sports Editor Martin County West W 10-1 The highlight of the seaLuverne L 5-6 son was beating Fairmont, Only three teams beat the head coach Tracy Steiner Luverne W 4-2 second-ranked Fairmont said. I think Fairmonts Red Rock Central W 9-1 Cardinal baseball team been our nemesis for years. Worthington L 0-4 this season and the Jackson For me, that was kind of a Worthington L 3-8 County Central Huskies sweet win for us. Windom Area W 10-6 were one of them. The Maple River L 5-6 Steiner said the other early-season win over the highlight came in the playSouthwestern United W 12-2 Cardinals showed just how off opener, when the HusRedwood Valley L 1-4 good the Huskies could be. kies beat Worthington 1-0 Redwood Valley W 10-6 The Huskies also split behind a pitching gem from Marshall L 7-13 with a tough Luverne team senior Bryce Christopher. Marshall L 3-11 during the regular season Section 3AA Tournament We didnt win a playoff and swept Windom Area game last year, so winning a Worthington W 1-0 and Pipestone Area as part playoff game this year was Fairmont L 0-2 of a regular season that saw nice, he said. To do it, we JCC go 11-8 and 6-6 in the had to beat Lucas Henning, Overall record: 12-9 Southwest Conference. SWC record: 6-6 a guy who beat us in the Unfortunately for JCC, regular season. Section 3AA was loaded, The season ended just with Fairmont eventually hours after the win over lost 2-0 to Fairmont, who sity experience, with most emerging from a section the Trojans, as the Huskies nished third at the Class playing since they were sophomores. AA state tournament. They were great leadDespite being unable to upset the top-seeded Car- ers for us, Steiner said of dinals, Steiner was proud a senior class that includes of the season his team put Christopher, Nolan Luhmann, Boog Steiner, Brock together. I thought we had a re- Thaemlitz, Evan Tufvesson ally good season, he said. and Ty Schwarting. They It would have been nice to led by example and that win a couple more games, takes care of so many probbut overall, we had a real lems when you have guys that go out there and get successful season. As good as the Huskies the job done. Luhmann posted the 12-9 nal record was, Steiner was just as pleased about highest batting average on the way the Huskies went the team, but three others about their business in prac- were right on his tail. Luhmanns .359 average barely tice and in games. They had good attitudes, topped Thaemlitz (.358), worked hard and we had Steiner (.357) and Tufvesfun, he said. Thats what son (.352). The top four hitters rehigh school athletics should ally pounded the ball for be about. The Huskies were led us, Coach Steiner said. Luhmann scored 14 runs by a group of seniors who Ty Schwarting sends a hit into the outfield for the Huskies. combined for a ton of var- and had 12 RBI and played

Huskies one of just three teams to beat Fairmont; finish at 12-9 overall

Photos by Dan Condon

Bryce Christopher delivers a pitch in his 1-0 shutout win over Worthington in the playoffs. Christopher posted an earned run average of 1.44 in 39 innings on the mound. solid defense at shortstop for the Huskies. Thaemlitz led the Huskies with 24 hits nishing one ahead of Luhmann. He also had a team-high 19 RBI and eight doubles. Thaemlitz and junior Dustin Pronk blasted the only homers this season for JCC. Steiner led the team with 16 runs scored and he used his team-high 14 walks to nish with an on-base percentage of .500. He had 20 hits, ve of which went for doubles, and drove in 12 runs. Tufvesson, the speedy center fielder who didnt make an error all season, scored 12 times and drove in 14 runs from the bottom of the lineup. I would say the most improved player from beginning to end was Evan Tufvesson, Coach Steiner said. He really came on and was hitting the ball well and in key situations. See BASEBALL on C8

Huskies win 10 in a row on the diamond

Win streak helps softball team finish with 12 victories
by DAN CONDON Sports Editor After a slow start to the season, the Jackson County Central softball team turned things around in a big way. The Huskies began the season 2-6 before winning their nal nine regular season games and rst playoff game. The season then ended with a second-round loss to New Ulm in the Section 3AA tournament. Part of the reason for the early-season struggles was the competition, as JCC faced Martin County West, New Ulm, Redwood Valley and Pipestone early in the season. The Huskies managed a split with rival Pipestone, the team that represented the section at the state tournament. The Huskies would up with a 12-7 overall record and were 8-4 in the Southwest Conference, with sweeps over Worthington, Windom Area and Luverne. Besides getting the tough teams out of the way early, something clicked to start the winning streak for the Huskies. They just gured it out and started playing together as a team, head coach Shelly Hotzler said. One other reason was because senior Breanne Rentschler started getting on base at a high percentage from her leadoff spot. Rentschler nished the season batting .339 and drew a team-high nine walks. Breanne really did well for us in the leadoff spot, especially in the second half of the season, Hotzler said. The speedster scored 16 runs and had 21 hits all singles. Itll be tough to replace Breanne at leadoff, Hotzler said. Rentschler also did well in the circle as she and senior Sarah Christopher combined to pitch every inning for the Huskies. Rentschler had a record of 5-3 and an earned run average of 3.02. She struck out 45 batters in 42 innings. As good as Rentschler was in the circle, Christopher was even better. She posted a 7-4 record and had an ERA of just 2.613. Christopher pounded the strike zone, giving up just two walks in her 75 innings of work. Sarah was great for us, Hotzler said. She was always in the zone and used her defense to her advantage. At the plate, Christopher had 11 hits and scored eight times. Senior Leslie Handzus led the team with 20 runs scored and tied for the team lead with 23 hits. Handzus batted .359 and stole a team-high six bases. Sophomore Marita Rasche was impressive all season long, nishing with a team-high batting average of .418. Rasche tied Handzus with 23 hits and led the Huskies with 18 RBI, three triples and two homers. Marita had a great season at the plate and provided a big bat in the middle of our lineup, Hotzler said. Sophomore Jasmine Erickson hit a team-leading seven doubles and scored 17 runs. She drove in 12 runs and had a batting average of .313. Sophomore Jenna Stade hit .265 and senior Kinbrae Bezdicek batted .262 with six doubles and 11 runs scored. Senior Emily Arndt hit .241, scored eight times and drove in eight runs. Christopher, Rentschler and Rasche were all named to the all-conference team and Handzus was named to the honorable mention team. Rentschler and Christopher shared the team MVP award, with Rentschler also being named to the 3AA all-section team. Erickson was named the teams most improved player, with Rasche and Handzus earning the team award for outstanding offensive player. Bezdicek was named the teams outstanding defensive player and Arndt received a coachs award. Bezdicek, Rentschler and See SOFTBALL on C7

JCC softball results

Opponent Martin County West New Ulm Redwood Valley Redwood Valley Blue Earth Area Pipestone Area Pipestone Area Marshall Marshall Worthington Worthington Windom Area Windom Area Rockford Fairmont Luverne Luverne Section 3AA Tournament St. James New Ulm Overall record: 12-7 SWC record: 8-4 Result L L L L W W L L W W W W W W W W W W L Score 5-9 3-10 1-7 4-10 5-3 1-0 2-4 1-2 10-2 11-1 5-3 10-4 13-3 5-2 12-5 3-0 8-1 11-0 1-11
Photos by Dan Condon

Jasmine Erickson sends one of her 20 hits into the outfield Breanne Rentschler gets ready to fire a strike this spring. Rentschler earned all-section and all-conference honors for her pitching and batting as a senior. for the Huskies.

Bannister Repair
205 Main Street Lakeeld, Minnesota

Farmers and Merchants State Bank of Alpha

F.W. Striemer, Founder Helen Striemer Meium, President

Jackson Building Center

A Division of Overson Lumber Company, Inc.

Experience You Can Count On!

507-847-3620 Alpha, Minnesota

www.famstatebankofalpha.com

Free Delivery Free Estimates Drafting Services Available

171 Industrial Parkway, Jackson

Family Owned And Operated Since 1953

Heating Cooling Plumbing

507-662-6451

507-847-4011 866-363-5225
Hours: 7:30-5:30 Monday-Friday 8:00 -12:00 Saturday

Independent and locally owned for 100 years.

507-662-6227
No. Highway 86 Lakeeld

C4

Sports Review

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Photos by Dan Condon

Above: Head coach Tim Owen fires up his team between innings this season. The Wildcats finished 7-10 on the season, but were second in the Red Rock Conference with a 6-4 record. Below: Ben Cunningham fires a strike for SWU.

Wildcats knock off conferences best, finish second in RRC

SWU baseball team beats Adrian, MCC to highlight its 7-10 season
by DAN CONDON Sports Editor When the Southwestern United baseball team was at its best, the Wildcats were tough to beat. That was most evident when SWU beat Adrian and Murray County Central late in the season the two teams that tied atop the Red Rock Conference. The Wildcats were the only team to beat both Adrian and MCC this season, but the Wildcats were never able to win more than three games in a row in a season that saw them nish 7-10. After starting the season 1-4, the Wildcats put together their only threegame winning streak, beating Martin Luther/GHEC, Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove and Edgerton by a combined score of 36-14. SWU scored 12 runs in each game of the streak, which could have been longer had the Wildcats not blown a big lead in a 15-16 loss to Russell-TylerRuthton the game before the win streak started. The streak ended with another one-run loss, a 5-4 defeat to Edgerton. The Wildcats finished the regular season 3-3, with two of the wins coming over the conferences two best teams. The season ended with a 10-7 loss to TracyMilroy-Balaton in the rst round of the Section 3A playoffs. Leading the way for the Wildcats was senior Alex Meyer, who exceled at the plate, at shortstop and on the mound. Meyer hit a team-high .375 and led the Wildcats in every major offensive category. His 19 runs, 21 hits, ve doubles, 14 walks and 21 runs batted in were all team highs. He hit the only three home runs for SWU this season and had half of the teams four triples. Meyers biggest highlight was blasting two homers in the wild 16-15 loss to RTR in April. On the mound, Meyer posted a 3.40 earned run average and was routinely on the mound against the Wildcats toughest opponents. He struck out 38 batters in 35 innings and posted a 4-2 record. Meyer pitched two complete games appeared on the mound 10 times this spring. Alex was one of the elite players in the conference this season, head coach Tim Owen said. He was a major contributor to our success on the mound, at the plate and in the eld. Meyer nishes his career with 36 hits, 30 runs and 35 RBI. Meyer, junior Austin Liepold and sophomore Jacob Post were all named to the all-Red Rock Confernece team, with senior Lukas DeWall and junior Kyle Elder earning honorable mention honors. Liepold was second on the team with 19 hits and scored 11 runs. He hit a pair of doubles and drove in seven runs for the Wildcats. The rst-baseman was at his best in conference games, when he hit .406. Liepold made just two errors in 89 chances at rst base this season and was errorless in 62 tries during the conference schedule. See SWU BASE on C6

SWU baseball results

Opponent Result Worthington L Red Rock Central/WWG W Murray County Central L Adrian L Russell/Tyler/Ruthton L Martin Luther/GHEC W Red Rock Central/WWG W Edgerton W Edgerton L Minneota L Adrian W Mt. Lake-Buttereld-Odin L Jackson County Central L Murray County Central W Windom Area L Section 3A Tournament Tracy-Milroy-Balaton L Overall record: 7-10 RRC record: 6-4 Score 3-7 14-8 4-11 0-10 15-16 12-4 12-8 12-2 4-5 2-9 8-3 0-6 2-12 8-4 6-8 7-10

Playoff win highlights season for SWU softball team

Wildcats win twice after two straight winless seasons
by DAN CONDON Sports Editor When a team is winless in two straight seasons, setting goals and getting excited for a new season might be a challenge. But that wasnt the case for the Southwestern United softball team, which had goals in place and reached them during a 2-16 season. At the beginning of the season, they had some goals that we felt were attainable and they reached them, head coach Cindy Owen said. One of those goals was to play some seven inning games. The Wildcats did that, playing four seven-inning games after losing via the 10-run rule every game in 2009 and 2010. Some people might not look at that as a positive, but it was a positive for us, Owen said. Were moving in the right direction. But the Wildcats didnt just set their goals on being in game; they wanted to win some. Another goal was to win a couple games and we did that, Owen said. The Wildcats ended a nearly three-year-long losing streak when they beat Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove 10-9 on May 3. Our rst conference win when we beat RRC/WWG was a real highlight, Owen said. The kids acted as though they had won the state championship. I was pretty excited for them too. Making the game even more special was the fact it was played at home and the Wildcats scored in the bottom of the seventh for the victory. It was fun because it was at home, Owen said. It was a really good night for us. The Wildcats also won a playoff game, beating Russel-Tyler-Ruthton 8-7 for their second win of the season. That win also came in Brewster, with the Wildcats again coming back to earn the victory. It was the teams focus and drive to get better that helped the Wildcats get in the win column, Owen said. They worked hard and stayed focused, she said. They never quit; they always kept a positive attitude and thats the kind of kids we have in the program. Owen said that started with juniors Connor DeWall, Kayla Droll and Janae

SWU softball results

Opponent Result Luverne L Tracy-Milroy-Balaton L Red Rock Central/WWG L Madelia/Truman L Adrian Area L Worthington L Martin County West L Murray County Central L Red Rock Central/WWG W Edgerton L Edgerton L Windom Area L Adrian Area L Mt. Lake-Buttereld-Odin L Mt. Lake-Buttereld-Odin L Murray County Central L Section 3A Tournament Russell-Tyler-Ruthton W Murray County Central L Overall record: 2-16 RRC record: 1-9 Vonk, who have been with the team through thick and thin. They really provided leadership for these kids, Owen said. The leadership of the three juniors was important because the Wildcats were extremely young, with seventh-grader Ida RogersFerguson doing most of the pitching and several other underclassmen on the eld and in the batting order. But Owen said the team came together quite well. They seemed to have a good unity among them, she said. Everybody was really striving for the same thing. DeWall earned all-Red Rock Conference honors and was named the teams Photo by Dan Condon most valuable player. Vonk and freshman Alaina Ida Rogers-Ferguson delivers a pitch in a playoff win for the Wildcat softball team See SWU SB on C6 this spring. Score 1-20 1-11 10-21 0-19 2-14 0-11 3-18 1-22 10-9 0-15 6-25 0-10 0-23 3-9 2-14 0-18 8-7 1-12

The One Place that Supports Local Athletes!

We understand the vital role sports play in developing young minds and bodies. Thats why youll see Bank Midwest fans and sponsorships supporting local teams. Because when it comes to supporting athletics, were on your team.

SPORTS
P.O. Box 208, 310 Second Street Jackson, MN

With

507.847.3010 Jackson BankMidwest.com

Member FDIC

(507) 847-3771 Fax (507) 847-5822

www.jacksoncountypilot.com

Dan Condon

P.O. Box 249, 403 Main Street Lakeeld, MN

To Contact Dan, Call 507-847-3771 or E-mail: danc@livewireprinting.com

(507) 662-5555
Fax (507) 847-6770 www.lakeeldstandard.com

CHECK OUR NEW WEB SITES FOR THE LATEST JCC SPORTS NEWS AND SCORES AS THEY HAPPEN!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Sports Review
the throwing events during her time in a Wildcat uniform, qualifying for state twice and nishing second at the Class A state tournament in the discus in 2010. She had an outstanding career with the SWU track program, Cook said. Granstra holds the team record in discus with a throw of 1290.5 in 2009. This season, Granstra won the discus at the Red Rock Conference meet and was second in the shot put. She was second at the subsection meet in the discus and qualied for sections in both throwing events. Eichenberger sprinted her way to 159 points this season, giving her 449.5 for her career. She ran her fastest 100-meter time of 13.16 when she won the conference title. She nished second in the 200-meter dash at the conference meet and qualified for the section meet in both events. Mara was always a good leader, Cook said. She was a really good runner for us. Steffen scored 133 points this season, putting her career total at 505.5. The senior competed in a variety of events, including hurdles, long jump and sprints. Steffen ran a personalbest 52.33 in the 300-meter hurdles at the sub-section meet to advance to sections in the event and came in eighth at the conference meet. She was piquing at the right time, Cook said. The conference and sub-section meets were good meets for her. Junior Jen Schmidt scored 141.75 points this spring, giving her 307.25 with one year left in her career. Schmidt won the high jump competition at the conference meet and finished fourth at the subsection meet. Shes a very good athlete, Cook said. We hope to see her back next year. Schmidt and Granstra were both academic allstate selections, with Granstra also being named the teams most valuable eld events athlete. Eichenberger was the teams MVP and outstanding runner. Eichenberger, Granstra and Steffen earned senior leadership awards and seventhgrader Katelyn Walters was the teams rookie of the year. Walters scored 4.5 points this season and took a liking to the hurdles. Regina took her under her belt and taught her about the hurdle events, Cook said. She really likes the hurdles. Seventh-grader Hailey Schumacher scored 19.25 points this season, with seventh-grader Miriam Elabedi scoring 10. Junior Jordin Ellness and sophomore Hannah Langseth-Berger both scored eight points. Despite losing three valuable seniors, the Wildcats have some talent returning, led by Schmidt. Were losing some good athletes, Cook said. But we expect some good things in the future.

C5

Stellar careers come to an end for three Wildcat seniors

Eichenberger and Steffen have been constants for the past several seasons. But the trio of Katey Granstra, Mara Eichenberger and Regina Steffen have completed their Wildcat careers, leaving some big shoes to ll next spring. Were going to miss Mara, Katey and Regina, co-head coach Donna Cook by DAN CONDON said. The seniors came Sports Editor through and did quite well. Granstra scored a teamFor the Southwestern high 212 points this season, United girls track and eld giving her 833 for her cateam, the names Granstra, reer. The senior dominated

Granstra, Steffen and Eichenberger were big-time performers for SWU track and field program

SWU girls track and field results

Meet Luverne Mt. Lake Rebel Relays Worthington Arrow Relays Wildcat Invite Section True Team Trojan Relays Eagle Invite Red Rock Conference Sub-Section Score 39 46 64 26 70 69 157.5 58 81 49 38 Place NA 5th 4th 8th 5th 5th 12th 7th 4th 7th 7th

SWU girls track and field

Top point scorers 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 7. 9. 10. Katey Granstra .....................................212 Mara Eichenberger ..............................159 Jen Schmidt......................................141.75 Regina Steffen ......................................133 Hailey Schumacher ...........................19.25 Mariam Elabedi ......................................10 Jordin Elness ............................................8 Hannah Langseth-Berger ........................8 Katelyn Walters .....................................4.5 Julia DeWall .........................................1.25

Photos by Dan Condon

Above: Regina Steffen soars over a hurdle during the 300-meter hurdles at the subsection track and field meet this spring. Left: Katey Granstra competes in the shot put at the section meet. Granstra had an impressive career at SWU, finishing with 833 points.

Numbers, results improve for Wildcat boys

Schmitz jumps, VanWesten runs to Section 3A meet
by DAN CONDON Sports Editor Nine track and eld athletes may not sound like a lot, but it is an improvement for the Southwestern United boys track and eld team. The Wildcats used their nine team members to put together some pretty good showings this spring, including a fourth-place nish at the Eagle Invite. We had a good season, co-head coach Donna Cook said. We had a very small team still. Nearly all of the Wildcats 600 points came from the quartet of seniors Marty Schmitz and Mitchel VanWesten, exchange student Adriano Martins and junior Jameson Collin. Those four combined to score 593 points, led by 245.5 from Schmitz. Schmitz, in just his second year in the sport, won the Red Rock Conference title in the long jump and high jump and qualied for the section meet in both events. For coming out for track Photo by Dan Condon for just two years, he really Mitchel VanWesten runs in the 1,600-meter run at the Section 3A meet this season. was a good jumper, Cook VanWesten set the school record in the event last season and finished this spring with said. Schmitz scored at least 16 137 points. points in eight of 11 meets this season, with a high coming when he scored 63 points at the section True Team meet. His best results came at the Arrow Relays, when he soared 202.5 in the long jump and cleared 6 in the high jump. VanWesten was second on the scoring list with 137 points this season. He ran the 1,600-meter run in a season-best 4:58.8 at the Arrow Relays and has the school record in the race when he ran 4:50.36 last season. VanWesten qualied for the section meet in the 1,600 after nishing fourth at the sub-section meet. For his career, he did set a SWU record, so that was a highlight for him, Cook said. He was always cheering people on; he was a good motivator. Martins edged Collin for third on the scoring list, 110.5 to 100. Martins ran the 400-meter dash and 800-meter run and also competed in triple jump and the 4x200-meter relay. Martins best event was the 400, with his best time being 56.77 at the sub-section meet. Martins scored 35 points at the True Team meet and tallied 20 points at the Arrow Relays and 19.5 at the Eagle Invite. Collin competed in a variety of events, with his best being the high jump. Collin nished second in the conference meet in the event, but also did well in the hurdles, which he started doing midway through the season. Collin also earned academic all-state honors to go with his solid season on the track. The foursome of Schmitz, VanWesten, Martins and Collin teamed up to run the 4x2 during the season and finished third in the relay race at the conference meet. The four also nished fourth at the sub-section meet. Schmitz was named the teams MVP and outstanding eld events athlete, with VanWesten earning the outstanding runner award and Martins being named the teams rookie of the year. Schmitz, VanWesten and Martins all earned senior leadership awards. Sophomore Mykil Vonk scored six points for SWU and seventh-grader Alex Coronado scored one point. Vonk finished sixth in both the shot put and discus at the sub-section meet and he and Coronado should provide quality points next season. Alex loves to run, Cook said. Were looking forward to him and some other younger boys coming out next year. With Schmitz and VanWesten graduating and See SWU BT on C8

SWU boys track and field

Top point scorers 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Marty Schmitz ...................................245.5 Mitchel VanWesten ..............................137 Adriano Martins.................................110.5 Jameson Collin......................................100 Mykil Vonk................................................6 Alex Coronado ..........................................1

Save Money & Sail Ahead

at Iowa Lakes Community College!
A quality education involves a full range of extracurricular activities. At Iowa Lakes Community College, there is something for everyone!
Mens & Womens Basketball, Cross Country, Golf and Soccer Mens & Womens Swimming (NEW in the fall of 2011) Volleyball Baseball Wrestling Softball Student Government Mock Trial Convocations & Lecture Series Instrumental & Vocal Music Student Publications & Broadcasts

SWU boys track and field results

Meet Luverne Mt. Lake Rebel Relays Worthington Arrow Relays Wildcat Invite Section True Team Trojan Relays Eagle Invite Red Rock Conference Sub-Section Score 48 11 46 4 59 34 138.5 54 80 44 38 Place NA 6th 5th 8th 5th 8th 11th 8th 4th 8th 7th

HAGE OIL CO.

Towing Exhaust Tires Batteries Car and Truck Care
C-Store and Service Station S. Hwy. 86, Lakeeld, MN

WINTERS
PLUMBING, HEATING and EXCAVATION
Plumbing Excavation Heating Licensed septic design, installation Geo thermal heating systems 202 2nd Avenue North Lakeeld

507-662-6666 Great Food and Good Fun at

Ask about our Presidential Scholarships for Honor Roll students!

Bowlers Inn
103 Main Street, Lakeeld

JACKSON SPORTS, LLC

www.jacksonsports.com Curt Handevidt and Phil Handevidt, Owners Industrial Park Jackson, MN

507-847-3977 888-299-8151

507-662-5418
Caring for our communitys loved ones for 55 years.

662-6385

1-866-IA-LAKES www.iowalakes.edu

19562011

www.good-sam.com GOOD SAMARITAN CENTER THE PINES

601 West Street, Jackson, MN 507-847-3100 1508 North Highway, Jackson, MN 507-847-5762

John and Dianne Osterberg, Jessica Carlson, Ashley Fyhr and Tracy Christoffer
Jackson, MN 507-847-3300 Lakeeld, MN 507-662-6464 Heron Lake, MN 507-793-2255
Estherville Emmetsburg Algona Spencer Spirit Lake

C6

Sports Review
a factor, head coach Deb Jaycox said. There were no trees, so it was windy a lot, but it was no different than being on the road. The Wildcats beat Red Rock Central on the road this season and finished ahead of Wabasso in a quadrangular for their two wins of the season. We were a very, very young team, Jaycox said. We started playing better toward the end. Hopefully we start out that way next season. Freshman Clay Salzwedel played well all season, but really came on strong at the end. Salzwedel earned all-conference honors when he shot 87 to place 10th at the Red Rock Conference

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Scores come down for Wildcats

the Southwestern United boys golf team, but the Wildcats made steady improvement all season long in their rst year playing at Prairie View in Worthington. by DAN CONDON The Wildcats moved from Sports Editor Emerald Valley in Lakeeld There might not have to Prairie View and handled been a lot of success in the change fairly well. It was longer, so that was terms of wins and losses for

Boys golf team improves all season at new home course

Kyle Wendland watches his shot while playing at Prairie View this spring.

meet. He followed that up with 90 at the sub-section meet. During the season, Salzwedel shot 41 against Fulda to post the second-lowest score of the meet. He also had 42 against WestbrookWalnut Grove and led SWU with 44 in their quadrangular meet. Sophomore Kyle Wendland shot 88 at the conference meet to narrowly miss all-conference honors. His highlight of the season was tying for medalist honors against Adrian when he shot 44. Wendland also played well in the quadrangular, shooting 45. Exchange student Aurelio Boerlin, who hadnt played golf before joining the Wildcats, showed the most improvement of any SWU golfer. Aurelio was amazing, Jaycox said. He shot 75 in his rst nine-hole round and shot 48s and 49s at the end. Freshman Walker Crocker fired a 92 at the subsection meet and freshman Logan Ellenbecker also had a fine season for the Wildcats. We have a lot of young players, Jaycox said. They had to learn as they go. Jaycox was pleased with the teams improvement throughout the season and expects that continue with practice throughout the summer. Except for Aurelio, well have everyone back, she said. They have a summer Photos by Dan Condon of golf and we get almost Clay Salzwedel chips in during the sub-section tournament in Worthington. everyone back.

SWU Base: Wildcats nish second in conference

Continued from C4
Post hit .314, with 16 hits in 51 at bats. He scored 14 times and drove in seven runs. When he wasnt patrolling centerfield, Post was pitching well on the mound. Post had an ERA of 4.36, with 14 strikeouts in 17.2 innings. DeWall hit .259 on the season, but hit .303 in conference games. The secondbaseman played solid defense all season, committing just four errors for SWU. Lukas is a real spark plug for us, Owen said. He has performed consistently all season in the eld and at the plate. Elder hit .286 this season and used 12 walks to have an on-base percentage of .419. The junior had 14 hits, scored 12 times and drove in 11 runs. On the mound, Elder struck out 10 batters in 11.2 innings while appearing in four games. Senior Ben Cunningham, who overcame long odds just to play this season after being in a car crash last summer, put together an impressive nal season in a Wildcat uniform. Cunningham hit .280 for SWU and drove in six runs in just 25 at bats. Cunningham pitched in seven games, racking up 21 strikeouts in 15 innings while posting an ERA of 4.20. Junior Luke Henkels hit .294 and had an on-base percentage of .410. Henkels had 15 hits, scored 12 runs and drove in eight. Sophomore Erik Jass hit .286 and walked 13 times to post a team-high on-base percentage of .509. Jass had 10 hits, scored 11 times and drove in four runs for the Wildcats. Jass used his keen eye at the plate to record a team record four walks in a win over RRC/WWG this season. Senior Sean Haberman had nine hits, scored eight times and drove in nine runs. Junior Riley Place appeared in eight games on the mound, starting three. Place struck out 11 batters in 20 innings and posted an ERA of 5.60. With just four seniors on what was a balanced team, the Wildcats are poised to be in the running for another high nish in the conference next season. We bring back a lot of experienced players, so were looking forward to taking another shot at winning some hardware next season, Owen said.

SWU baseball statistics

Offensive statistics Name Alex Meyer Austin Liepold Jacob Post Luke Henkels Kyle Elder Erik Jass Ben Cunningham Lukas DeWall Jacob Olson Sean Haberman SWU Pitching statistics AB 56 54 51 51 49 35 25 54 18 42 471 Runs 19 11 14 12 12 11 5 13 7 8 114 App. 10 7 8 8 4 47 GS 7 1 3 3 3 17 Hits 21 19 16 15 14 10 7 14 4 9 133 IP 35.0 15.0 17.2 20.0 11.2 116 RBI 21 7 7 8 11 4 6 8 4 9 89 H 35 18 12 39 19 146 BB 14 8 1 10 12 13 4 6 7 7 84 K 38 21 14 11 10 102 BB 23 10 19 12 8 84 BA .375 .352 .314 .294 .286 .286 .280 .259 .222 .214 .282 ER 17 9 11 16 10 80 OBP .507 .431 .327 .410 .419 .509 .379 .309 .385 .302 .385 ERA 3.40 4.20 4.36 5.60 6.00 5.03

Name Alex Meyer (4-2) Ben Cunningham (0-1) Jacob Post (1-1) Riley Place (1-2) Kyle Elder (1-2) SWU (7-10)

Photos by Dan Condon

Sonja Peters catches a throw at third base for a force out for the Wildcats this season.

SWU SB: Wildcats win twice

Continued from C4
Klingenberg were both honorable mention allconference players, with Klingenberg named the teams most improved player. Vonk and Droll both earned spirit awards. Rogers-Ferguson was named the teams Rookie of the Year and freshman Kristin Liepold earned the coachs award. Also on the roster were seniors Ashley Riggle and Danielle Olson; juniors Maddie Rasche and Arianna Hessemann; sophomores Kelsey Medina and Kassaundra Rossow; and freshmen Mariah Crowell, Maclane Rostomily, Catelyn LaCourn, Mariah Freehan, Sonja Peters and Megan Schmitz. With just two seniors graduating, Owen and the Wildcats are hoping for an even better season next year. The kids said, Lets set a goal a little bit higher, Owen said. Were looking forward to next year. We had some successes and are looking forward to continuing that.

Photo by Dan Condon Kyle Elder fires a pitch for the Wildcats this season. Elder was an honorable mention all-conference player, perform- Shortstop Alex Meyer catches a flip from second baseman Lukas DeWall. Both players wrapped up their SWU career, with Meyer earning all-conference honors and DeWall being named to the honorable mention squad. ing well on the mound and at the plate.

Maddie Rasche rips a hit for the Wildcats.

Hot New Country 1190 AM

Your Sports Source For JCC!

Costello, Carlson & Butzon, LLP

Patrick Costello Hans Carlson Christophe Butzon Candy Riordan

BODY WORKS
613 Fourth St. Jackson, MN 56143

Your One and Oldies 105.7 FM

ATTORNEYS AT LAW
Jackson Lakeeld 507-847-4200 507-662-6621 Heron Lake 507-793-2285

(507) 847-2322
Tim and Patty Prom

For daily updates on area sports check out www.kkoj.com

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Sports Review
JCC softball statistics
Offensive statistics Name Marita Rasche Leslie Handzus Breanne Rentschler Jasmine Erickson Jenna Stade Kinbrae Bezdicek Emily Arndt Sarah Christopher Caitlyn Muir JCC Pitching statistics Name App. Sarah Christopher (7-4) 11 Breanne Rentschler (5-3) 8 JCC (12-9) 19 GS 11 8 19 IP 75 51 126 H 75 42 117 K 46 45 91 BB 2 17 19 ER 28 22 50 ERA 2.61 3.02 2.78 AB 55 64 62 64 34 61 58 51 51 540 Runs 16 20 16 17 4 11 8 8 4 109 Hits 23 23 21 20 9 16 14 11 9 152 RBI 18 4 4 12 2 5 8 5 4 70 BB 4 3 9 1 1 2 2 2 4 28 BA .418 .359 .339 .313 .265 .262 .241 .216 .177 .282 OBP .458 .388 .423 .333 .286 .308 .279 .259 .236 .323
Handzus also were named to the academic all-state team. The Huskies will lose both of their pitchers, as well as three other players. Theyve been around forever, Hotzler said. Theyll be tough to replace. When Rentschler was pitching, the Huskies had an all-senior ineld of Arndt at rst base, Christopher at second, Bezdicek at third and Handzus at shortstop. Thatll be a big change next year for us, Hotzler said. The Huskies will have the advantage of having Rasche back behind the plate to help work with the new pitching staff. Her bat, along with Ericksons, will provide power and high batting averages for the Huskies to build around. Weve got some good players coming back and some others that look like they can play, Hotzler said. Theyll get more experience this summer and hopefully be ready to go next spring.

C7

Softball: Huskies win 10 straight on the diamond as part of seasons 12 victories

Continued from C3

Above: Marita Rasche gets ready to throw out a runner in her first season as the Huskies catcher. Right: Photos by Dan Condon Sarah Christopher, who walked just two batters in 75 Leslie Handzus throws over to first in time to record an out. Handzus was named to innings, fires one of her many strikes. Both Rasche and Christopher were named to the all-conference team. the honorable-mention all-conference team as a senior.

Boys golf: Huskies win seven duals, three in SWC

Continued from C2
10 meets this spring. Joe qualifying for the section tournament two years in a row was a nice accomplishment, DiBrito said. Sophomore Kyle Edlin was named the teams most improved golfer. Edlin averaged 45.4 shots per nine holes and had his score count 10 times this season. Edlin shot a season-low 41 in back-to-back meets against Estherville Lincoln Central and Marshall and those 41s were sandwiched by a 42 and 43, giving Edlin an impressive four-match stretch. John Marker and Kyle Christopher lled out the sixth varsity spot for the Huskies, with Marker having his score of 44 count against Windom. Christopher shot a low of 46 twice. Besides their success on the course, the Huskies also were the academic all-state team for the section. It is nice for them to get recognized for their hard work in school, DiBrito said. DiBrito said the team will miss its three senior leaders and will rely on a young squad to carry the team next year. It is tough to lose three seniors that have been in the program so long, DiBrito said. I wish them the best. We are going to be young next season. There this will motivate the golfers will be many young golfers for next year. playing varsity. Hopefully

Photo by Dan Condon

Alison Benson chips onto the green during a golf match this spring. Benson saw her score drop considerably throughout the season and was named the most improved golfer for the Jackson County Central girls.

Girls golf: Young team improves

Continued from C1
job leading the team this year, he said. She really helped the girls to be prepared for the meets. She made it fun for them throughout their rst year of varsity competition. And with Benson again back to lead a team that will have a full year of experience, DiBrito already has high hopes for next season. Were really looking forward to a great season next year, he said.

Kyle Edlin lines up a putt during a match this season.

JCC girls golf individual results

Player Best Score (Holes) Kaylee Benson 37 (9) Alison Benson 47 (9) Emma Lilleberg 101 (18) Blaike Smith 49 (9) Shelby Benson 52 (9) Lexie Hoffman 50 (9) Kristin Schulz 61 (9) Average 39.9 53.6 54.1 54.1 57.5 59.4 64.6

Support of parents, fans key for the JCC golf program

Jackson County Central golf coach Mike DiBrito said one of the highlights of the golf season this spring was seeing the many parents and fans walking the course to support the Huskies. I want to thank all the parents of the golf program from seventh grade up to 12th, DiBrito said. We have a lot of parents that come out to the course to support the kids. That support is greatly appreciated by us coaches. The support was most evident at the state tournament, when a crew of Husky fans folPhotos by Dan Condon lowed Kaylee Benson as she finished third in the Class AA tournament. Husky fans also cheered on the team in all of their other postseason events and were Senior Colton Ward sends a putt toward the hole in a match at the Jackson Golf Club supportive throughout a regular season that saw the boys go 7-4 and the girls finish 6-5. this season.

LAKEFIELD
326 Main Street

(507) 662-5817 1-800-547-0496 JACKSON

908 Hwy. 71 N.
(Located in Sunshine Foods store)

Flower Market
516 South Highway, Jackson, MN

Consumer Loans
Jackson 507-847-2200 Lakefield 507-662-6611 sanfordhealth.org
Cars Boats Snowmobiles Campers Trucks Trailers Garden Tractors ATVs Motorcycles Motor Homes Plus More! Jacksons Only Locally Owned and Operated Financial Institution 414 Second Street Jackson, MN 56143 (507) 847-4714

(507) 847-3282 1-800-824-8428

507-847-3610 1-800-757-3611

A Community Service Since 1892

SAVINGS & LOAN ASSOCIATION

C8
Continued from C1
sub-section meet and was on the 4x4 team that was second at the sub-section meet. His time of 22.96 is the third-best 200-meter dash time in JCC history. Vongsavanh was named the teams most inspirational athlete and Cook was the teams most valuable runner. Freshman Jon Harmening was named the most valuable eld events performer. Third on the scoring list was senior Post (182), with Freeman (181) and Strom (164) rounding out the top ve. Completing the top 10 were senior Steven Salzwedel (136), Kocak (114), junior John Isaacson (93), senior Evan Koep (92) and freshman Darnell TaylorBreck (66). Post did most of his scoring in relay races and served as an alternate in the 4x8 at state. He made it to the section meet in the 4x1, 4x2 and 4x4. Post, Freeman, Salzwedel and Harmening were seventh on the honor roll in the 4x200-meter relay (1:36.62). Freeman made it to sections in the 4x2, 4x4 and 4x8 after nishing second in two of the events at the sub-section meet and third in the other. Strom ended his high school career with the seventh-place finish in the 4x8 at state. He earned a gold medal at state last season and has his name scattered all over the honor roll. His time of 4:41.98 in the 1,600-meter run ranks

Sports Review
fth and his 10:20.92 in the two-mile run this year is seventh. Strom ran the fastest two-mile time in program history in 2009, when he posted a time of 10:17.11. Strom nished second at the sub-section meet and third at the section meet in the 3,200-meter run this year and was third in the 1,600 at the conference meet. Koep made his way into the honor roll by clearing 106 in the pole vault, which puts him in a tie for sixth. Junior Austin Lucht cleared 97 in pole vault to put himself eighth on the honor roll. Harmening made the honor roll in two individual events, ranking fth in the triple jump (389) and eighth in the 110-meter high hurdles (17.93). Besides winning the Sentinel Relays, the Huskies nished second at the subsection meet and the season-opening meet in Mt. Lake. JCC came in third at a meet in Fairmont and the section True Team meet. We had a great season, Coach Cook said. After losing a lot of seniors last year, I thought the season went well. We ended up with the runner-up trophy at sub-sections and won the Sentinel Relays. We had a lot of kids step up. Some who stepped up were in their nal year with the program, something that is always necessary for a successful season. Our seniors were great leaders on the team, Coach Cook said. Were going to miss them very much. Some of them have been around for many years. Earning senior awards were Cook, Nathan Fields, Koep, Post, Salzwedel and Strom. But the Huskies return a ne group of athletes, three of whom have experience at the state meet. Well have experience from the state meet with Jason Vongsavanh, Ben Kocak and Taylor Freeman, Coach Cook said. Hopefully thatll lead to some leadership next year. Theyll have some experience and drive to get back up to state again. Coach Cook expects good numbers on the team again

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Boys track: Cooks state title one of many highlights for JCC boys track and eld team

Photo by Dan Condon

Marc Strom (left) wrapped up a memorable track and field career by finishing seventh in the 4x800-meter relay at the state tournament. next year, which should help pave the way for another memorable season. We should be strong in many events, he said. together another successful Were looking forward to boys season. this years juniors leading our practices and putting

Baseball: Huskies nish with 12 wins, including one in the postseason

Continued from C3
Besides the top four hitters, the Huskies had six other players hit at least .280, including three who topped the .300 plateau. Schwarting hit .333, picking up 18 hits and scoring 14 runs. Christopher batted .305 and scored nine times. He had six doubles and a triple as part of his 18 hits. Junior Brett Larson hit .302 and scored 12 times. Sophomore Zach Copley batted .298 and drove in eight runs. Pronk hit .288, with 13 RBI and 12 runs scored. He hit ve doubles and a triple to go with his homer. Junior Cooper Moore hit .280 and scored 15 times from his leadoff spot. The speedster stole a teamhigh eight bases and led the Huskies with a pair of triples. Christopher and Pronk led the Huskies on the mound, with Christopher going 3-2 with a sparkling 1.44 earned run average. The senior pitched the teams only shutout in the playoff win over Worthington and struck out a team-high 32 batters in 39 innings. Pronk was 5-2 with a 2.52 ERA. He struck out 28 batters in 33.1 innings and started a team-high six games. Junior Phil Buschena posted an ERA of 2.63 in his 10.2 innings of work. He struck out 12 batters in his four appearances on the mound. Our pitching was definitely a very positive aspect for us, Coach Steiner said. I felt our pitching and defense were strengths for us going in and, as it turned out, we hit the ball pretty well too. While the seniors led the team, Coach Steiner was pleased with the way the juniors and sophomores played. Those guys were good complements to the seniors, he said. Theyre good athletes and gave us enough depth so that I was hitting guys seventh and eighth in the order that had really good pop in their bats. Brett and Dustin, time and time again, got big hits for us from the bottom of the order. Theyre going to be very good players next year. Coach Steiner said losing six seniors including three who are expected to have big rolls on the Iowa Lakes Community College baseball team next season (Steiner, Luhmann and Schwarting) will be tough to overcome. Were going to start a step behind where we were, he said. You dont just replace those guys and the experience they brought. But with five experienced players returning, he sees next years team as one that can vastly improve as the season goes along. I see this as a team that, especially led by the seniors well have, can have a pretty steep improvement curve because of the number of young players were going to be bringing along with them. Theyre a pretty athletic group.

Tracey Steffen clears the bar during the pole vault competition.

Photos by Dan Condon

Girls track: Huskies track and eld team led by four speedsters
Continued from C2
managers during the season. The Huskies used their sprinters and depth to nish fourth in the season-opening meet in Mt. Lake and were fourth in three other meets. The Huskies were third at the Sentinel Relays in early May and scored 30 points at the section meet. We had a very good season, Cook said. We scored more points than we previously had in a lot of meets. We had some new athletes that stepped up this year. We had a very strong showing at all of our meets. With a number of entries in the section tournament, many of which had a good deal of success, Cook points to that meet as the season highlight. Scoring some points at the section meet and having Sydnee make it to state in the 100 were highlights, Cook said. Another highlight was the success of our sprint and middle-distance relays. The Huskies return three of their four high scorers and have six of their topseven point scorers back for next season, which excites Cook. Were looking forward to our juniors to lead us next year, Cook said. They will be counted on to show good leadership in practice. And having a state qualier back will help the Huskies. With Sydnee having experience at state, were hoping that carries over to our sprint and middle-distance athletes, Cook said. But Cook said it will be tough to replace the seniors who have meant a lot to the program over the past few years. We had a very strong group of senior girls, he said. We will miss them very much. Earning senior awards were Belknap, Rachel Buresch, Courtney Donnelli, Johnson and Sarah Voehl.

Photos by Dan Condon

Above: Boog Steiner laces one of his 20 hits this season. Below: Brock Thaemlitz fires home in time for a force at the plate in the Huskies playoff win over Worthington.

JCC baseball statistics

Offensive statistics Name Nolan Luhmann Brock Thaemlitz Boog Steiner Evan Tufvesson Ty Schwarting Bryce Christopher Brett Larson Zach Copley Dustin Pronk Cooper Moore Phil Buschena JCC Pitching statistics Name Bryce Christopher (3-2) Zach Copley (2-0) Dustin Pronk (5-2) Phil Buschena (1-0) Brock Thaemlitz (1-0) Nolan Luhmann (1-2) JCC (12-9) App. 9 2 9 4 11 5 48 GS 5 1 6 1 2 0 21 IP 39.0 7.0 33.1 10.2 28.0 7.2 139.1 H 27 4 23 4 41 7 122 K 32 8 28 12 19 4 114 BB 16 3 26 11 14 6 92 ER 8 2 12 4 27 9 83 ERA 1.44 2.0 2.52 2.63 6.75 8.22 4.17 AB 64 67 56 54 54 59 53 47 52 75 14 605 Runs 14 15 16 12 14 9 12 7 12 15 5 132 Hits 23 24 20 19 18 18 16 14 15 21 4 192 RBI 12 19 12 14 11 9 5 8 13 9 0 112 BB 8 7 14 3 6 3 6 6 4 8 8 73 BA .359 .358 .357 .352 .333 .305 .302 .298 .288 .280 .174 .317 OBP .446 .419 .500 .407 .400 .359 .373 .377 .362 .357 .406 .401

Megan Johnson leads a pack of runners at the season-opening meet in Mt. Lake this spring. Johnson scored 28 points for the Huskies this spring.

SWU BT: Numbers up for the Wildcat boys track and eld team
Continued from C5
Martins ending his time as an exchange student at SWU, the Wildcats will have some big holes to ll next season. Were going to miss the seniors, Cook said. They were a big part of our team. But, with Collin leading a group of returners, the Wildcats could have success again next spring. We have some good, quality athletes, Cook said. Hopefully we can get a few Photo by Dan Condon more out next year. Jameson Collin clears the bar during the high jump competition.

202 Grant St., Jackson, MN (507) 847-4700 www.unitedprairiebank.com

OPEN DAILY MondaySaturday, 6 a.m.10 p.m.; Sunday, 7 a.m.10 p.m.

Member FDIC

Servicing S.W. Minnesota

Dr. Clayton R. Lewis

711 Third Street Jackson, MN 56143

Hwy. 71, Jackson, MN 507-847-2074

507-847-4390 800-404-4390