The best sports photos of 2014

Published 9:08 am Monday, December 29, 2014

Sammie Rucker Jr. of the Albert Lea Grizzlies runs over a defender for The Panic, while Lamar Sayles blocks on June 28 in the first round of the Southern Plains Football League playoffs at Grizzly Field in Frank Hall Park. — Micah Bader/Albert Lea Tribune

: Sammie Rucker Jr. of the Albert Lea Grizzlies runs over a defender for The Panic, while Lamar Sayles blocks on June 28 in the first round of the Southern Plains Football League playoffs at Grizzly Field in Frank Hall Park. — Micah Bader/Albert Lea Tribune

: NRHEG’s Carlie Wagner shoots a free throw on March 19 during the Class AA state quaterfinals against Pequot Lakes Wednesday at Mariucci Arena. NRHEG won 100-68. Wagner broke her own state scoring record with 53 points. — Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune

: Albert Lea’s student section goes wild on Sept. 12 against Northfield at Jim Gustafson Field. The Tigers lost 49-6. — Micah Bader/Albert Lea Tribune

: Nate Pederson of USC makes a leaping grab over St. Clair’s T.J. Danks on Oct. 10 on Senior Night in Wells. Pederson set school records in receptions in a season, 45, and receiving yards, 557. — Micah Bader/Albert Lea Tribune

: Lucas Peterson of Albert Lea tees off on hole No. 7 on May 19 against Rochester Mayo at Green Lea Golf Course. Peterson was the meet’s medalist, and he was one of three Tigers to qualify for state. — Micah Bader/Albert Lea Tribune

: Natalie Velzke drives on Aug. 3 during the demolition derby in the 80s-or-newer division at the Freeborn County Fair. Velzke took seventh place out of 10 cars. — Micah Bader/Albert Lea Tribune

: Jackson Goodell of Albert Lea runs Oct. 23 at the Section 1AA cross country meet at Brooktree Golf Course in Owatonna. Goodell qualified for the state meet with a second-place finish and a time of 16:09.9. – Bryce Gaudian/for the Albert Lea Tribune

: Haley Simon of Albert Lea swims the 200-yard freestyle Nov. 5 on the first day of the Section 1A meet at Rochester Recreation Center. — Micah Bader/Albert Lea Tribune

: Zach Lind of Albert Lea performs the high jump on May 13 during a quad against Faribault, Mankato East and Winona at Albert Lea. — Micah Bader/Albert Lea Tribune

: Derek Herman of USC leaps over a St. Clair defender Oct. 10 on Senior Night in Wells. The Rebels won 37-27 and finished the season with a 3-7 record. — Micah Bader/Albert Lea Tribune

: Ryan Linde sits on Aug. 9 in his ’62 Ford truck. The truck has a 360 Chevrolet engine, and Linde took first place with it on Aug. 3 at the Freeborn County Fair’s demolition derby in the trucks division. — Micah Bader/Albert Lea Tribune

: Nate Heidecker gets pinned between two vehicles on Aug. 3 during the demolition derby in the trucks division at the Freeborn County Fair. Heidecker took sixth place out of nine trucks. — Micah Bader/Albert Lea Tribune

: The Albert Lea student section goes wild on Jan. 25 after Tim Christianson beat Hunter Jirele of Owatonna in Albert Lea. — Micah Bader/Albert Lea Tribune

: Jacob Bales of Waldorf waits for a face-off against Iowa’s Alex Martin Sept. 20 at Roy Nystrom Arena. The Warriors swept the Hawkeyes 2-0 in the two-game series. — Micah Bader/Albert Lea Tribune

: Megan Kortan of Albert Lea tags a Waseca baserunner for an out on May 20 in the first round of the Section 2AA tournament at Waseca. Albert Lea won 12-6. — Micah Bader/Albert Lea Tribune

: Josh Peters of Lake Mills runs through the interior of the Central Springs defense on Sept. 19 at home. Peters led the Bulldogs with 177 rushing yards on 22 carries. Lake Mills finished 3-7 overall and lost against South Winneshiek in the first round of the Class 1A state playoffs. — Micah Bader/Albert Lea Tribune

: Carlie Wagner of NRHEG clears 5 feet, 5 inches in the high jump on June 6 at the Class A state track meet at Hamline University. The leap gave Wagner her second state title in the high jump. She went on to clear 5-6. — Micah Bader/Albert Lea Tribune

: After swimming the 100-yard freestyle in lanes next to each other, Albert Lea’s Anna Andersen, right, and Bryn Williams hug each other Nov. 5 on the first day of the Section 1A meet at Rochester Recreation Center. — Micah Bader/Albert Lea Tribune

: Becca Dup of Albert Lea passes the ball between two Mankato Loyola defenders on Oct. 16 during the Section 2A finals at New Prague. The Tigers won 1-0 with a 4-1 mark in the best-of-five shootout to qualifiy for state. — Micah Bader/Albert Lea Tribune

: NRHEG’s girls’ basketball team celebrates after winning the Class AA state final on March 22 at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. NRHEG defeated Kenyon Wanamingo 71-61. — Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune

: Makael Lunning of the Albert Lea Legion Post 56 baseball team throws a pitch on July 22 against Winona in the first round of the District 1 tournament at Maxwell-Loughrey Field on the campus of Winona State University. — Micah Bader/Albert Lea Tribune

: Garrett Aldrich of Albert Lea celebrates with head coach Larry Goodnature on March 1 after he won the 106-pound championship match at the Class AA state wrestling tournament at the Xcel Center in St. Paul. — Micah Bader/Albert Lea Tribune