Sports Memories by Tom Jones

 

50 years ago: 1968

•Albert Lea Tigers basketball coach Dick Nielsen welcomed seven letterman back to his team as it prepared for its opener at Fairmont. The team was scheduled to play 17 games that season.

•Former Gophers All-American football player Paul Giel spoke to a crowd of 200 at the first Freeborn Quarterback Club banquet held at the Freeborn school.

•Frank Jimenez, Albert Lea’s only active boxer, won his first pro fight in three tries by knocking out Jerry Hendrickson of Sterling, Illinois, 28 seconds into the second round at Mayo Civic Auditorium.

 

25 years ago: 1993

•Becky Schmidt and Mollee Ludtke of the Albert Lea Tigers volleyball team were named to the 12-member Big Nine All-Conference team.

•Brendan Danielsen, a senior on the Albert Lea Tigers football team, was named to the Big Nine All-Conference team, after leading the conference in pass receptions and receiving yardage.

•The United South Central Rebels volleyball team defeated Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial 3-1 in the Section 2A volleyball finals to advance to the state tournament that was to be held at MetSports Center.

 

10 years ago: 2008

•The Albert Lea swim and dive team was to be represented in five events at the state meet after a strong showing at the Section 1A meet. Amanda Walters, who was set to compete in four events, led the Tigers at sections with a first-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle.

•Lake Mills volleyball coach Jim Boehmer was named the Albert Lea Tribune’s Coach of the Year as his Bulldogs set a new school record with 38 wins on the season.

•Annika Smed of Albert Lea finished her freshman season of collegiate volleyball at the University of North Dakota. She played in all 32 games for the Sioux and was second on the team with 347 digs and 31 serving aces.

 

This year

•Keith Salthe, a 1992 graduate of Albert Lea High School, was recently named the AAU head wrestling coach in Roundup, Montana, where he resides. In its third year, the program has seen up to 40 young wrestlers each year. While in high school, Salthe competed in football, wrestling and baseball.