Sports Memories by Tom Jones

 

50 years ago: 1969

• The Albert Lea boys’ basketball team avenged an early season loss when it defeated the Austin Packers 77-63 in the Southwest gym. Jay Gustafson led the Tigers with 31 points with Ron Erickson adding 16.

• Emmons defeated Frost 64-36 in Border League boys’ basketball action. Ed Underwood led the Eagles with 12 points, with Bob Landaas and Tom Bjelland each chipping in 10.

• The Albert Lea VFW Bantam hockey team defeated Fairmont 22-0 to improve its record to 6-7 on the season. Duane Lee scored five goals, with Randy Mitchell and Mark Brech each netting three.

• Lea College’s Rich Gross was the first Lancer wrestler to defeat a National NAIA collegiate champion when he defeated Doug Neuharth. Gross was also the first Lancer to record a win and a fall.

 

25 years ago: 1994

• The Albert Lea A Squirts took second place in the Dave Jacobsen Memorial hockey tournament played at City Arena. They defeated Winona 2-0 and Chaska 5-4 in overtime before they fell in the finals 3-1 to Minneapolis Southwest.

• Winners in youth division of Fountain Lake Sportsman’s Club ice fishing contest were Sally Christensen, Sheila Hanson and Stephanie Overgaard.

• The Glenville-Emmons wrestling team competed in a triangular at Janesville and was defeated 62-12 by the host team and 43-26 by South St. Paul. Darin Madson and Justin Senne won both of their matches by falls.

 

10 years ago: 2009

• Cara Nelson stopped two shots as the Albert Lea Tigers girls’ hockey team outshot the Rochester Century Panthers 62-2 in a 5-0 win. Lauren Klick scored twice for the Tigers.

• The Albert Lea Tigers wrestling team captured its 25th Big Nine wrestling title as it defeated Owatonna 39-18 at Albert Lea High School. Dalton Westerlund and Cody Hansen recorded pins for the Tigers.

• Jon Mittag’s three-pointer in the final seconds gave the Glenville-Emmons boys’ basketball team a 45-44 win over Medford in a game played in Glenville.

 

This year

• It must have been quite a thrill for three girls in the starting lineup of Monday’s Albert Lea girls’ basketball team’s 70-63 win over Winona, played at Southwest Middle School. Taya Jeffrey, Kendall Kenis and Annika Veldman all were second-generation Tigers playing on the Southwest floor that night, with Veldman being a third-generation. The Tigers will again hit the Southwest floor Thursday with a make-up game against Mankato West.