Sports Memories by Tom Jones

 

50 years ago: 1969

• Frosty Westering, athletic director and head football coach at Lea College, was the featured speaker at the annual Freeborn County Softball Hall of Fame banquet. Five new members were set to be inducted.

• The Albert Lea boys’ tennis team defeated Wells 3-2. Winning at singles were Steve Dennis and Bruce Westrum, with Brian Nelson and Quentin Denzene picking up a win in doubles.

• The Albert Lea boys’ track and field team defeated Owatonna and Austin in a triangular in Owatonna. Bob Veldman, Chuck Sherman, Craig Ludtke, Larry Weiler and Clay Cameron took individual firsts with the sprint relay team of Bob McElhaney, Rod Tovar, Mark Hoffman and Ralph Winkler also taking first.

• A crowd of 22,857, including American League President Joe Cronin and Minnesota Gov. Harold LeVander, were on hand to watch the Minnesota Twins win their sixth straight home opener with a 6-0 victory over the California Angels.

 

25 years ago: 1994

• The Glenville-Emmons boys’ golf team posted a 184-193 victory over Austin Pacelli in a match played at Northwood Country Club. Andy Belshan led the Wolverines with a 40 with Brian Cipra shooting a 41. The Wolverines girls’ team was defeated 223-328. Christa Stene led the team with a 73.

• Mac Noland’s home run was not enough as the Albert Lea Tigers baseball team was defeated 9-2 by Rochester Mayo in the Big Nine Conference opener at Hayek Park.

• The Glenville-Emmons softball team lost 10-1 to Blooming Prairie in a Gopher Conference game played in Glenville. Rachel Dahlum and Stephanie Hanson each went 1-3 for the Wolverines, with Dawn Bangs pitching all seven innings.

 

10 years ago: 2009

• The Albert Lea boys’ golf team traveled to Rochester and was defeated by Rochester Century 317-333. Sam Matheson shot a 79 and Tyler Brackey an 82 to lead the Tigers.

• The Albert Lea junior varsity baseball team improved its record to 5-1 with a 4-2 victory over Winona. Cody Haaland picked up the win, pitching six innings for the Tigers.

• The Albert Lea Tigers softball team captured the NRHEG tournament when it scored all six runs in its last at bat in a 6-5 win over Kasson-Mantorville in the championship game. An error by the pitcher on a ball hit by Laura Gaudian allowed Sarah Heijerman to score the winning run.

 

This year

• After coaching the Albert Lea Lakers in their inaugural season in 2017, Sam Schumacher is in his second year as head coach of the Northland Community and Technical College baseball team in Thief River Falls. His team is currently 2-17 on the year after finishing 23-17 in his first year at the helm.