Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Sports Memories by Tom Jones

50 years 

• A survey showed 58% of Minnesota Vikings season ticket holders preferred the Vikings remain at Metropolitan Stadium rather that move to a proposed stadium in downtown Minneapolis.
  

  Tom Jones

• Memphis Tams owner Charles O. Finley was in St. Paul to discuss moving his American Basketball Association team to the city. 
• Bill Lauman scored 31 points and Gabby and Neil Piece each added 18 as Pierce Trucking defeated People’s Savings and Loan 96-68 in the YMCA Men’s Basketball League. 
• The second-ranked Albert Lea Tigers wrestling team defeated Winona 43-5. Mark Tobin, Jim Lunde and Len Hultgren won by fall in the win. 
• Al Christensen’s Glenville Trojans basketball team defeated Ellendale 55-53. Craig Rayman led the Trojans with 23 points. 
• The San Francisco 49ers scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to defeat the Minnesota Vikings 20-17. Ed Marinaro and John Gilliam had touchdowns for the Vikings.

15 years ago

• The Albert Lea girls’ hockey team defeated Waseca 9-2. Sophia Jepson recorded a hat trick for the Tigers, who improved to 6-3 on the season. 
• Alexendra Ciota and Cody Hansen of Albert Lea were nominated for the ExCel Award sponsored by the Minnesota State High School League.
• Garret Schumaker’s 13 points were not enough as the Glenville-Emmons boys’ basketball team fell 57-47 to Grand Meadow. 

10 years ago

• It was a tough loss for the Albert Lea boys’ basketball team as they were defeated by No. 2-ranked Austin 72-71 in double overtime. Tyler Vandenheuvel led the Tigers with 30 points.
• Sydney Rehnelt scored 26 points and Bryn Woodside added 25 as the Albert Lea girls’ basketball team defeated Austin 74-56. 
• Van Zelenak scored twice as the Albert Lea boy’s hockey team defeated Owatonna 4-3 to go 3-2 on the season. 
• The Albert Lea boy’s swimming and diving team hosted the Tiger Relay Invitational and finished in 13th place. Kyle Zogg placed 10th in the diving portion of the event. 

My condolences to the family of Andy Dyrdal, who passed away last week. He held a remarkable streak of attending an Albert Lea boys’ basketball game at least once for 71 years between 1947 and 2018. 

Tom Jones is an Albert Lea resident and sports enthusiast.