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Sports Memories by Tom Jones

15 years

• The 11th ranked Albert Lea boys’ hockey team defeated Owatonna 5-2 to raise their Big Nine Conference record to 11-1. Jared Hughes scored twice for the Tigers.
• Krista Mathiason scored 15 points to lead the Alden-Conger girls’ basketball team to a 48-30 win over Madelia. Jessie Bolinger added nine points for the Knights.
• The 13th-ranked Albert Lea girls’ hockey team suffered a 7-6 loss to Faribault to see thier record fall to 9-6 in the Big Nine Conference. Madi Passingham had a goal and two assists to lead the Tigers.

20 years

• The 11th-ranked Albert Lea Tigers wrestling team defeated Austin 53-14 to improve their record to 15-2 on the year. Dustin Fluggum, Randy Larson and Adam Elseth recorded pins for the Tigers.
• Fourteen-year-old Matt Kaiser of Albert Lea became the youngest bowler in southern Minnesota to roll a 300 game in sanctioned league play at Holiday Lanes.
• The Glenville-Emmons boys’ basketball team fell 51-50 at Houston. Eighth-grader Jared Knutson led the Wolverines with 19 points.
• Kevin Garnett was named as a starter for the Western Conference in the NBA All-Star Game that was to be played in Atlanta. Joining him in the starting lineup for the West were Tim Duncan, Yao Ming, Steve Francis and Kobe Bryant. Garnett was named Most Valuable Player in the game.
• Tessa Christensen scored two goals to lead the Albert Lea girls’ hockey team to a 5-1 win over Mankato West.

50 years

• The Alden Blackhawks basketball team improved their record to 6-1 on the year with a 77-68 win over Frost. Matt Brummer scored 23 to lead the Blackhawks.
• The Albert Lea 200-yard medley relay team of Brad DeRoos, John Speltz, Robin Sanders and Rick Light broke the school record with a time of 1:53.0 as the Tigers swimming team defeated Mankato 75-20.
• Jeff Ulman scored 12 points and John Nelson added 10 as the Colonels defeated the Nets 25-16 in YMCA elementary basketball league play. John Heidal scored 10 for the Nets.
• George Foreman knocked down Joe Frazier six times to become the new heavyweight champion. The battle was held in Kingston, Jamaica and lasted two rounds.
• After winning seven gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, swimmer Mark Spitz was named the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year.
  Craig Rayman poured in 24 points, but his effort fell short as the Glenville Trojans basketball team was defeated 71 to 70 by Janesville.