Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Sports Memories by Tom Jones

15 years

• Adam Royce pitched five innings, giving up three hits as the Albert Lea Tigers baseball team opened their season with a 13-5 win over Mankato East.

• The Albert Lea boys’ tennis team opened their season with a 5-2 loss to Blue Earth. Picking up wins for the Tigers were Drew Passingham in singles and the team of Evan Nolander and Jake Thompson in doubles.

• Albert Lea volleyball standout Annika Smed signed a letter of intent to play for the University of North Dakota. She had been recruited by 36 collegiate programs.

• Jon Mittag pitched five scoreless innings as the Glenville-Emmons baseball team went to 2-0 on the season with a 2-0 win over Hope Lutheran.

20 years

• In game two of a doubleheader, Nicole Rafdal pitched a one-hitter as the Albert Lea Tigers softball team defeated Faribault 3-1.

• Ross Stadheim shot a 34 over nine holes to lead the Albert Lea Tigers boys’ golf team to a 147-162 win over Waseca. Dan Breuer followed Stadheim shooting a 35.

• Craig Rayman’s Glenville-Emmons boys’ golf team opened their season with a 173-185 win over Lyle-Pacelli. Jarrad Knutson shot a 42 to lead the Wolverines.

• The Glenville-Emmons girls’ golf team improved to 2-0 on the season with a 221-254 win over Mabel-Canton. Lauren Bremer and Jessica Boyum each shot a 51 to lead the Wolverines.

50 years

• Tony Oliva of the Minnesota Twins made history as the first player to hit a home run as a designated hitter as he hit a first inning blast off of Jim “Catfish” Hunter of the Oakland A’s.

• Area basketball players Paul air, Jim Possin and Doug Willner were named varsity letter winners at University of Minnesota Technical College-Waseca.

• The Minnesota Gophers announced they had signed top football recruit Tony Dungy, a 6’1” 170 pound quarterback from Jackson, Michigan.

• Tommy Aaron collected $30,000 for shooting a 72-hole score of 283 and winning the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia.

• Over 450 people turned out for Hockey Recognition Night, which honored the many players in the local park league hockey program. A film was shown of 1972 Stanley Cup highlights. KATE sports director Tom Capistrant was emcee for the event.

• Senior pitcher Jeff Lestrud struck out 14 batters as the Albert Lea Tigers baseball team defeated Fairmont 5-0 in their season opener. In the b-squad game, Dan Packowski limited Fairmont to four hits en route to a 7-4 win for the Bengels.

Alumni update

Albert Lea girls’ basketball’s all-time leading scorer Taya Jeffrey, a 2022 graduate of Albert Lea High School recently completed her freshman season of play at University of Jamestown in North Dakota. She played in 12 games and averaged 2.4 points for the Jimmies, who finished their season 22-9.