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Sports Memories by Tom Jones

15 years

• At the Albert Lea girls’ tennis banquet, Kelli Hanson was named Most Valuable Player, Mikaela Pierson won the Leadership Award and Kellsie Dieser was named Most Improved Player.
• The Albert Lea Tigers football team defeated the Austin Packers for the third straight season with a 27-20 win at Austin. Colton Zuniga, Jordan Holland, Hector Rivera and Aaron Klatt scored for the Tigers.
• The Albert Lea girls’ soccer team advanced to state with a 2-1 shootout win over Willmar in the Class 2A section championship played at Hammer Field. Sophie Miller’s goal with just over seven minutes in regulation sent the game to overtime. After two scoreless overtime periods, the game went to a shootout where Mariah Maras’s goal and Steph Ferguson’s goalkeeping advanced the Tigers to state.
• Albert Lea resident Scott Christensen was set to be inducted into the Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame. He began his career playing for the Cottage Cafe team out of Geneva.

20 years

• Jason Hemmingsen topped the 1,000-yard mark for rushing on the season, but his effort fell short as the Alden-Conger Knights football team dropped a 43-20 game against Lyle-Pacelli.
• The Glenville-Emmons volleyball team finished off their regular season with a 3-0 win over Lanesboro. Megan Bjorklund was 11-for-12 serving with 12 kills and five digs to lead the Wolverines.
• Nicole Mayer had a high game of 222 and a high series of 606 to take weekly first place honors in the Musta Misstem Bowling League at Holiday Lanes.
• Kendra Mathiason and Kenzie Johnson each had eight kills to lead the Alden-Conger volleyball team to a 3-1 win over Blooming Prairie. Coach Jon Jahnke’s team stood at 13-10 as they entered section play.

50 years

• The Alden girls’ basketball team went to 3-0 on the season as Jan Theobold scored 11 points in a 37-32 win over Freeborn. Mary Colvin led Freeborn with 14 points.
• Minneapolis businessman Joe Duffy formed a committee to raise $100,000 to help pay hospital and therapy expenses for Minnesota Viking Karl Kassulke, who had been injured in a motorcycle accident.
• Former Albert Lea football player Brad Shoff was slated to start at offensive tackle for Golden Valley Lutheran College in a home game against Mesabi Community College.
• In front of 5,000 fans at Hammer Stadium, the Albert Lea Tigers football team defeated the Austin Packers 8-0. Mike Curry scored the lone touchdown of the game with Steve Gilbertson adding the two-point conversion.
• Two fourth-quarter interceptions by safety Paul Krause helped lead the Minnesota Vikings to a 17-13 win over the San Francisco 49ers.
• The Albert Lea girls’ tennis team, under coach Jane Christensen placed fourth in the Big Nine Conference meet in Winona. Wanda Thompson placed third in No. 2 singles and the doubles team of Suzy Denzene and Emily Waltrip won the consolation championship.

Notes

• Former Albert Lea Laker Dylan Hoffman has been named the new head coach for the Westcliff Warriors college baseball team located in Irvine, California.
• Erika Bute who played high school volleyball for Alden-Conger recently became the third member of the 2,000 dig club for the Augustana College women’s volleyball team in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.