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Sports Memories by Tom Jones

With graduation in Albert Lea in a couple of weeks and my upcoming 45th class reunion in July, I thought back of the night my class of 1980 graduated twice. The first night we got to Southwest, and within a short time the sirens were going and a huge storm hit and we were told we have graduated without a ceremony. The next day a plan was set in place to have a second ceremony, which I attended.

As I was pondering my column this week, I thought I would look back at what was going on 45 years ago as I was about to graduate.

• The Albert Lea girls’ softball team was defeated by Rochester John Marshall 15-5 in five innings. Jane Olson hit a home run in the loss for the Tigerettes.
• Albert Lea VFW baseball coach Jim Vangen was holding tryouts for the upcoming season at Hayek Field.
• Dick Stephenson, Virgil Ryan, Dale Williamson, Wyman Jensen, Kenny Behr and Dennis Jensen were inducted into the Freeborn County Softball Hall of Fame at a banquet held at the Elks Club.
• Officers for the 1980 Albert Lea Country Club Ladies League were Phyllis McCluskey, Jan Mattson, Betty Ross, Margaret Savelkoul, Barb Petty and Fran Skovlund.
• Albert Lea Family Y Program Director Steve Rundgren announced he would be leaving Albert Lea after accepting a similar position in Westchester, California.
• The Albert Lea girls’ golf team saw its record fall to 2-3 on the season as they were defeated by Winona 218-221. Laura Ellis shot a 49 and Susan Keating shot a 54 to lead the Tigerettes.
• The Minnesota Kicks professional soccer team was scheduled to have their home opener against the Los Angeles Aztecs after opening their season with five road games.
• A fundraising game of wheelchair basketball was being played at Southwest Junior High with a group of locals playing the Rochester Hot Wheels. O.H. Hagen, Dick Kogel, Dan Kruse, Paul Richie, along with several Tiger athletes, were expecting to compete.
• Albert Lea senior basketball player Paul Woodside passed on an opportunity to play in the Minnesota vs. Indiana All-Star Basketball Game that was being played at the Met Sports Center so he could remain eligible for the Tigers baseball team.
• Jeff Mostrom hit a three-run homer and John Keating got the win as the Albert Lea b-squad baseball team picked up an 8-1 win in the first game of a doubleheader with Rochester Mayo.
• The Albert Lea b-squad softball team dropped an 8-4 decision to Rochester John Marshall. Jodi Stephens struck out 10 Rocket batters in the loss.
• Retired Albert Lea football coach Jim Gustafson was inducted into the Minnesota Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in a ceremony held at the Normandy Hotel in Minneapolis. He was joined at the event by former players Jim Pappas, Bob Severson and son Jay Gustafson.
• The Albert Lea boys’ golf team had five players shoot in the 70s as the Tigers defeated Red Wing 296-317 at the Albert Lea Country Club. Bill Banton shot a 72 to lead the Tigers with Jon Ulman right behind him with a 73.
• The Albert Lea boys’ tennis team traveled to Red Wing and defeated the Wingers 4-1. Mike Staloch and current Tigers baseball coach Jay Enderson picked up wins in singles play. The doubles teams of John Butler and Mark Pagel, along with Tom Johnsrud and Doug Olson, also recorded wins.

Alumni update

Vinny Cerrato, a 1977 graduate of Albert Lea High School is a radio host for the “Vinny and Haynie” show in Baltimore on radio station 105.7 The Fan out of Baltimore. It airs weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern Time and can be heard on-line on the station’s website.