Sports

WANTED: Players, volunteers for alternative baseball

As he got older, Taylor Duncan noticed there were fewer opportunities for people, like himself, who have autism or other disabilities and for some people, mostly those who reside in suburban and rural areas, there are no services to continue their path toward independence. “We need to do better at...

Blooming Prairie all-time career leader in rebounds and steals, Megan Oswald, leads the Awesome Blossoms’ fast-break offense after colleting a steal.

An AWESOME Blossom career

Is there anything on the basketball court that Blooming Prairie senior Megan Oswald can’t do? Not only is she in the top five all-time for career assists and career points, but this past month, she broke two school records, career rebounds and career steals. After last Friday’s game, Oswald has...

Blooming Prairie senior Allison Krohnberg looks for an open teammate during the final minutes of the Awesome Blossoms’ 51-33 win over the United South Central Rebels.

Blossoms keep rolling

After three wins by seven points or less, the Blooming Prairie girls basketball team has handily beaten its past two opponents, including its 51-33 drubbing of United South Central on Friday, Feb. 26. After trading baskets for the first few minutes of the game, the Blossoms used a small 5-0 run to...

Westfield’s Bo Zwiener controls the right shoulder of St. Clair/Mankato Loyola’s Eli Kruse while his legs are wrapped around his torso. Co-Head Coach David Lassahn said Zwiener’s win by decision was especially impressive considering Kruse was a state participant last year.

Westfield runs winning streak to six matches

After not winning a single match throughout January, the Westfield wrestling team has turned its season around by winning seven of its first nine matches in February, including the past six after beating New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva (NRHEG) 54-24 and St. Clair/Mankato Loyola 55-15 on...

Blooming Prairie’s Bobbie Bruns rises up for a left-handed jump shot during the final minutes of the Awesome Blossoms’ 38-35 win on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

Blossom girls extend winning streak to four

The Blooming Prairie girls basketball team isn’t winning by as much as they did at the beginning of the season, but they are winning and that’s all that matters. This past week, they beat the Kenyon-Wanamingo Knights 38-35 on Tuesday, Feb. 16, and then they beat the Faribault Bethlehem Academy...

With his parents by his side, Medford’s Kael Hermanstorfer is all smiles after signing his National Letter of Intent to play college basketball at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota.

The eye of the Tiger set on St. Mary’s

Coming from a small town in Medford, Tigers basketball star Kael Hermanstorfer knew he wanted to continue his basketball and academic career at a university in a bigger town and he had multiple options in the University of Minnesota-Duluth, St. Scholastica, which is also in Duluth, and North...

Bobbie Bruns, left, her sister Maggie and the Blooming Prairie girls basketball team have developed a close bond due to playing together for the past few years. The Bruns sisters have been playing together on varsity for the past four years, but this will be their last season playing together since Maggie will graduate this spring.

Bound by basketball… and sisterhood

Sisters Maggie and Bobbie Bruns have been playing basketball together for most of their lives yet their bond with their Blooming Prairie teammates might be just as strong. The Awesome Blossoms’ strong bond started early. Four of the five starters are seniors, so they all grew up playing together....

Hess earns statewide award

Owatonna junior Ava Hess said she was completely surprised when she learned she’d been nominated for the Excellence in Community, Education and Leadership (ExCEL) Award, which recognizes high school juniors who are model citizens in their communities, who are active in fine arts and/or athletic...

NRHEG grad joins Mavericks’ coaching staff

Sam Lundberg’s journey as a football coach has taken him from New Richland to New Mexico and now back to southern Minnesota as he was named the Minnesota State University-Mankato’s (MSU) tight ends coach on Thursday, Jan. 28. MSU Head Coach Todd Hoffner stated, in a press release, that he was...

Huskies’ Seykora picks SMSU

Another week, another Steele County student-athlete committing to continue their athletic and academic careers at Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU). This week it’s Matt Seykora, Owatonna’s star shortstop, who received a scholarship to play Division II baseball. Turning one of his dreams...