SPORTS WRAP
Miles Bon did not expect to be in this position. “I’m confused. I’m really surprised with myself,” he said.
The Owatonna High School junior qualified for the state speech meet on Friday, April 24 in his first year in the great speeches category, switching from humorous. “Being funny in person and being funny in speech are two very different things. I wasn’t seeing results. So, my coach suggested that I join great speeches and it really worked out.”
There doesn’t seem to be much humor in his selection of “Patriotism: A Menace to Liberty” written by anarchist Emma Goldman in 1908. “I basically explain why it’s still relevant modern day,” he said.
Bon is looking forward to his first state meet appearance. “Apparently there are a lot of spectators… I’m real excited for a larger audience, because I think that’s a lot of fun.”
He quickly overcomes any nervousness. “There’s always that little bit of anxiety for me before a round starts and then I get up there and it goes away when I start. It’s a freeing feeling,” said Bon.
Junior Mariah Fox is making her state debut in poetry. “I get to set a program that has a common theme and pick poems that I like to kind of mesh together to get that theme across,” she said.
Her theme is body image. She searched online for a variety of poems. “You set them up in a way that they intertwine and tell a story altogether. I really enjoyed that throughout the season I can see how the message that I am trying to convey reaches people, especially the judges. I specifically talk about how it’s ok to have your body change throughout the years and how that’s a normal part of life,” she said.
“My favorite part is whenever I get a comment from the judge that (says), ‘I really connected with this’ I’m really excited to go to state and see people from across the state and get inspiration for next year,” Fox told Owatonna Live.
Senior Vitaly Bauer is back at state in humorous with “The Black Bag,” a story on exorcism that doesn’t sound funny on the surface. “We play more to the silly aspect of it. It’s a really good piece about the humor of it,” he said.
Bauer uses his strengths. “What I am especially good at with physical comedy and timing and playing more to those parts. Whereas some other parts of the speech I would change up how I would approach it, change up how I would deliver it.”
He looks to rely on the experience of performing at state before. “It’s easier to handle the pressure at state now that I’ve gone there a couple times. I’ve developed my own philosophy of this could be my last speech meet; this could be my last ever time performing the speech. So just leave it all out there.”
The Class AA meet is Friday, April 24 at Park Center High School. The first round begins at 10:15 a.m. The championship round starts at 3:30 p.m. with awards at 5:30 p.m.
BP Speech
Blooming Prairie’s speech season ended at sections, but the fun and life lessons can’t be diminished.
Senior Addison Haugland told the Owatonna Live Coaches Show you can improve your resume. “Colleges love speech. It’s made me a more outgoing person in general life. I’m much more eloquent, good with my words, and I think it’s a great bonding experience… You can be friends and you can make friends,” said Haugland.
Her category of extemporaneous reading involves taking the words from a book and bringing them to life. “I’ve always been a reader. I’ve always been very good at reading out loud. I would say that’s one of my skills.”
Sophomore Deanna Schaub joined at the encouragement of friends. “I truly enjoy speech. It has helped me evolve in a way to make me speak confidently and prove exactly what I know,” said Schaub.
In Storytelling she can let her creative side show. “I’m going to tell you the story about ‘Cinderella,’ but I’m going to make it my own. I’m going to make Cinderella from good ol’ southern Texas,” Schaub said with a heavy drawl.
She credits her ability to speak in front of a group to her three years in the program.
Blooming Prairie coach Jason Iacovino takes his students to the elementary school each year. “Speech is no good if you don’t have an audience… This is a great opportunity for them in advance of their section competition.”
Schaub must be on her toes. “The kindergarteners are a lot scarier than at a competition. They let you know if they don’t like your story,” he said.
Beating the weather
Owatonna and Mankato East traded a pair of come-from-behind baseball wins, but both can claim victory over the weather in a doubleheader played on Wednesday, April 15 (65 degrees and sunny), moved up from its original date of Saturday, April 18 (42 degrees with winds gusting to 25 miles per hour).
In the opener, the Huskies prevailed 4-3 with back-to-back runs driven in by Isaiah Farwell and Jace Ulrich during a fourth-inning rally. It was the last of three lead changes against the defending Big Nine Conference and Section 2AAA champs.
Farwell delivered a booming double off the fence in the first inning that pushed Owatonna’s first run across the plate. He also grabbed the final out of the game sprinting in from centerfield and going to the ground to grab a line drive.
Ulrich threw the complete game, scattering six hits and striking out seven Cougars at Fuller Field at Dartt’s Park.
In the nightcap, East won 7-5 behind a four-run fifth inning, highlighted by a massive home run over the scoreboard by Creighton-bound centerfielder Carson Hart. The Huskies Grayson Campion turned in a solid relief effort, pitching the final two innings without giving up a run while striking out five.
The Cougars’ Iowa commit Keaton Wojcik did not play in the doubleheader, having pitched the previous day.
The Huskies sandwiched a pair of victorious trips to Rochester around the twin bill split. On Tuesday, April 14. Owatonna scored a 13-0 win over John Marshall backed by a five-inning, two-hit pitching effort from Nolan Rolloff. Bentley Arvig went 3-for-4. Wyatt Frantesl had three RBIs.
Two days later, the Huskies outscored Mayo 13-12. Entering the seventh, the game was tied 8-8. Owatonna scored five in the top of the frame with a big hit from Arvig. Aedan Tackmann threw four innings of relief. Will Radel got the final out with the tying run at second base. A.J. Ulrich hit a three-run home run in the first inning.
Four games and three wins in just over 48 hours.
Donut Run
I highly recommend that you don’t eat a donut during a run. I did it once and it didn’t sit very well in my stomach. I am, however, a big fan of rewarding myself with a donut after a run.
That leads us to the Tom Thumb Mini Donut 5K on Saturday, May 30 at the Steele County Fairgrounds, part of Spring into Summer from May 29-30. Each participant receives a bag of mini donuts at the finish line of this untimed event. (You can always time it yourself.)
Go to www.scff.org/mini-donut-5k to register. Sign up by May 15 to get a shirt. Cost is $35 before race day and $45 on the day of the run/walk. There are no awards.
Spring into Summer events that day include live music, fair food, softball and cornhole tournaments, a flea market and backyard BBQ competition. This takes the place of Smokin’ in Steele which was run by the Owatonna Knights of Columbus for many years.
OwatonnaLive.com play-by-play
Thursday, April 23:
OHS softball vs. Faribault, 7 p.m. (Strike Out Cancer Night)
OHS boys lacrosse vs. Rochester, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, April 24:
OHS baseball vs. New Prague, 5 p.m.
Monday, April 27:
OHS baseball vs. St. Paul Central, 5:30 p.m.
OHS girls lacrosse vs. Northfield, 7:15 p.m.