Sports

Rolloff fields his dreams

Publisher — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 14:21:12 +0000

Rolloff fields his dreams Publisher Fri, 08/07/2026 - 16:21

Johnnie Phillips, Sports Editor

Nolan Rolloff, left, smiles for a photo with his father, Brandon Rolloff, following a game last season. Rolloff credited his father as being instrumental for helping him become the player that he is today. Submitted photo

While many high school baseball players continue their seasons into the summertime playing for local town ball teams, Owatonna’s Nolan Rolloff continues to go the extra mile – sometimes even over 1,000 of them – to keep playing the game he loves.

The rising senior’s ambition to improve his game and continue turning heads has led him to playing for the select Minnesota MASH program and the local Owatonna Legion Post 77 baseball teams.

“It gets to be a lot, but it’s like when you love your job, you’re never really going to work,” said Rolloff. “I’d say I’m playing about 4-5 games a week on average. I travel a lot with MASH, and it’s usually 1-2 games a day, but when I’m home, I’m still playing in Legion games.”

According to him, the MASH program plays frequently in large tournaments with the majority of events taking place outside of Minnesota.

“We travel a lot. They put together a team and then we usually go to eight tournaments with six being out of state. We go to places like Georgia, Arizona, Illinois and Ohio,” said Rolloff.

The goal: Keep attracting the attention of scouts to play at the next levels.

Earlier this year, Rolloff committed to play Division I baseball for the University of St. Thomas (UST) Tommies in St. Paul, but the goal is to do more than just make it to college.

“The goal is to get to the MLB, but I’m going to take it as far as the game will let me,” said Rolloff on his future goals.

According to him, UST recruited him to play his natural shortstop position, but said he’s willing to play any position or role needed to help the team win.

His love for baseball started at a young age with the help of his father, Brandon.

“I don’t think there was an exact plan for all this to happen, but it’s just something we both enjoy doing a lot. I think we hit almost every day, probably six days a week, mostly year-round. We have so much fun doing that it makes it really hard to say no to not doing it. If you do it every day, you’re going to get better,” said Rolloff.

Sports

standard

‘He was not going to lose that game for us’

Publisher — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:52:33 +0000

‘He was not going to lose that game for us’

Heavy rain derails Connor Wiese’s quality start to end Post 77’s season

Publisher Fri, 08/07/2026 - 15:52

Johnnie Phillips, Sports Editor

Owatonna Legion Post 77 third baseman Ben Herzog makes a leaping grab against the Wayzata Wizards. Post 77 lost both of its games to Wayzata and Grand Rapids to end its season. Staff photo by Johnnie Phillips

Owatonna Legion Post 77’s dream run to the 2026 Minnesota American Legion Baseball State Tournament ended with a quick, controversial exit after falling in consecutive games to the Wayzata Wizards and Grand Rapids Wolfpack last week.

Despite dropping the first game 6-2 to the eventual state runner-up Wizards, the real heartbreak for Post 77 came in the second round when a brilliant start by pitcher Connor Wiese was derailed by weather late in the game, resulting in a 4-3 loss.

“Connor was absolutely cruising. I think he had 50 pitches through five innings. There was a steady drizzle going on for most of the game. It wasn’t that big of a deal to start, but then toward the latter part of the fifth and sixth, it started to pick up. As we got further in, it became a steady, hard rain,” said Post 77 head coach Tate Cummins.

Up until the beginning of the sixth inning, Owatonna led 2-0 behind an RBI single by Wiese and an RBI sacrifice fly by Aedan Tackmann and looked fully in control of the game.

Wiese had allowed only one hit and struck out five batters over the same stretch, but when the rain picked up, Wiese began to lose his grip on the ball and the lead.

“Every [baseball] he had to rub down super well just to try and keep it dry. He was hiding the ball between his legs before coming set to try and keep it away from the rain… It got to the point where I took a timeout to talk to him and then I spoke with the umpires to see if it was a good idea to delay the game, but [the umpires] wanted to play through it. So, I went back to the dugout and a couple pitches later, he hit the batter to load the bases. Then the next kid came up and first pitch, he hit him too,” said Cummins.

According to Cummins, during the sequence of hit batters he had advocated for the game to be delayed due to the playing conditions but was issued a “warning” from the home-plate umpire, who also threatened to eject him if he spoke out again about a delay.

“Every ball was just slick. I mean, this is a kid who looked great. It was his best outing of the season by far. He was not going to lose that game for us. But Mother Nature had other plans,” said Cummins on his pitcher’s sudden change in form.

Only after the second batter was hit on the first pitch of the plate appearance did the umpire crew decide to delay the game – a decision that Grand Rapids’ coaching staff “wanted no part of,” said Cummins.

According to him, play resumed after “20-30 minutes” of delay.

The two consecutive hit batters gave Grand Rapids its first run of the game to cut the score to 2-1 for Owatonna at the time of the stoppage.

Grand Rapids managed to score in the next at-bat by sending a sacrifice fly to center field to tie the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Neither side scored in the seventh to send the game into extra innings.

Owatonna threatened first by loading the bases with one out in the top of the eighth following two walks for Tackmann and A.J. Ulrich and a single by Jace Ulrich.

Wiese took the plate and capitalized with a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Tackmann from third to give Post 77 at 3-2 lead.

However, Grand Rapids struck right back in the bottom of the inning with a gutsy sequence of quality at-bats.

The Wolfpack scored a leadoff double and followed it with a sacrifice bunt to advance the runner to third before laying down a risky suicide squeeze bunt to bring home the runner from third and tie the game at 3-3.

Owatonna couldn’t get its bats going in the ninth and 10^th inning, affording the Wolfpack an opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the 10^th.

A leadoff single, another sacrifice bunt to advance the runner into scoring position and an intentional walk set Grand Rapids up with runners on first and second with one out.

Owatonna’s Jace Ulrich had replaced Wiese in the bottom of the eighth and pitched strongly until this point, but despite recording the second out a strikeout, Grand Rapids’ Alex Wegwerth got the better of Ulrich to send a walk-off RBI single into center field.

“Regardless, we did play well. We had our chances, but it didn’t work out. I thought we were among the best in the tournament. We had some of the best pitching out there. I thought this team did an exceptional job playing defense, pitching and getting those big hits,” said Cummins on his 2026 team despite the season-ending loss.

The game prior, Owatonna lost 6-2 to the Wayzata Wizards in a game that slowly slipped away from the team.

After leading 2-0 through two innings thanks to an RBI single by Arik Tackmann and a Wizards’ fielding error that allowed Wyatt Frantesl to score, Post 77 watched the Wizards rally back to take the lead at 3-2 in the next two innings.

Wayzata eventually put the game away with three runs in the top of the seventh while Post 77’s bats went cold for the remainder of the game.

Sports

standard

SPORTS WRAP

Publisher — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 14:47:58 +0000

SPORTS WRAP

Koziolek goes from zero experience to No. 1

Publisher Wed, 08/05/2026 - 16:47

Roy Koenig, Sports Writer

From last to first… and now on to college.

What started as a sibling rivalry has turned into a college opportunity for Owatonna High School graduate Tori Koziolek. Her clay target shooting prep career ended with an appearance in the Minnesota State High School League state competition in June with her team and a trip to nationals in July.

She joined the Huskies trap team with zero experience. “I started as a seventh grader because I wanted to do a sport with my big brother, Ethan. And then it was his senior year, and I started to beat him. So, I thought I should keep on going.

“I never shot a gun before I did trap shooting and (now) I’m No. 1 in the conference,” she said of her 22.7-out-of-25 average this season. This after finishing last in scoring her first year. “We bring it up every banquet,” she commented with a laugh.

Coach Mike Kingland calls her first season, “Well, a learning experience.

“Tori went from that first-year average to top female in our conference through hard work, practice and dedication. She is always at the club working on her game; fundamentals, shot routine and mental management. She has seen thousands of clays over the past six years.”

He says she’s coachable. “We tell our athletes that the most important target is the next one. So, whether an athlete smashes one or misses a target, you cannot dwell on that outcome. Tori is good at that.”

Koziolek developed her own system for approaching each shot. “I think I started counting my first year. I was always told that consistency is key. A routine is key. What’s better than counting. It keeps a steady rhythm and keeps your mind off of other things.”

Thoughts of shooting in college emerged a couple of years ago. She and her father, Anthony, toured seven colleges in seven days, settling on Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa, where her mother, Jen, went to school.

“I love the campus and their business administration courses and I love the team. They have a nice trap house. They have a cool (virtual reality) system for offseasons.”

She knows the atmosphere will be different. “I’m starting with all new people. It’s going to be smaller compared to our 90 students (with the Huskies). It’ll be competitive, which I like.”

Koziolek is proud to have helped create a welcoming culture. “The relationships with all my friends. My graduating class has the most females in it. And that’s all because we kept asking them to come and try and then they loved it.”

Kingland stated, “Tori is very team oriented in a highly individual game… She has been an ambassador of the game to all willing to listen, and a great mentor to our younger female athletes. Tori’s senior class is the largest in team history (24) which includes our largest single class of girls (nine) ever.”

After OHS finished in the middle of the pack at the state meet in Prior Lake, a trio of Huskies went to nationals in Michigan. Koziolek shot 90 out of 100 in preliminaries. Jackson Davis shot 96 in the finals. Mason Ihrke dusted 95 clays. All three recorded at least one perfect 25-straight round.

Chatty Time

The 4^th annual Chatty 5K run/walk is Saturday, Aug. 22 at OHS. The event honors longtime Owatonna cross-country coach Dave Chatelaine on his 35-year career and benefits the boys and girls programs.

The run starts and ends at the new Owatonna High School on 18^th Street. Search Chatty 5K on Facebook for details. Online registration closes on Tuesday, Aug. 18. Same day sign-up is cash only. A free kids’ quarter-mile run will be held right before the 8 a.m. 5K start.

Packet pickup begins at 7 a.m. that morning. This continues the long tradition of a charity run the week of the Steele County Free Fair.

Sports

standard

SPORTS WRAP

Publisher — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 15:55:48 +0000

SPORTS WRAP

It’s Open season on local courses

Publisher Thu, 07/30/2026 - 17:55

Roy Koenig, Sports Analyst

Golfers gather this week for the Owatonna City Open.

The private Owatonna Country Club, public Brooktree Golf Course, and par-three Havana Hills join forces to create this unique format for those who live or work in Steele County plus OHS graduates.

Adults play their first round at Brooktree on Saturday, Aug. 1. Recreation Supervisor Seth Allen says Brooktree offers multiple experiences. “Our [front and back] nines are essentially two different nine holes. On top, for our upper nine, it’s a little bit longer and it’s open. You can kind of ‘miss’ shots.

“Whereas, on the bottom you have the creek running through seven of the nine holes and it’s a little more tight. So, you have to be more precise with your shots.”

The scene shifts to OCC on Sunday, Aug. 2. Club professional Dayne Hahn says, “The key to a good round out here is always going to be the short game. As long as they are chipping and putting really well. The course isn’t overly long.

“There’s a little bit more strategy involved, rather than the hit it far and see what happens strategy… Hidden water on some holes, some blind tee shots.”

Participation has ebbed and flowed over time. Allen says some may be intimidated by competitive golf. “I would just encourage people to not think of it as super competitive, but more of a way to meet people.”

Hahn adds, “We’re hoping we can get a lot more participation this year and drum up a little more in the future so that Owatonna City Open can be what it used to be numbers wise.”

The Junior Open is Thursday and Friday, July 30 and 31. Ages 13 to 18 play the two 18-hole courses while ages 4-12 hit Havana Hills. Owner Mark Langlois has a longtime involvement in the Open. “We’ve got a lot of juniors signed up… We get big crowds. We get a lot of grandparents and parents following them along, neighbors and friends.”

He helped start the Owatonna Golf Boosters to promote the game to the youth. “I started when I was four. I had so many memories with my dad and my brother. Met so many great people through the game of golf. Really just want to get kids introduced to the game early.

“I (heard) so often when I was coaching, I wish I would have started earlier. So, I think that really fueled the flame where I was like, ‘You know what, I want to be a part of getting kids started early on and hopefully they’ll get hooked.’”

Langlois was reminiscing recently with a golfer. “It’s a big deal here in Owatonna. It gets the community together. We have a lot of talented and great golfers here in the town.”

Summer updates

It’s been a busy summer at Brooktree. “Having some more tournaments this year than we did last year. It’s fun to see groups come out. If it’s their business or if it’s just some friends to pick Brooktree as their place to go,” states Allen.

Hahn says the Country Club is in great shape. “The course has bounced back nicely (from a harsh winter). It’s in really good condition right now. Greens are rolling really true.”

Leading into this season Langlois told Owatonna Live’s Business Talk that improving the grass on the tee boxes and driving range was an emphasis at Havana Hills. Also, they added a snack bar with several menu and drink options. “We want people to be out here and spend time not only on the course but spend some more time here talking about their round and all the great shots that they hit,” he said.

Cue it up

Owatonna’s 12-year-old Grady Seykora was a double winner at the VNEA National Youth Pool Tournament over the weekend in Nebraska. He earned first place in team and scotch doubles while taking second in singles. His goal was to have fun, learn from the pros, and win, “Seeing all the good competition, try to win. Because I’m very competitive,” he said.

He appreciated the chance to be around the pros in person in his second national tournament. He has also watched them on YouTube to learn the nuances of the sport. “It’s very cool how other people see the game. How they play the game. Very cool to hang out around all-stars and other superstars that played on professional TV,” said Seykora.

He also received a scholarship and sportsmanship award.

The incoming seventh grader got his start around a pool table at age six at the urging of his grandpa and parents even though he could barely reach over the top of a table. “I just fell in love with the game, so I just kept practicing and trying to get better each time.”

Seykora plays league through Wagner’s Lunch – Pool Hall in Owatonna from October through February and practiced several times a week to prepare for nationals. “Playing against other really good people, you get more competitive each time… It makes you better,” he said.

The Cup’s in town

Get your picture with the Stanley Cup on Friday, July 31. The legendary trophy for the winner of the NHL playoffs will be at the Steele Saloon on the county fairgrounds from 11:30 – 1:30 p.m. Eric Fink of Owatonna is a scout for the champion Carolina Hurricanes.

The Fink family rode in the title parade last month in Raleigh, North Carolina after Carolina won the Cup over the Vegas Golden Knights. Players and team personnel of the winning club each get the Stanley Cup for a day.

Fink has coached in the Owatonna hockey program at many levels including youth, high school, and juniors.

Sports

standard

Youth Pool Champ

Publisher — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 15:50:33 +0000

Youth Pool Champ Publisher Thu, 07/30/2026 - 17:50

Roy Koenig, Sports Analyst

He also received a scholarship and sportsmanship award.

Sports

standard

Legion Post 77 repeats as sub-state champs

Publisher — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 20:24:23 +0000

Legion Post 77 repeats as sub-state champs Publisher Wed, 07/29/2026 - 22:24

Johnnie Phillips, Sports Editor

Owatonna’s Wyatt Frantesl, Aedan Tackmann, Jace Ulrich, Arik Tackmann and A.J. Ulrich bite down on their gold medals after winning the sub-state title. Post 77’s win marks the second consecutive season that the team has been sub-state champions. Staff photo by Johnnie Phillips

Owatonna’s Legion Post 77 baseball team will take on the American Legion state tournament this week after repeating as the District One sub-state champions with a 3-2 extra-innings win over the No. 1 Rochester Redhawks in Stewartville last weekend.

Post 77 led 2-0 after the top of the sixth inning, but allowed Rochester to tie the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh before ultimately taking the game with one run in the top of the eighth.

“You don’t like squandering a two-run lead. That seventh inning got away from us. We had a play we could have made up the middle and two guys who were one strike away… [The team] came into the dugout and they were disappointed, but they knew we had to bounce back and go get a run. Connor [Wiese] came up big today with a timely hit and Aedan [Tackmann] had two great secondary leads to get that run across,” said Post 77 Head Coach Tate Cummins.

After five scoreless innings to begin the game, Owatonna was the first team to light the scoreboard with some quality at-bats in the top of the sixth.

Tackmann started the rally with a leadoff single and moved into scoring position at second following an effective sacrifice bunt by A.J. Ulrich.

Jace Ulrich knocked Tackmann home with a one-out single in the next at-bat to put Post 77 up 1-0.

Wiese came to the plate next and watched Jace Ulrich make his way to third after stealing second and advancing to third on an error.

Wiese struck out during his plate appearance, but the two-out scenario didn’t faze Arik Tackmann as he stepped up to lace a line-drive single to right field that scored Jace Ulrich from third.

Owatonna held its 2-0 lead through the bottom of the sixth, thanks to a tremendous start by Gautier throwing 6.1 innings before being replaced by Jace Ulrich in the seventh.

“Hands down the best outing that I’ve ever seen him have,” said Cummins about Gautier’s start. “Hated to bring him out, but we had a plan with a runner on that we would turn the ball over. But a heck of a start. We don’t win that game without Jax.”

Despite Ulrich getting Rochester’s Victor Peterson to pop out to second base to begin the final half inning, Rochester began its own scoring rally with a single that beat third baseman Jae Herzog.

The Redhawks then found themselves with runners on first and second following a costly error at shortstop by Owatonna’s Arik Tackmann in the next at-bat.

Rochester had hopes of watching their runners score on a hard-hit line drive to left field, but Post 77 outfielder Wyatt Frantesl made an acrobatic catch on the play to hold the runners and make the second out.

With no room for error, Rochester’s Jack Ryan came in clutch with a line drive that beat right fielder Joe Klecker to the spot, resulting in a bases-clearing, two-run triple that tied the game at 2-2.

Rochester’s inning ended with a strikeout, but the damage was enough to extend the game with a top seed at state on the line.

Luckily for Owatonna, the eighth inning saw the lineup turn over with leadoff hitter Aedan Tackmann taking the plate first.

Tackmann took a first-pitch ball before powering a line drive to center field for a leadoff single.

A.J. Ulrich popped out in the next plate appearance, however, the quick out actually resulted in a net-positive for Post 77.

A throwing error by Rochester second baseman Lincoln Majerus in an attempt to turn a double play on Tackmann at first base instead allowed Owatonna’s speedster to take second and reach scoring position with one out.

Post 77 was unable to cash in immediately as Jace Ulrich struck out in the next at-bat, but Wiese came through as the team’s hero with two outs by sending a line drive into left field and scoring Tackmann from second.

Owatonna entered the final half inning with a 3-2 lead and needing just three outs to punch its ticket to state, but the Redhawks fought valiantly to play spoiler.

Jace Ulrich took over pitching duties from Gautier and began the bottom of the eighth with back-to-back walks, putting runners on first and second with nobody out.

Instead of panicking and taking Ulrich out, Cummins elected to let his veteran pitcher settle in – a decision that paid off in the end.

Rochester played some small ball and used a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third with one out, but watched its opportunity to tie or win the game disappear after a foul out to the catcher and a strikeout by Ulrich.

Owatonna’s next game will be at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 30 against the Wayzata Wizards as part of the American Legion Baseball State Tournament’s blue pool playoffs at Riverside Park in Springfield.

Sports

standard

BP cites numbers, player safety as reasons for co-op

Publisher — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 14:07:23 +0000

BP cites numbers, player safety as reasons for co-op Publisher Thu, 07/23/2026 - 16:07

Johnnie Phillips, Sports Editor

Blooming Prairie’s Gabe Staloch leaps up to intercept a pass during a game against Hayfield last season. Staloch and his Awesome Blossoms teammates will join forces with their former Vikings foes this season as part of the BPH co-op. Staff photo by Johnnie Phillips

During an exclusive interview with the Steele County Times, Blooming Prairie Activities Director Ali Mach said that conversations between Blooming Prairie and Hayfield High School about creating a co-op for football had been ongoing for years with the latter making first contact due to a decline in athlete participation numbers; however, an agreement was just finalized earlier this month after Blooming Prairie recognized the same concerning trend in its own program.

According to Mach, Blooming Prairie’s decision to move forward with the co-op was made after multiple conversations with the school’s head football coach Chad Gimbel.

“Students weren’t informed before, but I know there was a lot of talking because we’re a small community. It’s been brought up a few times… This is a conversation that began with looking at our numbers in the late spring. I talked with coach Gimbel at length about some things and revisited with him in the summer to see where we were at. He said that it’s probably time that we started having the conversation [about a co-op.] Our numbers were just less than we would have liked to see, so I reached out to Hayfield’s activities director, Chris Pack, and then we got our superintendents together,” said Mach.

According to Mach, the powers at be decided that the best course of action for the interest of players’ safety and overall experience was to combine the two programs – a decision that after its approval, locked both schools into a two-year commitment as the Blooming Prairie-Hayfield (BPH) football team.

“(Blooming Prairie) is hoping to stay in Class AA football and when you’re going to a game with maybe 30 bodies and the other team has 60, there’s certainly a discrepancy there… It’s a whole other beast than Class A. We could get by with the numbers we had in single-A, and we tried to get by in double-A, but as the season progressed and injuries happen, it became more of a challenge for us. Knowing our numbers were a little bit smaller this summer, it wasn’t going to be feasible to safely put our kids out there and provide great experiences, and to continue the tradition we’ve had of having success,” said Mach.

Due to the move coming so close to the beginning of the fall season – BPH has its first game scheduled for Friday, Sept. 4 against Lewiston-Altura – there have been many questions to answer in a short period of time for both programs.

The following is the breakdown of important information regarding BPH’s future as a team.

Identity

According to Mach, the primary concern with handling the introduction of the co-op has been protecting the identities of the two towns.

Both are proud, historic programs, and part of the move has been assuring the communities that each will have their fair share of the spotlight.

With Blooming Prairie being Section 2AA compared to Hayfield competing in Section 1A, the co-op will absorb the schedule and section assignment previously allocated to the Awesome Blossoms for 2026.

BPH will not feature a logo involving either the traditional Awesome Blossom or Viking, and instead will be kept as the letters “BPH” until a suitable replacement has been agreed upon.

According to Mach, there are hopes that a logo will eventually depict both school mascots in some way.

The BPH football team will also split its practice and home-game schedules between both schools’ fields and wear the Awesome Blossoms’ home and away uniforms during varsity games.

Both schools will also have their own separate homecoming games with Blooming Prairie hosting St. Clair and Hayfield taking on WEM.

X’s and O’s

With practices beginning in less than a month, both schools have elected to fully absorb the coaching staffs from each program without making any cuts.

“This is a true cooperative agreement, so we’ll have two co-head coaches: Chad Gimbel and Hayfield’s Derrick Thompson. Thompson is actually a Blooming Prairie alumnus and was coached by Gimbel, so he’s familiar with us… Since this decision came so close to the beginning of the season, we chose to honor all of our coaches’ contracts. It will be a full collaborative agreement between the two staffs,” said Mach.

According to Gimbel, the familiarity between the two coaching staffs should make for a smooth transition.

“We were pretty closely aligned offensively with what we did. Derrick played in our system and coached with us before moving on [to Hayfield.] We did a lot of things similarly. Really the X’s and O’s offensively was pretty close. Defensively, we do something completely different than most teams, so that will be pretty new and we’re going to carry that over. Our kids that ran it, loved it. Now, having more bodies being able to run it and being deeper, I think our defense will only continue to grow, but that will be different for the Hayfield side,” said Gimbel.

According to Gimbel, the opportunity to have stronger numbers mean less kids will play both sides of the ball, and create stronger competition at every position.

“I know they have some really talented wide receivers and secondary players. They also have some big, strong guys that will really boost our line on both sides of the ball. I’m just looking forward to seeing how much our guys are going to be able to compete and thrive without being worn down so much over the course of the season. If you watched our games last year, we were always competitive in the first half, but things began to slip as the game went on with injuries and players tiring out from having to play offense, defense and special teams,” said Gimbel.

Looking forward

The BPH program will be effective until the end of the 2027 season due to the two-year minimum requirement; however, at the conclusion of said season, both teams can review the co-op on an annual basis.

According to Mach, the hope is that the combination of the two teams will inspire more athletes from each school to come out and participate.
“We went into this knowing it’s something that we’re committed to for these two years. I’ve seen many things out there, speculation about what people think is going to happen, and ultimately, we’ll have to see. Obviously, our long-term goal is that both programs can grow enough to go back on their own. That’s the purpose of co-ops is to put yourself in a position to get more engagement and participation to separate again… But the reality is too, that I don’t know if that’s going to be the case,” said Mach.

According to her, there have been “mixed feelings” amongst the students about the co-op, but that they understand “why it is necessary.”

In terms of Blooming Prairie’s other sports, Mach sees the school being able to maintain its other athletic programs independently.

“Small schools are struggling with numbers in their programs and it’s hard to preserve their identities. We feel very confident that our other programs are healthy and where we want them to be. But we certainly listen when other schools come calling. It’s hard because we want to continue to be the Blooming Prairie Awesome Blossoms, but ultimately my responsibility is to provide what’s best for our kids at our school. If [a co-op] is something that has to happen, it will. But for now, it’s not something that’s on our radar or anything we’re looking at for our other teams,” said Mach.

Sports

standard

Formidable Foundation blazes its own path

Publisher — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 14:03:11 +0000

Formidable Foundation blazes its own path Publisher Thu, 07/23/2026 - 16:03

Johnnie Phillips, Sports Editor

Members of the Formidable Foundation smile for a team photo. Back row left to right: Danielle Wilson, Amie Chambers, Dani Prestegard, Sam Lechleitner, Laura Brocker, Katie Glaser and Simone Steiskal. Front row left to right: Wendy Larson, Destinee Meger, Louella Klinkner, AJ Herget, Charlotte Klinkner and Nancy Riggleman. Photo courtesy of Formidable Foundation

The common saying, “There’s strength in numbers” fully applies to Owatonna’s newest women’s strength training organization the Formidable Foundation.

The non-profit has recently branched off from the Raise the Bar Initiative based in Des Moines, Iowa – who has held successful competitions in Owatonna in recent years – with hopes to allocate all its time, energy and resources toward the local community.

“We wanted our competitions to be a little more local, compared to Des Moines, which is a much larger city. We kind of just needed more flexibility with our procedures and protocols to fit Owatonna a little better. We still love their mission and we still go down to their Women’s Barbell Classic, but we needed more flexibility in our ability to make it more custom to Owatonna,” said Formidable Foundation Director Destinee Meger.

While the group will be branching off from Raise the Bar, the plan is to keep a similar identity with the main focus being helping uplift and empower women in strength training.

“Formidable Foundation exists to challenge the narrow narrative of what women should be and replace it with what they are: capable, resilient, and powerful. Through strength training, we build environments where women can rise boldly. Where real support produces fierce leaders who influence families, workplaces, and communities for generations. Whether lifting a barbell, her standards, or the woman beside her, this is where she reclaims her space,” reads the mission statement at Formidablefoundation.org.

According to Meger, the consistent annual growth in participation at the previous Women’s Barbell Classic events ran through Raise the Bar in town sparked the creation of Formidable Foundation.

“The first year that we had the Women’s Barbell Classic [in Owatonna] we had a goal of 100 lifters, and we met that goal. So, the second year we went up to 150, and we hit that goal very easily. This next one, we’d like 175 or 200, and if there’s more, we’re not going to cap it. We want everyone that’s interested to come in and compete,” said Meger.

Plans for the first major competition held by Formidable Foundation are aiming for May 2027 at the Four Seasons Centre at the Steele County Fairgrounds.

However, in the meantime, the organization is hoping to offer some new programs to the community beforehand.

“We would like to have a youth girls program, an adult women program and a senior citizen program, as well as a leadership one where a speaker comes in an talks about their career while also teaching the girls more about weightlifting,” said Meger.

The current plans for each program are “still on the drawing board,” but plans are for one of the groups to be up “by late fall or winter” with the rest beginning sometime next year.

In terms of competition, the organization will still utilize the two lifts that have been used in previous events: deadlift and bench press.

Those looking to sponsor and support the Formidable Foundation can do so at the organization’s upcoming fundraising events.

“We do have some upcoming fundraising events. We’ll be at Downtown Thursdays talking to visitors about what we do and taking donations. We do have a fundraiser from 4-9 p.m. at Pizza Ranch [in Owatonna] on Wednesday, July 29, and the Bags, Beers and Barbells event starting at 1 p.m. at Mineral Springs Brewery on Sunday, Aug. 2.

Those looking for more information on the Formidable Foundation can visit the organization’s website at Formidablefoundation.org.

Sports

standard

Wolfe’s dream keeps unfolding in real time

Publisher — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 16:05:13 +0000

Wolfe’s dream keeps unfolding in real time Publisher Wed, 07/15/2026 - 18:05

Johnnie Phillips, Sports Editor

Former St. Cloud State University captain Grace Wolfe skates down the ice with the puck during her collegiate career. The Owatonna product became just the fifth SCSU Husky to ever be drafted to the PWHL. Submitted photo

As the lights shone down on the crowd at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan for the 2026 PWHL Draft, Owatonna’s Grace Wolfe waited in anticipation of hearing her name called for an opportunity to continue her hockey career that was anything but a certainty.

When the 55^th pick came around and the PWHL New York Sirens announced that the St. Cloud State University (SCSU) product was their choice, Wolfe walked to the stage and recognized a dream that only became a possibility with the creation of the league just three short years ago.

“It was crazy. It hasn’t really set in – even now talking about it,” said Wolfe. “The league wasn’t a thing at all [when I was in high school.] Back then, I was like, ‘I want to go play college hockey.’ I kind of just accepted it like I guess I’ll just go play in college and that will be it.”

According to her, the Sirens had shown interest during the pre-draft process, but her landing spot was a complete mystery as the nature of the event is generally unpredictable.

“I had a conversation [with New York] but it’s so hard to know with the draft. With the expansion, certain teams will lose more defenders, so they’re looking to add more defenders. Or they’ll lose more forwards and need to draft more. It’s so hard to know in the moment because sometimes you’re going for talent and other times you’re going to fill positional needs,” said Wolfe.

Her decision to travel to Michigan for the event was a no-brainer.

“Obviously, you have to declare for the draft and it was in Michigan this year. I was thinking, ‘You know what, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I should be there,’” said Wolfe.

Her selection made Wolfe just the fifth-ever Huskies athlete to be drafted into the PWHL.

Part of her confidence in attending the event stemmed from her career taking a huge leap in her senior season.

While donning the “C” as SCSU’s captain for the 2025-26 season, Wolfe had a career year on offense by tallying six goals and 15 assists for 21 points to pair with her already extremely impressive 61 blocked shots.

Her stellar finale as a Husky allowed her to enter the draft with serious momentum, which she credited to being a big part of why she believes she was selected.

Now, Wolfe is set to embark on the second phase of her professional journey: Finding her role on the team.

“There are still some conversations that need to be had. We have training camp and stuff like that coming up still. It’s more dependent on lefty-righty. More that kind of thing, or if we need a more offensive defender for a certain shift… It’s really hard to know [my role] right now, but I’m going to do as much as I can to be a solid defender and generate offensive chances,” she said.

While there are still some questions left to answer on the ice, there may be even more to figure out outside of the rink.

“It’s such a long off-season that right now I’m focused more on logistical stuff like finding housing and all that,” said Wolfe.

The move also marks the first time that Wolfe will live outside of Minnesota after growing up in Owatonna and playing collegiately at SCSU.

However, the idea of leaving her home state for the big city also brings plenty of excitement.

“I would just say I’m most excited about the busy life and having anything around the corner. There are probably so many cool restaurants to go to, and so many cool experiences. But when I was talking to everyone from New York, I told them I just really wanted to try a traditional New York slice of pizza… I’m just excited for all of it. All the great things that New York is known for,” said Wolfe.

Her journey far from home is set to unfold in the fall, and while she’ll be thousands of miles away, she hasn’t forgotten the people back home who helped her dream unfold in real time.

“I want to thank my family – my mom, Michelle, my dad, Mike, and my sister, Ava. They’ve made a lot of sacrifices over the years, whether that’s paying for hockey camps or taking me and missing stuff on the weekends for tournaments. They’ve been by my side through it all. There’s obviously a lot of ups and downs through the process, but they really instilled in me that you have to trust yourself and keep going. Not everything is going to be easy, but those tough moments are what shape you,” said Wolfe.

Sports

standard

SPORTS WRAP

Publisher — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 15:36:12 +0000

SPORTS WRAP

Aces play for the love of the game

Publisher Wed, 07/15/2026 - 17:36

Roy Koenig, Sports Writer

Owatonna Aces outfielder Johnny White. White has been playing for the Aces for a decade and said, “I just love baseball. I’ll play as long as I possibly can. I’ll probably stop when I’m 45.” Staff photo by Roy Koenig

Hometown high school stars continue to play in front of their family and friends thanks to Minnesota’s strong amateur baseball presence.

Johnny White has been doing so with the Owatonna Aces for a decade. “I just love baseball. I’ll play as long as I possibly can. I’ll probably stop when I’m 45.”

The 31-year-old outfielder says, “I feel great. It’s good to stay in shape.”

White, an NRHEG grad, still has some zip to his step which he showed in catching the final out of a big 5-3 win at Dundas in mid-June. “I wanted to make sure I got that one… It’s one of my favorite wins.”

Second-year manager Gavin Rein reacted to that win over the Dukes, a renowned Class A team. “Didn’t know what to expect…Good nine-inning baseball game of hard teamwork. Everyone did what they were supposed to do.”

Rein joined the Aces in 2021. “A lot of my friends were doing it… It was a fun way to spend your summer.”

This team is young, but he says it’s a great step in laying a foundation when a player like Mitch Seykora elects to stay home. “Seeing him come back to play for his hometown definitely helps keep guys want to keep playing. (They) can develop here.”

Seykora enjoys playing alongside his brother Matt. “It’s pretty cool to come back and play with the guys that are from around here…When I was younger, I thought it was cool watching the older guys play at Dartt’s. It was always your dream to play here.”

Rein points out there’s no age limit in town ball. “You would think the older guys would struggle a little bit more due to age. But they end up being some of the best people you’ll play against, understanding the game playing for that long. They make the young guys look like fools sometimes.”

The Aces are in Class A, playing in a section that includes defending state champion Miesville. Four teams will advance to state. Seykora says, “I think if we all stick together and play with each other, we have a pretty good team.”

White takes on a leadership role, “I try to help the players if they make mistakes and how to act around everybody and keep a positive vibe.”

Owatonna held ‘Strike out Hunger’ to benefit Community Pathways on July 8 with the Mudhens visiting Fuller Field. Youth day (sponsored by State Farm – Adam Winkels Agency) is Sunday, July 19 versus Plainview at 2 p.m. Families are admitted free of charge. Kids will get the chance to get on the field.

“The events that we’re hosting this year, we’ve done for years. The guys really seem to enjoy it. Get a lot of fans to come out. We just want to have a good attitude and show everyone what Owatonna Aces baseball is about,” states Rein.

The Aces are also home Friday, July 17 against Waterville at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, July 22 hosting Hastings at 7:30 p.m.

Sports

standard