Sports

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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BP, Hayfield co-op approved

Publisher — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 23:26:39 +0000

BP, Hayfield co-op approved Publisher Tue, 07/14/2026 - 01:26

The MSHSL board has approved that Blooming Prairie and Hayfield High School will join forces as the Blooming Prairie-Hayfield co-op football team this coming fall.

Hayfield Schools Superintendent Gregg Slaathaug announced the merger with a post to Facebook around 3 p.m. on June 30.

“I wanted to share an important update regarding our football program for the upcoming school year. After many thoughtful discussions, Hayfield and Blooming Prairie have agreed to enter into a cooperative agreement for football for students in grades 7-12,” said Slaathaug in his post to the Hayfield Community Schools Facebook page.

The two teams join forces after program participation numbers have fluctuated in the past few seasons for both teams.

“The number one reason for this cooperative agreement is student safety. As participation numbers continue to fluctuate, it is our responsibility to provide a safe environment where students can compete, develop, and enjoy the game of football. Just as important, we want every student-athlete to have the opportunity to be part of a positive, competitive, and rewarding experience,” said Slaathaug.

Both teams have a storied history of going toe-to-toe on the gridiron, but Slaathaug doesn’t see the change interfering with either town’s football identity.

“I know this is a significant change, and I also know how much pride both communities have in their football traditions. Please know that this decision was not made quickly or lightly. Throughout this process, one priority remained above everything else-our students,” he said.

According to him, the co-op will last “for a minimum of two years.”

Interestingly, Blooming Prairie and Hayfield have been in a co-op for wrestling since 2019 that falls under the Westfield Razorbacks title; however, the team will choose to forego the same name to represent both towns.

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STEELE SPORTS

Publisher — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:58:48 +0000

STEELE SPORTS

Making sense of the merge

Publisher Wed, 07/08/2026 - 19:58

Johnnie Phillips, Sports Editor

News of the potential co-op between Blooming Prairie and Hayfield football spread like wildfire on social media last week when the merger was announced by Hayfield Schools Superintendent Gregg Slaathaug.

There’s no denying that any program would like to be self-sufficient without having to rely upon another town to combine for a larger player pool.

Especially not Blooming Prairie, a very passionate community that has seen the pinnacle of high school sports with a Class A state title to its name from 2019.

However, seven years later, we find the Awesome Blossoms attempting to team up with their neighbor, and longtime rival, Hayfield to make a new program that has the potential to be immediately competitive.

Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of the new co-op and what the communities could expect to see if the MSHSL approves of the union.

Instant boost

The most obvious result of the merger would be the player pool that both teams would have at their disposal.

The Awesome Blossoms have been producing consistent collegiate-level players in recent years, but the team showed a glaring weakness in the offensive and defensive lines last season.

On the other hand, the Vikings featured plenty of sizable linemen – some much larger than Blooming Prairie’s.

The co-op would be a perfect union between two programs that are missing what the other has to offer.

Plus, with likely north of 60 athletes on the roster, the program would be less reliant on two-way players, allowing for athletes to play on one side of the ball without gassing out in the second half.

Shift in identity

Mixing two teams with very different identities can be a tough transition for any coach to handle.

With the approval of the co-op still up in the air, it has not yet been made official who will coach the Blooming Prairie-Hayfield team next season.

Blooming Prairie’s Chad Gimbel would likely be the front runner with a stellar 214-83 career record and a state title to his name.

He has helped build a winning culture in his community, something that should excite Hayfield fans who have watched their team finish 12-46 in the past seven seasons.

However, expect some bumps along the road as former Vikings’ players and Awesome Blossoms alike come together to create a new culture and identity.

A team without a clear, established culture can suffer from a lack of chemistry that may make winning difficult no matter the talent the team can put on the field.

Coming together

The most exciting opportunity that the co-op would provide is for two communities just 12 miles apart to come together to win together.

Westfield wrestling has given some athletes the ability to create friendships in the winter season, but now the ability to do so in the fall will only strengthen the ties between the two towns.

Not to mention that stacking two towns worth of fans at gamedays split between both high schools’ stadiums means there will be more opportunity for money to come in at concessions and ticket sales.

Outside of the athletes, the biggest winners will undoubtedly be the schools who should benefit from doubled attendance.

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Owatonna area bowlers take on state

Publisher — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:47:21 +0000

Owatonna area bowlers take on state Publisher Wed, 07/08/2026 - 19:47

Roy Koenig, Sports Analyst

Owatonna youth bowlers Ronan Floen, Lillian Blaha, Bay Johnson. The trio will compete at the national Junior Gold Tournament in the Twin Cities July 11-18.

Several Owatonna-area youth bowlers make a short trip to the national Junior Gold Tournament in the Twin Cities July 11-18.

Lillian Blaha, an incoming high school junior, qualified at the “Survivor’s Tournament” last year. She’s determined to have a good showing. “A lot of individual practicing. Spares definitely. Working on my approach,” in addition to lessons at SpareTime Entertainment.

“I want to go on TV. So, I want to be top three. But I got to make the cut first,” said Blaha.

Owatonna coach Brianna Cooper says, “One of the huge pulls to the USBC coming to Minnesota with Junior Gold was they were floored by how many bowling centers we have in the Metro area.” Owatonna is hosting some warm-up events.

She and assistant coach Heather Blaha are both USBC-Minnesota Directors and will run aspects of the tournament, including an event that raises money for veterans’ homes across Minnesota.

Talon Priebe is back at Junior Gold. Cooper says he is proud when he improves. “Trying to increase the frames that he has either struck or spared in. I’m highly motivated by high scores and quality shots,” he said.

Priebe, entering eighth grade, follows in the footsteps of his uncle, who bowled for Owatonna High School.

Bay Johnson states, “I was really excited and happy because this is my first year qualifying.” She wants to “make more friends and to not get last.” She would love a top-10 finish.

Inspired by her grandpa to start bowling seven years ago, the sixth grader also competes during the team season and loves the atmosphere. “I think it’s nice when they give you a high-five or knucks after a strike or spare.”

Ronan Floen invites others to join. “We have good coaches. We’re welcoming and we’re nice. You don’t have to have any experience because we’re so helpful.”

She enjoys making friends and working with the coaches. In getting prepared for Junior Gold. “I practice when I can. I have ‘Kids Bowl Free.’ Practicing at home helps too. Practicing my arm swing.”

Others affiliated with Owatonna competing are rising sophomore Sam Wilson and Carter Cortez, who’s going to be a junior.

Cooper wants returners to rank higher than last year and newcomers to “experience how it feels to be in such a prestigious tournament… Have fun and make friends with all the bowlers that they’re going to meet.”

The high school co-ed season runs from August through December. The girls’ league begins in January. Watch SpareTime Entertainment’s Facebook page for details.

Even if a youth has never bowled before, joining the team “is the best place to start,” says Cooper. Equipment is provided.

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BP, Hayfield to merge football programs

Publisher — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:44:48 +0000

BP, Hayfield to merge football programs Publisher Wed, 07/08/2026 - 19:44

Johnnie Phillips, Sports Editor

Blooming Prairie’s Lukas Loverink dives for the pylon to score a touchdown against Fillmore Central in a game during the 2024 season. Blooming Prairie will co-op with Hayfield this coming fall to create the Blooming Prairie-Hayfield football team for a minimum of two seasons. Staff photo by Johnnie Phillips

Pending MSHSL board approval, Blooming Prairie and Hayfield High Schools will put their football rivalry to the side in 2026 and instead join forces as the Blooming Prairie-Hayfield co-op football team this coming fall after news of the union was made public last week.

Hayfield Schools Superintendent Gregg Slaathaug made the information public with a post to Facebook June 30.

The two teams join forces after program participation numbers have fluctuated in the past few seasons for both teams.

Both teams have a storied history of going toe-to-toe on the gridiron, but Slaathaug doesn’t see the change interfering with either town’s football identity.

More information is still to come about the co-op’s next steps.

“Many details are still being finalized, and additional information will be shared with families as those decisions are made. At this time, we can share that the cooperative agreement will include grades 7-12. Practices and games will be hosted in both communities, uniforms will be shared, and each school will continue to celebrate its own homecoming and traditions. Our team will compete as the Blooming Prairie-Hayfield Football Team,” he said.

According to Slaathaug, the co-op will last “for a minimum of two years.”

Interestingly, Blooming Prairie and Hayfield have been in a co-op for wrestling since 2016 that falls under the Westfield Razorbacks title.

A helpful boost

Blooming Prairie and Hayfield both had subpar seasons for each program’s standards in 2025, finishing a combined 3-15.

The Awesome Blossoms wrapped up last season 2-7 with the Vikings going 1-8, largely in part to both teams suffering from a plethora of injuries and small rosters.

Each side had just 32 athletes on roster, and with multiple starters playing both ways, depth quickly became an issue when injuries began popping up.

With the merger, the team should be able to field upward of 50-60 players for the 2026 season, allowing the squad to account for potential losses as well as opening new opportunities for athletes to play one side of the ball to keep fresh legs on the field.

However, the co-op does create some unknowns as well.

Blooming Prairie and Hayfield have traditionally competed against one another in the Section 1A tournament, but the combination of the two teams will leave the section missing a key competitor.

Either the MSHSL will have to find a replacement team for Section 1A, or the Blooming Prairie-Hayfield team will have to move into a new section.

On top of that, the instant boost in class and roster size with a co-op leaves the team’s Class A status up in the air as well.

Blooming Prairie has jumped up and down from Class A and AA in recent years, making a reasonable case for the co-op to be sent back up to AA with its increased pool of players.

Despite only being 12 miles apart, the Blooming Prairie and Hayfield’s programs could not be any more different in the past few decades.

The Awesome Blossoms have created a storied program under head coach Chad Gimbel and won the school its first-ever Class A state football championship in 2019.

In the years to follow, Blooming Prairie recorded six consecutive winning seasons before its streak was snapped in 2026.

During that same stretch, the Vikings have had seven straight losing seasons with a combined record of 12-46.

However, the co-op should come as a helpful boost to both teams who are looking to get back to earning wins in front of their home crowds.

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Huskies and Tigers compete at state trap

Publisher — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 14:47:50 +0000

Huskies and Tigers compete at state trap Publisher Thu, 07/02/2026 - 16:47

Roy Koenig, Sports Analyst

Owatonna’s clay target team poses for a photo at the state meet. Front row left to right: Huskies athletes Zavier Trager, Aiden Thurber, Jackson Davis, Mason Ihrke, Tori Koziolek, Hunter Theobald and Chloe Gfrerer are all smiles after competing in the two-round event. Staff photo by Roy Koenig

Owatonna and Medford clay target teams helped wrap up the high school league’s 2025-26 activities year at Friday’s state meet. The Huskies shot 471 (out of 500) for 17^th place in the 40-team field. The Tigers dusted 437 clays.

OHS senior Aiden Thurber says it takes a strong mental approach. “You have to be in the zone. You have to keep your body loose so you’re not so tense when you’re up on the line.” He was pleased with his 94/100 at Minneapolis Gun Club in Prior Lake.

Senior Tori Koziolek likes how teammates supported each other all season. “I think we did pretty good. There were good vibes today.” She matched her score of 94 from the qualifying tournament at Alexandria on June 23.

Coach Mike Kingland believes the team performed well. “Got to be proud just to get here. There’s 300-some schools that are sitting home and we’re here shooting. So, it’s a good day.”

Hunter Theobald, a senior, says it’s tough for the season to end. “It’s a little bittersweet. I’m still planning on shooting outside of high school. Looking forward to next stages of life. It’s pretty sad to finally be done with high school sports.”

Senior Mason Ihrke enjoyed his experience. “We got to keep coming here. We have a pretty good team overall. And I think we have it for next year too (for the returners). We’re one of the bigger (teams) in the state.”

Ihrke scored 97 in the individual tournament (36^th place). Junior Jackson Davis, shooting individually for the second straight year, shot 96 for 38^th.

Davis was happy to see the team return to state for the second time in four years. “I’ve got a lot of friends that are seniors. So, I’m glad that most of them got to come up here and shoot in their last year.”

“I’m super proud of the kids,” stated Kingland. “We have 23 seniors. It’ll be a big deal to replace them moving forward.” A small group of incoming seniors is followed by a large soon-to-be junior class and other younger sharp shooters. “We got stuff in the pipeline coming up. Now they just need to make that jump to be consistent.”

Owatonna team scores: Davis 96, Ihrke 96, Koziolek 94, Thurber 94, Theobald 91. Alternates were Chloe Gfrerer and Zavier Trager.

Tigers back at state

Medford’s Reid Wildgrube loved seeing how the squad came together with fellow senior Jose Flores. “As all small school sports, you have really good groups. They mentor in the next guys. The three others on the squad are very young. We’ve got a junior (Blake Cammock), a sophomore (Mason Witter), and a freshman (Elliot Jones).”

They shot better in their second round. “Getting a lot of the nerves out in the first round. Taking that hour-long break, watching everyone else shoot and say, hey, we got this.” Wildgrube shot 97 in team and individual competition, finishing 26^th after tiebreakers. Witter (94) and Cammock (90) also shot during the solo tournament.

Tigers coach Tim Larson says consistency is what led them back to state for the first time in 10 years. “These guys this year really pushed through, and all kept working and challenging each other. That was the other side.”

Larson said their focus was performing well at the qualifying meet. “They wanted to top out or be toward the top in the Alexandria division because we’re shooting against like-numbered kids and teams.”

Medford shot as a Class A team during the season. On Friday all nine classes competed for one state championship, which was won by Bemidji with 487. Trap teams are grouped together based on their roster, not school enrollment. OHS is Class AAAAAAAAA.

Alternates were Brenden Mueller and Kai Quast. The Tigers won their regular season conference title in trap and skeet and finished third in Alexandria in trap.

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SPORTS WRAP

Publisher — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 15:31:53 +0000

SPORTS WRAP

Fink gets his hands on the Cup

Publisher Wed, 07/01/2026 - 17:31

Roy Koenig, Sports Analyst

If the Stanley Cup parade doesn’t come to you, you could go to it. An Owatonna family rode in the Carolina Hurricanes championship celebration on June 20.

Eric Fink, a scout for the team, with his wife Beth and sons Max and Zac, appeared on the hockey operations float. Thirteen-year-old Max said, “It was pretty crazy because there were like 100,000 people there and they’re all cheering for us.” He realizes fans don’t likely know who the scouts are, let alone their families.

Zac helped fire up the crowd. “I saw a couple of signs that said, ‘Tarps Off’ so I just took off my shirt and went crazy.” After asking dad, “You got to get the parents’ approval.”

Eric and Beth were at the Game Six clincher in Las Vegas with Eric on the ice for some post-game festivities.

The boys were told they were going to Raleigh, North Carolina, not knowing they would be in the parade, says 11-year-old Zac. “They just said we’re going to it. Then a couple days after, my mom (said each scout) can only take one person on the parade float. And then some other scouts let us go.”

Eric says they had a blast even in the staging area. “They got to see all the players. The Stanley Cup was there. So, we were able to get a picture with the cup with all of us. They got a bunch of autographs.”

Beth called it a “whirlwind of a week” but was happy to see Eric “be rewarded for all the hard work and time” he puts in.

Eric says winning is special. “Amazing. That’s what everybody wants to do. As a hockey player or coach or scout.”

He’s been with the team since 2019. “I love it. The organization is great to work for. The people are great.” He generally scouts in the upper Midwest but travels internationally on occasion.

The boys are both involved in multiple sports but say hockey is their favorite. Each has his own superstition. Zac touched the Cup, “I just remembered right after to knock on wood because I didn’t want to jinx myself.”

Max stumbled onto his own strategy of just watching the end of each playoff game. “The first couple of times I could only watch the third period because I didn’t make it (home in time). I had practice. Then they won the first series. So, then I just kept doing it.”

New OHS softball coach

Abby Olson is excited for her next challenge. She is the new Owatonna varsity softball coach after eight seasons heading the JV program.

Her coaching inspiration is “being with kids. Ranging from the age of five to 18, I have been with them all. Being a teacher at the middle school, I’ve found my passion of being with kids.

“Being quirky with kids and building relationships with kids and teaching them life skills on and off the field, have given me the opportunity to give back what my coaches gave to me.

“It’s bringing that positive, productive culture where teenage girls work together. And when they can work together there’s so much beauty on and off the field, the memories that last a lifetime as well as the amazing plays they can do for each other,” said Olson.

The Huskies graduated two seniors and will bring back a group of talented players with a great work ethic according to Olson.

She wants to keep opposing teams guessing. “Organized chaos is what I always feel like my mentality and philosophy of coaching has to be. There was a time where I was playing against a coach up in the Twin Cities and they threw their clipboard and said, I have no clue what she’s going to do next.”

Herself a three-sport athlete at Blue Earth Area High School who went on so play softball at St. Cloud State University, Olson encourages players to be involved in multiple activities. “Can you be a good student? Can you be a good teammate? Can you manage the different sports that you’re involved in, while still maintaining the rest of your life together? And if you can do that, that’s a beautiful thing.”

Jeremy Moran coached the Huskies the last eight seasons.

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