MAURIE DAIGNEAU: COACHES WERE FATHER FIGURES TO ALL-BIG TEN NORTHWESTERN QB FROM ROCHESTER
May 15, 2024 “My mother would say I was playing with a ball as soon as I could walk,” says Maurice “Maurie” Daigneau, born in Rochester, Minnesota, in 1950. “I loved sports, and I was successful at them. It formed an identity…
KATHYRN MILES JOHNSON: FIND THE BEST FIT
May 9, 2024 “I always had an interest in sports, which is a bit odd because no one else in my family did,” Kathryn Miles Johnson says of lifetime participation in sports. Born in Nova Scotia in 1978, Kathryn, her sister, Elizabeth,…
LISA BROWN: GUSTAVUS ATHLETE COMPETED IN THE US OLYMPIC JAVELIN TRIALS
May 1, 2024 A young woman from the small town of Lake Crystal, Minnesota (population 2,500), 13 miles southwest of Mankato was competing with the country’s best javelin throwers in 2008 at the US Olympic Trials at historic Hayward Field in Eugene,…
MIAC Athletes in Major League Baseball
April 16, 2024 Like the previously posted article on Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) athletes who played in the NFL, this story will feature only athletes from the 13 Minnesota liberal arts colleges—plus St. Thomas—who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) since…
MIKE PALMQUIST: FORTUNATE TO BE PART OF MINNESOTA RUNNING SCENE
April 11, 2024 An energetic 4th-grade kid living in Hibbing, Mike Palmquist, born in 1957, says, “I just started running around the school, a four-block area, and I’d feel better.” It was the start of an illustrious running career for the oldest…
Minnesota Athletes Celebration Recap
April 8, 2024 A rapt audience of about 60 people appreciated the presentation of 9 Minnesota athletes at the Braemar Golf Club in Edina on Sunday. Each speaker included teachers, coaches, and teammates who were instrumental in their athletic journey and how…
STEVE HULS: BLEEDING MAROON & GOLD—EVEN THE FAMILY DOG IS NAMED “GOLDY”
With two parents as teachers, education is bound to be a priority for their children. Steve Huls, born in 1974, of Cold Spring, Minnesota, and his older siblings, Russ and Tracey, were the fortunate recipients of that powerful pull from parents…
TWO MINNESOTA RUNNERS COMPETE IN U 20 WORLD CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
March 29, 20234 2022 Minnesota state cross country champion Aidan Jones of Minneapolis Washburn and 2021 runner-up Noah Breker of Robbinsdale Armstrong competed at the U20 World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, earlier today in a meet dominated by Kenyan and…
Henry Boucha Was at the First Minnesota Athletes Celebration, This Time Olympic Teammate Craig Sarner Will Be Present
March 27, 2024 Friend Connie DeGrote sent a reminder the premiere of “The Electric Indian,” featuring hockey star Henry Boucha was scheduled to be televised on Twin Cities Public Television last night. It was eight years ago when the Warroad, Minnesota native…
AARON BANKS: OLYMPIC TRIALS FINALIST LOVES HISTORY OF SHOT PUT, DISCUS THROWING
Aaron Banks will be one of the featured presenters at the Minnesota Athletes Celebration on Sunday, April 7th, at the Braemar Golf Club in Edina, from noon to 3:00 p.m. The public is warmly invited. Please call 507-301-4369 or write to pakkem@charter.net…
CHARI NORDGAARD KNUEPPEL: FAMILY WITH ATHLETIC HISTORY, FUTURE ENCOURAGES OTHERS TO SET GOALS AND WORK AT THEM EVERY DAY
March 19, 2024 With a family history chock-full of athletic achievements, Chari Nordgaard Knueppel and her family had another highlight earlier this month with the announcement that their son, Kon II, had been named the recipient of the Wisconsin Mr. Basketball Award. …
TINA KAMPA: COLLEGE OF ST. BENEDICT WAS RIGHT ENVIRONMENT FOR TWO-SPORT ATHLETE
March 12, 2024 “I was an active child. Anything that involved being outside and moving around me happy,” says volleyball and basketball College of St. Benedict’s (CSB) Hall of Fame athlete Tina Kampa of her childhood. The oldest of four children of…
LEAH YAVAROW: MINDFUL CURLER
March 6, 2024 “I started curling like most people do—as a family sport,” says Leah Yavarow of her introduction to the sport. Born in 2001 to parents Mike, a firefighter, and Carrie, a registered nurse, in Bemidji, Minnesota, Leah began curling at…
GREG BOONE: MAN OF “A LOT OF LAYERS” IS ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY SERVICE
February 27, 2024 This is the first in a 2024 series of stories on Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) athletes. Woven throughout the layered life of Greg Boone, a basketball star at Minneapolis Central and Augsburg University, has been dedication to community. …
LEN LILYHOLM: ARCHITECT REALIZED OLYMPIC HOCKEY GOAL
February 21, 2024 A 1959 Robbinsdale High School Robins graduate, Len Lilyholm has fond memories of his high school years, the most cherished meeting his future wife, Carol Rivers. Len captained football, hockey, and track and field teams, where talented athletes abounded.…
ROSIE FRANKOWSKI: CELEBRATE WINTER WITH A SPORT THAT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER
February 15, 2024 “I had an interesting mix in my childhood,” says Rosie Frankowski, born in 1991, referring to her experience living in Minneapolis near Southwest High School during the academic year and at Lake Caribou a few miles from Lutsen, Minnesota…
MIAC ATHLETES WHO PLAYED PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL SINCE 1960
February 8, 2024 With Saint John’s University of Collegeville, Minnesota, graduate Ben Bartch, a 4th round NFL draft pick in 2020, on the roster of the Super Bowl-bound San Francisco 49ers as a reserve offensive lineman, Minnesota sports fans may wonder how…
2024 US Curling Championships Have Robust Minnesota Representation
February 6, 2024 Minnesota’s once dominant representation in ice hockey and speedskating at the Winter Olympics has diminished with the advent of artificial ice. But the composition of US Olympic curling teams with Minnesota ties has been prevalent, highlighted by the Cinderella…
Woohoo! Minnesota Woman Qualifies for Olympics as Dakotah Lindwurm takes 3rd! Reed Fischer 9th in Men’s Olympic Marathon Trials
February 3, 2024 Originally scheduled to start at noon, the US Olympic Marathon Trials were thankfully moved ahead two hours due to heat and humidity concerns expressed by the runners. With a gun-start after 10:00 in Orlando, Florida, at 54° F and…
RYLEE STREIFEL: PRIOR LAKE WRESTLER WAS IN SPOTLIGHT AT 2016 US WORLD WRESTLING JUNIOR FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN LAS VEGAS
January 30, 2024 Enjoying life in rural Prior Lake as the youngest child of Pat and Pam Streifel, Rylee has fond memories, saying, “My parents encouraged us to play and be outdoors. It created a great relationship with my siblings as we…
AARON BUZARD: IT’S LESS ABOUT THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND MORE ABOUT THE PEOPLE
January 23, 2024 Football took a backseat to track for a fleet runner attending Rochester Mayo High School as Aaron Buzard (pronounced Buz∙ard, like the bird) kept breaking time barriers in his pursuit of excellence in the sport. Aaron was born in…
PEG BRENDEN: HISTORIC ROLE IN MINNESOTA WOMEN’S ATHLETICS—THE STATUS QUO SOMETIMES NEEDS TO BE CHALLENGED
January 11, 2022 In 1971, Peg Brenden, an athletic tennis player from St. Cloud, wrote a letter to the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union (MCLU) with the encouragement of her sister, Sandy, and her boyfriend at the time (now husband), Jim. Peg…
CRAIG SARNER: 1972 OLYMPICS WERE ALL A HIGHLIGHT TO HOCKEY SILVER MEDALIST
January 16, 2024 “It was heaven back then,” says Craig Sarner describing his play outdoors as a child. “You’d leave the house at eight o’clock and come back at five o’ clock. The neighborhood had a lot of kids, and we would…
US U-18 Women’s Hockey Team Wins Gold in World Championships
January 14, 2023 Young Minnesota women hockey athletes as young as 15 years old winning a gold medal at the U-18 World Championships showed a promising future to fans following the enthralling success of Minnesota’s Professional Hockey League with 13,316 in attendance…
Minnesota Athletes Vital to Growth and Success in Nordic Skiing
January 12, 2024 While the lack of snow has curtailed cross country skiing in Minnesota this winter, the World Cup championship races in Europe have a strong dose of Minnesota participation and history. Jessie Diggins continues to amaze; the 5’ 4” Afton,…
JOHN LONG: TWO-TIME BADGER CROSS COUNTRY CAPTAIN NOW OWNS RUNNING STORE STARTED BY STEVE HOAG
February 26, 2022 Genetics may have a lot to do with the running success of John Long, but it was a BMX accident that got him started in the sport. The son of an Irish immigrant who won the 1957 Guinness…
Minnesota Athletes on the Minnesota Professional Women’s Hockey League Team
January 8, 2024 Minnesota’s Professional Women’s Hockey Leaguewon both its opener, 3-2vs Boston, and its home opener, a 3-0 victory powered by Grace Zumwinkle’s hat trick. The shutout over Montreal by Maddie Rooney was played at the Xcel Center in St. Paul…
KARIE PLOOF TUTTLE: PROGRESSIONS
April 6, 2022 M Club Hall of Fame member and All-American gymnast Karie Ploof, born in 1961, is the second of four children born to Jack and Janice Ploof of Shakopee, Minnesota, when few schools had gymnastics teams. She describes her advancements…
2024 Qualifiers for the US Olympic Men’s Marathon Trials with Minnesota Connections
January 3, 2024 To run in the 2024 US Olympic Marathon Trials men’s division in Orlando, Florida on February 3rd, a time of 2:18:00 (or 1:03 in the half-marathon) or faster must have been recorded in the past two years (one year…
US Olympic Marathon Trials: Women Qualifiers with Minnesota Connections
January 1, 2024 To run in the 2024 US Olympic Marathon Trials women’s division in Orlando, Florida on February 3rd, a time of 2:37:00 (or 1:12 in the half-marathon) or faster must have been recorded in the past two years (one year…
DONNA GATHJE MUELLER: SUPPORT YOUR TEAM, SUPPORT YOUR COACH
April 26, 2022 Donna Gathje (pronounced get-key) believes she was blessed with great support and coaches. Today, she promotes the healthy benefits of running and encourages the families of runners to support runners and their coaches. The Gathje family of Rochester, Minnesota,…
COURTNEY GEORGE BENSON: CURLING IS A WONDERFUL, ACCEPTING COMMUNITY
February 3, 2022 “Curlers are the best,” Olympian Courtney George Benson says of her fellow players. “My life wouldn’t be the same if I hadn’t curled. It’s a special sport and developed me a lot as a person.” Curling has…
AARON BARTNIK AND CARLI SCHULZ BARTNIK: NOW HAVING A DIFFERENT APPRECIATION OF WHAT RUNNING HAS BROUGHT TO THEIR LIVES
March 2, 2022 Eden Prairie cross country, nordic skiing, and track and field athletes Aaron Bartnik and Carli Schulz connected through their community school and sports and are now married. The pair have many similarities: they both first competed in soccer,…
DIANE SCOVILL: DID YOU KNOW YOU WERE ON THE VOLLEYBALL TEAM?
May 4, 2022 A recipient of a Special Merit Award at the 2017 Minnesota Girls and Women in Sport Day, Diane Scovill has been a longtime physical education and health educator at Minneapolis Community and Technical College who has witnessed and promoted…
DECEMBER SPOTLIGHT ON MINNESOTA RUNNERS
December 18, 2023 Major running competitions are still happening in December and Minnesota runners are continuing their strong tradition by performing well. In the National Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, the Minnesota Distance Elite team was runner-up to the San…
MIKE AND TAMMI CHEEVER: ATHLETIC MINNEAPOLIS FAMILY MOST PROUD OF KIDS WITH BIG HEARTS
December 11, 2023 While Mike and Tammi (Wermers) Cheever had their own achievements in running, they quickly deflect to the successes of their children, Jamie and Dylan, in athletics and their contributions to society, saying their children “have big hearts.” Growing up…
JOHN MAYASICH, DICK MEREDITH, AND JACK MCCARTAN: 1960 OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALISTS AND OTHER HOCKEY LEGENDS
December 7, 2023 It was a Who’s Who gathering of hockey players at Olympic Hills Golf Club on Wednesday, December 6, 2023. Stanley Cup rings adorned the hands of Ed Thomlinson, a scout for the New Jersey Devils during their three championship…
MARGARET CHUTICH: IN TENNIS OR SERVING AS A JUDICIAL OFFICER, PRACTICE MAKES YOU BETTER
December 4, 2023 Minnesota State Supreme Court Justice Margaret Chutich (pronounced Chū∙tich) speaks positively about her childhood, career, and life. “I am grateful for opportunities at Anoka High School—they were forward-thinking. I was on the cusp as girls’ sports were blooming,” she…
JULIANNE VASICHEK: LIVER TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT SAYS ENERGY IS THERE AGAIN
November 28, 2023 “A constant in my life is to make myself uncomfortable,” says Julianne Vasichek, the head coach of the women’s hockey team at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota. “Whether it was playing with elite athletes, expanding the…
HOCKEY LORE AT LUNCH
November 18, 2023 An invitation from Dave Metzen to meet a group of 1960s hockey players at Tom Reid’s Hockey City Pub in St. Paul was eagerly accepted and had not a disappointing moment. From Carl Wetzel’s proclamation that there was an…
MIKE GEBEKE: 1979 WHITE BEAR LAKE STATE TRACK CHAMPION BECAME PART OF GRIAK SNOTTY NOSE TOUGH TEAMS AT U OF MN AND COMPETED INTERNATIONALLY
November 17, 2023 The oldest of five athletic children, Mike Gebeke (pronounced Gĕb∙key) was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1961, and moved to White Bear Lake, Minnesota, as a preschool-aged child. Parents Chuck, a mechanical engineer at 3M, and Renee, an…
PEGGY CLASEN: THREE-TIME OLYMPIAN STILL LOVING THE ICE
November 13, 2023 Minnesota athletes have a rich history in Olympic speedskating with several members of the Midway Speedskating Club in St. Paul among those competing on the international stage. Peggy Clasen, born in St. Paul in 1969 and growing up in…
2023 STATE CROSS COUNTRY MEET: WAYZATA TEAMS TRIUMPH; 8TH GRADE BOY 6TH IN CLASS A
November 4, 2023 The Minnesota state cross country meet returned to the Les Bolstad Golf Course at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul after being hosted by St. Olaf College in Northfield for three decades. A sports enthusiast is always rewarded…
JENNIE FRIEDRICH (LAHR): YOU CAN CONTROL YOUR OWN ATTITUDE AND YOUR OWN EFFORT
November 1, 2023 “Looking back, I didn’t realize how big a role athletics would play in my life,” says Jennie (Lahr) Friedrich, an All-American cross country and track runner at Northern Michigan University (NMU) in Marquette, Michigan. “There are only two things…
MIAC 2023 CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS BOTH FROM NORTHFIELD
October 28, 2023 Minnesota’s running scene is fortunate to have high-caliber meets and runners such as the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC)—they have never disappointed cross country fans. There were a host of repeats at the 2023 MIAC Cross Country Championships in…
JON HOESE: WACONIA AND COLOGNE BANKER STROVE TO BE AS VALUABLE AND VERSATILE AS POSSIBLE AS GOPHER FOOTBALL PLAYER
March 22, 2022 Born on Independence Day in 1989, Jon Hoese was the youngest of three children raised on a generational farm north of Glencoe, a town of 5,700 people 55 miles west of Minneapolis. His parents, Terry and Sharon, and life…
AMANDA ANDERSON SCHOENING: ST. FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL THROWER PROMOTES MANY PURPOSES OF SPORT AS COACH AT ALMA MATER
October 17, 2023 Located 40 miles north of Minneapolis, St. Francis is a city of 8,000 residents straddling Anoka and Isanti Counties on the Rum River. As the hometown of 2016 rhythmic gymnastics Olympian Kiana Eide, Olympic Trials marathon qualifier Dakotah Lindwurm…
CHICAGO MARATHON HAS MINNESOTA HIGHLIGHTS
October 8, 2023 This morning proved that breaking two hours in the marathon is not far in the future as Kevin Kliptum of Kenya completed the Chicago Marathon is an astonishing 2:00:35, with a negative split! The highlights for the Minnesota running…
V3 SPORTS IN NORTH MINNEAPOLIS: A WHOLE COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE
October 5, 2023 There was an air of excitement and pride in North Minneapolis yesterday as residents, dignitaries and visitors toured the construction of the highly anticipated V3 Center at the intersection of Lyndale and Plymouth Avenues. The area lost its only…
Some Upbeat Stories Amid Cancellation of All Twins Cities Marathon Events
October 1, 2023 With the cancellation of all of the running events connected with the Twin Cities Marathon today, perhaps some updates on recent runs will be of interest to the running community. Pictured below are some inspiring runners, too. At the…
BOB WAGNER: RAN FOR COACH GRIAK AT ST. LOUIS PARK HIGH SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
September 27, 2023 “I was one lucky athlete to end up in St. Louis Park,” is how Bob “Wags” Wagner, born in 1946, describes his family’s move from Charles City, Iowa, to the Minneapolis western suburb when he was in 9th grade. …
RUNNING AND HOCKEY: AT THE GRIAK INVITE AND AT TPT ALMANAC DISCUSSING HENRY BOUCHA
September 23, 2023 Attending the Griak Invite, the large, elite cross country race hosted at the Les Bolstand Golf Course on the University of Minnesota campus in St. Paul, is always rewarded with exceptional performances with California Baptist University leading the field.…
Henry Boucha: Bimiiwinitisowin Omaa Aiding
September 19, 2023 It was announced today that Olympian and Minnesota hockey legend Henry Boucha passed away at age 72. The following story was featured in the published book Minnesota Gold. Once ignoring his Ojibwe heritage because “It was not cool,” Henry…
MALIK RUCKER: PRODUCT OF NORTH MINNEAPOLIS ORGANIZATIONS NOW GIVING BACK THROUGH V3 SPORTS
September 13, 2023 Utilizing programs available such as Oak Park Neighborhood Center, Malik Rucker, born in 1995, says, “I am a product of North Minneapolis organizations.” These positive experiences have led Malik to “give back” in his professional life to Big Brothers…
Gabriele Anderson Grunewald: Fighter
September 9, 2023 Today the sixth running of the Brave Like Gabe 5k and Gabe’s life were celebrated. Among the family members, I met Gabe’s father, Kim Anderson, and brother Caleb Anderson, both physical therapists. The Anderson family is from Perham, Minnesota,…
Jerry Feldhausen and Tom Barry: Difference Makers
September 4, 2023 Growing up on a Minnesota dairy farm, I doubted I would ever have the opportunity to be part of an athletic team or benefit from coaching. Thankfully, my life has been enriched by having both. A patient coach starting…
KATIE BRUST: BURSTING WITH CREATIVITY
August 30, 2023 Katie Brust radiates energy, joy, and creativity. She enthusiastically shares her history in alpine skiing, fishing, running, art, trap shooting, student government, and love of family and travel. And for only being 23 years old, she has a lot…
JENNY RYAN: LOVING IT IN MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN
August 25, 2023 “I get home to visit my parents in Burnsville often,” says Jenny Ryan, head coach of the Northern Michigan University (NMU) women’s cross country and track and field teams. “I also have two siblings in the area and see…
Amy Peterson Peck: : EXPERIENCING JOY BOTH FROM THE URBAN LIFE OF THE EAST SIDE OF ST PAUL TO A 1,000 MILK-COW DAIRY FARM IN UPSTATE NEW YORK
August 12, 2023 A five-time Olympian and three-time Olympic medalist, Amy Peterson Peck of St. Paul and Maplewood, is now the mother of four boys who lives on a large dairy farm in a scenic area of upstate New York called Schuylerville.…
Scott Wopata: From 0 to 100
August 7, 2023 Usually the phrase “0 to 100” refers to miles per hour in a motorized vehicle. But in the case of Scott Wopata, it means running mileage which started one day in 2021 to the Cascade Crest 100 mile run…
Adam Frye: From the Gateway of the Bluff Country to the Crest of the Cascades
August 3, 2023 A native of Chatfield in the Bluff Country of southeastern Minnesota, Adam Frye was introduced to running as a youth of five or six years of age when he ran a mile race at Planview Corn on the Cob…
RYAN LAMPPA: 1977 STATE TRACK 440-YARD DASH 1-2 FINISH BY SMALL-COMMUNITY BENSON RUNNERS UNDER 50 SECONDS IS PRETTY AMAZING
July 25, 2023 “I had an idyllic childhood,” says Ryan Lamppa of life in the small Minnesota communities of Blackduck and Benson (located 125 miles west of Minneapolis and serves as the county seat of Swift County). The fifth of six children…
MATT HAUGEN: AS MUCH AS I LOVE RACING, I WOULD RATHER WATCH MY TEAM RACE
July 19, 2023 A lightly recruited runner who became an All-American at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, Matt Haugen says, “I was so hungry after not making the state meets in high school, I had a burning will to improve myself…
DANNY DOCHERTY: PEOPLE FROM OTHER STATES RECOGNIZE MINNESOTA’S INCREDIBLE RUNNING COMMUNITY
July 11, 2023 The second oldest of four children from a running-oriented St. Paul family, Danny Docherty, born in 1989, says, “It’s fun seeing what you can do. You learn over time the specifics of training. I am trying to continue to…
LEA B. OLSEN: CAME TO ORGANIZED SPORTS ORGANICALLY
July 3, 2023 It’s surprising to learn that sports broadcaster and former University of Minnesota (U of MN) basketball player Lea B. Olsen only began playing organized basketball as a junior at Minneapolis South High School. Born in 1968 as Lea Bergin,…
PART 2 OF A 2-PART SERIES: NEW BRIGHTON WINS IN 1999; ROCHESTER CLAIMS NATIONAL TITLE IN 2003; AND EDEN PRAIRIE CAPTURES CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2011
June 28, 2023 Following a gap of 40 years between American Legion World Series Championships from 1943 when Richfield Post 435 was the first Minnesota team to win to a thrilling victory for Edina Post 471 in 1983, it was a briefer…
PART 1 OF A 2-PART SERIES AMERICAN LEGION WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS FROM MINNESOTA: RICHFIELD IN 1943; EDINA IN 1983
June 26, 2023 In honor of Joe Ryan (a 2020 Olympian who won a game for the silver medal-winning American team) pitching the first complete game by a Twins’ pitcher in FIVE years, this story is the first part of a two-part…
MADDIE VAN BEEK: MEMORABLE RUNS INCLUDE FIRST STEEPLECHASE RACE AND RUNNING THREE MILES CRADLING RESCUED KITTEN
While Maddie McClellan Van Beek has a history of being an introvert, she wants the world to know she is an animal lover. On a memorable run on a gravel road near Hawley, Minnesota with friend Erin Teschuck—a future Canadian steeplechase Olympian—Maddie…
ZAK KETTERSON: 2-TIME STATE NORDIC SKI CHAMPION ON WINNING WORLD CUP MIXED RELAY GOLD MEDAL TEAM WITH JESSIE DIGGINS
June 6, 2023 “We were a very active family,” says Zak Ketterson of his youthful years in Bloomington, Minnesota. “We were always hiking or biking on trips.” The younger son of Jim and Brigette (Breuer) Ketterson is proof that endurance is apparently…
SARAH RENK THORSETT: 1500 METER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RUNNER FROM WINONA NOW ASKS KIDS SHE COACHES, “WHO DO YOU WANT TO BE?”
May 30, 2023 Growing up in an athletic family of seven children in Winona, Minnesota, a Mississippi River city 40 miles east of the renowned medical city of Rochester, Sarah Renk says, “My first love was basketball. I liked shooting hoops in…
TIM MCINTOSH: LONG-TIME MEMBER OF BASEBALL’S BROTHERHOOD, NOW FOCUSING ON BEING A MINNESOTA REALTOR
January 4, 2022 Tim McIntosh has a lot of stories to share. Born in 1965, Tim reminisces about his childhood, saying, “Brooklyn Center was a great place to grow up. We rode our bikes everywhere.” Tim had an older sister, Tamara, an…
SAM STEIDL: SMALLER TOWN MINNESOTA KID WHO LOVES EVERYTHING MINNESOTA HAS TO OFFER HAD CAREER .363 BATTING AVERAGE FOR GOPHERS
May 23, 2023 Only half-jokingly, Sam Steidl warns his four young children that if they want any financial aid for their college education, their chances to receive it are better if they attend the University of Minnesota (U of MN) and cheer…
EMI TROST: RUNNER-UP FINISHES MOTIVATED RURAL CANNON FALLS/GOODHUE ATHLETE TO STATE AND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
It may not be “far-fetched” to say Emi Trost got her start in running by fetching tools for her father, Tim, when he was in the field. Born in 1995, Emi and her three younger brothers, Karl, Dan, and Aaron loved country…
MARISSA JANNING MURPHY: 18-LETTERWINNER AT WATERTOWN-MAYER BECAME BIG EAST BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR AT CREIGHTON
May 16, 2023 If ever there is someone in sport to personify the term multi-sport athlete, Marissa Janning fits the bill. Here is a sampling: swimming, wrestling (until 4th grade), football (until 5th grade), softball, cross country, volleyball, basketball, track, and, most…
AUSTIN MALINOWSKI: LEFTY TWINS’ DRAFTEE NOW A MILWAUKEE LAWYER
May 9, 2023 “We were always active,” Austin Malinowski, a former professional baseball pitcher says of himself and his four brothers. “We were always involved in a game. It was controlled chaos.” Like their father, Jim, a chef, the Malinowski brothers were…
Billy Soule: YEARS AS A BASEBALL TROJAN AND GOPHER HAVE BEEN A “TRIP”
December 7, 2021 “I was probably the easiest recruit in Gopher baseball history,” says the former Gopher ball boy and bat boy. Learning Billy Soule’s personal history makes that a believable declaration. Born in St. Louis Park in 1990 and raised in…
JILL STEINBACH MICHEL: ENCOURAGE ATHLETES TO BE MULTI-SPORT
May 2, 2023 A three-sport athlete at Wayzata (a western suburb of Minneapolis) High School, Jill Steinbach Michel says, “From an athletic training standpoint, there are far lower rates of injuries, physiological reasons, a mental break, and more exposure to teammates and…
COOL, WET SPRING STILL SHOWS IMPRESSIVE ROAD, MOUNTAIN RACE RESULTS
May 1, 2023 April’s wildly varying weather may have curtailed training, but Minnesota’s distance runners continue to forge ahead. Conditions were even worse at the USATF Mountain Running Championships in New Hampshire for Tom Sederquist of Duluth who finished as the 21st…
Cassie Kimes (Busse) NEWEST M CLUB HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE HAD SPECIAL LAST TIME WITH TEAMMATES IN RUN TO 2003 NCAA VOLLEYBALL FINAL FOUR
November 29, 2021 Born during a 1982 snowstorm, future national volleyball team member Cassie Busse grew up on a 100-acre farm which raised ostriches among other animals near Prior Lake, Minnesota. One of three children, Cassie has fond memories of “running all…
PAYTON OTTERDAHL: 2020 OLYMPIC SHOT PUTTER FROM ROSEMOUNT HAS A MENAGERIE OF PETS
As a kid, Payton Otterdahl reveled in walking along streams or Lake Superior on the North Shore by the family cabin near Schroeder (about 80 miles north of Duluth), Minnesota. “I’d spend my entire time flipping over rocks and catching salamanders, snakes,…
ALICIA RUE PIERSKALLA: JUNIOR PAN AM POLE VAULT GOLD MEDALIST FELT THE CULTURE OF TRACK AND FIELD IN SÃO PAULO
April 18, 2023 “I wanted to copy everything my older sister, Jennifer, did,” says Alicia Rue Pierskalla while recounting her start in athletics, “and she was in gymnastics. I started at age two or three.” The younger daughter of Mark and Maureen…
GARY ALM: BROTHERS AND GOPHER TEAM WENT ON GUTS AND HUSTLE
April 13, 2023 With a broad smile and sparkling eyes, Gary Alm is in his element and he shares stories about his hockey career as a player and official. “It was just so much fun!” he declares of time spent playing hockey…
CASSIE (JOHNSON) POTTER: STARTING AT HISTORIC BEMIDJI CURLING CLUB, NOW WORKING AT THE MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
With a strong family history in curling and living in the sport’s hotbed community of Bemidji, Minnesota, Cassie (Johnson) Potter, began curling at about the age of five or six. Her parents, Tim Johnson, a press board operator,a press board operator, and…
BILL ISRAELSON: BAREFOOT 10-YEAR-OLD CADDIED FOR GEORGE MIKAN, USED $15 TIP ON BASEBALL SPIKES
“Bemidji had a great sports culture and was a great place to grow up,” says Bill Israelson before rattling off name after name of high-achieving athletes who competed for the Bemidji High School Lumberjacks which has had more state boys’ golf appearances…
TOM MULSO: 1970 SINGLE-CLASS BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FOR SHERBURN WAS HISTORIC, LIFE-CHANGING
March 27, 2023 With the conclusion of the Minnesota State High School League basketball tournaments and the NCAA Division I championships winnowed to eight teams; it is natural to reflect on past tournaments. “Mulso Powers Sherburn to Title,” was the Minneapolis Tribune…
WRESTLING RECORDS
March 22, 2023 More than most sports, wrestling is often a family and community trademark. Followers of the flourishing history of Minnesota wrestling will recognize the family name and associated school: Bullerman-Adrian; Merritt-Canby; Paulson-Anoka; Hansen and Jean-Albert Lea; Kingsley and Steveson-Apple Valley;…
NYC HALF MARATHON RESULTS: BOTH DAKOTAH LINDWURM AND ANNIE FRISBIE FINISH IN PRIZE MONEY
March 20, 2023 A previous post mentioned the continuing success and exploits of Minnesota Distance Elite runners Dakotah Lindwurm and Annie Frisbie who were competing today in the New York City Half Marathon. Daktotah finished 6th in the women’s division, edging 2016…
DAVE METZEN: A CONVERSATION WITH A SOUTH ST. PAUL ATHLETE AND EDUCATOR
March 15, 2023 “Be careful what you write,” are the light-hearted parting words of a chuckling Dave Metzen following a 90-minute conversation. Dave has both a storied career in athletics, educational leadership, and community service and a potential career in storytelling. An…
THREE MINNESOTA WOMEN PLACE IN TOP TEN AT USATF 15K CHAMPIONSHIPS
Heat and humidity created challenging conditions for Minnesota runners at last week’s USATF 15K Championships in Jacksonville, Florida. Nevertheless, 27-year-old former hockey goalie Dakotah Lindwurm (originally from St. Francis, Minnesota) stuck with the pack chasing Olympian Emily Sisson, eventually claiming 4th place…
SKI JUMPING: IT’S FLYING LIKE SUPERMAN WITHOUT THE CAPE
October 7, 2021 Ski jumpers are adventure seekers as the quote above by 1980 Olympian Jim Grahek (Ely) indicates. To a casual observer like myself, they are fearless while other people might question their sanity. The US Ski Jumping Hall of Fame…
TOM SEDERQUIST: PUSHING LIMITS—WITH NO GUTS?!?!
March 7, 2023 A gung-ho runner with a penchant for adventure sports, Tom Sederquist oozes energy. Now an analyst for Cirrus Aircraft in Duluth and distance coach at UW Superior, Tom does it all—literally—with no guts. The oldest of three sons of…
EMMA LEE: ATHLETES WHO HAVE THE ABILITY TO SEE THE BIG PICTURE SEEM TO HAVE MORE SUCCESS
An Olympic Trials marathon qualifier who was an All-American in three sports and currently a postdoctoral fellow who clearly has had athletic and academic success, Emma Lee appreciates people who see the big picture. Born in 1991 and raised in St. Anthony…
TONY SCHILLER: CHASING PEOPLE I ADMIRED
Celebrating movement—and practicing it—has been a big part of Tony Schiller’s life as a triathlete and advocate for enjoying the outdoors and nature through exercise. Born in 1958, the middle child of 11 children who grew up in the St. Paul central…
TODD BOONSTRA: LOVING THE ALASKA LIFE; SEWARD’S SWIMMING SENSATION, LYDIA JACOBY
September 22, 2021 Part of this column’s hiatus was due to a lifelong dream trip to Alaska to view the majestic scenery and unique wildlife. We were richly rewarded. We were also rewarded with a visit with Todd Boonstra (Eagan), a three-time…
BRUCE MORTENSON: 185,300 MILES; WE KEPT EACH OTHER RUNNING
February 7, 2023 A 1943 New Year’s Eve baby born in Minneapolis was probably churning his legs immediately after birth and they have never stopped for any time of significant duration. People in the Minnesota running community can probably guess that the…
NED SHUCK: DIVISION I WRESTLING COACH KNEW FUTURE PROFESSION AS AN 8TH GRADER
Raised in Mapleton, Minnesota (also the hometown of Olympic curling gold medalist John Landsteiner), a town 18 miles south of Mankato in Blue Earth County, Ned Shuck did not feel confident about being on the wrestling mat in a second grade tournament. …
DAN LYNDGAARD: RUNNING HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE 2 STATE CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS AND A BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN CONCERT
January 24, 2023 A conversation with brothers Dan and Dave Lyndgaard reveals they are each other’s biggest boosters—constantly complimenting or lauding the other’s achievements. But they are equally quick to point out people who contributed to their success in cross country and…
DAVE LYNDGAARD: SURROUNDED BY INSPIRATION
January 24, 2023 A brother, family support, a coach, teammates at New Richland-Hartland High School and St. John’s University in Collegeville, the campuses and students at Saint John’s and Saint Ben’s, runners coached, colleagues in administration, and a person who was both…
GABI HOOPER ROOKER: COMMITMENT
January 17, 2023 The American public would not generally associate an Olympic or All-American gymnast to become a national-caliber marathoner, yet that is exactly what Gabi Hooper Rooker has accomplished. Born in State College, Pennsylvania in 1987 to Kate and Simon Hooper,…
BRUCE BROTHERS: SPORTSWRITER AND MARATHONER SEES GLASS ALMOST ALWAYS HALF-FULL; WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN THAT?
Growing up in Morningside, Minnesota, a village sandwiched between St. Louis Park and Minneapolis (annexed by Edina in 1966), Bruce Brothers always loved sports, but he did not consider himself athletic. Getting hooked on baseball when his grandfather took him to see…
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Minnesota Athletes 