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, Oregon.  “Some of the most respected javelin throwers in the world and people

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 sports influenced their life, developing life skills and lifelong friendships.  A listing of

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 attended and presented at the inaugural Minnesota Athletes Celebration coordinated with the book

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 age six as part of a community education program. Always active, Leah started

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. Teammate Julian Hook, a two-time undefeated state wrestling champion, also excelled in football

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 2018 gold medal-winning team of John Shuster, Chisholm (now living in Superior, WI);

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 temperatures expected to rise significantly, many Minnesota athletes with Minnesota connections raced the

JAKE DEITCHLER: HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING OLYMPIAN BELIEVES IN TESTING YOURSELF

Jake Deitchler has a coach’s voice:  enthusiastic, positive, and booming.  “The best part of wrestling is the hand-to-hand combat,” he asserts.  “I believe in testing yourself.”  As proof he cites his experience as the only high school wrestler at a training camp.  “I got my tail kicked every day.  The quickest track to success for

Winter Sports Series, Part 9: Figure Skating Glides Along

The period of Minnesota’s greatest impact in figure skating was probably near the midway point of the 20th century. Margaret Bennett (1932) and Robin Lee (1936) were Olympians and later coaches, but it was a corps of skaters who won national fours, or two mixed pairs, which is not an Olympic event, that propelled a

Winter Sports Update

Lots of events involving Minnesota athletes have taken place while this column was on hiatus: the University of Minnesota (U of M) indoor track and field season has been in full swing; four U of M wrestlers were at the U S Collegiate Championships Tournament at the Air Force Academy; and the U S Senior

Winter Sports Series Resumes With Part 8: Minnesota Women are Premier Skiers

While Minnesota may lack the topography and terrain of mountainous states, women athletes from the state have been ranked not only nationally but internationally.The family of Cindy Nelson owned and operated the Lutsen Ski Resort along Minnesota’s North Shore. Cindy became proficient at all three disciplines (slalom, giant slalom, and downhill) and qualified for four

Winter Sports Series, Part 4: Minnesota, Truly the State of Hockey

Today is Hockey Day in Minnesota, but the sport’s passionate fans believe that every winter day meets that description. Minnesota’s colder temperatures provide a wonderful resource that has been embraced by hundreds of thousands of the state’s inhabitants: ice. The slippery frozen surface has been the ideal play space for both youth and adults playing

Women’s Soccer Games Begin Today at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro

Women’s soccer games begin today at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Two superb Minnesota athletes have had prominent roles as Olympians in the sport: Briana Scurry, a graduate of Anoka High School, and Manny Lagos, a St. Paul Academy graduate. Briana was an all-state athlete in basketball, soccer, and track and field. She

Let’s Take Flight Today with Shani Johnson and Amanda Smock

. Friends and triple jumpers Shani Johnson and Amanda Smock have a lot in common: both are Olympians (Shani, 2008; Amanda, 2012), possess a strong background in gymnastics, have persevered through injuries, express a faith-life that is important to them, and are as one coach said, “beautiful inside and outside.” Shani is from Apple Valley

Minnesota Athletes at Rio (Summary)

Hassan Mead (Minneapolis South, University of Minnesota) placed 11th in the 5,000-meter run final. Stillwater High School and U of M graduate Ben Blankenship placed 8th in the 1,500-meter run final. Living in Arden Hills for a few years, badminton pairs player Paula Lynn Obanana and her playing partner did not place. Rugby was reintroduced

Day 10 p.m. at Eugene: Minnesota has a second Olympian!

Ben Blankenship dug down deep to recapture third place (3:36.18) from a hard-charging Lee Manzano after Manzano had edged ahead. It was reminiscent of Carrie Tollefson momentarily losing the lead of the 1500 meter finals in the 2004 Olympic Trials and then pulling ahead to win. Very exciting! Jess Lehman of the University of Minnesota