Sports

This year's Corky's Early Bird Softball Classic, which begins Thursday, will feature about 200 teams. Most teams come from the Midwest, but some come from as far away as California and Texas. In addition to playing softball and reuniting with friends, the tournament also raises $50,000 for a different charity each year. Submitted photo

Ready for some softball?

Corky’s Early Bird Softball Classic, which is already the largest tournament in Minnesota, keeps bigger and bigger, and this year is no different. This year a women's bracket is being added to this weekend's festivities, which kicks off this Thursday, July 29, and lasts through Sunday, Aug. 1,...

Renegade Sprints invade Chateau

The Mid-American Renegade Sprint Non Wing Traditionals made their second of three scheduled appearances at Chateau Speedway in Lansing Friday. The field put on a caution-free night of racing in both heats and in the feature. With five of the top 10 winningest drivers in the various Renegade series...

FILE PHOTO Former standout Huskies football player Jason Williamson has medically retired from the University of Minnesota’s Gophers football program. He was the workhorse running back behind back-to-back state championships for Owatonna in 2017 and 2018.

A FOOTBALL CAREER CUT SHORT

Gophers redshirt-sophomore Jason Williamson, who was the workhorse running back of Owatonna's back-to-back state titles in 2017 and 2018, has left the University of Minnesota’s program after medically retiring.The NCAA has granted Minnesota's 2018 Mr. Football a Medical Exemption, which is also...

BREAKING SPORTS: FORMER HUSKIES STANDOUT’S FOOTBALL CAREER ENDS

Minnesota redshirt-sophomore Jason Williamson, who was the workhorse running back of Owatonna's back-to-back state titles in 2017 and 2018, has left the program after medically retiring. The NCAA has granted Minnesota's 2018 Mr. Football a Medical Exemption, which is also beneficial for Minnesota...

Caden Beauvais, right, finished the Minnesota State High School League state individual tournament with a total score of 93. He is shown with his father Matt Beauvais, who is also the assistant coach.

NRHEG clay shooter earns top 50 at state

There are thousands of clay target shooters across the state of Minnesota yet one of the state’s best, Caden Beauvais, hails from the NRHEG school district. He recently affirmed his status as one of the state’s best by finishing tied for 49th place out of 92 participants at the Minnesota State High...

BP’s Bobbie Bruns earns one of softball’s top honors

Only 14 Class A softball players were named first-team All-State by the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association and thanks to her strong hitting and fielding Blooming Prairie shortstop and centerfielder Bobbie Bruns is a part of that elite company. One of the reasons she’s earned this honor...

Blooming Prairie junior Xavier Rennie, second from right, keeps his eyes locked on the next hurdle as he runs the 110-meter hurdles final. He ended up coming in sixth place in state competition with a time of 15.871 seconds.

Three Steele County athletes finish in the top 5 at state track meet

It was a busy and successful weekend for the six Steele County track and field athletes who competed at last weekend’s state meet. It was busy because there were three Owatonna Huskies, two Blooming Prairie Awesome Blossoms and one Medford Tiger who advanced to the state meet, and it was a...

With speed and determination, Blossoms junior Xavier Rennie, right, punches his way to the state track and field meet after capturing the section championship title last week in Dodge Center. Rennie lost to Triton’s Owen Petersohn by 0.42 seconds in the preliminary round, but came back to beat him by 0.09 seconds in the finals to claim the title.

Six area athletes qualify for state track

Steele County will have a strong presence at this week’s state track and field meet as six local athletes, including three Huskies, two Blossoms and one Tiger, qualified at last week’s section championships. For Owatonna, Jack Titchenal qualified for the state meet by earning first place in the 110...

Blooming Prairie’s three state qualifiers, from left to right, are: Maggie Bruns, Jessica Ressler and Halle Strunk.

3 Blossoms qualify for state golf

The Blooming Prairie’s girls and boys golf teams each finished in the top three at the section tournament on Tuesday, June 1, but it was the trio of Jessica Ressler, Halle Strunk and Maggie Bruns that stole the show as they all advanced to the state tournament, which will be held at Pebble Creek...

Husky junior Audrey Simon, shown here battling a Northfield defender for a loose ball, often faces double or triple teams since she leads Owatonna in assists, 30, and is second on the team in points, 62, and goals, 32. Thanks in part to her and Annie Moran’s strong offense, the Huskies recently won the Big 9 Championship.

Moran, Simon lead Huskies into the playoffs

The Owatonna girls lacrosse team has already had a very successful season, going 11-2 during the regular season and winning the Big 9 Championship and a significant reason for its success has been the play of sophomore midfielder Annika “Annie” Moran and junior attacker Audrey Simon. Moran leads...