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SPORTS WRAP

Home sweet home
By
Roy Koenig, Sports Analyst
Roy Koenig, sports wrap, steele county times

You don’t need a history book to appreciate some of the top events to happen in the Owatonna High School gym. Just look back to Friday night. Senior Blake Burmeister set the program record for points and three-pointers made in a game. He said, “I can’t really explain it. I didn’t really know what was going to happen when I went into the game, but I started to feel it early making my first few shots. My teammates just fed me with confidence the whole game and kept feeding me the ball. They were really the true MVPs of that game.” 

Burmeisters’ 11 three-pointers broke Andrew Olson’s record from 2003. His 44 points eclipsed Mark Randall’s mark of 42. “It means everything. It truly does. I feel like I’ve been working really hard. The team’s been working really hard.” It was the final regular season varsity basketball game in the current high school gym. 

Randall stated in a text, “I’m happy for him… it’s always exciting to break records. I am actually surprised it lasted this long given the way the game is played now and the length of the game is longer. I didn’t even know I broke the record when it happened back in 1991.” He hit the total in a playoff game against Northfield and in the state tournament versus Cretin-Derham Hall who went on to win the title. “We actually should have beat them and would much rather have won than broken the record.” 

 

Titles and memories 

Indians or Huskies, state tournament volleyball, wrestling and basketball teams have called the OHS gym home. State championship banners for 16 Owatonna teams hang on the wall. Many conference titles have been clinched there. Countless pep fests, coronations and concerts have featured the talents of OHS students. Recently, the gymnastics team captured a section championship there and will become its new varsity resident.  

Boys’ basketball coach Josh Williams reminisced saying, “Twenty years of being blessed to coach in this community, on this court and in this school. Starting with my first game, stepping on that court for the first time at home. I think it was my third year as a head coach we won our first conference title. I remember taking pictures underneath the same basket as last year.” 

“I look at last year’s Lakeville North game. That game in itself, when you’re talking about how good they are. Coaching my son Brayden, and my son Leyton now. Just being able to share that opportunity with both my boys.” 

 

Final girls’ game 

OHS girls’ basketball head coach Lindsey Hugstad-Vaa, in her seventh season, has developed a nice feel for the gym, “It’s so crazy to think that this is going to be the last varsity girls’ game in this gym. There’s so much history here and I love this gym. I’m excited about the new high school but there’s something to be said for an older gym that has so much history.” 

 

Girls face OHS grad 

The girls lost at Lakeville South in the section tournament last week to end their season. OHS grad Angie Iverson-Ohnstad coaches the Cougars as they seek their first-ever trip to state when they challenge Lakeville North on Friday, March 10 in Rochester. 

 

Seniors leave a legacy 

The Huskies’ seniors are Kiara Gentz, Anni Moran, and Natalie Krumholz. Hugstad-Vaa says they are “great students in the community, great athletes on the court and field. Just great people…You can’t say enough good things about our three captains. How hard they work every day in practice and games.” 

“They have been great mentors to the younger girls. Very supportive of their teammates no matter who’s in the game. It just speaks volumes to their character.” Gentz will run cross-country and track at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Moran will play lacrosse at Quincy University. 

 

Filling up the bleachers 

Former coach John Kuehn joined the girls’ staff in the late 80s. “Barry Olson and I came in at the same time. We had about a .500 season. They wouldn’t even take down the stands on one side of the gym. Barry made a point, when we’re done, those stands will be down. We always talked about lucky we were to be in Owatonna because we had so many quality athletes.” 

Owatonna went to state five times during their coaching tenure and dueled Rochester Mayo for Big Nine and section supremacy. One season, the Spartans whipped OHS twice during the regular season, but Kuehn told Owatonna Live’s Jason Iacovino, “We got in the section finals. They’re ranked second in the state. We slowed it down to a snail’s pace and won by five. We always had good games with Mayo. That was a tough rivalry.” 

The OHS gym offers some challenges. “Our two side courts, you couldn’t even play games on them because the three-point line went out of bounds. Kids are going in for layups and runnig into a wall.” Kuehn added, “Owatonna is lucky to have this situation. Because now it’s going to be nice for everybody in the community. It needed to be done. I’m happy for Owatonna.” 

 

Wrestling with a crowd 

The gym was filled beyond capacity at wrestling duals between Owatonna and Albert Lea during their heydays. Then-coach Scot Davis recalls, “Win or lose, those meets were before a packed house with standing-room-only space left to view from. People actually had to sit on the floor and were also lined up along the walls.”  

Davis used that setting to celebrate his 25th wedding anniversary with Mary. “I announced this over the microphone as I had her come down to the gym floor where I read her a note I had written. I kissed her afterward. That received a rousing standing ovation.” Davis also did a skit with his daughter Ashley the year she was crowned Snow Queen. 

 

Waiting for third 

Fans knew. The coaches knew. But the Owatonna High School gymnasts didn’t know for sure that they had made the podium with a third-place finish at the recent state meet.  

Junior Emma Johnson said there was some drama. “Going into awards we never really know where we’re at. It’s always kind of a surprise. But I think we all knew we had a good meet, and we had a good chance of being on the podium. And everyone was just really excited.” 

She told Owatonna Live she was pleased. “I’m very excited for and very proud of everyone on the team. By the time we’re at state, we’ve already gone through all the hard stuff. So, it’s just a meet to enjoy and have at it.” 

Coach Evan Moe added, “We’ve been making the joke the last couple of weeks that we’ve really got a stranglehold on that third place. I believe this is our fourth time in the last six years.” He pointed out Northfield took third the one time the Huskies didn’t go to state. “It feels great though, of course. Any time you can represent your town at the big meets, it feels great.” 

Among the Huskies to compete individually at state was sophomore Jozie Johnson. “I was the first person to go for the whole meet which was a little scary.” She’ll be ready when next season rolls around too. “I’m super excited. I’m already starting to set new goals for myself and get some new skills and reach good achievements.” 

 

More memories to come 

The gymnasts hosted the section meet at OHS. “It was real exciting, especially since it was home. We were all really pumped and excited,” said sophomore Averie Roush. A move to the current OHS as their new home suits her just fine. “I’m excited for next season and having a new gym because we’ll have a lot more room for people to come and watch us. Practices also won’t be as congested as they are right now.” 

“It will be a great atmosphere. Just like we saw at sections having all those fans in there. Having a space dedicated to gymnastics will be amazing for the program,” added Moe.

 

Blades battle the Moose 

Steele County Blades junior hockey rallied to tie their playoff opener against the Minnesota Moose and scored first in the second game. However, the Moose swept the series 2-0 by winning 3-2 in two overtimes in the first game, and 4-2 in the second. Coach Nick Adamek was proud of his team’s effort. “The Moose are a good team. We battled hard to take them to double overtime in game one. Frankly, I thought we outplayed them in game two.” 

After a slow start to the season, Adamek feels the club came together well. “Our guys just kept going. That’s one thing I can say about this group. They’re pretty resilient. They were super close with each other. This was the most fun team I ever had the opportunity to coach.” 

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