SPORTS WRAP
Nationals for NRHEG Cheer
Next stop: Florida. The NRHEG competition cheer team qualified for nationals for the first time. Technically, they qualified previously but had too young a team. They couldn’t go to nationals with seventh graders on the squad. However, the Panthers needed those athletes to complete a full team.
Now everyone’s old enough and coach Joni Churchill says, “We are so excited. Our girls have been working for a really long time with the goal of going to nationals. The last few years as a varsity team, we’ve been able to compete at the state championship. We’ve won our division in that the last couple of years.”
Churchill said, “This year was our year to try. They got out there. And they just killed it.”
The team won state titles in January of 2021 and 2022. They will compete this coming January at state again. At the recent regional event, NRHEG was forced to compete against larger schools such as White Bear Lake and Minnetonka.
The routine consists of stunts, jumps, dancing, and a pyramid inside two-and-half minutes. A couple of professional choreographers designed it, but Churchill says they have some liberties, “Our girls are fantastic and are always looking for ways to make us better…Our girls give us a lot of feedback.”
Athletes on the team include Ariel Anhalt, Autumn Baseman, Olivia Berg, Maddy Bogue, Addy Buenger, Payton Bunn, Julia Churchill, Orianna Degen, Kyera Eustice, Sierra Misgen, Brenna Sommer, Isabel Stadheim, Eva Wayne, Grace Wilkenson, and Malonna Wilson.
Churchill also coaches the Panther cheerleaders during the high school season for football, volleyball, and basketball. She is joined Jennie Bunn, Linda Stadheim, and Brooke Berg for the competition group.
The squad is run through Community Ed, so covering the cost of traveling to Florida for nationals is the responsibility of the families. The team has a Go Fund Me page and is soliciting sponsorships from hometown businesses. Additionally, Churchill says the popular coffee fundraiser is going on again. Contact any of the cheerleaders for that.
Award for NRHEG coach
First-year NRHEG volleyball coach Ashley Tolzman is the Section 2AA Coach of the Year, as named by the Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association. The Panthers went 21-7 on the season, finishing as the subsection runner-up to WEM. The team also earned Gold Academic Award status.
During an appearance on the Owatonna Live Coaches Show, Tolzman said: “I have had a great time this season. The girls are a lot of fun to work with. They make my job pretty easy when you look at our record… They show up. They work really hard. They’ve put in the work in the off season and that really shows on the court.”
First collegiate goal
Grace Wolfe (OHS ’21), now a sophomore defenseman for St. Cloud State, scored her first collegiate goal in a loss to top-10 UMD on Nov. 12. Prior to that, she had two blocked shots and was plus-2 as they upset No. 1 ranked Minnesota on Nov. 7. It was the Huskies first win over the Gophers since 2010.
To this point of the season, Wolfe has five assists and 25 blocked shots, while playing in every game. In her true-freshman season, Wolfe, “anchored the Huskies defensive corps, racking up the second-most blocks on the team,” reported the Huskies’ athletic website. She appeared in 32 games and had eight assists.
In an interview last holiday season, Wolfe told me she was enjoying the start of her college career. “It’s going really well. I love the girls and campus is beautiful. And everyone there is so supportive and amazing,” Wolfe said.
She said the adjustment took time. “It was really hard coming from playing within the Big Nine [to going to] WCHA hockey. It took me a few weeks…Systems are slightly different but it’s more the tiny, tiny details. Stick placement, the way you’re pursuing with your feet in the corners, or how you play two-on-one’s.”
At the time, Wolfe reported that class was “quite a breeze so far,” though she had tougher courses on the horizon. She is looking at criminal justice but could divert to forensic science or psychology. Wolfe was a three-time captain for OHS hockey and played soccer and ran track.
Back at stomping grounds
Preston Meier (OHS ’22) was back on the familiar trails and grounds of St. Olaf College in Northfield for the NCAA Division III North Regional on Saturday. Meier is a freshman for Concordia University of Wisconsin’s cross-country team.
He stated he was “super excited to be running at St. Olaf for our regional meet. I have run there many times and have lots of amazing memories. It is going to be very nostalgic to be back.” He ran the 8K course in 28:22.1 and was the second finisher for Concordia.
He indicated that he was “enjoying running cross country this year and I’m very glad I had the opportunity to do so. I have gotten a lot faster throughout the season and there’s a great atmosphere here at Concordia.”
Meier was a three-time state meet qualifier while running for the Huskies. Owatonna ran the St. Olaf course during the regular season too. College runners cover 8K typically, while high school distance was 5K. He was one of the top two finishers consistently this season for the Falcons. Meier will also play lacrosse for Concordia.
OHS football honors
The Owatonna High School football team is an All-State Academic Gold recipient through the Minnesota Football Coaches Association with a 3.27 GPA. Medford earned Silver honors with a 3.22 GPA among AA teams.
OHS kicker Drew Henson is invited to the high school all-star football game Saturday, Dec. 10 at U.S. Bank Stadium. The highly recruited senior was 4-for-6 on field goals this season with a long of 45, two yards shy of a school record. He converted 25-of-26 PATs. He also took on the role of punter after working on it extensively over the summer. He punted 33 times for a 30-yard average and put 10 inside the 20.
Owatonna Live schedule
Thursday
OHS girls’ hockey vs. Mankato East, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 29
OHS boys’ hockey vs. Farmington, 7 p.m.
Medford girls’ basketball vs. Waseca, 7:15 p.m.