STEELE SPORTS

As 2021 comes to an end, I’ve been reflecting upon my year with a focus on how life has changed since becoming a reporter for the Steele County Times.
It’s hard to imagine that it has been four months since I moved on from my life as a college student at the University of St. Thomas and jumped head-first into the world of community journalism in Steele County.
I’ll never forget my first day on the job, dressed in a button-down dress shirt, slacks and a sport coat.
I’d never driven down a dirt road in my life until I came to Blooming Prairie.
Now, it seems almost routine.
However, despite the change of scenery and my adjustment to working a full-time job, the highlight of my year has been the people I have met and the moments that I have shared since I first arrived in Steele County.
From my first story covering the realignment of the Gopher Conference and talking with every activities director in Steele County to my most recent coverage of winter sports going into the holiday break, I have had the pleasure of meeting many members of the community and sharing the incredible stories I’ve watched unfold.
Fall was full of football, cross country, soccer, swim and tennis.
Watching Blooming Prairie and Owatonna make deep runs in the section tournament was right in my wheelhouse as a lifelong football fan.
Other events, such as running at cross country events to cover athletes such as NRHEG’s Quinn VanMeldeghem and Owatonna’s Preston Meier, left me completely winded and gave me a stronger appreciation for the sports I never participated in growing up.
All fall, I watched young athletes grow and progress in their careers with plenty of laughs, cheers and tears along the way.
Watching football seasons end for the local squads was especially emotional, as it brought back memories of the tears after my own final game.
However, those moments had to pass for new memories to begin - such as watching local football standout Grant Achterkirch commit to playing football at my former alma mater St. Thomas for the upcoming season.
Fast forward to today: I have the privilege of watching hockey, wrestling, basketball and gymnastics.
I’ve had front-row seats to spectacular events from watching Blooming Prairie senior forward Bobbie Bruns score her 1,000th point after a long six-month recovery from a broken femur to seeing Owatonna boys hockey sophomore goaltender Brennan Sletten earn his first varsity win in a short-notice varsity call-up.
Four months in Steele County have validated the four years I spent in college one day hoping to find myself in this position.
I’m not only excited to celebrate the coming of a new year, but I am overjoyed to begin 2022 by sharing the stories that make Steele County special.