SPORTS WRAP
The Owatonna fishing team wrapped up their season with an impressive sixth place finish out of 28 teams on Sunday, Aug. 24 on Lake Vermillion.
“I’m extremely proud of the kids for representing Owatonna,” stated coach Zeke Schroeder. “The cold front rolled through and changed the way the kids were going to approach the tournament. They made the necessary adjustments and continued to upgrade fish as the tournament progressed. It was a great end to the high school season.”
Quinn Gare/Caleb Ringhofer, Marcus/Graham Wiste, and Aidan Schneider/Brayden Becker combined to catch and release 15 fish weighing 43 pounds. The winning school, Becker, landed 50 pounds.
Earlier this summer, Ethan Ward/Morgan Hansen, Gare, and Liam Lewis/Ringhofer advanced to the Tournament of Champions where each placed in the top half of the field on Lake Pokegama in Grand Rapids. “Considering the number of boats and the pressure that that lake sees, I’m very happy with how those teams placed,” said Schroeder.
Our of a roster of 41 athletes, 37 members competed in at least one event. “It’s cool to get those kids out on the water. They get to fish five different lakes throughout the season. A lot of them are pretty big bodies of water that you typically wouldn’t get to fish around here,” said Schroeder.
Fishing brothers
Wiste, an incoming OHS sophomore, enjoys touring the state. “Mille Lacs is a big one. Gull is a big one. Vermillion. All over the state of Minnesota. Getting to learn the different parts of the state and how different they fish from the other parts too. I personally like the competitiveness of tournaments. I really like to go out there and learn as much as possible in a day about the lake,” said Wiste.
His twin brother, Marcus, says it was a hot summer. “The fish get a lot more finicky when it’s really hot and really humid. So, you look for cooler water temps. It makes them bite a little bit better,” he said.
“It’s really weird. Every tournament it seems like either he catches most or all the fish, or it’s me catching all or most of the fish. I don’t care who catches them. Just catch’em,” said Marcus.
Graham agrees. “It doesn’t really matter to me. As long as we can get seven big fish,” he said. It’s their fourth year on the squad. See the full interview on OwatonnaLive.com.
Meetings for next season start in February. Watch the Owatonna Fishing Team Facebook page for details.
Pukka Pilates
Pukka Pilates in Owatonna marked its first anniversary this summer, but the passion for fitness goes back many years for owner Jen Nicholson.
She says while working as a personal trainer at Lifetime Fitness in Lakeville, “When I turned 40 and was still doing weight training on a regular basis, I started noticing differences in my body in terms of aches and pains... So I tried Pilates. I fell in love with it. I was able to go back to lifting like I used to.”
Gaining certifications followed. She obtained a couple of reformer training benches from Lifetime. Clients suggested she open a studio in Owatonna. That became reality last July at 134 E Vine St.
“Everything kind of fell into place. I had to pay attention to all the blessings that were being presented to me. And when I did that, I took the chance, and I opened it,” said Nicholson.
Nicholson now has six reformers and offers classes as well as private and duet instruction. The studio’s name “Pukka” means, “Genuine, authentic, of high quality… I wanted to be sure that when we’re making promises about what Pilates is and what it does, that we can deliver that. And we deliver that through passion, education, and experience,” she said.
Pilates was developed as a means for rehab and recovery but has evolved to become “a systematic, comprehensive approach to movement. It’s a natural way to move our bodies and strengthen in a way that’s different than lifting weights. I love how it supports my everyday life and how I’m aware of my body and my movement.” She says it helps reduce the chance of injury as it strengthens muscles used for everyday activities.
“That is one of the beauties of Pilates, is that it can meet you where you are. Whether you’re looking to recover. Whether you’re looking to get stronger. Once you start Pilates, your body craves Pilates because it’s such a natural and needed movement in our day-to-day lives that we don’t do enough of,” said Nicholson.
OwatonnaLive.com schedule
Thursday, Aug. 28:
OHS girls soccer vs. Red Wing, 7 p.m.
Blooming Prairie football at Lewiston-Altura, 7 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 29:
OHS football vs. Mankato East, 7 p.m./Pregame at 6 p.m. (simulcast on The FAN/Owatonna, 1170AM/106.3FM)