SPORTS WRAP

On to state for the Owatonna girls and boys cross-country teams who will race at Les Bolstad Golf Course at the University of Minnesota on Saturday, Nov. 1.

            Section champ Ayoub Farah told Owatonna Live this fall, “I think the most important thing for a runner to be is consistent, through the bad days, through the good days. As captains, and as coaches, we all try to work together to instill a callus mindset for people to consistently come back to running.”

            Staying healthy was a tremendous factor for the Huskies and Farah, who missed sections last year.

            Senior captain Dawson Levy tells younger runners to embrace toughness. “You just got to push through it. It’s the only way you get better. It’s how I got to be where I’m at now. And while you’re there, take lessons from the people that were telling you what to do. So, that way when you are in a position of leadership, you know exactly what to do,” said Levy.

            Junior Micah Gentz saw potential for this success. “We have Dawson, who’s returning from state. We have a group of guys returning from state track in the 4x800. We have a big group of elite runners who’ve been in the sport for a while. We have high hopes of going to state this year,” said Gentz.

This is the boys first trip to state since a fourth-place finish in 2012.

Third time is the charm

            The OHS girls earned their third straight trip to state by a one-point margin in last week’s section meet. Senior captain Paige Thompson told the Owatonna Live Coaches Show early this season, “Pushing each other at practice, being there for your teammates. Knowing we all have the same end goal. Performing at our best at the end.”

            Lucy Jacobs, a senior captain, said, “Remember why you do it. Remember why you love it. Always push yourself even when it’s really hard.”

            Regarding course strategies, Jacobs said, “Always be picking off the next girl. Don’t tire out in the second mile. Be mentally tough.”

            The OHS boys run at 2:30 p.m. The girls race at 3:15 p.m. Awards are scheduled for 3:45 p.m. Go to the high school league website for tickets and information on a shuttle bus. Parking is not allowed on site.

            Blooming Prairie junior Gloria Hernandez, who recently broke the school record, runs at state for the second straight year. NRHEG freshman Julieann Wobbrock becomes the first Panther girl to reach state since 1994. The Class A girls start at 10:45 a.m. on Saturday.

Safer hockey

            Hockey is safer for players and spectators at the Four Seasons Centre in Owatonna. New glass installed this fall has more give as players crash into it and is taller to keep more pucks out of the crowd.

            Arena manager Steve Schroht says it was time. “The last couple of years in particular we had more and more pucks that were leaving the ice. It was one of those things we knew we were going to have to address sooner rather than later. We were proactive and I let the county board know what was going on and got it into my capital improvement plan. They saw the need and the urgency to do it right away. So, it was included in the capital outlay plan for 2025,” said Schroht.

            It’s the third time the glass has gotten taller during his 30 years managing the arena. He says pucks haven’t changed, but the hockey sticks have. He now sees younger players lifting the puck in their efforts to clear it.

            I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen a cleared puck hit a spectator. Even with the taller glass, I still recommend fans keep their eyes on the action and not on their phones, as pucks will still flutter into the stands.

Like the pros

            “The system that we have now is the exact system that they use in all the NHL rinks. This glass is called acrylic. Where the old glass was tempered and it was solid glass. This glass does have give to it,” Schroht points out.

            You may notice it leans in, but that’s part of the design.

            Steele County Blades players have reported more give to the glass. Another benefit is speedier games. “One thing we’ve already seen with the Blades’ games, is that you don’t see as many stoppages of play with all the pucks that used to leave the ice. Where now those pucks are staying inside.”

            Schroht says the acrylic-based glass does require more maintenance and special cleaners to wipe away puck marks. He says it may take time for people to get used to the sight lines and glare. Some have told him “it’s totally different.”

            “Whether you’re a coach, a player or a fan, I think, at the end of the day you’ve got to realize that we did this for the safety of the spectators and the safety of the players.”

Blades drop two

            Steele County Blades junior hockey dropped a pair of one-goal games over the weekend, earning just one point with a 4-3 overtime loss to the Minnesota Mullets on Friday, Oct. 24 at Dudley Otto Rink. Alexander Wilkey (Land O’ Lakes, Florida) scored with about 90 seconds to go in regulation to tie it. Zach Stinski (Phoenix, Arizona) had two goals.

            Saturday the Blades led 5-3 at first intermission in Coon Rapids but the Minnesota Blue Ox tallied three in the second period and one early in the third for a 7-5 lead. John Scott (Reedsburg, Wisconsin) scored at the end of regulation, his second goal of the night, for the 7-6 final.

            Steele County’s next home game is Sunday, Nov. 2 against the Northwest Express of Spooner, Wisconsin at 7 p.m. The Blades open the weekend at Hudson on Friday, Oct. 31 and play at the Express on Saturday night.

Red Wing leaving Big Nine

            Red Wing is a beautiful city. But getting there from Owatonna is tricky. Occasionally, Google Maps attempted to take me on dirt roads while traveling to a game. Owatonna fans won’t have to make that trip as often as the Wingers move to the Hiawatha Valley League (HVL), beginning fall 2026.

            The Wingers were an original member of the Big Eight in 1928 with Owatonna, Rochester, Mankato, Winona, Albert Lea, Austin and Faribault. Red Wing went to the Missota Conference in 1982 and rejoined the Big Nine for 2013-14.

            Red Wing’s Minnesota State High School League competitively adjusted enrollment of 535 is far below the next smallest in the conference, as Faribault and Winona both sit at 735. Owatonna is at 1,277. Rochester Mayo, the largest Big Nine school, is nearly triple that of Red Wing at 1,588.

            The Wingers are at least one and in some cases two classes smaller in playoff competition than the large schools. The top enrollments in the HVL are Byron (653), Kasson-Mantorville (617) and Stewartville (564). The conference will have 10 schools with the addition. The Big Nine Conference will stand at 11 schools.

            Red Wing volleyball finished third in the conference race this fall. However, both soccer teams went winless in conference play. Last winter, the Wingers were 1-14 in girls hockey with a 14-1 loss to the Huskies. Red Wing boys basketball went 5-12 with a two-point win over Owatonna.

            Last spring OHS softball beat Red Wing 11-0. In 2024 Huskies baseball played to a tie with the Wingers at Target Field. Red Wing’s last Big Nine Conference title was girls basketball in 2019-2020.