SPORTS WRAP

A primary part of my job is covering Owatonna High School sports. But I learned long ago that dedication to extracurricular activities is just as important to the students. The annual holiday concert quickly became one of my favorite days of the year. I find it fascinating to speak with Magnet staff, robotics students and speech participants just to name a few.

Makenna Hovey and Kinzie Carlson are speech and mock trial teammates and went to state in both activities. They were the commencement speakers tasked with saluting their classmates and signing off on the current building while making their mothers cry.

They didn’t coordinate their speeches but complemented each other nonetheless. Carlson took a sentimental approach while Hovey incorporated humor. “I do make fun of the school throughout my speech, which is kind of nice because we’re not coming back here. It’s sad but good.”

Carlson began writing her speech a couple of months before tryouts were announced. “I was really just trying to think of a momentous way to say goodbye. I spent a few weeks tinkering on it, but then I was on Facebook reading some people’s posts about the pillars and how they are so iconic, and they’ll miss them and everything. And I was like, that’s it. I should talk about the pillars and how even though they’re coming down, they’re not really coming down because it’s what they stood for. And that’s the students and the community.”

Hovey looked back on previous Owatonna commencement speeches to gauge how people reacted. She also felt that many in the audience would themselves be OHS grads. She has long been comfortable performing on stage, going back to dancing at 2.5 years old. Hovey is proud to have participated in all 12 plays and musicals during her high school career.

She has a couple of favorites. “Arsenic and Old Lace, I played an old lady in that show. That was one of my favorite roles. And then also Shrek this past year. I got to play the Gingerbread Man and he’s probably my favorite character I’ve played by far.”

When the final curtain came down on You Can’t Take It With You, “I was definitely sad. Tears were shed,” Hovey told Owatonna Live. “Just experiencing the last show or the last bow on stage was kind of crazy.” She said the set was adorned with many photos from past shows.

Carlson felt compelled to try out for commencement even though. “Being in front of a lot of people is not really my jam. But this school has felt like a second home to a lot of people in our community.” She has many relatives that graduated from OHS.

The aversion to public speaking didn’t stop Carlson from winning a state speech title this spring in discussion. She was ready to go out with her grandmother for ice cream after the first three rounds but then made finals, which was a pleasant surprise. “When I started speech in eighth grade, this is something I never would have dreamt and never would have even expected waking up on the day of state.”

Hovey is a two-time state speech participant and came out for mock trial for the first time this season. Carlson will attend the University of Wisconsin in Madison, starting with an abroad program in London in the fall. Hovey will go to Drake University in Des Moines on a pre-law track.

Tennis and much more

In featuring the boys’ tennis senior captains on the Owatonna Live Coaches Show I was impressed with their success and passion for their fine arts and activities. The team also had a very successful season, reaching the section semifinals.

Mac Pilcher is dedicated to music. “A lot of trumpet playing. Any band groups I can get in: jazz band, pep band, pit orchestra… That’s probably my favorite ensemble to play.” He’s also heavily involved in the National Honor Society, volunteering, and community service. Pilcher will attend the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and study nursing.

Nils Gantert, who was Owatonna’s AAA representative, was a National Merit Scholarship Finalist. “My parents told me to take the PSAT. There are a lot of good opportunities if you take that. So I took that getting into my junior year and then ended up working out well for me. Finally, this year I was chosen as a finalist. So, it was a great honor to receive.” Gantert is also quite involved in music, including choir. He’s going to the University of Minnesota, College of Science and Engineering.

In addition to music and activities at Sacred Heart, Chuck Tucker is an Eagle Scout. “I did a service project out at the Mayo Clinic where they have a nursing home, and I redid all the landscaping around that area during my sophomore year. It was a big process, but it all paid off in the end.” Tucker is going to South Dakota State to study pre-pharmacy.

Aiden Engel was a member of the state championship Knowledge Bowl team and the Rebel Alliance robotics team that went to Houston, Texas for the world competition. Close to home they took part in an Earth Day project and “decided to go clean up a park. So, we designed and made a robot to go drive around the park as basically a moving trash can and recycling bin.” Afterward, they made small solar-powered robots with elementary students. Engel will attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison and get into computer science.

Baseball season ends

Huskies’ baseball saw their season come to an end despite a valiant effort in a 10-8 loss to top-seed Rochester Mayo on May 31. OHS zipped ahead 6-1 and chased the Spartans’ starter from the game. Mitch Seykora smashed a first-inning home run. Tayte Berg drilled a two-run single in the third.

Mayo got some timely hitting and scored the next nine runs. Seykora countered in the sixth with his second homer, a two-run blast, but that’s where the scoring ended.

Owatonna dropped their second game of the playoffs 5-2 at Farmington, the two-time defending section champs. The Huskies rallied to tie the game at 2-2 in the fifth. The Tigers pushed three runs across in the sixth.

Seven seniors dotted the OHS roster: Teagun Ahrens, Briley Highfield, Ayden Walter, Chris Homuth, Collin Vick, Drew Kretlow, and Johnny Clubb, plus manager Derek Klecker. Owatonna went 10-12.

Misgen to wrestle at MSU

NRHEG senior Makota Misgen, a two-time top-three finisher at the state tournament, will wrestle for Minnesota State University-Mankato. The Mavericks’ coach reached out in December. “I went and took a visit and I fell in love with the place.” He likes the facilities, coaches, and success of the program.

Misgen has been on a mat since kindergarten and is thrilled to continue his career. “Wrestling is really what my heart wants.” He hopes to redshirt his first year but still wrestle in open events and might get 20 matches or more.

He knows it will be hard work. “It will be a big step up and I’m ready for the challenge. In college everyone there is really good. They want to work just as hard as you. You’ve got to make sure you work harder than them.”

Panthers coach Shawn Larson echoes, “He’s going to be someone who puts in extra work that other people don’t do.” Time management will be a priority. “When you’re here at (high) school they manage everything for you. But in college, you’ve got to go and do that on your own.”

Misgen will wrestle at heavyweight. “Ideally, I’ll be putting on weight over there and I’ll have a whole year to develop.” He will train over the summer with MSU athletes in addition to competing with Team Minnesota in Greco and freestyle events.

He plans to study Law Enforcement. “I feel that helping out the community, being able to protect people would be pretty awesome.” Misgen would like to come back to town when he can to help coach football and wrestling.

Owatonna Live play-by-play

Saturday, June 10
VFW 10 vs. Stewartville, 11 a.m. DH

Monday, June 12
Legion baseball vs. Faribault, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, June 13
Legion baseball vs. Austin, 7 p.m.