SPORTS WRAP

Roll Herd

Owatonna’s Carsyn Brady will go from running with the pack to rolling with the herd. She recently committed to Division One program North Dakota State University to run cross country and track for the Bison.

“I just love the coaches, and I got to spend some time with the girls. At NDSU, they have weekly bonfires with all the team members. So, I got to experience that. And it was a super fun atmosphere,” she said.

She likes the track schedule that takes them to warmer climates. The team traveled to Florida, California, and Texas last spring.

She anticipates the challenge.

“To have girls that are going to be way faster than me at the start is good because I finally get to have someone to look to as a role model for me. Then working my way up to that caliber of an athlete. Having someone to push me will be really exciting,” she said.

Brady qualified for the state cross-country meet for five straight seasons. She started running the 800-meter during track last season and finished seventh at state.

“In track, I tried to get away from the longer distance. I started doing the 800, and that’s what I’m getting recruited for at NDSU. I might not even have to do cross-country after my second year if I don’t want to,” she said.

College cross-country is six kilometers, compared to five kilometers in high school.

“Training is going to be longer. I know a lot of athletes in college, for long runs, it’s four to five more miles added on,” she said.

She likes the intensity of the 800-meter race.

“I just fell in love with it. It’s a race where you have to be competitive. You can’t really sit back in a pace,” said Brady.

Brady plans to study biology or biochemistry in Fargo.

Ten times at state

Owatonna plays in the state football tournament for the 10^th time when they take the field against St. Thomas Academy (STA) on Saturday, Nov. 11 in Woodbury. The Huskies lost to the Cadets on the same field in 2019. OHS topped STA in the Prep Bowl in 2018 and beat the Cadets in the 2012 semifinals.

St. Thomas Academy is making its 27^th state appearance. Their one state championship came in 1975. They’ve been runner-up five times. The Cadets rely on the run with 280 yards per game, versus 100 through the air. The Huskies are more pass-dependent, averaging 220 yards a game with 135 rushing yards.

Record-setting season

After playing in the shadow of Benny Bangs in 2022, OHS senior Garrett Karsten was ready for his turn to lead the Huskies’ boys’ soccer team.

“I played behind him those first two years and that was completely fine. He’s a great player. But my true position is a striker. I knew I had some high standards for myself, and I also knew I would probably have to step into that scoring role,” said Karsten in an interview with Owatonna Live.

He set the school record with 20 goals, eclipsing the previous mark of 18. He tied and set the record while scoring a hat trick against Faribault.

“I had missed a few games previous to that and I knew I was close. I talked with our assistant coach Pat Grubish before that game, and we had a goal. Our goal was to win for sure, but if I got close, I knew I was gonna take it. And then Ashton Kraus gave me a penalty kick and that was amazing because that just set up the final goal. It was a great experience,” he said.

After tying the record with the penalty kick, he received a through ball.

“I just sized up the guy in front of me and I knew exactly what I was going to do. I cut inside and hoped for the best when I shot it, I guess, and it went in,” he said.

Karsten couldn’t resist taking the celebration into the corner where the student section is at Lincoln and tearing off his jersey.

“I’ve seen stuff like that in the pros, and it’s always just so cool, and I wanted to remember it. I decided to go with that,” he said.

It resulted in a yellow card.

“I knew that was coming… It was definitely worth it,” he said with a laugh.

Karsten earned second-team all-state honors and hopes to play soccer and run track in college.

He missed several games due to injury and illness, prompting head coach Bob Waypa to project the possibility that Karsten would have reached even bigger milestones.

“If he plays 18 games, it’s probably 26 or 27 goals. He was averaging two goals a game against Big Nine Conference competition. Setting the record and setting it in 14 games, he had a great season. We’re really proud and happy for him,” said Waypa.

Great season

The Huskies boys’ soccer team had 16 new players at the varsity level. Waypa wasn’t sure what to expect.

“It’s a learning curve for these guys. How do you play? How do you train each day as a varsity player? How do you play on the road? How do you play under the lights? You’re on TV now,” he said of all the potential question marks for his team.

“There’s ups and downs, but along the way, these guys learned a lot about themselves and what it takes to be a varsity player. To hit 10 wins and be two minutes from playing in the section finals, this group came together really well, and we had a nice run,” said Waypa.