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SPORTS WRAP

By
Roy Koenig, Sports Analyst
Roy Koenig, sports wrap, steele county times

Starting with a bang

Collin Vick (OHS ’23) wasted no time making an impact with the University of Wisconsin-Stout men’s basketball team. Owatonna’s Blue Collar Award winner from last season’s Huskies’ squad is starting for the Blue Devils and leading the team with four assists per game. He’s also scoring four points, grabbing four rebounds, and averaging one steal per contest.

Menomonie, Wisconsin is about a two-hour drive from Owatonna. Stout plays at UW-LaCrosse on Wednesday, Jan. 10, which is a slightly shorter drive, and at UW-River Falls on Wednesday, Feb. 14, which is even closer. They play a high-scoring brand of basketball, averaging 88 points per game. The Blue Devils have scored 90 or more points five times, twice surpassing 100 points, one of which came in a loss.

 

More hoops

Former Husky Brayden Williams (OHS ’22) is starting for Bemidji State University, averaging eight points with a career-high of 21 earlier this year. He’s shooting 38% on three pointers, grabbing four rebounds, and dishing out two assists per game.

The Beavers play at Winona State on Friday, Feb. 23 and at Minnesota State University, Mankato on Saturday, Feb. 24, at 5:30 p.m. The latter of those is an off day for OHS boys’ basketball.

Williams’ Husky teammate Ty Creger is starting for Citrus College in Glendora, California. He’s averaging 14 points per game and shooting 35% on threes. He played at Bay College in Michigan last season.

Jason Klecker (OHS ’23) is averaging 15 minutes a game with Rochester Community and Technical College, scoring six points and grabbing more than two rebounds per game.

Lexi Mendenhall (OHS ’22) is playing at North Iowa Area Community College. Sarah Kingland (OHS ’21) is at Minnesota State University, Moorhead. Maggie Newhouse (OHS ’21) is averaging three points in about 15 minutes per game for St. Mary’s University in Winona.

 

Swimmers do it again

OHS boys’ swimming won their second meet last Thursday 89-76 over Faribault. The Huskies were favored, allowing the team to play around with the lineup. Matthew Larson won the 200 free and fly events, which is “very difficult to do,” according to head coach Peter Rhodes. He also won the 100 breaststroke. Logan Halverson won the 100 fly in “a very close race.”

“We split the 400 free relays so they could race each other, and David Rhodes nearly caught Isaiah Smith,” said Rhodes.

The two took first and second place. Logan Flynn won the 200 IM and 100 backstroke. Carter Quam won the 50 free. Rhodes was second in the 50 and won the 100 free. Smith took the 500 free. Henry Hilgendorf won diving.

The Huskies' next meet is the Maroon and Gold Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 6 at the University of Minnesota. Their next home meet is Thursday, Jan. 11 against Winona.

 

Gift of recreation

With winter yet to gain much traction, Owatonna’s parks and trails are still busy with walkers, joggers and bikers until cold weather activities get underway. Recreation supervisor Drake Simonson of Owatonna Parks and Recreation recently joined Karen Hale of Owatonna Live’s “Straight Talk” program.

He said the “Gift of Recreation” campaign is back for the holidays.

“We’ve got season passes at our West Hills Tennis and Pickleball Center. We got it at Brooktree Golf Course and River Springs Water Park for next season too. Our senior programming memberships at our social commons will be available, as well as any types of classes and programs that we offer,”  said Simonson.

The passes are good for park and rec-sponsored trips as well.

Simonson indicates open swim will be offered this winter by popular demand.

“We’ve heard that we need to get that family open time back at our pools. We’re doing some about once a month, open swim times at our middle school pool as well as our West Hills pool,” said Simonson.

Check the parks and recreation website (ci.owatonna.mn.us) for more information. You can register there and pay the $5 fee. They won’t be taking money at the door.

The next open swim is Friday, Dec. 22, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the middle school. The program runs through March at the middle school (Jan. 26, Feb. 16, and March 22 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.) and through May at West Hills (Jan. 13, Feb. 10, March 9, April 13, and May 11 from 1-3 p.m.)

Planning for the Bold and Cold celebration in late January is underway. According to Simonson, snow sculptures will be featured again in Central Park, the luminary walk returns, and a new event will be pool Bingo at the middle school.

“Competitors will be looking for Bingo balls in the pool to make a Bingo,” he told Hale.

After a year off, the family ice fishing event will be back on Lake Kohlmier.

“That’s just going to be open for anybody to come out. We’ll pre-drill 120 holes and we’ll have bait and some equipment that they can use,” said Simonson.

 

Owatonna Live play-by-play schedule:

Thursday, Dec. 21
OHS boys’ hockey vs. Rochester Mayo, 7 p.m.
Medford wrestling vs. NRHEG, 7 p..m
OHS girls’ basketball vs. Rochester Century, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 22
Medford girls’ basketball vs. WEM, 7:15 p.m.

Dec. 29& 30
OHS boys’ basketball, Federated Tournament

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