SPORTS WRAP
Panthers don’t fly. Nor do Golden Gophers. However, NRHEG senior cheerleader Izzy Stadheim does.
“I started flying for cheer in second grade. I just kind of got tossed around. I didn’t know what was going on. So, I’ve never really been scared of flying,” said Stadheim.
Cheering is part of her life.
“I’ve been doing it for forever, basically. It’s really exciting that I get to continue it for four more years. And it’s a completely different level. I’ll be on their co-ed team. That’s completely different from what I’ve been doing in high school. It’s kind of a new experience,” she said.
She’s thrilled about her commitment to the University of Minnesota. “I’ve been going to a lot of their camps since my freshman year. So, it’s a few years in the making.”
Stadheim knows first-hand what it’s like inside Huntington Bank Stadium after attending a recruiting weekend. “They took us on the field. We followed the cheerleaders their whole game day. It is a lot of running, crowd involvement. There’s a lot going on. It’s a whole day’s worth of cheer. It’s really fun,” she said.
She may get to travel with the football team occasionally for a road game and will also cheer at Williams Arena for men’s basketball. Stadheim says the behind-the-scenes work ramps up.
“The Gophers, they’re practicing every day. They’re lifting Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. They have two-a-days,” she said.
NRHEG grad Laura Worrell recently cheered with the Gophers.
“She was a cheerleader I looked up to throughout my elementary years,” Stadheim said. “It was cool seeing her at the camps and knowing somebody up there.”
She is also on the Panthers competition cheer team, which returns to nationals in February. The squad missed a top-10 finish in Florida by less than a point a year ago. “It’s an amazing experience. There are so many people there and so many teams competing. It’s just crazy to see.”
Stadheim, who also plays volleyball and softball for the Panthers, enjoys cheering during basketball and wrestling season.
“The student sections are always really fun to participate with. They follow the cheers… It’s fun when we perform our competition cheer for the crowd,” she said.
She’s active with DECA, National Honor Society, student council, and student ambassadors. Stadheim plans to study architecture on the Twin Cities campus.
Davis Duals
Even Scot Davis pays to get into the Davis Duals. The former longtime OHS wrestling coach had to dig into his wallet for a ticket to attend the tournament named in his honor on Saturday at the high school. Admission benefits the wrestling association, which he helped build during 25 years (1986-87 through 2010-11) as the head coach.
Davis coached Derek Johnson, who is in his third year at the helm.
“We’ve got some aggressive wrestlers. I think we’re young. That’s a little bit of a problem. That you don’t have the experience that some of these other teams have. If they can stay together, I think good things lie in the short future,” said Davis regarding this year’s team.
“It’s like a big reunion is what it is,” he said of the chance to invite former coaches and program supporters together to watch wrestling and go out for a meal afterward. “When you get to be my age, you don’t get to see those people as much anymore. You’re so used to being around a lot of people and all of a sudden, it’s just kind of cut off. So, to have something like this is great.”
Davis has coached at several schools since his time at OHS. He and his wife Mary still live in Owatonna.
Now, he is purely a fan but wouldn’t mind being on the sideline again. “I really miss it… I guess if I could still find something close to home.”
He’s impressed with the new high school.
“I wish we had this when I was here. It’s awesome. Just driving up here you get goosebumps. The gymnasium. The wrestling room is great. It’s amazing. It really is. It’s a beautiful school.”
Four goals equal four points
A four-goal second period was good enough for four points in the Big Nine Conference standings for the Owatonna boys’ hockey team after their 4-2 win over Mankato West at the Four Seasons Centre last Thursday. After a scoreless first period, where the Huskies had a slight edge in offensive zone possession time, the middle frame belonged to the locals with a 13-1 shot advantage.
Andy Mitchell opened the scoring off a great feed from Blake Davison at 1:23. West squared the game with a shorthanded goal soon after. Owen Beyer put the Huskies back up with a laser beam shot 30 seconds later, while still on the power play. Mitchell added his second marker with an assist to Zach Knott for a 3-1 lead, making it four combined goals in just over four minutes.
Brody Goodnature had the Huskies’ final goal late in the period, hammering home a rebound. The Scarlets scored on the power play midway through the third for the 4-2 final.
After a 10-1 start, OHS has faced some adversity due to injury and a tougher schedule. Coach Dennis Will likes their resilience.
“I love how this group keeps coming back. Even on Jan. 13 we’re down 3-1 going into the third period against Northfield. We scored two goals and tied it up with three minutes left in the game. I really like how they fight back. We don’t give up,” said Will.
Six in Maui
Standing at the finish line along the west coast of Maui, a group of sweaty runners compared stories of winter misery back home. San Antonio, Texas, was 19 degrees. Chicago was bracing for a winter storm. The temp in Owatonna was 5-below with a nasty wild chill.
We were standing in the sun and smiling after jogging along the Pacific Ocean for six miles. Whales could be seen slapping their tails on the water, cheering us on, I assume.
When my wife suggested we join our good friends Craig and Ann in Hawaii in mid-January, my first thought was, “I’ll miss some hockey games.” That concern lasted about as long as a Beyer slapshot. The last couple of years, we’ve celebrated my wife’s birthday in warm-weather locations, a tradition we should have started long ago.
I seek out running events when we travel. I found the Maui Oceanfront Marathon and knew I had to take part. A full marathon seemed a bit much, so I opted for the six-mile tour. At the Denver airport, while waiting for our connecting flight, we chatted with a woman from Florida who was running the half marathon as part of her all-50-states effort. She will be in Duluth for Grandma’s this June.
A woman from Chicago was completing the last of her marathon-in-every-state journey. Some planned their vacation around the event and others, like me, were going to be in Hawaii and decided to go for a little run. We got a unique Hawaiian Blessing at the start as the sun rose over a mountain and capped the run with some fresh-cut coconut at the finish. I’m told that’s a good recovery drink.
We stayed just north of Lahaina, the town devastated by fire last August. Driving through that community several times over the week was heartbreaking. Some residents are still living in tents in city parks as the recovery continues.
OwatonnaLive.com play-by-play schedule
Thursday, Jan. 25
OHS wrestling at Rochester Mayo, 5:30 p.m.
OHS girls’ hockey vs. Austin, 7 p.m.
OHS girls’ basketball vs. Mankato West, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 26
Medford girls’ basketball vs. Triton, 7:15 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 27
OHS girls’ hockey vs. Rochester Mayo, 7 p.m.
