Blast from the Past sports: May 2024

50 YEARS AGO: MAY, 1974

Local sports history was made when the Monticello girls’ track and field team hosted its first-ever meet. St. Michael-Albertville won the five-school meet followed by Annandale, Delano, Maple Lake and Monticello.

Mary Dullinger placed second in the 110-yard hurdles and Julie Riesewitz took third in the 880. Margie Pearson, Sandy Peterson, Laurie Banks and Carla LaBree took third in the 440-yard relay. Wendy Schut was fourth in the discus and Patti Peterson was fifth in the shot put.

25 YEARS AGO: MAY, 1999

1997 Monticello High School graduate Matt Anderson got to live out his dream of becoming a professional wrestler in front of local fans.

Locals streamed into Maple Lake High School to watch Matt “The Rookie Sensation” Anderson perform.

The former Monticello diver and football player put on a show for a Maple Lake Lions Club fundraiser, where his match became the headliner of a wrestling card.

The dream started when he snuck out of his room one Saturday night to watch Saturday Night Live and when he flipped on the TV, professional wrestling was on the screen. He was instantly mesmerized by the sport and became obsessed.

He started lifting weights in seventh grade and the rest is history. He even turned down a collegiate diving career to pursue a career in wrestling.

10 YEARS AGO: MAY, 2014

The Monticello trapshooting found immediate success in year one. Monticello was in second place in their Class AAA Conference. Hunter Hedtke led the conference with an average of 23.17. Ashley Taylor (19) was second in the female conference.