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Barry Manilow honors Hopkins grad at concert
Daniel Perelstein's love of teaching was recently recognized by pop icon Barry Manilow. Barry Manilow’s goodbye tour included an Aug. 2 stop at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, where he honored Perelstein, a Lakeville man and music teacher at Washington Technology Magnet High School in St. Paul, with $10,000. The honored educator was given $5,000 for his school and $5,000 for himself. Perelstein grew up in Golden Valley...
AC 10U team earns Monsta Nationals bronze championship
The Armstrong Cooper Girls Fastpitch Association 10U team wrote a chapter in association history recently, winning the 10U Bronze bracket championship at the Monsta Nationals tournament in Bloomington July 28. The team includes: Marlo Dobrin, Brooklynn Drew, Alanna Silva-Hammer, Stella Gilbert, Kaylee Loftus, Rylee Madson, Sydney Carson, Reagan Chismar, Rose Adelle Graham, Brynden Halupnick, Brynn Le, Charlene Wokson and Anna Frey. Armstrong Cooper, faced with difficulties with player availability, put...
Osanai among Gophers signs for 24-25 season
University of Minnesota director of track and field and cross country Matt Bingle is pleased to announce the signing class for the 2024-25 cross country and track and field teams who have all signed National Letters of Intent or Financial Aid Tenders with the Golden Gophers. The newest class of Gophers includes 22 talented additions coming from multiple levels from around the United States and the globe. One of those talented additions is Caitlyn Osanai of Plymouth who is a graduate of Robbinsdale Armstrong High...
Hitdawgs lose first game in playoff series
With the No. 3 seed in the Minnesota Baseball Association Section 6B playoffs, the Plymouth Hitdawgs lost its first game in a best-of-three series against the Minnetonka Monarchs (fourth seed) last week. The Hitdawgs traveled to Veteran’s Field for game one, falling 11-1 to the Monarchs. The loss came despite some good performances for Plymouth, which had eight hits against Minnetonka. Tom Lyman and Ryan Masui had two each. The Hitdawgs sole run came in the top of the third after Minnetonka already led 3-0,...
Excelsior Legion trio has a great year
The end of Excelsior’s American Legion baseball season July 27 was bitter-sweet for three of the star players - Will Koeppen, Max Nelson and Nate Wheeler. The Fire Club had one of its best records in recent years with a 26-7 mark, however, the last day of the season didn’t go well as Excelsior lost to Eden Prairie twice, 7-4 and 2-0. Since only one team from the Sub-State 4 Tournament moved on to state, Excelsior put the gear away for another season. ...
Greenway keeps audience engaged at banquet
During his 11 seasons as a linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings, Chad Greenway provided highlights that kept Purple & Gold fans engaged. Whether he was covering a tight end, rushing the passer or doing what he did best - stopping the run - Greenway’s extra effort made him a fan favorite. Thursday, Aug. 1, he was a fan favorite again, but in a different way. ...
The Hlavacek sports dynasty continues
Not long after he learned to walk, Parker Hlavacek was at the park watching his father Brad play slowpitch softball. While he was a three-sport athlete at Wayzata High in football, basketball and baseball, Parker found time to play slowpitch in the summer at Edina’s Van Valkenburg Park. He played alongside his dad for Edina Hall-of-Fame pitcher Alex Karos. With Karos retiring and moving to Florida after the 2022 season,...
Park Little League wins state, heads to Indy for Midwest Regionals
St. Louis Park Little League turned in an impressive showing at the Minnesota State Little League Final Four in Coon Rapids. Park had three state champions in age groups including 10-under, 11-under and 12-under in the tournament, which was July 24-28. The Park All-Star team comprised of players 12 years old not only won the state title but advanced to the eight-team Midwest Regional in Whitestown, Indiana with a chance...
West suburban coach wins national honor
Jim Peck, who began coaching youth baseball in Minnetonka in 1964, was surprised with a national award during a banquet July 31 in Osseo. The huge plaque he received that night came from the national level of American Legion Baseball. The plaque mainly recognized Peck’s service to the American Legion, but his footprint in the state baseball landscape extends to other organizations and programs. Peck, who owned Deephaven Drug and...
Eden Prairie Legion season ends at state
A promising start in the 2024 State American Legion Division I Tournament for Eden Prairie faded with unexpected losses in the next two rounds last week. With the split, coach Mike O’Brien’s Eagles finished the season 30-8 overall. Earlier this year, Eden Prairie was the No. 1-ranked team in Scheels’ Statewide Legion poll, and it looked promising when the Eagles outlasted Excelsior in the Sub-State 4 Tournament to earn a state berth, but it wasn’t to be. ...
Swenson is among Wayzata’s all-time greats
When the dust settled on a hot ball diamond July 28, Wayzata was on the short end of an 11-10 score against Sub-State 10 American Legion baseball champion Osseo. Their were no tears for Wayzata. The Wizards gave it their best shot. Following a 15-minute team huddle after the game, Wayzata’s star outfielder and pitcher Gaard Swenson shared his thoughts on the season. “We have a brotherhood to ball back...
Hopkins Legion moves ‘in right direction’
The Hopkins Flyers American Legion baseball team came close to the .500 mark in a rebuilding year this summer. Returning only five players from the 2023 squad, coach Tyler Brodersen’s club finished 12-14 overall. The highlight of the season was a four-game winning streak during the 96-team Gopher Classic, the Midwest’s largest Legion baseball tournament. In the Sub-State 3 playoffs, the Flyers had a 1-2 record to finish in fourth...
Legion Baseball Prospects Series explodes
The fourth-annual American Legion Baseball Prospects Series will be bigger than ever in 2024, according to director of player selection Bruce Barron, the former Edina Legion coach. “Interest in the series has exploded,” Barron said last week. “We had 328 nominations representing 76 different communities.” The series will be played at two sites Friday, Aug. 9, through Sunday, Aug. 11. Senior Division All-Stars will play at Northwestern University in Roseville...
Legion Baseball Prospects Series explodes
The fourth-annual American Legion Baseball Prospects Series will be bigger than ever in 2024, according to director of player selection Bruce Barron, the former Edina Legion coach. “Interest in the series has exploded,” Barron said last week. “We had 328 nominations representing 76 different communities.” The series will be played at two sites Friday, Aug. 9, through Sunday, Aug. 11. Senior Division All-Stars will play at Northwestern University in Roseville...
Kent brothers leave their impact on the Crows
Proud St. Louis Park High School soccer alums and brothers Max and Nick Kent recently wrapped up their soccer season with Minneapolis City Soccer Club. Max, the older brother by six years, wrapped up his fifth and final season as a member of the backline and first on the same field as his brother. “It was great playing with my brother,” Max said of helping Minneapolis to a club-best 15...
Hennepin commissioners approach 49% salary increase
Hennepin County Commissioners are set to vote Aug. 6 on a large raise increase for themselves. Commissioner Irene Fernando (District 2 - Golden Valley, Medicine Lake, North and Northeast Minneapolis, Southeast Plymouth and St. Anthony) came up with a nearly 50% raise, from from $122,225 to $182,141. “Salaries are a reflection of and connected to the scope of responsibilities that accompanies a particular job,” Fernando said. In 2024, the area...
Iowa promoter gives ‘Rumble Boy’ a ring
Rick Anderson, owner and trainer at Rumble Boy Gym in Medina, was looking forward to managing one of his fighters, Avery Ploetz of Maple Grove, on a boxing and kickboxing card July 20 in Northwood, Iowa. What Anderson wasn’t counting on was a question from the promoter: “Would you be interested in being a timekeeper and referee for some of our bouts?” Anderson’s familiarity with the fight game prompted him...
Greta Evans-Becker announces bid for reelection to Robbinsdale School Board
Greta Evans-Becker, Robbinsdale Area Schools' current school board clerk, has announced her intention to run for a second term. Evans-Becker’s reasoning is, “I would like to use my 34 years as an educator and school administrator in making decisions for District 281. I will continue to be a voice of reason and a calming presence on the board.” She also stated, “I believe in public education. I believe in our administration, I believe in our teachers and in our students. I believe in the Robbinsdale Area Schools. We have some challenges and we also have tremendous potential. It will be an honor to work with our new superintendent to raise student achievement, study district facilities for future planning, and improve community relations.” The election will be Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Column: Hopkins track legend moves on to the Olympics in Paris
Flash back to 2019, the most successful season in Hopkins High’s boys track history. In one memorable photo from the State Class AA Meet, Joe Fahnbulleh is gritting his teeth just before crossing the finish line in a title-clinching race at Hamline University. Etched on his face is the burning desire to be No. 1. He wore several gold medals after winning every event he entered that day. ...
PRIMARY VOTER'S GUIDE: Omar the sole respondent in Congressional District 5 guide
Four DFL candidates vying for Minnesota's Fifth Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives will be reduced to one at the Aug. 13 primary election. The candidates include Ilhan Omar (incumbent), Don Samuels, Abena A McKenzie and Nate Schulter. The top vote getter will face Republican candidate Dalia Al-Aqidi in the Nov. 5 General Election. Minnesota has eight representatives in the U.S. House. The Fifth Congressional District includes...
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Sun Sailor serves the Eden Prairie, Excelsior, Hopkins, Minnetonka, Plymouth, St. Louis Park and Wayzata communities. Published Thursdays by APG of East Central Minnesota dating back to 1970. 24/7 local coverage found online at sailor.mnsun.com
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