Sports

(KWMN)- The Rushford-Peterson Baseball club is underway with their preseason practices as they look to build off a successful offseason. The Trojans weren’t uber successful in the High School season, but in Legion ball, they reached the state tournament. The hope is the High School team can build off of that.

On Monday, it was a hard-fought matchup, but the Lake Havasu Knights had to settle for an 8-6 defeat against the Chatfield Chargers. Brock Cross was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring a run while going 3-for-4. Lake Havasu's loss dropped their record down to 7-7-1. As for Chatfield, their...

A season that ended with four straight losses and a near .500 record also ended with Fillmore Central boys basketball pushing the furthest it has in the post-season since 2009. Bombs Away Philosophy and Daniels’ Shot Send FC Past #10 Spring Grove. The graduating seniors of the Class of...

Rushford-Peterson (3-seed, 21-7) jumped on Goodhue (6-seed, 15-13) early and led at the half, but their defense could not stop the Wildcats after intermission, and their offense could not keep up devoid starting point guard Cayden Lea. The result was a season-ending loss for the #18 in A Trojans. Chris Drinkall’s group jumped out 15-6 and forced 13 Wildcats first half turnovers in building a 36-31 halftime lead. But the Wildcats turned the ball over just four times in the second half. Sophomore scorer Luke Roschen racked up 13 of 18 Wildcat points early in the stanza as Goodhue started the half scoring 21 of 30 points to lead 52-45. They hit eight straight shots. The Trojans then were forced to play catch-up, a process hindered with freshman play-making and scoring guard Cayden Lea in foul trouble. R-P never re-took the lead. They were within two (57-55) with 8:47 left, but the Wildcats quickly scored six straight to lead 63-55. It was then three (63-60) with 5:23 to go, but Goodhue scored five straight to lead 68-60. Lea made a free throw with 3:02 left to make it 68-64, but it was the Trojans’ last point. Lea later fouled out. Goodhue scored the last seven to post a 75-64 victory. Roschen (28 pts, 10-16 FGs, 6-6 FTs, 8 rebs) and freshman Max Loos (22 pts, 3-5 threes, 6 rebs) combined for 50 points. Dawson Bunke (14 pts, 3-9 threes, 5 rebs), Lea (12 pts, 6 asts), and Will LaFleur (11 pts, 5 rebs) hit double figures for R-P. Cole Thompson added 9 points (3-8 threes). Goodhue hit 17 of 29 second half shots (59%) and 29 of 52 field goals (56%) for the game. R-P was 10 of 31 after intermission (32%) and 23 of 63 (37%) for the game. They did hit 11 of 37 threes (30%) to Goodhue’s 5 of 11 (45%), but the Wildcats made 24 twos to R-P’s 12. The young Trojans see a very good year end at 21-8. The 1,000-point scorer Bunke and Sampson Wilkemeyer are their two seniors.

The event is being held Friday and Saturday in Walnut, California. (ABC 6 News) — St. Charles native Tyler Gunnarson is out west among the top Paralympians in the country. Gunnarson is participating in the U.S. Paralympic Nationals and competed in three races on Friday. His first two events...

After upsetting Northfield last week, the Winhawks boys’ basketball team fell 65-45 to the Byron Bears in the Section 1AAA semifinals last Saturday. Last week, a pair of nail biters also spelled the end to playoff runs for Cotter and Lewiston-Altura. The Cotter-Hope Lutheran Ramblers boys’ team beat Lourdes 61-45 to take on Caledonia in the quarterfinals last Wednesday but lost that game 63-59.

(1A Play-In) 17-seed Faribault B.A. (7-19) 67, 16-seed LeRoy-Ostrander (7-19) 64 (L-O: C. Hungerholt 34 pts (9-10 FTs), 5 rebs, 3 blks; R. Hungerholt 22 pts; Ryder Stern 6 pts, 8 rebs. L-O was 3 of 24 from deep (13%). Cardinals finish at 7-20) (1A Play-In) 18-seed Hayfield (5-22) 48,...

The 4-seed Spring Grove girls (22-5) survived a cold-shooting 1A quarterfinal duel versus 5-seed Fillmore Central (17-10) but could not stay with top seed Goodhue (23-5) in a subsequent semi-final, all at Rochester. In the 48-44 win over the Falcons, the Lions led by nine points in the second half, but the Falcons closed within two points at 46-44 with a rebound and two free throws by Jersey Ristau with only 26 seconds remaining. Six seconds later, Lion Siri Konkel cashed in two free throws to create a two-possession lead and the final score. It was the second nail-biter between the teams this season with SG having edged FC by one point only four weeks previous. In this rematch, the teams combining for 44 turnovers, 38 fouls and 38 free throws. The Lions matched a season-most 21 fouls, but the Falcons did not take adequate advantage, hitting only 8 of 20 free throws (40%). Grove hit 10 of 18 (56%). The Lions outscored the Falcons by two points both from the foul line and the field. SG shot only 26% and FC 27%. Each team had 16 field goals. FC was 5 of 29 shooting, 8 of 19 at the free throw line, with 15 turnovers in the second half. Konkel led Lion scoring with 11 points with 9 each from Emerson Ingvalson and Izabel Kaufmann (3-4 threes). Kinley Soiney had 5 points, 9 rebounds and 7 steals. For the Falcons, Aubrey Daniels had a team-high 10 points. Kammry Broadwater (7 points) and Kyla Hellickson (6 points) each had 12 rebounds. SG led 28-23 at halftime, but FC caught up at 29-29. The Lions scored the next nine points, but the Falcons remained in contention until the final 20 seconds. FC closed a good season at 17-11. In the semifinals, Spring Grove led 19-17 before state-ranked #1 Goodhue led 30-23 at halftime and won going away, 73-49. The Wildcats shot only 26% before the break before enjoying 44% success in the second half. For SG, Konkel scored 12 points and Soiney 11 points along with 9 rebounds. Kylie Hammel added 8 points, 5 rebounds. Ingvalson had 6 points, 8 boards. Goodhue point guard Elisabeth Gadient had an amazing stat line with 20 points, 13 assists, 7 rebounds and 6 steals. She is a Minnesota State-Mankato commit. Despite having nine shots blocked, the Lions outshot the ‘Cats from the field 39% to 35%. But with a season-high 30 turnovers against a trapping Goodhue defense, Grove did not shoot often enough to keep up. This was the deepest postseason run in 11 years for Spring Grove, which finishes an excellent year at 23-6.

Many teams dream of a state title. Chatfield Gopher wrestling’s aspiration for such became very distinctive and realistic at two points in the season, the win over perennially state-power #2 in Class AA Kasson Mantorville and the second-place team showing at the prestigious “Clash.” There was no doubt after those two great efforts the Gophers were a force. But work still needed to be done. Well, their destiny has been fulfilled. Matt Mauseth’s group did not just win the state Class A wrestling title. They dominated their way to it. It did not come easy. Wrestling is not easy. They had to fight and scrap, grapple out late period wins with key takedowns, or defend hard to keep points off the board. But opponents managed just seven total wins in three duals. All seven wins were by kids ranked in state; six in the top six. Four of those seven losses were by decision. Only two were by fall. The Gophers battled mentally and physically and came out on top 32 of 39 matches; domination.

Rushford-Peterson’s girls concluded an excellent season with their furthest post-season push since 2014-2015. Joe Hatch’s #20 in A Trojans (3-seed, 20-7) first played Grand Meadow (6-seed, 19-8) in a 1A quarterfinal. The Trojans scored 15 of the first 17 points for a 15-2 lead. GM responded with a 10-2 run to close to 17-12. The Trojans then ended the half scoring 17 of 19 points for a 34-14 lead at intermission. R-P’s edge then stayed at least nine the rest of the way, as they prevailed 57-38. Nadia Happel (19 pts, 9-16 FGs) and Torryn Schneider (17 pts, 6-11 FGs, 4-7 threes) led the way. The Trojan defense held Lexy Foster (11 pts) and Lauren Queensland (6 pts), each a 1,000-point scorer, in check. They came in averaging more than 35 PPG combined. Gracie Foster (12 pts, 4-5 FTs) was GM’s leading scorer. R-P hit 9 of 21 threes (43%), GM 4 of 14 (29%). The Trojans shot 48% (21 of 44) overall to GM’s 34% (13 of 38). The Larks also had 19 turnovers to R-P’s 11. The Larks were twice held below 40 points this season, both times by R-P. GM’s solid season ends at 19-9. The Trojans (3-seed, 21-7) moved on to play two-time defending 1A champ #5 in A Hayfield (2-seed, 27-2). R-P trailed 21-20 in the first half, but the Vikings then scored 17 straight to lead 38-20. They led 38-25 at intermission. Hayfield pulled away for an 85-58 victory. The 85-points given up was a season-high for the Trojans. Ellie Ekern (13 pts), Tayler Helgemoe (10 pts), Schneider (9 pts) and Nevaeh Happel (9 pts) led R-P. Hayfield got four in double figures; Kristen Watson (20 pts, 4-5 threes, 8-8 FTs, 5 rebs), Lilly Beyer (15 pts, 7-7 FGs, 6 rebs), Natalie Beaver (14 pts, 3-5 threes, 5 rebs, 5 asts), and Chelsea Christopherson (12 pts, 4-5 FTs). Hayfield shot 58% (26 of 45), R-P 40% (21 of 53). Included was the Vikings hitting 10 of 21 threes (48%) while R-P was 5 of 14 (36%) from deep. Hayfield also went 23 of 28 (82%) from the line, R-P 11 of 21 (52%). The Trojans excellent season ends at 21-8.

Nineteen total athletes (13 guys, six gals) from Chatfield, FCLMC, Caledonia/Houston, LARP, and GMLOS took on the state individual wrestling tourney. Coming off a team championship, Chatfield placed five total to lead the way. Carson Rowland claimed a state title, Javier Berg finished runner-up, Kail Schott third, and Gage Bartels fourth on the guys side. Chloe Berg took fifth for the girls. Rowland overshadowed defending state champs Berg and Schott by getting the Gophers an individual champion. The junior, ranked #5 at 152 (42-8), started with a fall, then won three-straight decisions over ranked foes; 5-0 over Medford’s #8 Evan Schweisthal (25-5), 3-1 over Long Prairie/Grey Eagle-Browerville’s #2 Tucker Zigan (44-4), and 5-3 over Staples-Motley’s #1 Colbe Tappe (41-2). Rowland scored a third period takedown and back-points versus Tappe. He beat Tappe two days earlier during team state. It was quite a step up for Rowland, as he made state last year but wrestled just one match. Berg, ranked #1 at 114 (39-5), beat three ranked foes, Central’s #9 Parker Honl (30-12) by fall, Ogilvie’s #4 Beau Hudoba (47-9) by 7-0 decision, and JCC’s #3 Kayden Eller (45-9) by 12-3 major, to make the finals. Berg’s win over Eller avenged a pinfall loss at team state. The junior, in a state title re-match, then fell to Pipestone Area’s #2 Miklo Hernandez (40-2) by 4-3 decision. Hernandez recorded a third period takedown for the winning points. Berg won last year’s title match at 106 by 7-3 decision. Schott, ranked #1 at 189 (31-3) but nursing a couple ailments, made the semifinals via a fall and a 16-5 major. Leading in his semis match, Schott was pinned in the third period by Canby’s #6 Nick Wagner (44-6). A repeat state title was thus nixed. Kail recovered by posting a 12-3 major and a pin of Paynesville Area’s #2 Peyton Hemmesch (30-5) to take third place. The senior is a rare triple state champion; football (2021), individual wrestling (2023), and team wrestling (2024). He won 182-pounds last year. Like Rowland, Berg, and Schott, #6 Bartels (35-9) also made the semis. He did so courtesy of 6-0 and 4-3 decision wins, the latter over #9 Deegan Birkaker (48-5) of Ogilvie. Bartels then fell to Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial’s #3 Parker Kamm (31-9) by 4-2 decision, beat Tracy-Milroy/B/W/W-G’s David Schuh (42-15) by 1-0 decision, then fell to Sibley East’s #7 Benito Diaz (43-2) by fall. Bartels, a three-time state entrant, finished in fourth place. He took sixth last year. Gal Chloe Berg, ranked #5 at 124 (21-7), lost to Northfield’s #4 Lainey Houts (23-7) by 12-7 decision out of the gate. The senior then posted back-to-back falls over Mora’s #9 Bridget Bankers (30-9) and West Central Area/A/B/E’s #6 Lucea Wales (14-6) for her fifth-place finish. Berg was 126-pound state runner-up last year. Chatfield’s other five boys’ participants did not place. Junior Ayden Miner (160) went 2-2. Ranked sixth (31-11), he won a 10-6 decision over Eden Valley-Watkins’s #10 Isaac Ortiz (28-8), lost 6-0 to Medford’s #3 Tommy Elwood (39-2), won a 9-3 decision over Osakis’ #8 Gaven Simbura (37-16), only to lose to FCLMC’s #7 Kane Larson (44-6) by 5-2 decision. Miner beat Larson at sections and at a TRC team dual. Miner came won win away from placing. Kaisen Johnson (121) and Ben Carrier (172) each went 1-2. Johnson, ranked #9 (30-12), won his first match by fall, but then lost by 11-3 major and 4-2 decision in overtime to Staples-Motley’s #2 Eli Greenwaldt (50-5). Johnson fell to Greenwaldt 10-4 in the state final dual. Carrier (31-14) lost by 7-0 decision to BBE’s #1 Maximus Hanson (49-0), won a 5-0 decision, then lost to Frazee’s #5 Preston Mayfield (41-9) by 15-4 major. Miles Mulhern (285), ranked #2 (36-11) went 0-2, losing both of his matches by fall on unranked foes. Jack Dornack (145) got the one and done treatment, losing by 2-0 decision to Holdingford’s #3 William Pilarski (38-8) in his only match. The senior (34-13) was nearing 100 career wins.