NRHEG Sports (656)
The latest game results and prognostications for NRHEG.{jcomments on}
NRHEG fall sports awards were presented at the annual ceremony Tuesday, Nov. 8.
They were, by sport:
Football
• Most Valuable Player — David Lassahn
• Most Valuable Offense — Sam Lundberg
• Most Valuable Defense — Lassahn
• Most Valuable Lineman — Seth Petranek
• Lunch Pail Award — Geoff Ramaker
• Captains — Lundberg, Ramaker, Lassahn, Petranek
• All-conference — Lundberg, Lassahn, Petranek, Carter Tollefson; honorable mention Ramaker, Jake Staloch, Brandon LeBlanc, Dillon Parpart
The 2011 Section 2A, Sub-Section South runner-up NRHEG Panthers. Front from left: Stormy Mulder, Tori Raimann, Anna Schlaak, Harlee Vokoun, Amy Thompson and Rachel Ledding. Row two: Jade Schultz, Kalana Shurson, Noelle Bartness, Paige Bolduan and student manager Hannah Lundberg. Back: head coach Joe Kuechenmeister, assistant coach Onika Peterson, Carlie Wagner, Raelin Schue, Jenika Jongbloedt, student manager Kayla Lindell and assistant coach Trevor Janich. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
SUB-SECTION ACTION — NRHEG’s Anna Schlaak (9) and Harlee Vokoun (11) go up for a block as Kalana Shurson (3) and Tori Raimann (2) back up on a spike by LeSueur-Henderson’s Gretta Schultz (10) during the Section 2AA, Sub-Section South Volleyball finals at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter last Thursday. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
The Panthers’ Jade Schultz (7) spikes as LS-H’s Ali Pleiseis attempts a block. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
Second-year head coach Joel Kuechenmeister surveys the play during the sub-section finals. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
Volleyball team nearly takes LS-H to five games in sub-section finals
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
If only.
That’s what the NRHEG volleyball team was left to ponder after the Section 2AA South Sub-Section finals.
The Panthers came within a whisker of taking top-seeded LeSueur-Henderson to a fifth game, but fell tantalizingly close and lost 3-1 at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter last Thursday. The final for the Giants was 25-18, 25-21, 22-25, 25-23.
"I was happy with how the girls came out and competed tonight,” said NRHEG coach Joe Kuechenmeister. “LeSueur-Henderson is a great team (ranked No. 5 in Class AA), yet we pressured them the entire match and that was a main reason we experienced success.”
But it was tough to take because the Panthers were so close to closing out game four.
AMONG THE ELITE — NRHEG sophomore T.J. Schiltz (18) finished the season in the state meet at St. Olaf College in Northfield Saturday. He placed 89th among 150 boys in Class A. (Photo by Nikki Erickson)
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
T.J. Schiltz was hoping for a better showing, but his season could not have ended at a better place.
Schiltz, an NRHEG sophomore, finished 89th among 150 boys in the Minnesota Class A State Cross Country Meet Saturday at St. Olaf College in Northfield. His time was 17:42.4.
“T.J. had a wonderful season,” said Panthers coach Mike Weber.
Actually, it was a record-setting, history-making season. Schiltz set the school race record during the season and became the first NRHEG boy to qualify for the state cross country meet.
He and Weber were looking for a higher finish Saturday, but both are thankful.
SLAM TIME — NRHEG’s Harlee Vokoun, left, goes up for a spike as Waseca’s Sarah Trickey (4) defends last week. The Panthers beat the Bluejays, and went on to defeat Blue Earth Area 3-2 at home Tuesday night. They'll play for the sub-section championship Thursday, Nov. 3 at 7:45 p.m. at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter. If they win, they'll play for the section championship and state tournament berth Saturday at 7:45 p.m. at Gustavus. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
The NRHEG volleyball team was triumphant in the opening round of sub-section tournament play, defeating Waseca 3-0 last week in New Richland. Game scores were 25-14, 25-18, 25-21.
“Though we didn't play our prettiest volleyball, the most important thing is we were able to get the win,” said coach Joe Kuechenmeister. “It's sometimes tough to play your best against unorthodox teams like Waseca, and we struggled with their off-speed attack. To their credit, the Waseca girls played hard and played scrappy defense, and it was certainly a test for us in the first round. Hopefully, we'll learn from this first victory and keep building as we have a tough match on Tuesday against a very talented Blue Earth Area team."
Individual statistics from the Waseca match: Anna Schlaak 29 kills, 10 digs, 3 ace blocks, 2 ace serves; Carlie Wagner 10 kills, 5 ace blocks, 2 ace serves; Jade Schultz 2 kills, 5 digs, 2 ace blocks, 2 aces; Harlee Vokoun 3 kills, 1 ace; Tori Raimann 6 digs; Noelle Bartness 41 assists, 5 digs.
The Panthers beat BEA Tuesday 25-21, 23-25, 25-14, 18-25, 15-11, advancing to the sub-section semifinals Thursday, Nov. 3 at 7:45 p.m. at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter. The winner of that match plays for the section championship and state tournament berth Saturday at 7:45 p.m. at Gustavus.
The Panthers, who finished 7-1 in the Gopher Conference, improved their overall record to 23-6.
The Panthers lost 3-1 to No. 1 seed LeSueur-Henderson Thursday in the sub-section finals.
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
Through one quarter, it was anybody’s game.
By halftime, the outcome was decided.
Turnovers plagued the NRHEG football team in its upset bid at Waterville-Elysian-Morristown Saturday night as the undefeated home team racked up 32 points in the second quarter and went on to end the Panthers’ season 53-28 in the Section 2A semifinals.
“WEM took advantage of our turnovers and their size and power running game was just too much for us,” said Panthers coach Dan Stork. “We turned the ball over four times in the first half and all four resulted in touchdowns for WEM. You can't do that against any team and win let alone the No. 1 ranked team in the state. WEM is a very good football team. We wish them the best of luck.”
NR bowler rolls sixth 300 game
By JODY WYNNEMER
Staff Writer
The ghosts and goblins who were out and about on Halloween didn’t scare Al Waldhauser of New Richland. The long-time kegler rolled his sixth 300 game last Monday evening.
“We were bowling on lanes seven and eight,” said Waldhauser Tuesday morning. “There was a little extra pressure because I was bowling against my son Nate, who had a 249.”
As is the norm, the entire bowling alley stops to watch a fellow bowler who has run a long string of strikes. You can hear a pin drop until the ball approaches the rack of pins, then bedlam breaks out.
“It was the last game of the night,” Waldhauser added. “I ended up with a 732 series.”
Waldhauser has been a member of the New Richland Liquor Company Team for many years and also bowls Wednesday nights in a different league. The retired postal worker also enjoys golf when he isn’t bowling.
The fortunate thing for Waldhauser is if he would have been golfing, he would have been obligated to buy refreshments for the house as is the custom.
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
T.J. Schiltz has accomplished a great deal during the 2011 cross country season.
The NRHEG sophomore has set the school race record, won several meets and cracked the 17-minute mark more than once.
On Thursday, he made school history again.
Schiltz finished fifth in the Section 2A meet at Montgomery, becoming the first NRHEG boy to earn a spot in the state meet.
“Tonight, all the work T.J. has done came to fruition,” said Panthers coach Mike Weber.
Schiltz finished with a time of 17:05, emerging among a group of runners battling for the top 10 places and a shot at state.
According to Weber, Schiltz started the race strong, and that’s how he finished.
“It was tense down the final stretch, as there always seemed to be a clump of runners vying for those final spots to get to state,” said Weber. “T.J. hit the gas on the final turn and didn’t look back. He left the pack behind and nearly passed a couple runners at the tape. As the saying goes, he done real good. It was exciting for his teammates, our fans, and the traveling parents, to watch T.J.’s advancement into that state meet.”
Following for the NRHEG boys were Jade Waltz, 101st, 20:15; Raece Johnson, 110th, 20:56; Tyler Holz, 122nd, 21:44; Gunther Olson, 125th, 22:18; Dustin Burshem, 121st, 23:26.
Waseca won the boys’ meet with 58 points. Martin County West was second at 101. The Panthers totaled 464 for 17th place among 21 teams.
“As a team, having run on the Montgomery course for the first real meet of the 2011 season, this was a nice way to end the team’s season by running the same course and looking at the times in that first race,” said Weber. “Gunther was our lone runner not in that first meet, but he did set a PR for his season. Dustin took a minute and a half off his course time. Tyler took a whopping three and a half minutes off. Raece took three minutes off his time. Jade took a minute and a quarter from his time. The boys continued improving all year, and it was enjoyable watching the times creep down. Jade provided some excellent leadership this season and we’ll miss him next year, along with senior Tyler Holz.”
Katharine Lewer led the NRHEG girls with a 45th-place finish, clocking 17:14. Following for NRHEG: Melissa Malakowsky, 79th, 18:34; Shantaya Olson, 88th, 19:08; Crystal Olson, 92nd, 19:22; Kimberly Narvaez, 118th, 22:17.
The girls finished 17th out of 21 schools with 425 points.
“The girls can really be proud of how far they came as a group over the season,” said Weber. “Kimberly was our lone girl runner not in that first meet; however, she did record her second best effort of her season. Crystal took two minutes off her first meet’s time in Montgomery. Shantaya was two and a half minutes better. Missy was a minute better. Leading the Panthers girls all season, and recording a very nice time, Katharine dropped a minute and a quarter. Not only have they been an easy group to coach, but also, we really have a great group of people to work with. A person might define a season by the athletes’ quality of character; and if so, I say the Panthers had a perfect season.”
Schiltz is the second NRHEG cross country runner to advance to state. Crystal Schutrop qualified in 1993 and 1994, finishing 24th as a freshman and 22nd as a sophomore at the state meet.
Schiltz will run in the state meet Saturday, Nov. 5 at St. Olaf College in Northfield.
BIG NIGHT — NRHEG's Geoff Ramaker (1) ran for 321 yards Tuesday night in a Section 2AA football playoff game against Kenyon-Wanamingo. The yardage ranks third best in school history. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
SIDELINE GRAB — NRHEG's Sam Grothem (80) awaits a pass along the sideline from quarterback Sam Lundberg. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
OPEN FIELD RUNNING — NRHEG's Brandon LeBlanc (18) takes off after catching a pass from Sam Lundberg. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
Ramaker rushes for 321 yards
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
How much did the NRHEG Panthers miss Geoff Ramaker?
Maybe more than he missed them.
Ramaker, a senior who returned to the lineup three games ago after recovering from a broken foot, topped the 100-yard barrier in his first two games back — and the Panthers won both.
On Tuesday, he bettered that by a bit as the Panthers made it three in a row.
Ramaker ran for 321 yards as the NRHEG football team crushed Kenyon-Wanamingo 42-6 in an opening round Section 2AA quarterfinal game at New Richland.
TOUGH RUNNING — NRHEG senior Geoff Ramaker (1) breaks away from Maple River defenders last Wednesday at Mapleton. Ramaker rushed for more than 100 yards for the second straight week after missing most of the season with a broken foot. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
COOL AS A CUCUMBER — NRHEG quarterback Sam Lundberg (11) gets off a pass just before getting tackled by a Maple River defender. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
NRHEG seeded fourth in section
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
The NRHEG football team finished the regular season on a positive note, pulling off a come-from-behind 14-12 upset at Maple River last Wednesday.
The Panthers, who improved to 4-3 in the Gopher Conference AA Division and 4-4 overall, drew the No. 4 seed in the Section 2A tournament, earning the right to host No. 5 Kenyon-Wanamingo Tuesday, Oct. 25 in New Richland. The winner plays Saturday at 7 p.m. at top-seeded WEM.
The Maple River win was big because the Eagles still had a chance to tie for the conference championship if WEM had lost. But the Panthers made it a moot point.
“I couldn't be more proud of these guys,” said NRHEG coach Dan Stork. “It seems like I say that every week, but these guys are so fun to coach. They never quit. They play with such heart and passion for the game.”
More...
I CAN DIG IT — The Panthers’ Anna Schlaak (9) gets set for a dig as teammate Tori Raimann (2) looks on for the NRHEG volleyball team, which defeated WEM 3-0 in the regular-season finale last week. The Panthers host a sub-section tournament match Thursday, Oct. 27 in New Richland. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
Panthers seeded No. 2 in sub-section
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
With the Gopher Conference volleyball championship already decided, the NRHEG Panthers and WEM Buccaneers played one final meaningful regular-season match last Tuesday.
The Panthers defeated the Bucs 3-0 at New Richland, claiming second place in the 2011 final conference standings. NRHEG won 25-15, 25-17, 25-13.
"It was definitely a huge win for us,” said NRHEG coach Joe Kuechenmeister. “We were tied with WEM for second place in the conference, meaning whoever won tonight would take that position outright. I was extremely pleased to see us come out and compete at a high level, and our intensity and playmaking in the early stages of the match really set the tone and took the Bucs out of whatever game plan they had coming in. To our girls’ credit, they kept their foot down on the gas pedal throughout the duration of the entire match, and we were able to come away with one of our most definitive victories of the season. It's great to have this kind of momentum heading into postseason play."
Schiltz 2nd overall as Panthers shine at conference CC meet
Written by Jim Lutgens
RUNNER-UP — Sophomore T.J. Schiltz finished second among the boys in last week’s Gopher Valley Conference meet at Madelia. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
Optimal performance at season’s end.
That’s what NRHEG cross country coach Mike Weber wants, and that’s what the Panthers delivered last week.
Sophomore T.J. Schiltz finished second overall to lead the NRHEG boys to perhaps their best overall showing of the season, 10th among 12 schools in the Gopher Valley Conference meet at Madelia.
The girls also ran tough, taking eighth.
“The boys did exactly what we had hoped for the conference meet, and as a team we had our best effort,” said Weber.
Schiltz almost topped the field while earning all-conference honors, finishing with a time of 16:50.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP — NRHEG volleyball players got together for a group photo before last Tuesday’s victory over Blooming Prairie. From left: Stormy Mulder, Anna Schlaak, Harlee Vokoun, Amy Thompson, Tori Raimann and Rachel Ledding. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
It was an up and down week for the NRHEG volleyball team.
The season, however, continued on an up note.
The Panthers improved to 6-1 in the Gopher Conference and reached the 20-win plateau with a 3-0 victory over Blooming Prairie last Tuesday and a 2-2 showing in Saturday’s Faribault Invitational.
Coach Joe Kuechenmeister expected a tough match against Blooming Prairie after the Panthers’ come-from-behind victory over the Blossoms earlier this season.
“We knew we were going to have a battle on our hands,” said Kuechenmeister.
But the Panthers came away with a sweep, 26-24, 25-22 and 25-13.
NRHEG football team defeats United South Central, 17-6
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
NRHEG football coach Dan Stork came away from Friday’s game against United South Central with one thought.
“Winning ugly,” said Stork, “is better than losing.”
The Panthers weren’t pretty — and neither was USC, for that matter — but NREHG prevailed, defeating the Rebels 17-6 in a Gopher Conference game in New Richland. It was a mistake-filled, penalty-plagued and, for USC, turnover-ridden contest.
“We did some very good things tonight and did not turn the ball over at all, but we also made some mistakes that simply should not happen in week seven,” said Stork, who attributed the errors to two factors.
“Part of that is do to the revolving door that we have had with injuries,” said the coach. “And part of it is just not being focused. We need to clean things up.”