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| Ferber’s coaching career concludes |
| By JIM LUTGENS Sports Editor Too often, an athlete's lackluster performance at the state level takes away from an already stellar season. "It is a great accomplishment to be able to compete at the highest level in high school sports," said NRHEG track and field coach Duey Ferber. He would know. For 34 seasons, he's been the head track coach in New Richland, and is the school's longest-tenured employee. That coaching career came to an end last week as the Panthers' three entrants came home from St. Michael-Albertville without a medal. But, it's not lost on Ferber that simply getting to state is a fantastic feat, and he praised the Panthers' effort. "The girls tried their best against amazing competition!" said Ferber. Evelyn Nydegger, a recent NRHEG graduate, finished 18th in the Class A 300-meter intermediate hurdles prelimary, and caused some genuine concern when she had trou- ble with the final hurdle and col- lapsed at the finish line. Ferber said that Nydegger, who suffers from Tourette Syndrome, sustained an attack late in the race, dashing any hopes of making the finals. Quinn VanMaldeghem, who just completed her sophomore year, was the next Panther to see her season end as she finished 15th in the 400 preliminaries with a time of 1:00.11. The Panthers' final performer - and Ferber's final track and field athlete, was recent graduate Malonna Wilson, who a week earli- er was the Section 2A champion in the shot put. She took 15th at state with a toss of 35 feet, 6 inches. A week earlier, the Panther girls had an exceptional showing in the section meet, finishing third as a team. "To send three girls to state is quite a feat," said Ferber. "This is a tough section!" For Ferber, it's been a long and distinguished coaching career. |
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By JIM LUTGENS
Sports Editor
The 34th and final season for Duey Ferber as a head track and field coach is not quite finished.
Three NRHEG High School girls extended their season for another week, qualifying for the state meet out of Saturday's Section 2A comptition at Mankato.
While state qualifiers Evelyn Nydegger, Quinn VanMaldeghem and Malonna Wilson provided the biggest highlights, the entire NRHEG girls' contingent shined, finishing a strong third with 56 points. River Valley won with 87 and JWP was second with 67. Twenty-three teams scored.
"Holy smokes," said Ferber. "What a great meet!"
Nydegger, a recent graduate, secured her state berth with a second-place finish in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles, in which she clocked 47.48 seconds.
Another graduate, Wilson, finished first in the shot put with a mark of 35 feet, 6 inches.
VanMaldeghem, who recently completed her sophomore year, placed second in the 400 with a time of 1:00.11.
"To send three girls to state is quite a feat," said Ferber. "This is a tough section!"
Kylie Olson came oh so close to advancing, taking third in the shot put at 34-11.5. Wilson tossed the discus 104-5 for third place. Nydegger was fourth in the 100 hurdles in 16.37.
Quinn and Camryn VanMeldghem teamed with Sierra Misgen and Clara Buendorf for sixth in the 4x400 relay in 4:24.75. Chloie Riewer, Buendorf, Misgen and Ellie Clark took sixth in the 4x200 in 1:52.21. Riewer, Anika Ladlie, Gabby Schlaak and C.VanMeldghem were seventh in the 4x100, clocking 53.72.
Also placing for the girls: Anika Ladlie, 7th, high jump, 4-9; Julieann Wobbrock, 7th, 3200, 13:08.4; Schlaak, 9th, high jump, 4-9; Riewer, 9th, long jump, 15-2.5; Camryn VanMaldeghem, 8th, 100, 13.5.
"I'm very proud of these young ladies," said Ferber.
The NRHEG boys tied for 21st among 23 teams with nine points.
The biggest disappointment for the Panthers was the absence of their top entrant, senior hurdler Will Tuttle, who was injured in the sub-section meet and was unable to compete.
The top finisher for NRHEG was senior Jaylin Raab, who went 19-8 for fourth in the long jump.
Harbor Cromwell, Levin Kitzer, Parker Bunn and Raab took sixth in the 4x100 in 46.8. Kitzer was eighth in the 110 high hurdles in 21.88, and Parker Bunn finished ninth in the 300 hurdles in 45.5.
LCWM-Nicollet won the boys' division with 75 points. Windom Area was next with 67.
"Our boys had a tough day with stiff competition," said Ferber. "Levin had a great prelim in the 110 hurdles, but fell in the finals. Jaylin jumped well, but finished fourth. I'm proud of these boys!"
The state meet is Thursday-Saturday at St. Michael-Albertville High School.
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By ELI LUTGENS
Publisher/Editor
All things considered, it was a good first year under NRHEG’s new head baseball coach Shawn Larson.
Coming off an 11-5 campaign in 2023 and four returning seniors expected to carry the load, the bar was set pretty high. A young team could have easily thrown in the towel when they learned no seniors would be returning this spring. In its place this Panther team fought and scrapped its way to an 6-11 record (4-6 conference), earning a home playoff game for the third consecutive year, all while playing a schedule fit for last year’s top-seeded playoff squad.
The Panthers did nearly everything they could to win Thursday night at Jeff and Carol Reese Field, falling 2-1 to Blue Earth.
“This was a good baseball game,” Larson said. “The pitching on both teams was very good, as well as strong defense. It was playoff baseball and they had the timely hit that won for them.”
The runs for Blue Earth came in the first two innings.
A leadoff walk was followed by a ground out, and three consecutive walks issued by sophomore left-hander Jared Lee. He recovered to strike out the final two outs of the inning, leaving the bases full.
A one-out walk in the second was followed by a stolen base and an RBI single from the Buccaneers.
After three innings and four strikeouts, Lee was gassed.
In four innings of relief work, Deven Parpart was nearly flawless, sending the Bucs down 1-2-3, twice. Parpart allowed only one hit and registered four strikeouts.
The Panthers were hitless until freshman Brooks Gilliland registered a sharp single to center in the third. After a sacrifice bunt from Jordan Brouwers, Ryan Schlaak grounded out and Lee struck out looking.
Parpart led off the fourth with a single and made it as far as third base after a stolen base was followed by a passed ball.
In the fifth, the Panthers threatened again. A two-out walk from Schlaak was followed with a sharp single to right by Lee. Rounding third, Schlaak was held up. Just as he put on the brakes, the Buccaneer right fielder bobbled the ball. As he did, Schlaak shuffled back to third. Parpart flew out out to left, stranding two runners and ending the Panthers threat.
The Panther run came off the bats of Alden Dobberstein and Jace Ihrke. Dobberstein led off the sixth with a single and stole his way to third. Ihrke plated him with a fielder's choice.
The Panthers went down 1-2-3 in the final frame.
With the loss, the 2024 season comes to a close for the baseball Panthers. There will be no summer program for varsity-level players. Coach Larson hopes for a decent number of American Legion players next year. The freshmen are playing in a 15U league in Austin. Lee and Owen Wayne will be play on traveling teams.
For the Buccaneers, their season continued with the second round of the Section 2AA tournament with a matchup Tuesday night against Le Sueur-Henderson..
Teams remaining alive in the Section 2AA playoffs include 1-seed LSH; 2-seed Belle Plaine; 3-seed Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial; 4-seed Sibley East; 5-seed Maple River; 6-seed Tri-City United; 9-seed Blue Earth; and 10-seed Waseca.
Teams eliminated after the first round were: 7-seed Triton; 8-seed NRHEG; 11-seed WEM; 12-seed Medford; and 13-seed St. Clair.