Speaking of Sports

By John Fragodt, Sports Reporter

Wow, what a game!  The Minnewaska Area girls basketball team started off slowly, falling behind 15-3, but once it got going, the Lakers outscored the Fairmont Cardinals 50-23 the rest of the way to claim the Section 3AA title and a berth at state. Minnewaska Area earned the fifth seed at the State Tourney and was set to face fourth-seeded Sauk Centre in the opening round at 8 p.m., Wednesday.  Yes, that’s right!  The Lakers are matched up with Sauk Centre again.  It’s too bad the Lakers have to travel 2 1/2 hours to play a team that’s only 23 miles away.

However, playing Sauk Centre should help the Lakers lose any pre-game jitters since they’re very familiar with the Mainstreeters and know they can beat them.  SC beat the Lakers early in the season, 58-48, but Minnewaska Area returned the favor later, winning 51-48.  Minnewaska Area lost only three games this season and two were to state entrants (Barnesville and Sauk Centre) and one was to NLS.  I’m not sure why Sauk Centre got the fourth seed and Minnewaska Area was seeded fifth, but the Mainstreeters did have a higher QRF ranking (from Minnesota-scores.net) and the seedings followed the QRF ranking exactly.  Sauk Centre, which is a perennial state entrant, goes into the state tourney with a 27-2 record, losing only to Minnewaska Area and Barnesville.

•  Getting to state is never easy.  I worked at the Benson paper for 35 years and during that time, only one basketball team qualified to state, the 2005-06 boys team, which luckily for me included my two sons, Joey and Daniel.  We played for a section title many times over the years, but could never get over the hump.  One of those teams that lost in the section final was led by Missy (Giese) Foslien.  Benson lost the section final that year at SMSU in a game Giese scored her 1,000th point late in the game, after the outcome was already decided.  Well, Missy’s daughter, Mya Foslien, also scored her 1,000th point late in the season, but her WCA team also qualified to state with a 56-51 win over Underwood.  That had to be a proud moment for their family and I’m happy for them.

•  Speaking of the West Central Conference, four WCC teams played for section titles this season, proving just how tough the conference is.  Minnewaska Area won the Section 3AA title, Sauk Centre earned the Section 6AA championship and West Central Area won the Section 6A title after also qualifying to state this fall in volleyball.  The only team to lose in the section championship was BOLD, which lost the Section 2A title to Sleepy Eye-St. Mary’s despite leading by two points with 27 seconds left.  Overall, the seven WCC schools went a combined 87-30 this season in non-conference games, including the postseason.  That’s pretty impressive!

•  When I first came to Minnewaska Area Schools in August of 2022 I saw right away there was a lot of athletic talent at MAHS.  And, it’s not just in basketball.  The seven regulars on the Lakers’ team this year have also earned state berths in cross-country, track and field, and tennis.  One (Jayda Kolstoe) even earned a gold medal last year in the shot put.    They’re also all very good students, good people and they continue to make the school and community proud.

•  What can you say about Minnewaska’s three super senior starters?  There’s the emotional one (Sydney Dahl), who doesn’t care about anything else except winning.  She’s plays fearless, she has a variety of scoring moves and she does not ever let up.  There’s the calm and collected one (Megan Thorfinnson), who does whatever she needs to do to help her team win, is an efficient floor leader, great shooter and has a great move to the basket.  And, there’s the wildcard (Addy Kath), who is the type of player every person wants to have on their team.  She’s relentless on the boards, covers so much ground, is very smart on defense and can also score a variety of ways.  The three seniors are all playing at a very high level right now and have been a joy to watch over the last three seasons.

•  The four junior regulars are also playing very awesome right now.  And, when you play so many postseason games, you almost can start to refer to them as seniors as well; and that’s the way you want them to play at State.  You never know if you’ll get back to the state tourney again so you better take advantage of the opportunity.  And, don’t expect the juniors to be overwhelmed by the state experience since they all have competed in at least one other sport at state during their high school careers and have been in so many big games and events in their high school careers.

•  There’s been a different leader almost every night for the Lakers, but the one constant has been defense.  Words I’d use to describe the Lakers’ relentless defensive pressure include nonstop, game-changing, mind-numbing, energy-sapping, entertaining and extremely effective.  The Lakers’ full-court pressure turns the game into something opponents aren’t used to; no more easily setting up the offense.  Instead, the Lakers force the opposition into making rapid-fire decisions that they’re not used to making.

•  What a season it’s been!  The Lakers not only won their third conference title in MAHS school history, but they advanced to state for the first time in 26 years and also set a school record for number of wins in a season with 27 (and still counting).  The seven regulars have been instrumental in helping the Lakers win a section title, but in the sport of basketball, it takes an entire team.  This year’s full varsity roster for the girls team includes seniors Addy Kath, Lauren Stryhn, Sydney Dahl, Megan Thorfinnson and Amber Peabody; juniors Alia Randt, Lauryn Ankeny, Olivia Danielson, Aubrey Stark, Carly Jergenson, Kendall Danielson, Phemie Oeltjen and Jayda Kolstoe; sophomores Norah VanZee, Eliana Marthaler, Haillie Schulz and Claira Frey; and ninth-grader Berlynn Green.  The coaches are Nick Danielson, Brad Randt, Grace Gerads and Josh Greene.

•  I’m sure a lot of Dads have entertained thoughts of coaching their daughters, and I’m sure many actually have coached their kids at younger levels.  However, I’m also sure not a lot Dads would ever entertain the thought of coaching their daughters at the high school level even though they might think ‘wouldn’t it be something to coach my daughter(s) to a section title?”  Well, Nick Danielson and Brad Randt have done just that.  I’m sure it was  never easy, but boy, it has to be fun for them and their families.  Great job coaches!

•  I’m really looking forward to covering my first girls basketball team at state.  I’m proud to be a member of the Laker community and I’m continually impressed with the great success MAHS student-athletes have year in and year out.  Now, it’s time to go out, have some fun and play ball.  Go Lakers!