By Chuck Anderson

50 years ago – 1961

The Galloping Gophers basketball team, made up of Minnesota Gophers football players, defeated the Albert Lea Recreation League All-Stars 48-41. Roger Hagberg, a graduate of Rochester High School, led the Gophers with 19 points.

ALHS graduate Roger Villarreal was a junior halfback on the North Dakota State University football team.

Nine letterwinners reported for the Albert Lea baseball team. They were pitchers Bruce Nelson and Dick Oliphant; outfielders Don Skelton, John Goodmanson and Tom McKey; infielders Ted Larson, Dave Anderson and Larry Wolff and catcher Al Tullberg.

Coach Bruce Johnson greeted nine letterwinners for the Albert Lea track team. They included sprinters Dave Palmer and Don Nelson; pole vaulters Rog Kittelson and Ron Swanson; milers Ray Jacobsen and Allen Gavere; 880-meter runners Reginald Harms and Rodney Seeger and Steve Claybourne in the shotput.

25 years ago – 1986

Named to the Border League East All-Conference boys’ basketball team were Matt Potter from Alden-Conger, Nate Legred and Brian Dahl from Bricelyn, Kipp Hermann and Dennis Murra from Delavan, Steve Ristau from Elmore, Eric Sheehan and Jon Larson from Emmons, Chris McKean and Chris Sorenson from Freeborn, Kent Lenz from Lyle and Stan Thompson and Terry Hinz from Kiester-Walters.

Named to the Border League East All-Conference girls’ basketball team were Stephanie Potter and Tammy Drescher from Alden-Conger, Chris Anderson, Judy Legred, Kim Peterson and Kay Molskness from Bricelyn, Laura Murra and Dawn Hoechst from Delavan, Amy Colvin and Teresa Schuster from Freeborn and Carrie Harrison and Jojo Kyllo from Lyle.

10 years ago – 2001

Travis Olson of United South Central was named the Albert Lea Tribune boys’ basketball Coach of the Year, and Paul Scrabeck from Alden-Conger was named the Player of the Year. Named to the first team were Scrabeck, Chris Rebelein of Albert Lea, Aaron Evenson from A-C, Seth Stadheim from Glenville-Emmons and Brandon Aukes from USC. Named to the second team were Nick Cunningham from Albert Lea, Derek Thorson from A-C, Scott Gaskill from Lake Mills, Rusty Routh from New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva and Travis Wermedal from USC. Named to the third team were David Dahl and Matt Ladwig from Albert Lea, Andrew Greibrok from G-E, Kevin Stensrud from L.M. and Dusty Reese from NRHEG.