Sports Memories by Tom Jones

 

60 years ago: 1960

• After the first six games of the season had been postponed due to weather conditions, the Albert Lea Rangers men’s hockey team picked up a 6-5 win over North Mankato. Lee Suthers scored twice for the Rangers, including getting the winning goal with a minute to go in the game. The Rangers were coached by Warren Johnson.

• Bernie Hermanson of Albert Lea rolled a perfect 300 game to take the lead in the regional American Legion bowling tournament in Owatonna.

 

50 years ago: 1970

• One of the bigger professional wrestling cards to hit Mayo Civic Center in Rochester was to feature a six-man tag team match with Billy “Red” Lyons, Red Bastien and The Crusher squaring off against Larry “Pretty Boy” Henning, Lars Anderson and Dr. X. Reserved tickets were $2.50.

• Rod Carew, along with coaches Vern Morgan and Johnny Goryl, were set to appear at an informal appearance of the Minnesota Twins at the Town House in downtown Albert Lea.

• The Farmington Tigers defeated the Albert Lea hockey team 2-1 in overtime at the outdoor rink at Hammer Field. Steve Swenson scored the only goal for the Tigers.

 

25 years ago: 1995

• The Albert Lea B-squad girls’ basketball team only shot 8 for 50 on the night as they were defeated 41-19 by Mankato West. Sara Stone led the Tigers with seven points.

• The Albert Lea hockey team stood alone at the top of the Big Nine Conference after an 8-1 win over Winona. Jeff Hagerdorn scored twice for the Tigers with Ben Olson, Chris Baas, Brian Kyllo, Steve Nolander, Dusty Verhey and Travis Brua all scoring once.

• The Albert Lea B PeeWee hockey team defeated LeSueur/Henderson 5-4 at Albert Lea City Arena. Brandon Drescher had a hat trick for Albert Lea with Nate Peterson scoring twice.

• The Glenville- Emmons girls’ basketball team lost to Janesville-Waldorf-Peemberton 51-34 in Glenville. Stacey Bisek led the Wolverines with 14 points and nine rebounds.

 

10 years ago: 2010

• For the first time in four years, the Owatonna Huskies wrestling team defeated Albert Lea 36-16 in Owatonna. Picking up wins for Albert Lea were Garrett Wangsness, Trey Hable, Dalton Westerlund, Cory Hansen and Trevor Rasmussen.

• Abbey Arends scored 22 points and Morgan Stadheim added 14 as the Albert Lea girls’ basketball team picked up its second win in a row by defeating Mankato East 62-61 at Albert Lea High School.

• Brett Favre tossed four touchdown passes, including three to Sidney Rice, as the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Dallas Cowboys 34-3 at the Metrodome to advance to the NFC Championship game.

 

This year

• Rachel Rehnelt, the last 1,000 points scorer for the Albert Lea girls’ basketball team and a 2018 graduate of Albert Lea High School, is doing a coaching practicum for her J-Term at Gustavus Adolphus College with the Albert Lea girls’ coaching staff during the month of January. She stated her favorite part of what she is doing is getting a new perspective of basketball from a coaching standpoint.