Sports Memories by Tom Jones

50 years ago: 1970

• Four pitchers who had won 20 games in a season were set to be starting pitchers for the Minnesota Twins. Dave Boswell, Jim Perry and Jim Kaat all accomplished the feat for the Twins with Luis Tiant having done it with the Indians.

• Albert Lea Tigers sophomore Tom Jean won all four matches at the Minnesota state high school wrestling tournament to capture the state championship at 165 pounds. Rick Rieman advanced to the finals at 103 pounds, but was defeated to bring home second.

• The Albert Lea High School gymnastics team placed second at the Big Nine Tournament at Central High School in Albert Lea. Earl Neist won the all-around competition and also placed first in the free exercise. The Tigers’ Kevin Johnson placed first in the parallel bars.

25 years ago: 1995

• The Albert Lea girls’ basketball team saw its season come to an end as Austin defeated the Tigers 70-61 in section play. The game marked the end of their high school career for seniors Lisa Dombroske, Jenny Seavey, Angie Schmidt, Sarah Kirsch and Melanie Morfitt.

• Albert Lea High School senior Nate Olson finished second in the 50-yard freestyle at the state boys’ swimming and diving championship held at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.

• Albert Lea junior Aron Attig brought home a bronze medal at 145 pounds at the Minnesota state high school wrestling tournament held at St. Paul Civic Center.

• The Albert Lea boys’ hockey team’s dream of a birth in the state tournament came to an end with a 6-1 loss to Rochester Mayo in the Section 1AA championship at Mariucci Arena. Ben Olsen had the lone goal for the Tigers, who finished 16-9 on the season.

10 years ago: 2010

• The Albert Lea Tigers wrestling team qualified Corey Hansen, Trevor Rasmussen, Dalton Westerlund, Trey Hable and Lucas Hansen for the state individual 1AAA wrestling meet after the sections were held in Rochester.

• Albert Lea’s 200-yard freestyle team of Mitch Jones, Isaac Olson, Larry Holcomb and Corbin Schultz won the “B” final at the Section 1A swimming and diving meet held in Inver Grove Heights.

• Riverland Community College guard A.J. Kortz of Albert Lea was selected to the All-Southern Division men’s basketball team after he averaged 14.7 points per game for the Blue Devils.

This year

• Former Albert Lea Tigers basketball player Dedoch Chan, who finished his high school career as a member of the Rochester John Marshall Rockets is a sophomore forward at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa. He played in 13 games, averaging 2.4 points per game before injuring his foot in December. The Warriors are hosting Southeastern Community College for the Region XI tournament championship on Feb. 29.