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Sports Memories by Tom Jones

10 years

• In their home opener, the Minnesota Twins lost to the Oakland Athletics 8-3 at Target Field. Kevin Correia gave up six runs on nine hits over 5 2-3 innings to take the loss for the Twins.
• The University of Minnesota announced that Marlene Stollings from Virginia Commonwealth University was going to be the new head coach for the women’s basketball team replacing Pam Borton.
• The Albert Lea boys’ and girls’ track and field teams combined forces for their first outdoor meet of the season at Owatonna, taking second place behind the host team. Preston Smith won the boys’ 300-meter hurdles and Hannah Savelkoul won the girls’ 800-meter run.
• The Albert Lea Grizzlies adult amateur football team was set to begin another season under head coach Steve Piper and defensive coordinator Jeff Jimenez.
• The Grizzlies were hosting the Southwest Huskerz at the new Grizzly Field at Frank Hall Park.

20 years

• With 67 points on 34 goals and 33 assists, Jon Breuer broke the Albert Lea Tigers hockey team scoring record for points in a season. He surpassed David Nystrom, who had 60 points in the 1986-87 season.
• The Albert Lea High School wrestling team captured the academic state championship for the fourth time in seven years with a combined grade point average of 3.9.
• Steph Lackey pitched a three-hit shutout as the Alden-Conger Knights softball team defeated Faribault Bethlehem Academy 1-0 in their season opener. Tana Reindal’s base hit drove in Kendra Mathiason for the game’s only run.
• Shannon Stewart’s three-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning with Joe Mauer and Matthew LeCroy on base gave the Minnesota Twins a 7-4 win over the Cleveland Indians in their season opener.

50 years

• In a triangular that involved Ellendale and Glenville, the Albert Lea junior varsity track team took second place in a meet at Hammer Field. The 880-relay team of Jeff Soller, Bob Clift, Denny Cochlin and Doug Haines took first for the Tigers.
  Oakland Raider quarterback Kenny Stabler signed a multi-year contract with the Birmingham Americans of the World Football League.
• At the Albert Lea High School swimming banquet, Rick Light was named Most Valuable Player and Jim Zabel was named Most Improved. Robin Sanders and Brad DeRoos were named co-captains for the following season.
• A new league called the World Baseball Association announced they were planning a 32-team, four-division league that was going to play in the United States, Mexico, Central and South America and Asia. They were hoping to sign up to 160 existing major league stars for their first season.
• The Minnesota Twins opened their season at Kansas City with a 6-4 win over the Royal in 11 innings. Bill Campbell pitched two innings in relief of starter Bert Blyleven to pick up the win.
• The Albert Lea Tigers tennis team under first year coach Wayne Grinnell was preparing for their season. The team was playing their matches at the six new courts at Southwest and Brookside.
• The Fellowship of Christian Athletes Crusader basketball team from the Twin Cities rolled in to Glenville and defeated the Glenville alumni 89-64. The team included Minnesota Vikings punter Mike Eischeid and Philadelphia Eagles tight end Kent Kramer.

Raising the flag

Duane Arens, a 1979 graduate of Albert Lea High School, has led a group of ALHS graduates for the past 40 years to the Twins home opener. This year he was honored by the Twins at the game when he got to raise the Twins Territory Flag beyond the right field fence before the game.