Sports Memories by Tom Jones

 

50 years ago: 1969

• Lew Alcinder, Spencer Haywood, Pete Maravich, Rick Mount and Jo Jo White were all named first team All-Americans in men’s college basketball.

• The Austin Packers defeated the Albert Lea Tigers boys’ basketball team 67-59 to claim the 26th District Two basketball championship. Jay Gustafson led the Tigers with 21 points, with Ron Erickson adding 16.

• Warroad residents chipped in $1,300 to help pay the medical bills of their star hockey player, Henry Boucha, who punctured an eardrum against Edina in the state hockey tournament and was hospitalized for four days. Boucha later went on to play for the Minnesota North Stars and Minnesota Fighting Saints.

 

25 years ago: 1994

• The Union Center A PeeWee hockey team finished third in the Owatonna Invitational. It opened with a 3-0 win over Orono before falling 3-2 to Owatonna in the semifinals. Kellen Schulte’s two goals led the team to a 4-1 victory over Fon du Lac, Wisconsin, in the third-place game.

• The Albert Lea Junior Gold hockey team finished fourth in the regional tournament, which earned it a spot in the Junior Gold state tournament. The team was coached by Jerry Monson.

• The Albert Lea boys’ basketball season ended with a 91-58 loss to Owatonna in Section 1AA play. Trent Struck had 14 points, with Jake Veldman adding 12 for the Tigers.

 

10 years ago: 2009

• The Albert Lea Tigers wrestling team was defeated by Apple Valley 62-6 in the state championship match. Logan Kortan recorded the only win for the Tigers with a fall at 160 pounds. In individual action, Cory Hansen placed second, Cody Hansen third, Dalton Westerlund fourth and Logan Kortan fifth.

• The NRHEG girls’ basketball team advanced to the section finals with a 36-33 win over Medford in a game played in Mankato. Alyssa Kerkhoff had 15 points and Alyssa Hagen added 11 for the Panthers.

• Former Albert Lea wrestler Ben Berhow captured fourth place at 285 pounds for the Minnesota Gophers in the Big Ten Championship meet at Penn State. He earned a spot in the NCAA tournament, which was held in St. Louis, Missouri.

 

This year

• Frank Galvan, a 1981 graduate of Albert Lea High School and a member of the Albert Lea 1981 state champion wrestling team, recently completed his first year as head coach of the Rochester John Marshall wrestling team. His team finished 3-18 and had Connor Higgens qualify for the state meet. Galvan lives in Rochester with his wife, Ann, and works for the Rochester public school system.