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Sports Memories by Tom Jones

15 years

• The Albert Lea girls’ soccer team went to 2-0 on the season with a 4-0 win over Stewartville. Chelsea LeBrun, Alex Ciota, Morgan Stadheim and Ariel Christensen scored for the Tigers.
• The Albert Lea girls’ swimming and diving team fell to Mankato West 94-84. Taking first place were Gracie Thomas in the 100-breaststroke, Amanda Waller in the 100-backstroke and Katie Walechka in diving.
• Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig announced that umpires would be allowed to check video on home run calls after many were incorrectly called the year before.
• For the first time in 12 years, the Albert Lea Tigers football team won their season opener when they defeated Waseca 6-0 in overtime. After the Tigers defense stopped Waseca on four downs on their first possession in overtime, Luke Grossman ran 10 yards to get the game winner.

20 years

• Adam Elseth won his first title at the Green Lea Golf Course Junior Club Championship.
• The Albert Lea girls’ soccer team opened their season with a 1-0 loss against Rochester Lourdes. Albert Lea’s sophomore goalie Annie Berger stopped 21 of 22 shots she faced in the loss.
• Casey Ciffra paced the Albert Lea boys’ cross country team by finishing 21st with a time of 21:15 at the Austin Cross Country Invitational. Andrew Irvine followed with a time of 21:25 to place 25th. Amy Leach led the Tigers girls’ team with a time of 21:28 to place 29th.
• The Albert Lea girls’ volleyball team opened their season with a 3-1 win over Southland. Emily Bartusek led the Tigers with nine kills.

50 years

• Albert Lea tennis enthusiasts were preparing to play at six new courts that were set to open at Brookside and Southwest schools.
• Albert Lea Water Ski Association held a tournament on Edgewater Bay. Taking first place were Sarah Wolgamot in girls’ and Mary Kruse in girls’ trick ski.
• Dick Davies won his 11th annual Albert Lea Country Club golf tournament and then captured his fifth Albert Lea American Legion golf tournament championship.
• After not competing in several years, Norma Haney took her seventh club title at the Albert Lea Country Club women’s golf tournament.
• Albert Lea Quarterback Club president Marv Hockinson announced that women 18 years of age and older would be allowed to join the club after 25 years of it being a male-only club.
• Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Gene Washington was traded to the Denver Broncos for receiver Rod Sherman and a 1974 draft pick.

Alumni update

• Lilyana Lee, a 2023 graduate of Albert Lea High School is an outside hitter on the Riverland Community College women’s volleyball team this fall. The Blue Devils host Minnesota West Community and Technical College at 6:30 p.m. Friday in Austin.
• After Thursday nights game for the High-A Beloit Sky Carp, Jake Thompson, a 2016 graduate of Albert Lea High School learned he had been promoted to the Class AA Pensacola Blue Wahoos of baseball’s Southern League. He hit 16 home runs and knocked in 44 runs for the Sky Carp this season.