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Sports Memories by Tom Jones

15 years

• Kailey Davis had 17 digs, five kills and three blocks to lead the Glenville-Emmons volleyball team to a 3-1 win over Hope Lutheran.
• Albert Lea wildlife artist Mark Kness won the 2008 Iowa Migratory Waterfall Stamp contest.
• The Albert Lea girls’ tennis team picked up their second straight victory with a 6-1 win over Faribault. Kelli Hanson, Michelle Hartman and Kayla Hartman picked up wins in singles for the Tigers.
• The Albert Lea girls’ soccer team picked up their 12th win of the season with a 6-1 win over Faribault at Hammer Field. Taylor Friehl and Alex Ciota each scored twice for the Tigers with Sophie Miller and Mariah Maras adding one goal each.

20 years

• The Albert Lea Tigers football team rallied from a 27-7 deficit with three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but the rally fell short as they were defeated by the Faribault Falcons 34-27. Brandon Klukow, Stephen Thorn, Ryan Truesdell and Ross Habben scored for the Tigers.
• Kris Knutson rushed for 77 yards on 15 carries to lead the Glenville-Emmons Wolverines over the Alden-Conger Knights 32-14 in a homecoming game played in Glenville. With the win, the Wolverines were 2-2 on the year.
• Marion Barber III ran for 134 yards and a touchdown as the Minnesota Gophers defeated Penn State 20-14 in the Big Ten opener for both teams.
• The Albert Lea High School girls’ tennis team finished fourth at the Big Nine meet held in Rochester. Marisa Christopherson and Anne Trebil were the top finishers for the Tigers, taking second place at No. 3 doubles. Coach Sean Gilliam was voted the Big Nine Coach of the Year for the second straight season.

50 years

• The Endres Rangers hockey team was holding an organizational meeting for the upcoming season at the Town House Underground.
• Former Albert Lea Tigers football player Brad Katzung was snapping the ball to his high school teammate Jay Gustafson at Memorial Stadium in Minneapolis as the North Dakota Fighting Sioux were defeated by the Minnesota Gophers 41-14. Gustafson completed 12 of 24 passes for 219 yards including a 66-yard strike to Ron Gustafson for a touchdown.
• All-Conference fullback Mike Curray and senior quarterback Steve Gilbertson each had two touchdowns as the Albert Lea Tigers football team defeated St. Thomas Academy 30-15 in a non-conference game played at Hammer Stadium.
• Cliff Wuerflein and Kenny Helland each had rushing touchdowns as the Emmons Eagles defeated the Frost Vikings 14-0 in a game played in Emmons.
• Scott Farnes of Albert Lea was named to the first WCCO Radio All-State Team of the Week on the station’s “Prep Parade” show.
• The Minnesota Twins batters moved past the 900 mark in strike outs for the year as Nolan Ryan fanned 12 Twins in a 15-7 victory in a game played at Metropolitan Stadium.

Alumni update

Sophie Deyak, a 2023 graduate of Iowa City West High School, is a freshman middle hitter on the Gustavus Adolphus women’s volleyball team this fall. Her brother Nathaniel, a 202l graduate of Iowa City West is a junior thrower on the Carnegie-Melo men’s track and field team in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. They are the children of Albert Lea High School graduates Dave and Janis (Wangen) Deyak.