Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Sports Memories by Tom Jones

15 years

• Albert Lea’s Nichelle Klatt and Kristine Kelly were named to the third team on the Albert Lea Tribune’s All-Area Volleyball Team.
• At the Section 1A meet in Austin, Albert Lea swimmer Amanda Walters qualified for the state meet in four different events.
• Albert Lea’s Annika Smed completed her first year of collegiate volleyball at the University of North Dakota where she finished second on the team in digs with 347 and was second with 31 serving aces. She also had 258 kills on the year.
• The Albert Lea girls’ hockey team opened their season with a 6-3 loss to Northfield. Lauren Klick had a hat trick for the Tigers.

20 years

• NRHEG senior Erin Anderson was named the Albert Lea Tribune’s Volleyball Player of the Year. She had ended her high school career as the school’s all-time leader in assists and service points.
• Glenville-Emmons volleyball coach Lisa Ziebell was named the Albert Lea Tribune’s Volleyball Coach of the Year after she guided the Wolverines to a 13-13 record.
• Albert Lea’s Leah Matheson took 13th place in the 100-yard breaststroke and Samantha Cole finished 10th in the 50-yard freestyle at the Minnesota State Swimming and Diving meet held at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.
• The Albert Lea 12-and-under girls’ hockey team defeated Faribault 6-0 for their second win of the season. Madi Passingham, Lauren Draayer, Adison Wangen, Sophia Jepson and Haley Habana scored in the win.
• Earl Battey, who was a catcher for the Minnesota Twins on their 1965 American League Championship team in 1965 died of cancer in his hometown of Ocala, Florida.

50 years

• Minnesota Vikings 35-year-old running back Bill Brown was named the National Football League’s Offensive Player of the Week after he carried the ball 19 times for 101 yards in the Vikings 28-7 win over Detroit.
• Reggie Jackson of the Oakland A’s was the unanimous pick as the American League’s Most Valuable Player.
• Albert Lea boys’ basketball coaches Orrie Jirele and Chuck Duhrkopf were conducting a jamboree for players in ninth through 12 grades at the Southwest gym that the community was invited to attend.
• Minnesota North Stars defenseman Barry Gibbs set a team record of five points with one goal and four assists in the teams 6-3 win over Vancouver.
• Albert Lea wrestling coaches Paul Ehrhardt and Neal Skaar were conducting a wrestling jamboree that was slated to be “Parents Night.” The event at the Southwest gym also marked the first wrestling boosters meeting of the season.
• Coach Lois Fagerquist’s Albert Lea High School girls’ volleyball team fell 2-1 at Owatonna. The Tigerettes were 1-1 on the year heading into their next game against Austin at the high school gym.
• The Albert Lea Enderes Rangers hockey team welcomed Mike Raymond to the team. Raymond, who came from Red Lake Falls, had recently moved to Albert Lea with his wife and was taking courses in refrigeration at ALAVTI.
• Neil Pierce’s Alden-Conger boys’ basketball team was the pre-season favorite in a coaches’ poll to take the upcoming Border League basketball title. Pierce noted that the coming years team had the potential to be as good as the previous year’s team that finished 17-7.

Alumni update

Blake Ulve, a 2021 graduate of Albert Lea High School, is a second-year center and team captain for the North Iowa Bulls hockey team based in Mason City. He is the son of Todd and Julie Ulve. The Bulls host the St. Cloud Norsemen in their next home game on Nov. 25 at the Mason City Arena.