Boys Hockey: Greg May takes the reins

Tiger boys' hockey coach Greg May

Less than a month after Keith Revels resigned after six years behind the Farmington bench, the Tigers have a new boys' hockey coach.

Burnsville High School graduate Greg May, who had a distinguished high school and collegiate playing career and has been an assistant coach at his alma mater since 2010, accepted the position earlier this week.

"We believe Greg is going to bring great enthusiasm, passion and hockey knowledge to our program," FHS activities director Bill Tschida said. "We are excited to get him on board."

May, the Burnsville High School Athlete of the Year in 2003, was a three-time all-Lake Conference hockey selection, team captain and Most Valuable Player during his high school career. At Augsburg College he was an all-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference performer.

His coaching career at Burnsville has also been marked with success. The Blaze won the South Suburban Conference title in 2011 and finished second in both 2013 and 2014. Burnsville was also the Section 2AA runner-up in 2011, 2012 and 2013. In 2012 May received the section Assistant Coach of the Year award.

Prior to his Burnsville coaching experience, the new Tiger head man also served as junior varsity coach at Mounds View and coached in the Apple Valley and Burnsville youth programs.

May, an elementary and middle school physical education teacher in the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District, feels he brings many positive attributes to his new coaching job.

"I have experience both as a player and a coach in the South Suburban Conference," he said. "I am very familiar with all of the teams and their coaches.  (Farmington joins the South Suburban Conference next fall)

"I am a very positive and passionate coach who has high expectations and likes to lead a player-centered environment. I demand discipline, professionalism, humility, relentless effort, leadership and a team-first attitude...I plan on building strong relationships with players, parents, faculty, youth hockey and the community."

May said he prefers an up-tempo style of hockey, one that gives the opposition little time and space and is offensively creative.

"One of the first things we will have to do, however, is to figure out our team identity," he said. "I believe in playing at a high level on both sides of the puck and both ends of the rink. We will be a team that takes pride in doing the the little things right and pays specific attention to details."

May's wife Lenia and 15-month old daughter Marina come with him to his new assignment and he said they are excited about the new opportunity.

"They will be two of the biggest Tiger fans," he said.

Boys Lacrosse: Tigers beat Cadets, elements

Corey Rudrud 4 goals, assist (photo by Jim Lindquist)

The Tigers persevered through some cold, wet and windy conditions to down St. Thomas Academy 6-5 in a non-conference game played Tuesday in Mendota Heights.

Corey Rudrud had a big night offensively, scoring four goals and assisting on a fifth but coach Paul Sorensen said the victory was very much a team effort.

"Corey had a stellar offensive performance with some highlight film goals but the biggest story was our team defense," he said. "The approach this season is simple--use our balanced scoring and defend like our lives depended on it. Defense wins championships.   

"Saint Thomas was a very physical and talented team but we kept to our structure, played with our head, and played as a team."

Chris Fitzgibbons added a goal for the winners, his fifth in the past two games,. Mitch Hilton tallied the sixth score and also chipped in with a pair of assists.Tyler Jette also had two assists for the Tigers.

Kyle Kratz continued to shine in his first season in the Tiger nets, stopping 10 of the Cadets' 15 shots.

Farmington (5-1) resumes its Missota Conference schedule on Thursday with a road contest at Chanhassen.

Tiger Scoreboard: April 30, 2014

Boys Lacrosse
Farmington 6 St. Thomas Academy 5

All other Tuesday events postponed or cancelled

Softball: Tigers fourth at Mankato tourney

Maddie Muelken two-run single vs. New Ulm (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Farmington (4-3) won one and lost two in a quality eight-team tournament played Friday and Saturday at Caswell Park in Mankato.

The Tigers opened the meet with a 6-2 win over Maple River and then lost a tough 4-3 decision to New Ulm in the championship bracket semifnals. They dropped the third place game 4-0 to host Mankato East.

"Overall, we played well in the tourney and basically had two bad innings," coach Paul Harrington said. "Twice we gave up four runs in one inning and in both instances, we were not able to overcome it. We just need to eliminate those types of innings".

Meghan Silber picked up the complete game pitching win in the opening round win over Maple River, scattering six hits and striking out five.

Carly Essselman, Molly Berdan and Emily Berdan each collected two hits to pace Farmington's nine-hit offensive attack. Emily Berdan's hits were both doubles. Amber Doyle belted a two-run homer, her second of the season.

"We got off to a great start," Harrington said. "It's always nice to win that first game."

Emily Berdan two doubles vs. Maple River (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Farmington led 1-0 against New Ulm in the second game before surrendering four runs in the top of the sixth inning on three singles and a grand slam homer.

The Tigers rallied in the bottom of the seventh on two walks, Doyle's single and a two-run single by pitcher Maddie Muelken. Emily Berdan walked to re-load the bases with no out but a strikeout set up Molly Berdan's line drive to second for a game-ending double play.

"That ball goes a foot either way and we win the game," Harrington said.

In the third place game the Tigers had all four of their hits in the fourth and sixth innings but could not manage to push across a run against Mankato East.

"We ran into a good team with the home field advantage," Harrington said. "Their pitcher was tough all day long."

East scored all four runs in the third inning, the second time in as many games the Tigers gave up a four-spot in an inning.

Weather permitting, the Tigers will resume their Missota Conference schedule Monday with a road game at Red Wing.

Girls Lacrosse: Tigers rally to down Eastview

Rachael Welzin (No. 28) 4 goals vs. Eastview (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Host Eastview scored a pair of goals in the opening minute of Saturday afternoon's non-conference  game but Farmington managed to right the ship for an 11-6 win, its fourth in five games this season.

"The field conditions at Eastview weren’t the best with all of the rain we got in the last few days," Tiger coach Dan Pickens said. "That didn’t help the natural grass field. We had a tough time scooping
balls and keeping control which are things that we pride ourselves on.

"Again we played a solid defensive game and Maddie Kohlbeck returned to the goal with another great effort."

Senior co-captain Rachael Welzin had a big day for the winners, who led 8-2 at halftime, with four goals. Becky Genzler netted a pair of goals and added an assist and Amanda Davenport also scored twice for the winners. Shelby Klotz, Ashley Steffes and Brooke Raske each added a goal.

"We continue to have different players step up offensively which makes it difficult for teams to prepare for us," Pickens said.

Kohlbeck, who currently ranks second among the state's goalkeepers in save percentage, picked up nine saves to post her third win of the young season.

This week the Tigers have two home games on the docket, Monday versus section rival Rochester Century and Thursday against Chanhassen.

Tiger Scoreboard: April 27, 2014

Girls Lacrosse
Farmington 11 Eastview 6

Softball at Mankato Tournament

Baseball: A split at Red Wing

Parker Holmstrom 4-hit shutout in the nightcap

The Tigers earned a split of a Missota Conference doubleheader played Friday at Red Wing, dropping the opener 4-1 before coming back for a 2-0 victory in the nightcap.

The 1-1 showing in Goodhue County left Farmington with a season record of 4-3, including a 2-3 mark in conference play.

Starter Parker Holmstrom pitched well enough to win in the first game, going 4.66 innings and allowing just two earned runs while striking out three and walking none. Maverick Carlson was also effective in relief, working 1.33 innings and striking out three.

The major problem was the Tiger offense managed just three hits and one run.

"We really struggled at the plate in game one, trying to do too much and over-swinging at times," coach Jon Graff said. "Fourteen of our 21 outs were fly balls, and that's just making it too easy on the defense.  

"This was something we really stressed in practice the other day, staying on top of the ball and driving it, but we were just a bit off in this game."

The Wingers scored two runs in the third inning and then added a pair of insurance scores in the fifth.

The lone Farmington run came in the top of the fourth on a single by Austin Martinsen and a sacrifice fly by Nick Schoening.  Jordan DeCroock and Ryan Giebel had the other Tiger hits, both singles.

The bats were still relatively quiet in the nightcap but Holmstrom made two runs look like 20 with a sterling pitcher performance. The righthander threw a four-hit shutout at the Wingers, striking out 13 and walking only one.

"Parker had probably one of the best outings I've seen in 17 years here at Farmington," Graff said. "He was truly dominating,including a stretch where he struck out eight in a row.

"He didn't lose any velocity or control and seemed to pick his spots, mixing in his off-speed with a fastball that was really humming."

Both of the Farmington runs were manufactured by quality at-bats. In the second, Holmstrom reached on a fielder's choice, stole second, moved to third on a ground out by Schoening and scored on a hit by Beschorner.

An inning later, Johnny Dittman singled, stole second, advanced to third on Bobby Eckert's ground ball and raced home on Jordan DeCroock's sacrifice fly.

Landon Neilsen had two of the five Tiger hits. Dittman, Holmstrom and Beschorner accounted for the other three.  

Tuesday (April 29) the Tigers return to action with a Missota Conference home game with New Prague.

Boys Lacrosse: Tigers move to 4-1

Chris Fitzgibbons 4 goals (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Farmington rallied from a 2-0 deficit after one period to defeat Woodbury 8-4 Friday in Woodbury to run its season record to 4-1.

Chris Fitzgibbons scored a career-high four goals and Corey Rudrud added two more scores for the winners who led 3-2 at the halftime break.

Kevin Clifton and Mitch Hilton each chipped in with a goal. Hilton had a pair of assists and Clifton and Tyler Jette each had one.

Michael Thompson helped the Tigers control possession time by winning 12 of 14 face-offs. Dan Block recorded a game-high 12 ground balls and Alex Aubrecht added eight.

Goalkeeper Kyle Kratz and the defense had another solid night. The Royals finished with just 15 shots on goal with Kratz coming up with 11 saves.

Next up for the Tigers is another tough road challenge Tuesday, April 29, at St.Thomas Academy.

Track: Hyytinen has record night at Hamline

Justin Hyytinen (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Justin Hyytinen broke a meet and school record in the 1600-meter run at the Hamline Elite meet held Friday night at Hamline University in St. Paul.

The speedy Tiger junior ran the four-lap race in 4:14.05 to break the old mark of 4:15.16 set in 2008 by Irondale's Andy Richardson. It also eclipsed the previous school mark of 4:19 set in 1983 by Roger Thelen.

Hyytinen's blue ribbon performance wasn't the only Tiger first place finish at the elite meet. The girls' 4x200 relay team of Emma Record, Jennifer Miller, Megan Graham and Isabelle Ferm led the talented field with a finishing time of 1:43.07.

The Farmington boys also had several top finishes at the invitation-only meet, including:
4x400 meter relay: 3rd Ryan Parco, Nehemiah Rockett, Devon Webb, Tanner Grubb, 3:25.71; 200-meter dash: 5th Grubb, 22.59;
300-meter hurdles: 6th. Rockett, 40.22;
High jump: 6th Wyatt Ferm, 6-2 
800-meter run: 9th Webb, 2:00.74, 
3200-meter run: 13th Hyytinen, 9:53
110-meter hurdles: 15th Rockett, 15.82

Tiger Scoreboard: April 26, 2014

Boys Lacrosse
Farmington 8 Woodbury 4

Baseball
Farmington 2 Red Wing 0
Red Wing 4 Farmington 1

Boys Tennis
Farmington 6 Faribault 1

Boys Track
Hamline Elite Meet
Boys
1600-meter  run: 1. Justin Hyytinen, 4:14.05 (meet record)
4x400 meter relay: 3. Ryan Parco, Nehemiah Rockett, Devon Webb, Tanner Grubb, 3:25.71
200-meter dash: 5. Grubb, 22.59
300-meter hurdles: 6. Rockett, 40.22
High jump: 6. Wyatt Ferm, 6-2
800-meter run: 9. Webb, 2:00.74
3200-meter run: Hyytinen, 13. 9:53
110-meter hurdles: 15. Rockett, 15.82
Girls
 4x200 meter relay: 1. Emma Record, Jennifer Miller, Megan Graham, Isabelle Ferm, 1:43.90

Softball
Farmington at Mankato East Tournament

Boys Tennis: A perfect week

Bennett Lagro won in straight sets at No. 1 singles

The Tigers completed a perfect 3-0 week with a solid 6-1 non-conference road win over Faribault Friday afternoon.

In Farmington's (4-4) three-game streak it has outscored Bloomington Kennedy, New Prague and Faribault by a combined 20-1 count.

At Faribault the Tigers swept the singles ladder with Bennett Lagro, Jake Bauer and Ivan Rodriguez each winning in three sets at the first through third positions and Jake Spindler claiming victory by forfeit in the fourth slot.

The No. 2 doubles tandem of of Gavin Renwick and Cooper Erickson and the No. 3 duo of Garrett Brown and Grady Hauswirth each won in straight sets.

The lone Falcon point came at first doubles where Matt Welborn and Logan Gregerson defeated Farmington's Austin Tremmel and Jon Zakoski 6-2, 6-0.

The Tigers will look to make it four straight Monday when they make the short trip to Rosemount for a non-conference match with the Irish.

Girls Lacrosse: Tigers win Missota opener

Shelby Klotz 6 goals, assist (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Shelby Klotz and Rachael Welzin combined for nine goals to lead the Tigers to a 12-5 win over Chaska in their Missota Conference opener played Friday night at Chaska.

The victory raised Farmington's season record to 3-1 and a perfect 1-0 in conference play.

"We were giving the ball away more than usual and had to knock the rust off after not playing for over a week due to the inclement weather," coach Dan Pickens said. "Once we settled down and played our game we were doubling the ball and out-running Chaska.

"We got another solid defensive effort led by Shaye Jenrich. Our goalie, Scootie Donnelly, also stepped up and made some big saves at key times."

The Tigers led 7-3 at intermission and extended it throughout the second half.

Klotz had a monster of a game with six goals and an assist while Welzin chimed in with three goals and two assists for a five-point night. Becky Genzler added two goals and an assist and Kamryn Corraro chipped in with a goal and an assist. Ashley Steffes and Kaeli Halverson each had assists for the winners.

Donnelly finished her first varsity start in goal with five saves.

The Tigers will try to make chalk up win No. 4 Saturday afternoon when they host Eastview at Tiger Stadium.

Boys Lacrosse Tigers blank Hawks 11-0

Kyle Kratz 1st career shutout

Farmington roared into its first-ever Missota Conference season with a dominating 11-0 shutout victory over Chaska Thursday night at Tiger Stadium.

Nick Hinnenkamp continued his individual hot streak with three goals and Corey Rudrud had a five-point night with two goals and three assists. Mitch Hilton netted a goal and four assists. and Dan Block added a pair of goals for the winners.

Chris Fitzgibbons, Kevin Clifton and Michael Thompson all scored for the Tigers who got assists from Alex Kelly and James Thompson.

Alex Aubrecht also had a productive night, taking over the state lead in ground balls through four games.

 "Overall our defense continued to put incredible pressure on the opponent," coach Paul Sorensen said. "I'm most proud of the little things that we did that won't show on paper. 

"Our tenacious rides and heady play kept us out of the box most of the night. I'll take our chances against anybody even up."

The Tigers also got a solid night form first-year goaltender Kyle Kratz who posted his first career shutout with a 10-save effort.

The Tigers won't have much time to relish their third win in four starts as they're back in action Friday night with a road game at Woodbury.

Alex Aubrecht state leader in ground balls

Tiger Scoreboard: April 25, 2014

Boys Lacrosse
Farmington 11 Chaska 0

Girls Lacrosse
Farmington 12 Chaska 5

Track: Tigers draw Hamline Elite bids

Farmington will be well-represented at the Hamline Elite Track and Field Meet Friday night at Hamline University in St. Paul.

The invitational only meet features athletes with the best times, heights and distances from around Minnesota.

Two Farmington boys, Justin Hyytinen and Nehemiah Rockett, made the field in two events apiece, Rockett in the 110 and 300-meter hurdles and Hyytinen in the 1600 and 3200-meter runs.

Tanner Grubb made the cut in the 200-meter dash and Devon Webb qualified in the 800-meter run. Wyatt Ferm earned his invitation in the high jump.

The 4x400 relay team of Rockett, Grubb, Webb and Ryan Parco will compete in the 4x400 relay.

The Tiger girls will be represented by the 4x200 relay team of Emma Record, Jennifer Miller, Megan Graham and Isabelle Ferm

Boys Golf: Bad weather, great start

Jake Jensen scored an eagle on No. 7

The conditions were anything but ideal but a little cold, wind and rain weren't enough to prevent the Tigers from finishing second in the first Missota Conference meet of the season played Wednesday on their home course at Fountain Valley.

Coach Jon Holmes' upstarts finished with a team score of 321, just four strokes behind pre-season conference favorite Chanhassen. New Prague finished three shots back at 324, followed by Shakopee 326, Chaska 327, Red Wing 340, Holy Angels 364 and Northfield 365.

"Our boys battled the conditions and kept their mindset throughout the round," Holmes said. "It was 36 degrees and raining. Just being outside, let alone playing a four-hour round of golf can wear on anyone.

"It was a very solid start to the conference season for us and it will surely be a benchmark that we must now aim for the rest of the year." 

Jake Jensen shot a career-low round of 75 (39-36) to trail meet medalist Andrew Keisow of Chaska by a single shot in the individual standings.

Included in Jensen's day was an eagle on the par-four seventh hole where he holed out a 132-yard wedge shot.

Darby Grengs also played extremely well for the Tigers, shooting 80 (40-40) in the soggy conditions. Sam Newcomb finished his first-ever conference meet at 82 (42-40). Tyler VanWinkle carded 84 (45-39); Isaac Ferm 85 (43-42) and Lucas Berg 92 (47-45).

 "These guys live and breath golf and when you have a group of players that do that poor weather is always in their favor," Holmes said, "They just want to be out there no matter the conditions. Other players often find an excuse in the weather so it was a good test for our psyche to battle through it."

The previous day Farmington traveled to Stoneridge in Woodbury for a big meet that featured many of the top-rated teams in the state. Gusty winds and a tough course kept the scores higher than usual with the Tigers finishing well back in the pack at 345.

Grengs topped the Tiger score card with a 77  round that earned him a top-ten overall finish. Jensen shot 84, VanWinkle 91, Berg 93, Newcomb 94 and Ferm 98.

The Tigers hit the course again Monday when Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska plays host to the second Missota Conference meet of the season.




.

Track: A chance to compete

With large numbers of participants out for both boys and girls track, it sometimes becomes difficult to get everyone opportunities for actual meet experience.

The Tigers solved that dilemma Tuesday by sending one team to Eagan for the Wildcat Invitational and another to a triangular with Red Wing and New Prague in Red Wing.

Farmington entrants scored many personal bests at the triangular with the best finish of the day belonging to the 4x100 relay team of Max Aldana, Dylan Otterness, Gavin Bassett and Nino Douangboutdy.

Four Farmington individual performers scored third place points: Chris Erickson, 300-meter run; Alex Hall, 300-meter hurdles; Alex Hall, high jump and Dylan Hammerschmidt, pole vault.

Jackson Schneider placed fourth in both the 1600 and 3200 meter runs. Ryan Newton ranked fourth in the 300-meter hurdles and Jakob Lee was fourth in the discus.

All of the Tiger girls' points of the afternoon came in the 800-meter run where Alexis Johnson and Nicole Willis ranked third and fourth respectively.

Girls Track: Peterson wins 3200 at Eagan

Lauren Peterson 1st in 3200-meters; 2nd in 1600-meters (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Seventh-grader Lauren Peterson provided the lone Farmington first place finish as the Tigers placed fourth among 10 quality teams at the Wildcat Invitational held Tuesday in Eagan.

Peterson ran a personal best time in winning the 3200-meter run in 11:32.89 and also placed second in the 1600-meter run to account for 18 of her team's point total.

Deep and talented Lakeville South won the meet with 170 points, 18 more than host Eagan. Eastview edged the Tigers 67-65 for third, followed by Rosemount 64, Cretin-Derham Hall 57.5, Woodbury 42, Park of Cottage Grove 39.33, Apple Valley 33.5 and Bloomington Jefferson 11.66.

"This was a  great opportunity for the ladies to compare themselves to some of the best teams in the state," coach Tom Hart said. "We ran decent races, but we need to get faster, jump higher and longer, and throw further if we want to compete in the championship meets at the end of the season."

In addition to Peterson's runner-up finish in the 1600, Alica Hett ran a personal best 2:26.10 to take second in the 800-meter run.

The Tigers opned the meet on a positive note with the 4x800 relay team of Sofia Chadwick, Maricia Pacheco, Morgan Mach and Hett putting together a third place finish.

Jordan Walls finished fourth in the pole vault as did the 4x200 relay team of Morgan Cecchittini, Megan Graham, Jennifer Miller and Emma Record.

Other Farmington point scorers:

200 meter dash: 5. Record

400 meter run: 7. Graham

4x100 relay: 6. Kelli Elmer, Nicole Doran, Racquel Beckett, Cecchittini

4x400 relay: 5. Hett, Graham, Miller, Victoria Almquist

Hgh jump: 5. Destiny Schmitz

Pole vault: 6. Ashley Ellefson

Discus: 6. Aly Grebner

Next Tuesday the Tigers head to Chaska for the annual running of the Missota Conference Relays.

Boys Track: Tigers runner-ups at Wildcat Invite

Tanner Grubb 400-mtere champion (photo by J. Lindquist)

Farmington scored points in all 18 events but it wasn't quite enough to bring home the first place trophy from the talent-rich Wildcat Invitational held Tuesday in Eagan.

Apple Valley won the team title with160 points. The Tigers ranked a solid second with 129.5, followed by Eagan 89, Bloomington Jefferson 71.5, Woodbury 60.5, Cretin-Derham Hall 24 and Park 23.5.

"We are a little like our girls team a couple of years ago," coach Brian Helmstetter said.. "We have some major standouts, just not quite as much depth for the big team meets. We will see though, some young guys are working hard.

"We have work to do, but the boys that are listening to the techniques the coaches are presenting are starting to break through and rise at the right time."

Three Tiger individuals scored first place finishes at Eagan. Tanner Grubb won the 400-meter dash in 50.99 seconds and Justin Hyytinen cruised to an easy win in the 3200-meter run with a finishing time of 9:25.01. Nehemiah Rockett added the third first with a 40.92 clocking in the 300-meter hurdles.

Farmington scored second place points in five events, three individual and two relays. Wyatt Ferm ranked second in both the high jump and pole vault and Rockett was runner-up in the 110-meter hurdles.

Nehemiah Rockett won the 300-meter hurdles (photo by Jim Lindquist)

The two second place relay teams were the 4x 400 foursome of Rockett, Grubb, Ryan Parco and Devon Webb and the 4x800 quartet of Adam Dougherty, Alex Hart, Jared Wolt and Webb.

Four Tiger entrants chipped in with third place points, including Grubb in the 200-meter dash; Sean Dougherty in the 1600-meter run; CJ Wynings in the discus and the 4x200 relay team of Mason Auge, Caleb Bary, Mason Gaylord and Jack Erickson.

Justin Hyytinen 1st at 3200-meters (photo by J.Lindquist)

Other Farmington point scorers:
100 meter dash: 5. Auge; 6. Erickson
200 meter dash: 6. Parco
800 meter run: 4. Webb; 6. Wolt
3200-meter run: 5. Hart
4x100 relay: Bray, Erickson, Auge, Sean McHenry
Pole vault: 6. Garrett Haugen
Long jump: 4. Parco
Triple jump: 4. Rockett; 6. Gaylord
Shot put: 4. Tanner Thode: 5. Alex Swearingen; 6. Josh Patterson
Discus: 4. Brendan King

Next up for the Tigers are the Missota Conference Relays scheduled for next Tuesday at Chaska.

Boys Lacrosse: Youth lead Tigers past Mayo

Nick Hinnenkamp scored four goals (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Freshman Nick Hinnenkamp and sophomore Tyler Jette combined for five goals and eight points to lead the Tigers to an 8-6 non-conference win over section rival Rochester Mayo Tuesday night at Tiger Stadium.

The victory was the second in three starts for Farmington who dropped an 8-5 decision to Park of Cottage Grove in its last outing.

"Hinnenkamp and Jette stepped up nicely and gave us a glimpse of our offensive future," Farmington coach Paul Sorensen said. "Our defensive unit played another strong team game, limiting their scoring chances, and we did a much better job of staying out of the box. When we are even up I like our chances against anybody."

Hinnenkamp scored four goals and Jette had a goal and three assists for the Tigers who scored two goals in each period and led 4-2 at the halftime break.

Mitch Hilton, Chris Fitzgibbons and Caleb Hakala had the other goals for the winners. Michael Thompson, Dan Block and Kevin Clifton each added an assist.

Thompson played a big part in the offense by controlling 60 percent of the face-offs.

"In this game, possession is the key to winning." Sorensen said.

Goaltender Kyle Kratz picked up his second win of the young season with a nine-save effort. The Tigers outshot the Spartans 17-15.

Farmingtonwill seek season win No. 3 Thursday when it opens the Missota Conference season at Chaska.

"We still need to shore up our ground balls in traffic and a few minor things in our offensive sets," Sorensen said,  "but I like where we are at this stage and I'm looking forward to starting the conference season." 

Boys Tennis: Back-to-back shutouts

Austin Tremmel (above) and Trent Kortenbusch scored a come-from-behind win at No. 1 doubles

Farmington rolled to its second shutout win in as may days with an impressive 7-0 Missota Conference whitewash of New Prague Tuesday afternoon at New Prague.

While the wind whipped around their home courts, calm conditions prevailed in New Prague, providing what coach Jack Olwell said were ideal conditions.

"The weather led to some excellent play, particularly at first doubles where both teams appeared to be at the top of their games," he said. "It was a match that was won rather than lost as both teams played big when the chips were down."

Olwell was referring to the come-from-behind 4-6, 6-4,7-6 (6) win by the duo of Austin Tremmel and Trent Kortenbusch.

"We  had to save two break points in the tenth game of the second set to level the match," Olwell said."In such a well-played match it was fitting that it came down to a third set tiebreaker and that it went overtime as well. Both Austin and Trent played exceptionally well."

The third doubles team of Gavin Renwick and Cooper Erickson also came from behind to win  4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

The third tandem of Grady Hauswirth and Garrett Brown, playing together for the first time cruised to a 6-1, 6-0 victory.

The Farmington singles lineup had its best day of the season, with Bennett Lagro, Jake Bauer, Ivan Rodriguez and Jon Zakoski each winning in straight sets. The Tigers won 48 of the 55 games played in singles.

Farmington will try to make it three straight Friday when it travels to Faribault for a non-conference match.

Tiger Scoreboard: April 23, 2014

Boys Tennis
Farmington 7 New Prague 0

Boys Lacrosse
Farmington 8 Rochester Mayo 6

Boys Track
Wildcat Invitational at Eagan
Apple Valley 160, Farmington 129.5, Eagan 89, Bloomington Jefferson 71.5, Woodbury 60.5, Cretin-Derham Hall 24, Park 23.5

Girls Track
Wildcat Invitational at Eagan
Lakeville South 170, Eagan 152, Eastview 67, Farmington 65, Rosemount 64, Cretin-Derham Hall 57.5, Woodbury 42, Park 39.33, Apple Valley 33.5, Bloomington Jefferson 11.66

Boys Golf at Shakopee Invitational at Stonebrooke Golf Course

Softball: Chaska hands Tigers first loss

Amber Doyle 2-4, RBI, Run (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Chaska made a three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning hold up in a 3-2 win over the Tigers Monday afternoon in Chaska. The loss was the first of the season for Farmington (3-1).

"Although we got down quickly, our girls never quit and we pushed a run across in the fourth and seventh innings," coach Paul Harrington said. "We had the tying run on second and the go-ahead run on first with two out in the seventh, but their centerfielder saved the game for them with a diving catch."

The Tigers scored their fourth inning run when Amber Doyle reached on an error, moved up when Emily Berdan was hit by a pitch and scored on Ashley Ibinger's single.

In the seventh inning rally, Carly Esselman reached on a two-base error and scored on Doyle's single. Pitcher Maddie Muelken followed with single to set up the two-out drama. Ibinger hit the ball on the nose but the Hawk centerfielder left her feet to make a diving catch and end the game.

The Tigers had a season-low five hits with Doyle accounting for two of them in her four plate appearances.

"Their pitcher threw well and was the hardest thrower we have seen in a game this year," Harrington said. "Overall, we had too many strikeouts and we will need to be better prepared the next time we face them."

Muelken went the distance in the circle for the Tigers, allowing just three hits.

"Maddie shut the door after the first inning and kept us in the game," Harrington said. "It was a tough battle, one of many we are expecting this year."

The next one comes Wednesday when the Tigers host Shakopee at Tiger Field.

Baseball: Three-run seventh carries Chaska

Parker Holmstrom extended his hitting streak to 5 games with a double (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Chaska scored three unearned runs in the top of the seventh inning to hand the Tigers a 7-4 Missota Conference loss Monday afternoon at Tiger Field.

The defeat was the second straight for Farmington (3-2) who fell to Northfield by an identical score last week.

"We played right with Chaska the whole night, but it was the little things that did us in," Tiger coach Jon Graff said. "We let three of the four guys we walk score and we had some fielding miscues in the last inning that led to three unearned runs.

"We had our chances and even after giving up three, the kids really came in with a positive frame of mind; nobody was giving up. We had good chatter and weren't hanging our heads. It didn't end up getting us the win, but if we keep up that attitude and effort it'll pay off in the future."

Farmington took an early 2-0 lead in the second on back-to-back doubles by Landon Neilsen and Parker Holmstrom and a single by Johnny Dittman.

The Hawks took the lead with a three-run outburst against Tiger starter JD Hinks in the third inning and added another score in the fourth for a 4-2 lead.

Singles by Dittman and Bobby Eckert, a run-scoring double by Austin Martinsen and a sacrifice fly by Jordan DeCroock knotted the score in the home half of the fifth.

Chaska scored the game-winning runs in the seventh on two walks, a hit and a Farmington error.

Hinks threw the first three innings for the Tigers with Maverick Carlson hurling the final four without allowing an earned run.

Graff said Carlson did a solid job in his varsity debut.

"He really did a good job of mixing his fastball and curve and throwing both for strikes," he said.

Dittman, Eckert and Neilsen each had a pair of hits to lead the Farmington's nine-hit attack. Holmstrom extended his hitting streak to five games with his RBI double. Dittman, Martinsen and DeCroock drove in the other Farmington runs.

The Tigers return to Missota Conference play Wednesday when they entertain Shakopee at Tiger Field.

Boys Golf: Young Tigers see first action

Darby Grengs

The young Tigers finally got in an official meet on Monday, finishing sixth in a seven-team field at the Chanhassen Invitational played at Deer Run Golf Course.

Missota Conference power Chaska edged Edina 296-297 to claim team honors. New Prague ranked third at 305, followed by Chanhassen 320, Holy Family 342, Farmington 349 and Benilde-St. Margaret's 379.

Darby Grengs carded a round of  40-41 to lead the Tigers. Jake Jensen checked in at 88 (46-42), Lucas Beg 90 (46-44), Isaac Ferm 90 (44-46), Brock Lange (93 (48-45) and Tyler VanWinkle 97 (51-46).


"All in all it was a good event to get our boys some much needed experience," Farmington coach Jon Holmes said. "Each of them need more tournament experience to get acclimated and accustomed to playing under pressure.

"This is a group of golf rats that loves to be at and on the course and I am confident that with a few weeks of tournament experience they will be able to shake the jitters that go along with tourney golf."

Berg, Ferm and Lange all made their varsity debuts at the meet; Jensen, Grengs and VanWinkle each saw at least some varsity playing time last spring.

The Tigers get back into action Tuesday with a trip to Stonebrooke Golf Course for an appearance at another rmulti-school non-conference invitational.

Boys Tennis: Tigers fly by Eagles

Trent Kortenbusch (above) and Austin Tremmel won at No. 1 doubles

Six of the seven Farmington entrants scored straight set victories as the Tigers rolled to a 7-0 shutout win over Bloomington Kennedy Monday afternoon at the Boeckman Middle School courts.

Coach Jack Olwell said the victory wasn't quite as easy as it looked in the score book.

"It was a struggle for most players because of the wind," he said. "In most cases, once that problem was solved the flow of the match turned our way."

Bennett Lagro and Jake Bauer won at first and second singles by respective scores of 6-4, 6-3 and 6-1-6-4.

Lagro got a late break in the first set and then cruised in the second. Bauer also played better in the second set, winning six of the final seven points.

Ivan Rodriguez raised his team-best individual record to 4-2 with a solid 7-5, 6-0 triumph at third singles. Jon Zakoski faced two set points in a 7-6 (6) opening set win and then prevailed 6-3 in the second at the fourth singles position.

The Tigers doubles teams had their best day of the season with the No. 1 duo of Austin Tremmel and Trent Kortenbusch leading the way with a dominating 6-2, 6-1 win.

"They controlled every aspect of this match," Olwell said.

The second doubles duo of Gavin Renwick and Cooper Erickson rallied from a 2-5 deficit in the opening set to post a 7-6 (6), 6-1 victory and the tandem of Grady Hauswirth and Jake Spindler took three sets to win at No. 3 doubles 6-2, 1-6, 6-4.

The win was the second in six starts for Farmington which travels to New Prague Tuesday for a Missota Conference match.

Tiger Scoreboard: April 22, 2014

Boys Tennis
Farmington 7 Bloomington Kennedy 0

Softball
Chaska 3 Farmington 2

Baseball
Chaska 7 Farmington 4

Boys Golf
Chanhassen Invitational at Deer Run Golf Course
Chaska 296, Edina 297, New Prague 305, Chanhassen 320, Holy Family 342, Farmington 349, Benilde-St. Margaret's 379

Boys Tennis: Another small step forward

Jake Spindler (above) and partner Garrett Brown lost at No. 2 doubles

For the second meet in a row the Tigers lost a 6-1 decision to a Missota Conference rival but after Thursday's home court loss to Red Wing veteran coach Jack Olwell had nothing but positive things to say about his team's performance.

"We are closing the gap," he said. "Last year we got spanked pretty good by them and they arrived expecting more of the same...our players caught them off guard.

"A year ago we won 11 total games in the match  This year Jake (Bauer) did that by himself as did Cooper (Erickson) and and Gavin (Renwick) at third doubles."

The Erickson/Renwick duo provided the Farmington point with a 7-6 (5), 3-6, 10-8 win.

"Those two played exceptionally well," Olwell said, " thwarting the attack of the Red Wing team with consistency off the ground and well executed lobs."

Bauer lost 5-7, 6-4, 8-10 but was in the match from beginning to end.

"What a great match this was," Olwell said, "back and forth throughout with Jake controlling much of the play. He came up just short."

Senior Jon Zakoski also turned in a strong effort at fourth singles, losing in three sets 3-6, 6-2, 8-10.

"It was unfortunate for Jon that we didn't play a full third set since he had his opponent on the ropes," Olwell said. "Still it was a great match. Jon always makes it interesting."

Bennett Lagro (No. 1 singles) and Ivan Rodriguez (No. 3 singles) as well as first and second doubles teams Austin Tremmel/Trent Kortenbusch and Garrett Brown/Jake Spindler all lost in straight sets.

Farmington springs back into action Monday with a non-conference home match against Bloomington Kennedy.

Tiger Scoreboard: April 18, 2014

Boys Tennis
Red Wing 6  Farmington 1

Boys Track: A solid second

Devon Webb 1st in 4x800 relay; 2nd in 800-meter run (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Farmington finished second in a quality five-team field at the annual Tiger Invitational held Tuesday afternoon at Tiger Stadium.

Perennial state power Rosemount successfully defended its team title with 169 points. Farmington finished with 133, New Prague 106, Eagan 79 and Red Wing 67.

"The biggest lesson we can take from this is looking at Rosemount's scoring," Tiger coach Brian Helmstetter said. "We won a number of events but because the Irish had two or three scoring points in events, they passed us up...Rosemount has depth and I want the boys to see this to show the importance of our two through-10 runners and why they need to keep competing."

To illustrate Helmstetter's point, the Tigers won seven of the meet's 18 events but still finished 36 points out of first place.

Justin Hyttinen was a double winner, leading the pack in both the 1600 meter (4:19) and 3200-meter (9:54) runs.

Three of the other Tiger firsts came in relays: the 4x200 team of  Mason Auge, Mason Gaylord, Jack Erickson and Tanner Grubb clocked 1:34.25; the 4x400 foursome of  Robin DeCastro, Devon Webb, Wolt and Grubb ran 3:32.35 and the 4x800 foursome of Alex Hart, Devon Webb, Adam Dougherty and Jared Wolt won in 8:38.

Tanner Thode took 5th place in the shot put (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Two Farmington individuals also won events, Grubb in the 200-meter dash (22.94) and Wyatt Ferm in the high jump (6-0).

Ferm led a trio of Tigers who finished second with an 11-0 effort in the pole vault. Webb was runner-up in the 800-meter run and Ryan Parco was second in the long jump.

Three more Farmington entrants scored third place points: Parco in the 400-meter run; Brendan King in the discus and the 4x100 relay quartet of  Derek Klotter, Sean McHenry, Erickson and Auge.

Farmington's fourth place finishers included Erickson in the 200-meter dash; Alex Swearingen in the shot put and Jake Earp in the high jump. 

Jeff Guiterrez ranked fifth in the 3200-meter run as did Tanner Thode in the shot put. DeCastro (100-meter dash); Wolt (800-meter run); McHenry (long jump); Josh Patterson (shot put) and Dan Som (high jump) each finished in sixth place. 

The Tigers return to action next Tuesday (April 22) when they travel to Eagan for the Wildcat Invitational.

Baseball: Northfield hands Tigers first loss

Parker Holmstrom is batting .571 through 4 games (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Northfield had to work overtime to do it but the Raiders edged the Tigers 7-4 in eight innings Tuesday afternoon at Tiger Field to hand coach Jon Graff's team its first loss in four games.

The visitors used three walks, two hits and a Tiger error to score the deciding runs in the top of the first extra inning.

"We had our chances, stranding 12 guys on base," Tiger coach Jon Graff said. "We just didn't come through with that big hit and seemed to wait to get things going until there were two outs.

"We faced the toughest pitchers we've seen this year. We battled and gave ourselves chances. That was promising."

Farmington took a 1-0 lead in the second when Parker Holmstrom was hit by a pitch, Jordan Beschorner singled and starting pitcher JD Hinks reached on an error.

After the Raiders tied it in the top of the third, Farmington used a triple by Jordan DeCroock and a run-scoring single by Nick Schoening to re-take the lead.

The visitors pulled back in front 4-2 in the top of the fourth on a couple of hits and three costly Tiger errors.

"We let the ball eat us up a bit in that inning." Graff said. "All of those rune were unearned."

The Tigers battled back in the home half of the sixth on singles by Landon Nielsen and Holmstrom and a Raider error.

JD Hinks owns a 0.54 ERA in two starts (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Hinks pitched well through his six innings of work, scattering six hits and allowing just one earned run. Austin Martinsen pitched a scoreless seventh in relief and got one out in the eighth before Kyle Johnson came on to get the final two outs.

DeCroock made it six hits in his last nine at-bats with a 2-5 day. Holmstrom ran his multiple-hit game streak to four with a 2-3 performance with two runs scored. Martinsen had a pair runs batted in.

"This was a good match-up tonight," Graff said. "It gives us a good idea of what to expect coming up as we continue through the Missota schedule."

Wednesday the Tigers travel to New Prague and Thursday they're back on the road to Chanhassen for Missota Conference games.

Softball: Efficient Tigers hammer Raiders 13-1

Emily Berdan grand slam homer (photo by J. Lindquist)

Farmington (3-0) had nine hits in its Tuesday afternoon Missota Conference match-up at Northfield but five costly errors and eight walks haunted the Raiders as the Tigers rolled to a 13-1 win in five innings.

"The old saying in softball is 'walks kill' and that's what happened today," coach Paul Harrington said. "We walked five times in the first two innings and four of them scored.

"We were very selective at the plate and we took advantage of the walks. We will take what they give us".

The winners scored all they would need in the first inning on walks to Carly Esselman and Taylor Yousse and a two-run single by Amber Doyle.

The lead swelled to 6-0 in the second on walks to Jordyn Keprios and Doyle, a single by Esselman and a grand slam home run by Emily Berdan.

"The grand slam by Emily took the wind right out of their sails," Harrington said. "Other timely hits by Amber in the first inning and Carly in the third inning accounted for eight of our runs.

"Timely hitting is a huge key to success.  We need kids to keep stepping up and getting those big hits when we have runners in scoring position."

A walk to Ashley Ibinger, another Northfield error and Esselman's two-run double extended the run-fest in the third and then a combination of three hits, three walks and four errors produced five more scores in the fourth and fifth innings.

Esselman went a perfect 3-3 at the plate with a double, two runs scored and a pair of RBI. Berdan finished 2-4 with her grand slam and also scored twice. Ibinger was 2-3 with a one run scored and another driven in.

Meghan Silber pitched all five innings in her first varsity start, allowing just two hits and striking out six to pick up the win.

The level of competition starts to pick up over the next couple of days with New Prague and Chanhassen coming to town on Wednesday and Thursday. Game time for both Missota Conference games is 4:30 at Tiger Field.

Tiger Scoreboard: April 16, 2014

Softball
Farmington 13 Northfield 1 (5 innings)

Baseball
Northfield 7 Farmington 4 (8 innings)

Boys Track
Farmington Invitational
Rosemount 169, Farmington 133, New Prague 106, Eagan 79, Red Wing 67

Boys Tennis
Northfield 6 Farmington 1

Boys Tennis: Better, but not enough

Ivan Rodriguez won his third straight at No. 3 singles 6-1, 6-4

Last spring Northfield dominated Farmington 7-0 in a lopsided match. In Tuesday's 2014 rematch in Northfield the Tigers played much better but not enough to turn the score around in a 6-1 Missota Conference loss.

"We are playing better with each match," Tiger coach Jack Olwell said. "I don't suppose the score sounds like it indicates that but it does.

"Today it was far different from last year as we were competitive in almost every match. Ivan Rodriguez won big again and both second singles and two of the doubles teams were close."

Rodriguez won handily at the third singles position 6-1, 6-4 for his third straight victory.

"He fell behind in the second set but then played the best match of the young season," Olwell said. "Ivan has had three straight solid outings now but this was his best performance as it was against an attacker. He was steady under pressure and relentless in retrieving."

Jake Bauer had the best performance in the singles lineup, playing well, especially in the opening set, in a 5-7, 0-6 loss.

Bennett Lagro lost 0-6, 1-6 at No. 1 singles and Jon Zakoski injured his should and had to retire midway through the second set.

The first and second doubles teams of Austin Tremmel/Trent Kortenbusch and Jake Spindler/Garrett Brown lost by identical 2-6, 4-6 scores. The third doubles duo of Cooper Erickson/Gavin Renwick fell 5-7, 2-6.

Thursday the Tigers return home to take on Red Wing in another conference match-up at the Boeckman Middle School courts.

Boys Lacrosse: Tigers lose composure, game

Mitch Hilton scored two goals (photo by J. Lindquist)

Park of Cottage Grove downed the Tigers 8-5 Monday night at a chilly Tiger Stadium to even Farmington's early season record at 1-1. The contest was the first of the season for the Wolfpack.

The Tigers controlled the game early and led 4-1 before a rash of penalties completely changed the momentum of the game.

"We had 19 penalties for 20 minutes, or 42% of the game." Farmington coach Paul Sorensen said. "We had 9:30 in penalties in the fourth period alone...Composure, not talent will win the close games."

Kevin Clifton had a three-point night with a goal and two assists and Mitch Hilton scored twice for the Tigers who couldn't muster the offense it did in its season-opening 9-3 win over Lakeville South.

Alex Aubrecht and Tyler Jette also scored for the home team and Gunderson and Nick Hinnenkamp each chipped in with assists.

Tiger Goalie Kyle Kratz faced 19 shots on net, finishing the night with 11 saves. Michael Thompson won seven of 16 face-offs.

Thursday the Tigers open the first (and last) official Missota Conference season with a road game at Northfield.

Girls Larcosse: Back on track

Senior defender Delaney Johnson scored one of the Tiger goals (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Farmington (2-1) showed no ill effects from Friday night's one goal loss to Lakeville South in a 15-2 road romp over Hastings Monday night.

Ten different Tigers scored and three others added assists in the lopsided affair that saw the visitors roar to a 10-2 at halftime lead.

"It was a chilly night, but the girls worked hard on the field to stay warm," Tiger coach Dan Pickens said. "It was nice to get the win and work on some things that we know we have to, but nobody
likes games like these.

"It really shows how far we have come in five years of the program. It wasn’t long ago that we were on the other end of these lopsided games and we had to work hard to keep the sidelines positive. Now we can use them as learning experiences and work on getting better each game."

Shelby Klotz scored a hat trick and added an assist to lead the winners. Rachael Welzin, Becky Genzler and Kaitln Lacroix each added two goals and Jill Tollefson, Lindsay Benson, Christine Steffes, Ashley Hessler, Delaney Johnson and Kaeli Halverson had one apiece in the balanced attack.

Ashley Steffes dished out three assists and Nikki Colvard and Brooke Raske each had one.

The Tigers outshot the Raiders by a commanding 31-5 count with winning goalkeeper Maddie Kohlbeck finishing the night with three saves.

Thursday the Tigers continue the non-conference portion of their schedule with a road contest at Section 1AA rival Rochester Century.

Baseball: Unbeaten Tigers win third straight

Jordan DeCroock 4-4, 5 RBI (photo by J. Lindquist)

The weather outside was more suited to ice fishing than baseball but it didn't stop the unbeaten Tigers from rolling to their third straight win of the young season Monday afternoon, this one a 15-5 rout of Faribault at blustery Tiger Field.

Farmington led 8-5 after five innings before sending everyone home with a seven-run sixth. The game was mercifully halted at that point by the 10-run rule.

"Offensively, we put together so many quality at bats," Tiger coach Jon Graff said, "and our pitchers were really dealing again.  Both of them kept Faribault's hitters off balance most of the game."

The winners broke to a 6-0 lead after two innings but the Falcons battled back to make it a one-run contest with three scores in the third and two more in the fourth. Solo runs in the fourth and fifth extended the Tiger lead back to three runs to set up the climactic sixth inning.

Johnny Dittman walked, Austin Martinsen singled and Bobby Eckert reached on an error to start the inning and Jordan DeCroock cleared the bases with a double. Later in the inning hits by Nick Schoening, Parker Holmstrom and Dittman and another Falcon error sealed the deal.

DeCroock had a career day at the plate, rapping three singles and a double in four plate appearances and knocking in five runs. Martinsen went 3-4 and scored three times. Holmstrom had multiple hits for the third straight game with a 2-4 day. Dittman and Bobby Eckert each scored twice.

Holmstrom started on the hill and picked up the pitching victory, working six innings, striking out seven and walking two. Martinsen needed just nine pitches to retire the side in a scoreless inning of relief.

"I know Parker wanted to head back out in the sixth," Graff said," but he was at 89 pitches, so we went to Austin who came in really pounded the zone."

The Tigers will look to make it four in a row Tuesday when they entertain Northfield in a Missota Conference game at Tiger Field.

Boys Tennis: In the win column

Bennett Lagro rallied for a 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 1 singles

The Tigers rebounded from a tough loss to Park last Friday with an exciting 4-3 non-conference victory Monday afternoon at Prior Lake.

Farmington's first win in three tries this spring didn't come easily, however. The match was played in miserably cold and windy conditions and six of the seven match-ups went three sets.

"The conditions were very difficult  with temperatures in the low 30's with a strong consistent wind," Tiger coach Jack Olwell said.

"On top of that our teams were almost perfectly evenly matched. In 35 years of coaching I have never had a match that had even five three-setters let alone the six matches that went the distance today."

The one match that's outcome was never in doubt came at third singles where Ivan Rodriguez won with ease 6-1, 6-1. The rest were nail-biters.

Bennett Lagro and Jon Zakoski won at first and third singles with both rallying after losing the first set. Lagro won 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 and Zakoski prevailed 3-6, 6-4, 6-0.

"Bennett played an excellent second and third set, forcing his opponent into a number of errors while playing relatively clean tennis in miserable conditions," Olwell said.

"Jon arrived at the correct strategy but waited until midway through the second set to do it. He demonstrated again that tennis rewards the smart player, particularly if he is fit."

The other Tiger point came at third doubles where the tandem of Cooper Erickson and Gavin Renwick scored  a 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 triumph.

"Their shot-making at the end was the difference," Olwell said.

Jake Bauer played well in a losing 6-4, 2-6, 1-6 effort at second singles. The first doubles team of Austin Tremmel and Trent Kortenbusch fell 6-4, 4-6, 3-6 and the second tandem of Jake Spindler and Garrett Brown lost 3-6, 4-6, 6-7 (5).

The Tigers open their Missota Conference dual meet season Tuesday with a road match at Northfield.

Tiger Scoreboard: April 15, 2014

Girls Lacrosse
Farmington 15 Hastings 2

Boys Lacrosse
Park of Cottage Grove 8 Farmington 5

Baseball
Farmington 15 Faribault 5 (6 innings)

Boys Tennis
Farmington 4 Prior Lake 3

Alumni Tracker: April 2014

Jordan Bridges All-North Star Athletic Association

Former Tiger Jordan Bridges was one of two Jamestown College (North Dakota) players named to the first-ever All-North Star Athletic Association women's basketball team. Bridges, a junior forward, averaged 10.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and two blocks a game for Jamestown who finished fifth in the final NAIA Division II national poll with a record of 27-5.

Dave DeWitt, former Tiger boys' basketball coach, had another outstanding season with the women's hoops team at Anoka-Ramsey Community College. The Rams won the Minnesota Junior College championship with a perfect 12-0 record and advanced to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national tournament. DeWitt guided Anoka-Ramsey to the NJCAA national title in 2007 with a 33-1 mark.

The annual Louie Schmitz Memorial Classic golf fundraiser has been scheduled for Friday, June 20, at Southern Hills Golf Course. The event raises monies used for scholarships for FHS students as well as helping to pay participation fees for eligible youth athletes. The registration fee of $100 includes 18 holes of goal with cart, food and refreshments and a post-tournament dinner. For more information contact former Tigers John Barger (952-240-6793 or johnbarger@frontiernet.net) or Bobby Schmitz (schmitzr21@gmail.com).

Three-time MGA Player of the Year Sammy Schmitz

Ex-FHS and St. John's University golfer Sammy Schmitz will enter this golf season as the defending  three-time winner of the Minnesota Golf Association Player of the Year award.

2009 Tiger grad Kaitlin Mincke continues to enjoy a a successful senior season with the University of Minnesota women's track team. Last weekend Mincke won the 1500-meter run at the Spec Towns National Team Invitational held at the University of Georgia, finishing in a career-best 4:29.85...Nadia Lorencz, a two-time state champion for the Tigers, won the 100-meter hurdles and took third in the the long jump at the Spartan Invitational held two weeks ago in East Lansing, Michigan. Lorencz is a a freshman at Michigan State.

Two former Tigers from the class of 2012 are playing softball and baseball respectively this spring for the University of St. Thomas. Ty Vincent is a sophomore outfielder for the Tommies baseball team while Allison Rice (below) is a first-baseman/outfielder with the softball team....Ex-Tiger Matt Rudorfer is a senior outfielder for Holy Cross College in Indiana....2013 Tiger grad Spencer Merle is a freshman outfielder for Century College in White Bear Lake that  is currently ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA Division III  national poll.

Allison Rice

Two members of  the Tigers' 2013 Section 1AAA champion softball team are continuing to see a lot of playing time for St. Mary's University this spring. Toni Hunsinger has started all 18 games for the Cardinals and carries a .326 batting average into this week's games. Ashley Betzold has been the team's most effective pitcher with a 4-3 record, 1.86 earned run average and two saves. Betzold has also been getting more plate appearances and has her batting average up to .243.

Former Tiger and University of Minnesota standout Amber Hegland is the softball coach at Wayzata High School...Another ex-Tiger, Ryan Pietsch, is the head coach at Nortfield...Retired Tiger boys' golf coach Gerry Greupner is back at his familiar post as assistant boys' coach at Rosemount...1989 Tiger male Athlete of the Year Matt Walter who has had a long and successful career as football coach at Annandale is an assistant baseball coach there this spring.

Girls Golf: Tigers finally hit the links

Brianna Swenson

After three-plus weeks of mostly indoor drills the Tigers finally got to take some outdoor swings Friday at the Faribault Invitational played at the Faribault Golf Club.

A skeleton squad of five golfers made the trip south and finished 10th in a quality eleven-team field.

Defending Missota Conference champion New Prague won the meet with a low team total of 337 strokes, 35 fewer than runner-up BenildeSt. Margaret's.

Owatonna took third place with 389, followed by Prior Lake 398, St. Croix Lutheran 413, Chanhassen 415, Lakeville South 447, Faribault 454, Kasson-Mantorville 455, Farmington 489 and Rochester Century 490.

Senior Brianna Swenson led the Farmington effort with a round of 99. Emma Sullivan finished at 126, followed by Sidney Comes 128, Abby Monroe 136 and Amanda Hansmann 136.

"It was a beautiful day for golf," Tiger coach Jon Stock said. "Scores were a bit higher than normal, but not too bad for only having two outdoor practices before hand."

The Tigers next tee it up Wednesday, April 23, when they travel to Stonebrooke Golf Club in Shakopee for the first Missota Conference meet of the season.