Girls Track: Runner-up in the Missota

Maria Kiminski anchored the winning 4x800 relay team (photo by J. Lindquist)

Despite injuries to a couple of major point producers the Tigers were able to post a second place finish at the Missota Conference Championships held Thursday in Chanhassen.

All-state hurdler and long jumper Nadia Lorencz missed the entire meet nursing an ankle injury and defending conference 400-meter Isabelle Ferm had to sit out her last two events after re-injuring her hip.

"There were definitely some points lost there but I am very pleased with how the girls stepped up today," coach Tom Hart said. "They came to compete and there we had pr's all over the place. It was a very good day for us."

Chanhassen successfully defended its 2012 title with 214.5 points. The Tigers totaled 145, followed by New Prague 121, Shakopee 111, Chaska 86.5, Northfield 82, Red Wing 71, and Academy of Holy Angels 67

Farmington won four events with the 4x800 relay team of Alicia Hett, Sofia Chadwick, Alex Frost and Maria Kiminski getting the Tigers off to a fast start with a win in the meet's opening event.

"Their goal was 9:40 and they came in at 9:41," Hart said. "It will be interesting to see what they can do in the section."

Megan Graham anchored 2 Top 3 relay teams (photo by J. Lindquist)

The Tigers made it bookend relay wins with a victory in the last race of the day, the 4x400. With Ferm out after hurting herself in her second place finish in the 400-meter run, the quartet of Kiminski, Hett, Jennifer Miller and Megan Graham ran a season-best time of 4:02.97 to grab the gold.

Before her injury in the 400 meters, Ferm won the triple jump title with a leap of 34-10.25.

The fourth first came from thrower Aly Grebner who won the event with a toss of 34-8.25. Grebner also placed in two other field events, taking fourth in both the discus and the high jump.

In addition to Ferm's runner-up finish in the 400 meters, the Tigers scored second place points in two other events: Morgan Cecchettini in the long jump and the 4x100 relay team of Kelli Elmer, Nicole Doran, Cecchittini and Emma Record.

The 4x200 relay foursome of Racquel Beckett, Miller, Courtney Johnston and Graham placed third as did Destiny Schmitz in the triple jump.

Kiminski ranked fourth in the 300-meter hurdles and Graham took fourth in the 400-meter run.

Maricia Pacheco placed fifth in the 3200-meter distance event and Schmitz and Kelsey Lindell tied for fifth in the high jump. Record and Hett were sixth in the 100-meter dash and 800-meter run respectively.

Elizabeth Welter finished seventh in the long jump. Cecchittini added a ninth place finish in the 100-meter dash and Record took ninth in the 200-meter dash.

The Tigers now turn their attention to next week's Section 1AA Championships to be held Thursday and Saturday at Lakeville South.

"We'll be finalizing relay teams and trying to get everyone healthy," Hart said.

Kelsey Lindell tied for 5th in high jump (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Boys Lacrosse: Making a statement

Brendan Berg 11 goals 5 assists in two games (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Farmington posted back-to-back road wins over St. Cloud Tech and Simley to cap a hectic closing week to the 2013 regular season.

The streaking Tigers went 3-1 in the four games-in-five days stretch, making it five victories in the last six outings for coach Paul Sorensen's team. The Tigers will take a final 8-5 record into next week's Section 1 post-season tournament.

At St. Cloud State University on Thursday the visitors rolled to the win over a team they had defeated 14-1 the previous week at Tiger Stadium.

"We played well but still need to shore up our transition game," coach Paul Sorensen said. "We were slow on transition defense and transition offense and got out of position at times.

"But overall it was a solid game and it was good to get a rotation of guys in the game. Every one produced. It's nice to take care of business against teams we should handle."

Brendan Berg filled up the score book for the Tigers, finishing with an eye-catching 11 points on seven goals and four assists.

Kevin Clifton, Garrett Gunderson and Corey Rudrud each added a pair of goals and Ryan Cole, Alex Schrafft and Caleb Hakala scored once. Cole and Mitch Hilton recorded two assists apiece and Schrafft, Michael Thompson, Chris Fitzgibbons and Alex Kelly each had one.

Mark Heinzerling worked the Tiger nets for the first three quarters, giving up three goals on 11 shots. Kyle Kratz took over in the final period and surrendered the final two Tech goals.

In Friday night's win at Simley the Tigers roared to a 10-0 halftime lead on the way to a comfortable 12-7 victory.

Garrett Gunderson 4 goals, 1 assists (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Berg again led the offense with four goals and an assist. Gunderson had a pair of scores and Richard Halverson, Hilton, Fitzgibbons, Schrafft, Clifton and Cole each netted one.

Hilton assisted on two goals while Gunderson, Halverson, Fitzgibbons, Clifton and Schrafft handed out one apiece.

Heinzerling handled the goalie chores in the first half and finished his abbreviated night with eight saves. Kratz stepped in and worked the second half and picked up four saves.

The Tigers open Section 1 post-season play Tuesday night against Rochester Century (6-7) in Rochester. The Panthers defeated the Tigers 7-6 early in the regular season.

Girls Lacrosse: Building momentum

Shelby Klotz scored the game-winner with 13 seconds to play (photo by J. Lindquist)

If momentum is an important factor in post-season success, the Tigers have set themselves up for a good run in the Section 1 tournament.

Farmington closed the books on its 2013 regular season with a 10-9 win at Hill-Murray Thursday night, coach Dan Pickens' team's fifth win in a row after starting the year 2-6.

"We were able to find a way to win this game just like we have been doing the second half of this season," Pickens said.  "The girls battled themselves for most of the game, not stringing together passes like we have been doing but were still able to mount a second half comeback."

The Pioneers led 6-4 at intermission before the Tigers rallied for a 9-7 advantage with three minutes remaining in regulation. A couple of turnovers led to the tying goals with less than a  minute to go to set up a dramatic finish.

The Tigers won the ensuing draw and Lindsay Benson fed Shelby Klotz who netted the game-winner with just 13.7 seconds left on the clock.

Klotz's goal was her fourth of the night. Rachael Welzin added three more and also had an assist. Brooke Genzler, Jessica Herrera and Delaney Johnson also recorded goals for the winners.  Benson and Michaela Tonsager each added assists.

Goalkeeper Maddie Kohlbeck picked up her seventh with of the season, stopping 11 of 20 Pioneer shots.

The Tigers open post-season play Tuesday night with a home game versus Rochester John Marshall.
They topped the Rockets 12-11 when the teams met in Rochester during the regular season.

Lindsay Benson assisted on game-winning goal (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Baseball: Nothing doing in section loss

Nick Schoening 1-3 in season finale (photo by Jim Lindquist)

The Tigers concluded a run-less week with a 2-0 loss to Rochester John Marshall Thursday night in Rochester in the opening round of the Section 1AAA tournament. Farmington ended its regular season with a 3-0 loss to Hastings Tuesday night.

The post-season loss brought down the curtain on the 2013 season that saw coach Mike Winters' squad finish with a 7-11 mark, 7-7 in the Missota Conference.

"We just couldn't get anything going against JM," Winters said, "They  had two line drives go over our heads and that proved to be the difference. 

"Jordan Beschorner pitched well and gave us a legitimate chance to win. That's all you can hope for."

Beschorner continued what has been a solid spring for the Tiger pitching staff, scattering five hits and allowing just one earned run over six innings.

The Rockets nicked Beschorner for a run on two hits in the third inning and then added an unearned score in the sixth to account for all of the scoring.

Farmington threatened in the second when Bobby Eckert and Jordan DeCroock singled and again in the sixth when Spencer Merle stroked a two-out double but couldn't deliver the big hit when needed.

Nick Schoening and Zach Speikers had the other Tiger hits in the season-ending loss.

"Mother Nature messed with us this spring," Winters said, "but our kids' work ethic, attitude, effort, and personality were phenomenal.  This was definitely one of my most enjoyable seasons."

Spencer Merle two-out double in the sixth (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Boys Tennis : Season ends in Rochester

Jake Bauer lost a marathon 6-7, 7-6, 2-6 decision

The Tigers' 2013 season officially met the end of the road Thursday in Rochester as all four Farmington entries fell in the opening round of the Section 1AA individual tournament.

"We did not do as well as we had hoped," Farmington coach Jack Olwell said.

The best showing of the day for the Tigers came from seventh-grader Jake Bauer who lost a three-hour marathon 6-7, 7-6, 2-6 decision to an opponent from  Owatonna.

"It was more or less a battle of attrition with a lot of unforced errors," Olwell said, "but it was there for the taking."

Freshman Bennett Lagro also had some opportunities in a 4-6, 2-6 loss to the No.1 doubles player from Rochester Mayo.

Austin Tremmel and Trent Kortenbusch lost 1-6 0-6 to Owatonna's top doubles team and Austin Rau and Grady Hauswirth fell 0-6, 0-6 to a tandem from Red Wing.