For the first time in many years, 1979 Farmington High School grad Mike Markuson didn't spend the holiday season preparing for a post-season bowl game, but that doesn't mean the offensive line coach/running game coordinator for the University of Mississippi didn't have a good year. Despite a 4-8 season record Ole Miss ranked third in the 12-team Southeastern Conference in rushing behind only national champion Auburn and Gator Bowl champion Mississippi State...One interesting fact about Markuson that movie-goers might appreciate: He was the position coach for Michael Oher, the Ole Miss player who was the subject of the popular movie "The Blind Side.".
Former Tiger Logan Hussung, the 2010 Class AA state discus champion, finished third in the weight throw and fourth in the shot put at last weekend's Northwestern Open indoor track meet at the University of Minnesota. Hussung, a Gopher freshman, competed in an "unattached" status and will likely redshirt this season...Former Tiger Mallory Skoff is a junior thrower for the University of Minnesota-Duluth's women's track team. She finished third in the weight throw and ninth in the shot put in UMD's first indoor meet of the season.
Since breaking into the starting lineup for St. Olaf College this month, 2009 FHS female Athlete of the Year Kirstee Rotty is averaging 15 points and 6.5 rebounds a game...Former Tiger Abby Kenealy netted 16 points and pulled down five rebounds for Southwest Minnesota State in its 67-56 loss to Northern State last weekend.
After scoring just one goal through her first 18 games, ex-Tiger Erin Johnson has put up a pair of goals and four assists in her last four outings for the Bemidji State University women's hockey team...High school teammate Kelli Johnson, a four-year starter on defense for the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, picked up her seventh assist of the season in a recent 5-1 win over Finlandia...FHS grad Erin McNamara worked the nets in a scoreless third period in St. Olaf's 5-1 win over St. Mary's University last weekend.
Ex-Tiger hockey player Alex Carlson who went on to play for the North Iowa Outlaws of the North American Hockey League has a goal and an assist in seven games for Ohio State this season.
Former Tiger boys basketball coach Dave DeWitt has his Anoka-Ramsey Community College women's team sitting pretty with a 16-1 record. When Dewitt isn't coaching he finds time to watch his daughter, Katie DeWitt, play for Northwestern College in Roseville. The younger DeWitt is the leading scorer in the Upper Midwest Conference (UMAC).
Devon Meeks, an all-Missota Conference swimmer at FHS before finishing his high school career at Rosemount, was a member of the University of Iowa's 500 freestyle relay team that won the championship at the Tampa Relays held in Florida over the holidays...Carlye Chell, who played basketball for the Tigers before transferring to Apple Valley as a junior, is a freshman forward for the University of Wisconsin-Superior...Hannah Rutten, the daughter of former Tiger baseball assistant coach Louie Rutten is a freshman forward on the University of Minnesota-Duluth's women's basketball team. Hannah Rutten played high school ball at New York Mills.
Former Tiger Erik Huls continues to excel for the University of St. Thomas men's swimming and diving team. Heading into this week Huls times ranked among the top six in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in five different events. Huls former high school teammates, Nick Haugen and Taylor Trowbrdige, also swim for the Tommies.
Rueben (RJ) Rappe, the only Farmington swimmer or diver ever to win a state title and who later went on to be an all-Atlantic 10 Conference diver at the University of Massachusetts, is the men's diving coach at Binghampton University in New York state.
