Girls Lacrosse: Everything but the win

Tia Jacoby (top) and Haley Bradshaw
each scored a goal for the Tigers
(photos by Jim Lindquist)


Farmington (0-4) piled up 33 shots on goal but found the back of the net on only six in its 11-6 loss to Holy Angels in its home opener played Thursday, Apr. 29, at Tiger Stadium.
The visiting Stars led 6-3 at intermission and then weathered a furious Tiger shot blitz over the final two periods to post the win.
"We played very aggressively and had ball possession for about 75 percent of the game," Tiger coach Dan Pickens said. "We played a very good game and no one can question our effort.
"We did everything right except score, but unfortunately that is the most important statistic. We found our neutral zone game which worked great...I always tell our girls to celebrate progress and tonight we progressed as a team."
Six different players scored goals for Farmington: Adrienne Jolicoeur, Ally Midboe, Haley Bradshaw, Tia Jacoby, Rachael Welzin and Shelby Klotz. Jolicoeur also had a pair of assists for the Tigers in the losing effort.
Kaitlyn Lacroix drew her first varsity start in goal and played the entire game for Farmington.
"We will be looking for our first win next week," Pickens said. "The girls are hungry."

Tiger Scoreboard: April 29, 2011

Girls Lacrosse
Holy Angels 11 Farmington 6

Alberts named FHS Athena Award winner

Devyn Alberts has been named the recipient of the 2011 Farmington High School Athena Award. She and 39 other St. Paul area student athletes were honored at a banquet Wednesday, Apr. 27, at the Prom Center in Oakdale.
Alberts has excelled in both soccer and track and field during her high school athletic career at Farmington.
In soccer, her primary sport, Alberts has earned five varsity letters and three times has been named to the all-Missota Conference team. She was the Most Outstanding Player for four consecutive years and as a senior made both the All-Metro and All-State teams.
As a middle distance runner in track, Alberts received four varsity letters, won all-conference honors and as a freshman, ran a leg on the the Tiger 4x800 meter relay team that not only broke a school record but also finished fifth at the Class AA State Championships.
In addition to her lengthy on-the-field resume, Alberts has also excelled in the classroom, earning Academic All-State honors in both soccer and track.
Next fall, Alberts will attend the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay where she will play NCAA Division I women's soccer.

Boys Lacrosse: Century tames Tigers 14-5

Jake Bauman 3 goals

Rochester Century dominated play, scoring seven goals in each half, on the way to a 14-5 win over Farmington Tuesday night, Apr. 26, in Rochester.
"We played a very sloppy game in both ends," Tiger coach Paul Sorenson said. "Our attack had five or six point-blank opportunities from three yards and in and did not capitalize. We also lost in every hustle stat, including ground balls by a 3-1 margin."
The Panthers jumped to a 4-0 lead after the first period and led 7-2 at the halftime break.
Jake Bauman had a big game for the Tigers, scoring three goals. Trevor Howard and Marquis Words netted the other Farmington goals.
"Jake had a great game, both in scoring and in the hustle department," Sorenson said. "Marques was all over trying to create plays and we got some consistent play from freshmen Kevin Clifton, Mike Thompson and Corey Rudrud."
The Tigers continued to play shorthanded but Sorenson said he hopes to have most of the walking wounded back in action for Friday night's game in Owatonna.
"The team is very much looking forward to the rematch with Owatonna," Sorenson said.
The Huskies defeated the Tigers 13-6 in the third game of the 2010 season.

Boys Golf: May, Dalhed lead Tigers at Prior Lake Invitational

Tommy May and Mike Dalhed each fired rounds of 79 to lead Farmington to a 12th place finish in the 17-team Prior Lake Invitational played Wednesday, Apr. 27, at the blustery Wilds in Prior Lake.
Missota Conference rival Chanhassen won the tournament with a low team total of 299 strokes. Farmington carded a composite 331 for its top four scorers.
"We had a little rain, a little sleet, but no snow," Farmington assistant coach Terry Holmes said. "It was a difficult day to play."
May and Dalhed each carded 39 on the front nine followed by a round of 40 on the back side. No other Tigers managed to break 40 for either round.
Tony Lalani checked in at 85 and Cooper Loew shot 88 to round out the four low Farmington scorers. Trevor Hockert and Matt Provost each finished at 89.
"Out top two guys putted well," Holmes said, "but everybody needs to work on their short game."

Tiger Scoreboard: April 28, 2011

Boys Tennis
Simley 7 Farmington 0

Boys Golf
Prior Lake Invitational at the Wilds
Farmington 12th among 17 teams; 331 team score (low four scorers)

Boys Tennis: Simley downs Tigers 7-0

Tyler Olsen lost 2-6, 6-7 (3) at fourth singles

Farmington held its own early but as the match wore on Simley began to dominate play in a 7-0 non-conference loss Wednesday, Apr. 27, at the Boeckman Middle School courts.
"I had hoped we would turn at least a few matches after having lost 0-7 to them last year," Farmington coach Jack Olwell said. "We have improved greatly in that year but many of their players have as well."
Tyler Olsen put up the best fight in singles play, losing 2-6, 6-7 (3) at the fourth position.
"This was Tyler's first varsity singles match and it took him a set for him to find a comfort zone," Olwell said. "He nearly took his opponent the distance with a well-played second set."
Both the second doubles team of Jeff Zakoskie/Brian Waldbillig and the third tandem of Austin Tremmel/Austin Rau held first set leads before fading down the stretch.
"We had some good efforts," Olwell said, "but perhaps the continuous weather breaks over the past weeks have played havoc with the gains we had been making. In any case, we never got up very much steam."

Simley 7 Farmington 0
No. 1 singles Ben Cline lost 1-6, 2-6
No. 2 singles Seth Roberts lost 2-6, 3-6
No. 3 singles Ivan Rodriguez lost 1-6, 2-6
No. 4 singles Tyler Olsen lost 2-6, 6-7 (3)
No. 1 doubles Peter Folz/Topher Kirchmann lost 0-6, 1-6
No. 2 doubles Jeff Zakoksie/Brian Waldbillig lost 4-6, 1-6
No. 3 doubles Austin Tremmel/Austin Rau lost 4-6, 1-6

Tiger Scoreboard: April 27, 2011

Boys Lacrosse
Rochester Century 14 Farmington 5

Girls Lacrosse: Shaky first half costs Tigers in 11-7 loss to Chaska/Chanhassen

Ally Midboe 4th, 5th and 6th goals of the season

The Tigers continue to have a split personality, playing well in one half and then not so well in another.
Monday night, Apr. 25, in Chaska, host Chaska/Chanhassen controlled the ball and the scoreboard for the first 24 minutes while building a commanding 9-5 halftime lead.
But after the break the tide turned with the visitors matching the StormHawks goal for goal in an eventual 11-7 defeat.
The loss was the third straight for the Tigers who are still looking for their first win of the 2011 season.
"It was another strange game for us," Tiger coach Dan Pickens said. "We seem to be a team of two halves.
"We are very athletic but we are still learning the game. Chaska/Chanhassen was experienced and they were able to control much of the possession time. We are getting better at our draws and ground ball control, but we still need to improve on ball possession time."
Ally Midboe ran her team-leading season goal total to six with a three-score game. Haley Bradshaw notched her fourth and fifth goals of the year and Brooke Genzler also scored twice for the Tigers. Brooke Raske and Shelby Klotz each added assists to the offensive effort.
Starting goalie Maddie Kohlbeck left the game late in the first half with a knee injury after ringing up 11 saves. Kaitlyn Lacroix replaced her in the nets and finished with five saves.
Next up for the Tigers is their home opener, Thurday night, Apr. 28, against Missota Conference rival Holy Angels. Monday they are back at Tiger Stadium hosting Rochester Century.

Baseball: Tigers dig early hole in 7-1 loss to Chanhassen

Jake Baskerville singled, stole second and scored in the 1st

The Tigers produced more errors (5) than hits (3) and dug themselves an early hole too deep to escape in a 7-1 Missota Conference loss Monday afternoon, Apr. 25, in Chanhassen.
The loss was the fourth in as many conference outings for Farmington (1-4) who trailed 6-1 after three innings. With the win, Chanhassen moved to 3-2.
The Storm led 2-1 heading into the third inning where it scored four times on only one hit.
"That inning killed us," Tiger coach Mike Winters said. "We gave up three walks and and made three errors.
"In most of our games if we could take away one inning, we'd have a chance of winning."
Farmington scored its lone run in the top of the first when Jake Baskerville singled, stole second and scored when Sebren Baer reached on an error.
Tommy Korbein's triple and Steven Barber's infield single accounted for the other Farmington hits.
Zach Wallace started on the mound for Farmington, surrendering four earned runs on six hits. Nathan Graham came on in the fourth to throw two innings of scoreless relief. Colton Luskey pitched the final inning, giving up two hits and an unearned run.
""We can't contiune to pile mental errors on physical errors game after game," Winters said. "We need to get mentally stronger and pick each other up when mistakes occur."

Softball: Tigers fall short in 4-3 loss to Chanhassen

Alyssa Kalmes (bottom) 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI
Aleah Williamson (top) 3-4, 3B, R
(photos by Jim Lindquist)


Farmington rapped a season-high 10 hits but couldn't come up with the big one with runners in scoring position in a 4-3 Missota Conference loss to Chanhassen Monday, Apr. 25 at Tiger Field.
The Storm broke a 3-3 tie with the deciding run in the top of the seventh to run its record to 3-2. The loss dropped the Tigers to 2-2.
After Chanhassen scored a run in its first at-bat, a triple by Aleah Williamson and a single by Alyssa Kalmes tied the count in the bottom of the inning.
Singles by Williamson, Taylor Yousse and Kalmes put the home team ahead in the second before the Storm re-took the lead with a two-run third.
The Tigers added a little drama in the home half of the fifth when pitcher Ashley Betzold singled, moved up on Dani Muelken's sacrifice bunt and a ground out by Alyssa Hagen and then scored the tying run on Allie Rice's perfectly executed suicide squeeze bunt..
Leadoff hitter Williamson had a big day at the plate for the Tigers with three hits in four plate appearances. Kalmes went 2-4 with a pair of runs batted in. Betzold, who gave up 11 hits and absorbed the pitching loss, also had a pair of hits for Farmington.
"I know we could have and should have won this game," Tiger coach Rob Laden said. "It just shows we have to keep improving and making adjustments to our game. We need to get better defensively and we have to stop popping the ball up so much."
Monday's game was designated Farmington Youth Softball Night with 93 future Tiger hopefuls and their families in attendance.
"It was a great night, except we didn't capture the win," Laden said.

Tiger Scoreboard: April 26, 2011

Softball
Chanhassen 4 Farmington 3

Baseball
Chanhassen 7 Farmington 1

Girls Lacrosse
Chaska/Chanhassen 11 Farmington 4

Boys Track: Schimmel 3rd in shot put at Rosemount Invite

John Schimmel 3rd in shot put; 4th in discus

After more than a week off because of cancellations and postponements due to inclement weather, the Tigers returned to the track Thursday, Apr. 21, with an appearance at the five-team Rosemount Invitational. The weather wasn't ideal with winds and intermittent rain dominating the day.
Other teams competing included New Prague, Red Wing, Eagan, Prior Lake and host Rosemount.
"It was great getting a meet in and having a chance to compete," Farmington coach Brian Helmstetter said. "We are looking forward to a nice day to get our times down soon, but it doesn’t look like it is going to happen this week."
The 4x100 relay team of Mason Auge, Sam Hanson, Alex Chadwick and CJ Record and the 4x200 foursome of Zach Wyatt, Record, Chadwick and Tyler Grubb each earned second place points to lead the Tiger effort.
Thrower John Schimmel took third in the shot put and fourth in the discus and Grubb ranked fourth in the 100-meter dash. Tyler Lerbakken finished fifth in the 400-meter dash.
"Our throwers and several of our distance runners set personal records," Helmstetter said, "but we still have a number of spots we need to improve on as a team.
"It was a good experience for our young athletes, but we all must keep improving as we approach the conference meet."

Baseball: Trojans rally, down Tigers 9-6

Ty Vincent 2-run hone run in 1st inning

Farmington held the lead for five innings but couldn't hang on for the win in a 9-6 Missota Conference loss to New Prague Thursday, Apr. 21, at Tiger Field. The defeat dropped Farmington to 1-4 for the season; 0-3 in conference play.
"We played a decent game considering the weather," Tiger coach Mike Winters said. "We had some poorly timed errors and missed plays on bunts that were very costly."
Ty Vincent followed Nathan Grahan's walk with a two-run homer to give Farmington a quick two-run lead in the first inning.
After New Prague nicked Tiger starter Dayne Eich for three scores in the second the locals regained the lead with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the inning.
The Trojans knotted the score at 4-4 in the top of the fourth but the home team countered in its next at-bat on Jake Baskerville's double and a New Prague error.
The visitors gained the edge for good with a four-run sixth inning off releiver Jonathan Ellis. Tommy Korbein's double chased home the final Farmington run in the home half of the sixth.
"We did a nice job of getting the lead," Winters said, "Now we have to do a better job of holding that lead."

Girls Track: Lorencz breaks triple jump record at Tiger Invite

Nadia Lorencz (below) School record 35-1 in triple jump
Erin Hickey (top) 4th in the long jump
(photos by Jim Lindquist)


Nadia Lorencz, a state meet qualifier in the long jump last spring as a freshman, set a new school standard in the triple jump to pace the Tigers to a third place finish at their annual six-team invitational meet held Thursday, Apr. 21, at Tiger Stadium.
Lakeville South piled up 172 points to edge perennial state power Prior Lake 172-162 for the team title. Farmington ranked third with 89 points, followed by New Prague 77, Red Wing 43 and Hastings 11.
Lorencz shattered the old mark of 34-8.75 set in 1998 by Lyndsey Thoma with a leap of 35-1. The talented sophomore had a big day for Farmington adding a win in the 100-meter hurdles and a second place finish in the long jump to her day's timesheet.
The only other Farmington first came in the 4x400 relay where the quartet of Alyssa Parco. Izzie Ferm, Erin Hickey and Maria Kiminski cruised to victory.
Ferm, a freshman, and eighth-grader Megan Graham each turned in strong individual finishes for the Tigers. Ferm was runner-up in the 200-meter dash and Graham took third in the 100-meter dash.
Junior all-state performer Parco scored second place points in the 300-meter low hurdles and Kimisnki took third in the 400-meter dash.
Farmington's 4x200 relay entry of Parco, Ferm, Courtney Johnston and Hickey also placed second.
"Overall, it was a good day in not so good weather," coach Tom Hart said. "We had pretty much all of our kids competing and it was great to see so much black and orange on the track...We're looking for the return of spring and some warmer weather."

Boys Tennis: Tigers throw scare into Storm

Ben Cline 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 winner at 1st singles

Farmington (1-3) gave unbeaten Chanhassen (3-0) all it could handle in a 5-2 Missota Conference dual meet loss played Thursday, Apr. 21, in Chanhassen.
Tiger coach Jack Olwell said the match was a competitive one that could have gone either way.
"We put quite a scare in them," Olwell said. "We had three matches that went three sets and we were leading in all of them before falling late and pulling out only one. It was fun being in a position to win and it was a great match to watch."
The Farmington three-set victory went to Ben Cline who posted a come-from-behind 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 win at first singles.
"Ben lost the first set but won decisively in the second and then went up 3-0 in the third," Olwell said. "But his opponent changed strategies and won four games in a row. Ben had plenty of chances to fold but showed a lot of mental toughness in refusing to break."
The other Farmington win came at first doubles where the duo of Peter Folz and Tyler Olsen prevailed 6-2, 6-4 in a marathon match lasting more than two hours.
"Peter played the match of his career with great ground strokes and Tyler was solid at the net and on the baseline," Olwell said.
The second doubles paring of Jeff Zakoskie and Brian Waldbillig and the third tandem of Austin Tremmel and Colton Sanders each lost tough three-set decisions.

Chanhassen 5 Farmington 2
No. 1 singles Ben Cline won 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
No. 2 singles Blake Olmscheid lost 2-6, 2-6
No. 3 singles Topher Kirchmann lost 0-6, 1-6
No. 4 singles Ivan Rodriguez lost 0-6, 1-6
No. 1 doubles Peter Folz/Tyler Olsen won 6-2, 6-4
No. 2 doubles Jeff Zakoskie/Brian Waldbillig lost 5-7, 6-4, 4-6
No. 3 doubles Austin Tremmel/Colton Sanders lost 3-6, 6-4, 5-7

Boys Lacrosse: Shorthanded Tigers lose to Chaska/Chanhassen

With offensive stalwarts Quinn Malcolm, Jake Bauman and Alex Rojesky and defensive captain Tyler Tutewohl-Klotz all out with injuries, it was a long night for the Tigers in a 17-1 road loss Thursday night, Apr. 21, to Chaska/Chanhassen.
"Being so thin made it difficult to stay with a more seasoned team that combined two schools that are both the size of ours," Tiger coach Paul Sorenson said. "We held together as a team even though we were outmatched. We'll take that away as a positive."
Chaska/Chanhassen led 12-1 at halftime with Luke Brevick scoring the Farmington goal, his first of the season.
Sorenson said his team played much better in the second half and was especially pleased with the play of Kevin Clifton and Carter Daigle, each playing his first varsity game.
Veteran Mitch Collier also gave the team a boost with a switch to the midfielder position, providing some much needed experience to that line.
Goalkeeper Charlie Weierke faced 38 shots in a busy night in the nets.

Girls Lacrosse: Tigers lose indoors in Rochester

The weather hasn't allowed any games outside since the season opening loss to Lakeville South on Apr. 11, so the Tigers took their act indoors Thursday night, losing 11-4 to Rochester John Marshall/Lourdes at the Rochester Recreation Center.
"Well at least we got to play," Tiger coach Dan Pickens said. "The girls have been getting frustrated with all the postponed games and practicing in the gym. This game would have been postponed too if we had played outside because there was a storm."
The visitors made a game of it in the first half, trailing just 4-3 at intermission. But the Rochester co-operative outscored the Tigers 7-1 after the break to win going away.
Tia Jacoby accounted for two of the Tiger goals. Ally Midboe picked up her fifth score of the young season and Haley Bradshaw notched her third.
"Rochester made the right adjustments (at halftime) and used their team better than we did," Pickens said. "They caught us off guard and that won't happen again.
"We were too worried about if we were going to play and where we were going to play and not focused on the game. We beat ourselves....We will learn from it and get better."

Softball: Bats come alive at New Prague

Ashley Betzold picked up 2nd win

In Farmington's first two games of the season, it managed just six base hits in a 4-0 loss to Shakopee and a 6-0 win over New Prague.
Thursday, Apr. 21, at New Prague the bats came out of hibernation in a 10-5 Missota Conference victory over the Trojans.
The visitors roared out the gate with a four-run first inning and held the lead the rest of the way. The Trojans pulled to within 5-4 after three innings before the Tigers put the game away with two runs in the fourth and and fifth innings and an insurance score in the sixth.
Dani Muelken paced the eight-hit Tiger offfensive attack with three safeties in four at-bats. Aleah Williamson, Alyssa Kalmes, Alyssa Hagen, Taylor Yousse and Allie Rice also hit safely for the winners.
"It was great to see the five weeks of hitting in the gym pay off," coach Rob Laden said. "New Prague is a good team. It was a good win for our girls."
Ashley Betzold picked up her second pitching win of the young season for Farmington. She allowed five runs, four earned, and struck out four.

Tiger Scoreboard: April 22, 2011

Softball
Farmington 10 New Prague 5

Baseball
New Prague 9 Farmington 6

Girls Lacrosse
Rochester John Marshall 11 Farmington 4

Boys Lacrosse
Chanhassen 17 Farmington 1

Girls Track
Tiger Invitational at Farmington
Lakeville South 172, Prior Lake 162, Farmington 89, New Prague 77, Red Wing 43, Hastings 11

Boys Track
Irish Invitational at Rosemount

Mother Nature 59 FHS Spring Sports 0

The runaway winner on the Farmington High School sports scene this spring has been Mother Nature.
From Thursday, April 14, through Wednesday, Apr. 20, Tiger athletic director Jon Summer has seen no less than 59 events postponed or outright cancelled by inclement weather conditions.
The headaches don't stop with the postponement/cancellation of a contest, either. Transportation issues need to be resolved. Officials have to be contacted and re-scheduled. Supervisory staff need to be notified and in some cases, reassigned.
Schedule changes have even disrupted plans by community groups who have reserved space in the school on newly scheduled dates. In a word, it's been a nightmare.
"Spring is always a challenge," Summer said, "but I think this year has been more unique in that we are dealing with cold temperatures and even snow in mid-April."
Summer is hoping that next week will bring some spring-like weather to Minnesota so that the remaining weeks of what looks to be a very compressed spring season come off as planned...Stay tuned.

Boys Lacrosse: Looking for focus

Blair Berg (top) advances the ball
Marques Woods (below) puts a shot on net
(photos by Jim Lindquist)


Tiger coach Paul Soresnon must feel a little like Minnesota Twins pitching coach Rick Anderson. He's still looking for a complete game.
Farmington has put together a couple of quality first halves in its first two games only to see a lack of focus after intermission lead to losses, the most recent a 10-3 defeat at the hands of Rochester John Marshall Monday night, April. 18, at Tiger Stadium.
The Tigers trailed the Rockets 2-1 at intermission but lost their way after the break where they were outscored by a lopsided 8-2 margin.
"We emphasize focus and energy for 48 minutes," Soresnon said. "We have streaks of it but we also have streaks where it just fades.
"Our two first halves have been pretty good and we are trying to mix some things up to give us a better chance to score more early and often. We also picked up too many penalties in the second half to give us a chance.
Trevor Howard, Jake Bauman and Quinn Malcolm recorded the Tiger goals. The scores were the second of the young season for Malcolm and Bauman and the first for Howard. Malcolm also posted his first assist of the year.
Scoring opportunities were not a problem as Farmington outshot the visitors by a 24-17 count.
The Tigers hope to put together a complete game Thursday, Apr. 21. when they open Missota Conference play at Chanhassen (weather permitting).

Girls Track: Tigers 3rd at Mega-Meet

Alyssa Parco (top) 1st, 300 hurdles and 4x200 relay
Nadia Lorencz 1st, long jump; 2nd, triple jump; 6th, 100 hurdles


Farmington garnered a trio of first place finishes to place third in a talent-rich 10-team field at the Lakeville Mega-Meet held Monday, Apr. 18, at Lakeville North.
Prior Lake and the host Panthers dominated the meet with the Lakers eventually prevailing 169.5-164. Farmington totaled 69.5, followed by Waconia 58, Minneapolis Southwest 51.25, Grand Rapids 50, St. Louis Park 45, Bloomington Kennedy 36, Rosemount 30, Bake 25 and Math and Science Academy 3.
Alyssa Parco had her fingerprints on two of the Tigers first place efforts, winning the 300-meter hurdles and joining Mary Cline, Isabelle Ferm and Erin Hickey to take top honors in the 4x200 meter relay.
Jumper Nadia Lorencz scored the other Farmington first with a win in the long jump with a leap of 17-5.5. Lorencz also took second in the triple jump and sixth in the 100-meter hurdles.
The 4x400 meter relay foursome of Parco, Hickey, Meghan Graham and Amy Kiminski took third place as did Hickey in the long jump.
Kiminski finished fourth with a season-best 61:56 clocking in the 400-meter dash and Bailey Opsal lowered her best time this season by nine seconds in placing fifth in the 1600-meter run.
"The meet started warm but it was cool by the end," coach Tom Hart said. "We had some great performances. We were able to compete well. It was a good day to be at a track meet."

Boys Golf: Tigers 5th in Missota opener

Cooper Loew lines up a putt (top)
Varsity and JV players ready for opener


Tommy May ranked third in individual play as the Tigers placed fifth in the inaugural Missota Conference meet of the season played Monday, Apr. 18, at Fountain Valley Golf Club.
Farmington coach Jon Holmes said he would have liked to have seen his team take better advantage of playing on its home course, but offered that the season-opening showing was more than acceptable.
"Considering that powerhouses Chaska and Chanhassen moved into the conference this year, we actually moved up two spots from where we were last year," he said. "We finished nine strokes out of fourth place and that's the spot I was hoping we'd be in the battle for.
"Our top three scores were not too shabby but we would like to have a fourth score in the 70's. In high school golf 'par' is about 80 and our fourth score jumped to 86."
May fired 37 on the front nine and closed with 40 on the back for a five-over par round of 77. Mike Dahled finished at 81 and Cooper Loew carded 82.
The other three Tigers in the varsity lineup--Matt Provost, Trevor Hockert and Tony Lalani--each shot rounds of 86.
Ryan Kelly led the junior varsity effort with 86. Josh Cordes shot 87, Mitch Reed 89, Erik Holmstrom 92, Victor Simones 92 and Kevin Olund 98.

Boys Tennis: Park stops Tigers 6-1

Seth Roberts
3-0 for the season

Park of Cottage Grove won three of four singles matches and swept the doubles competition on the way to a 6-1 non-conference win over the Tigers Monday, April 18, in Cottage Grove.
"I thought we played well at most positions," Farmington coach Jack Olwell said. "They were tougher in some spots but I thought it was a toss-up at others."
The Farmington point came at third singles where Seth Roberts kept his season record unblemished (3-0) with a 6-4, 6-2 win.
"Seth played his best tennis of the season in winning the last five games of the second set," Olwell said.
Blake Olmscheid played well in a hotly contested 4-7, 6-7 (2) loss at second singles.
"It was a well-played match by both players," Olwell said. "There were many long and some exquisitely played points that were a feast to the tennis fan. We hated to see this match end."
The third doubles team of Austin Tremmel and Colton Sanders also performed well in a losing effort. The Tiger duo fell in three sets, 4-6, 7-5, 4-6.
"This is a pair with a promising future," Olwell said.

Park of Cottage Grove 6 Farmignton 1
No. 1 singles Ben Cline lost 2-6, 1-6
No. 2 singles Blake Olmscheid lost 4-6, 6-7
No. 3 singles Seth Roberts won 6-4, 6-2
No. 4 singles Brian Waldbillig lost 1-6, 0-6
No. 1 doubles Topher Kirchmann/Tyler Olsen lost 3-6 1-6
No. 2 doubles Jeff Zakoskie/Peter Folz lost 2-6, 0-6
No. 3 doubles Austin Tremmel/Colton Sanders lost 4-6, 7-5, 4-6

Tiger Scoreboard: April 19, 2011

Boys Lacrosse
Rochester John Marshall 10 Farmington 3

Girls Track
Mega Meet at Lakeville North
Prior Lake 169.5, Lakeville North 164, Farmington 69.25, Waconia 58, Minneapolis Southwest 51.25, Grand Rapids 50, St. Louis Park 45, Bloomington Kennedy 36, Rosemount 30, Blake 25, Math and Science Academy 3

Boys Golf
Missota Conference at Fountain Valley
Chaska 308, Chanhassen 314, Shakopee 316, New Prague 317, Farmington 326, Red Wing 328, Holy Angels 334, Northfield 345

Boys Tennis
Park of Cottage Grove 6 Farmington 1

Alumni Tracker: Werner helps Minnesota State, Mankato to NSIC golf title

Greg Werner

Former Tiger golf and hockey standout Greg Werner helped his Minnesota State, Mankato men's golf team to the 2011 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championship two weeks ago. Werner fired rounds of 79-75-78 over the Jewel Golf Club course in Lake City as the Mavericks overcame a final round three-stroke deficit to win the meet by 21 strokes over runner-up Wayne State (Nebraska)...Another former Tiger golfer, Patti Serdar, is a member of the Minnesota State, Mankato women's team.
Ex-Tiger Mallory Betzold continues to have a banner season for the St. Mary's University women's softball team. In 24 games, Betzold boasts a .373 batting average with four doubles, two home runs and 12 runs batted in. She is also the Cardinals top pitcher with a 10-5 record and 2.44 earned run average. In Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play, Betzold is 5-3 with an even stingier 1.73 ERA...Former FHS baseball standout Kyle Rains has appeared in five games for the Gustavus Adolphus baseball team this spring, batting .214.
Two former Tiger baseball players are back at their familiar softball coaching positions this spring. Paul Harrington has his Totino Grace team off to a fast start with a perfect record through five games in which it has outscored the opposition by a 58-12 margin...Randy Schmitz's Lakeville North squad has started 2-2 in the tough South Suburban Conference.
Rosemount's top softball pitcher is Rachel Hoeppner, the daughter of 1976 Tiger grad Doug Hoeppner whose son Troy Hoeppner is on the University of Minnesota-Duluth baseball team...Joel Klinkhmmer, son of 1977 FHS male Athlete of the Year Pat Klinkhammer and former Tiger athlete Sheryl Flanagan, is a pitcher for Lakeville North, a team considered a contender for South Suburban Conference honors.
2007 FHS male Athlete of the Year Trey Davis placed fifth in the shot put for the University of Minnesota at the Sun Angel Classic at Arizona State University earlier this month...2010 Athlete of the Year Logan Hussung, who is redshirting his first season at Minnesota placed fourth in the shot put at the Hamline Invitational as an "unattached" competitor....Another ex-Tiger thrower, Mallory Skoff, of the University of Minnesota-Duluth ranked sixth in the discus at the Hamline meet.
Michael Amofah of the Tiger class of 2009 placed 11th in the long jump for St. Cloud State University at the Jim Duncan Classic held at Drake University in Des Moines...2010 Tiger grad Matt Shutey ran the hurdles and led off the 4x400 meter relay for the University of Wisconsin-River Falls at the Phil Esten Challenge held at the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse last weekend.

Baseball: Tigers down Edina for first win

Zak Payne
2B, 1B, BB, RBI, 2R

After two games where the inexperienced pitching staff surrendered 27 runs, the Tigers settled down and led wire-to-wire in a 9-3 win over Edina, Wednesday, Apr. 13, at Tiger Field.
"The pitching was awesome," coach Mike Winters said. "Hopefully, we're starting to realize that success starts with throwing strikes...We still have to clean up some things defensively but overall it felt good to get a win. The kids have been focused in practice and it's starting to show."
Jonathan Ellis drew the start for Farmington and pitched 4.33 innings of shutout ball to earn the victory. Nathan Graham went the final 2.66 frames and allowed three runs, all in Edina's sixth inning.
Farmington broke a scoreless tie with a three-run outburst in the third on hits by Graham, Jake Baskerville, and Zak Payne, a sacrifice bunt by Steven Barber, a sacrifice fly by Ty Vincent and a ground ball out.
The Tigers added an unearned run in the fourth inning and then broke the contest open with a five-run fifth.
Hits by Payne, John Stibal and Tommy Korbein along with two walks, a passed ball and two Hornet errors accounted for the insurance runs.
The previous night in Richfield, highlights were few and far between as the Tigers fell victim to Holy Angels pitcher Lucas Long who hurled a five-inning, perfect game while striking out 10.
"He's a Division I pitcher who throws in the low 90's" Winters said, "but we still have to do a better job battling at the plate."
Vincent, Drew Hegseth and Spencer Merle shared the pitching duties for the Tigers in the losing effort.
The Tigers complete their busy three-games-in-three days schedule Thursday with a Missota Conference home game with Northfield.

Track: Girls 3rd, boys 4th in Co-ed Invite

Jake Rudeen (rear), Chad Retterath (front) and Carl Elmer (middle) finished third, fourth and fifth in the 1600-meter run
(photos by Jim Lindquist)


Cassidy Gerber carries the baton in the 4x100 meter relay

The Tigers picked a perfect day to open their home season, hosting a four-team co-ed meet Tuesday, Apr. 12, at Tiger Stadium. Temperatures stayed in the high 60's for most of the meet and light breezes produced some good early season performances.
South dominated the girls competition with 132 points, followed by Northfield Farmington 47 and Woodbury 6.
Lakeville South won the boys meet with 107 points. Woodbury finished with 80.5, Northfield 47 and Farmington 37.5.
Maria Kiminski provided the lone Tiger win in individual competition in the girls meet with an impressive victory in the 800-meter run.
Farmington also racked up a relay win with the 4x200 foursome of Alyssa Parco, Courtney Johnston, Isabelle Ferm and Erin Hickey leading the field.
The Tigers scored a trio of second place finishes in the other relays: Mary Cline. Kelli Elmer, Ferm and Hickey in the 4x100; Meghan Graham, Hickey, Nicole Clifton and Kiminksi in the 4x400 and Kiminski, Maddie Strid, Bailey Opsal and Clifton in the 4x800.
Two other Tigers scored second place points, Parco in the 300-meter hurdles and Victoria Jacoby in the 3200-meter run.
Marciella Pacheco ranked third in the 3200 and Hickey finished third in the long jump.
"We got a good taste of what we need to do to be successful going forward," coach Tom Hart said. "We had some bright moments, but we know there is a whole lot of hard work ahead of us to be a championship caliber team.
"We were able to involve a lot of athletes last night, so that was a major positive, and it was fun getting to see the kids compete on their home track."
On the boys side of the ledger, high-jumper Sam Hanson continued his fine early season run with a first place effort, clearing the bar at 6-2.
The Tigers also put together second place finishes in three relays: Jack Erickson, Darren Beenken, Alex Chadwick, and Mackinley Bassett in the 4x100; Mason Auge, CJ Record, Tyler Grubb and Hanson in the 4x200 and Tyler Lerbakken, Tyler Wolt, Trevor Breezely and Eric Stoeckman in the 4x800.
Four Farmington individuals scored third place points, including John Schimmel in the shot put, Zach Wyatt in the triple jump, Lerbakken in the 800-meter run and Jake Rudeen in the 3200-meter run.
"Some of our relay teams had their fastest times of the year," coach Brian Helmstetter said, "and our three milers all broke five minutes. Our 4x400 relay team of Reid Taubenheim, Jeff Hansen, Eric Stoeckman, and Tanner Grubb broke the freshmen record and also had our best time of the season.
"We don't have many individual top times yet, but as a group we are better in many areas than we have been the past few years."
Both Tiger teams head to Lakeville North Friday for the highly competitive Mega-Meet and then the boys return to Tiger Stadium Tuesday, Apr. 19, for the six-team Tiger Invitational. The girls host their annual invitational meet on Thursday, Apr. 21.

Softball: Six-run fifth inning carries Tigers past Stars

Taylor Yousse (top) takes a good look
(photos by Jim Lindquist)


Ashley Betzold
2-hit shutout and 3-run double

The Tigers broke up a scoreless game with six runs on six hits in the fifth inning to shutout Holy Angels 6-0 Tuesday, April 12, at Tiger Field. The victory evened Farmington's early season record at 1-1.
The home team got itself in trouble in the early going, committing four errors in the first two frames, but still managed to keep the Stars off the scoreboard.
"At times our defense looked great and at other times our inexperience came creeping its way into the game," coach Rob Laden said.
Aleah Williamson started the big fifth inning with a single. Danni Muelken and Alyssa Hagen followed with base hits and Paige Lindrud executed a perfect suicide squeeze bunt to break the scoreless tie.
Alyssa Kalmes singled and Taylor Yousse walked to load the bases for Ashley Betzold who delivered the big hit of the day, a three-run double.
The six hits and six runs in the inning were the only hits and runs of the day for the winners.
Betzold not only provided the big hit of the contest but she also picked up the pitching victory, allowing just two hits and striking out six in seven innings of circle duty.
"We are making mistakes and using them to grow," Laden said. The team is getting along and having a good time. That type of chemistry should help us throughout the season."

Tiger Scoreboard: April 14, 2011

Baseball
Farmington 9 Edina 3

Boys Tennis
Farmington vs. Lakeville South, postponed, wet courts

Girls Lacrosse: Rally falls short in 13-12 loss to South

Adrienne Jolicoeur
4 goals in season opener

Farmington coach Dan Pickens couldn't say enough about his team's effort in its tough 13-12 overtime loss Monday, Apr. 11, at Lakeville South.
"What a game," he said. "Our team really stuck together for the whole game. We never felt out of it and came back numerous times.
"I knew these girls were capable of turning heads and I think we turned our first at Lakeville South."
The Coungars outscored the Tigers 7-4 over the first two periods before the visitors returned the favor in the second half with Ally Midboe (from Shelby Klotz) scoring the tying goal with just 5.7 seconds remaining in regulation.
Pickens said he was pleased with his team's overall performance but had special words of praise for defender Kelli Harstad and goalie Maddie Kohlbeck.
"South has a couple of premier players and Kelli did a standout job of helping shutting them down," he said, "and Maddie had a spectacular game with multiple saves in the second half that kept us in the game."
Adrienne Jolicoeur led an efficient Farmington offense (12 goals in 19 shots) with four goals. Midboe and Haley Bradshaw each scored twice and Tia Jacoby, Brooke Raske, Brooke Genzler and Becky Genzler had a goal apiece.
"I know what these girls are capable of and this is just the beginning," Pickens said.
The Tigers will be looking for their first win Thursday when they travel to Prior Lake to take on the Lakers.

Tiger Scoreboard: April 13, 2011

Softball
Farmington 6 Holy Angels 0

Baseball
Holy Angels 12 Farmington 0

Track and Field
Farmington Co-Ed Invitational
Girls: Lakeville South 132, Northfield 87, Farmington 47, Woodbury 6
Boys: Lakeville South 107, Woodbury 80.5, Northfield 47, Farmington 37.5

Boys Tennis: Tigers snap losing streak with 6-1 win over Faribault

Ben Cline 6-0, 6-1 winner at No. 1 singles


The Tigers swept the four singles matches and added two wins in three doubles contests for a convincing 6-1 non-conference dual meet win Monday night, Apr. 11, at Faribault.
The victory evened Farmington's record at 1-1 and snapped a long losing streak dating back to the 2009 season.
Ironically, veteran Jack Olwell, out of town attending a professional conference, was not on hand to to witness the streak end.
"Jon Malin (assistant coach) gets all the credit for the win," Olwell quipped. "I guess when you remove the impediment to success, good things happen."
Ben Cline, Blake Olmscheid, Seth Roberts and Brian Waldbillig each rolled to straight-set victories in singles and the second and third doubles teams of Jake Zakoskie/Ivan Rodriguez and Austin Tremmel/Colton Sanders also won in two-set matches.
The Tigers will try to make it two in a row Wednesday when they host Lakeville South at the Boeckman Middle School courts.

Tigers honored at All-State Banquet

(l to r) Tiger girls coach Jen Marshall, assistant girls coach Joe Velaski, Kaitlyn O'Reilly, Tyler Magalis, Brian Huls and diving coach Gregg Rappe

Farmington's swimming and diving teams were well represented at the annual All-State Awards Banquet held Friday, April, 8, at the Prom Center in Oakdale.
The event honored individuals who placed among the top eight in the boys and girls state meets as well as coaches who had excelled during the 2010-11 seasons.
Class AA state one-meter diving champion Tyler Magalis and teammate Brian Huls represented the Tiger boys while Kaitlyn O'Reilly carried the Tiger girls colors. Elizabeth Wolfe, another Tiger all-stater, was unable to attend.
Two Farmington coaches also received recognition. Gregg Rappe received the Assistant Coach of the Year and girls coach Jen Marshall was nominated for Class AA Girls Coach of the Year.

Boys Lacrosse: South nips Tigers 8-5

Goalie Charlie Weierke sweeps away a shot (top)
Matt Ackerman drops a cross-field pass to Justin Rees


The first and final periods went well for the Tigers but the middle two proved the difference in their 8-5 season-opening loss to Lakeville South, Monday, Apr. 11, at Tiger Stadium.
The teams battled to a 2-2 draw in a fast-paced opening 12 minutes before the Cougars erupted for six unanswered goals in the middle of the contest. Farmington scored all three goals in the final quarter but fell short of its first-ever varsity victory.
Matt Ackerman, Justin Rees, Quinn Malcolm, Jake Bauman and Marques Woods each scored a goal for the Tigers in the losing effort.
"We stress focus from start to finish," Tiger coach Paul Sorenson said, "and we lost that from the second half of the second period through most of the third. Other than that we dominated play. We just ran out of time at the end.
"The guys are upbeat and know where we need to tweak some things to move forward. Character is not something you get from a defeat; it reveals it. We plan on learning from this."
The Tigers get another chance for that elusive first win when they host Lakeville North, Thursday, Apr. 14, at Tiger Stadium.

Tiger Scoreboard: April 12, 2011

Boys Tennis
Farmington 6 Faribault 1

Boys Lacrosse
Lakeville South 8 Farmington 5

Girls Lacrosse
Lakeville South 13 Farmington 12

Tiger Scoreboard: April 11, 2011

Girls Track
University of Wisconsin-River Falls
Shakopee 71 Farmington 50 Holy Angels 38

Boys Track
University of Wisconsin-River Falls
Shakopee 83.5 Holy Angels 46 Farmington 29.5

Girls Track: Tigers second in indoor finale

Hannah Seitzinger
1st in 800-meter run

Farmington won three events and finished second in eight others to place second in an indoor triangular meet held Saturday, Apr. 9, at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
Shakopee finished atop the standings with 71 points, followed by Farmington with 50 and Holy Angels 38.
"We ran pretty well on the track, but we are needing to find ways to score in the field events," coach Tom Hart said. "Overall it was a great day and every athlete got a chance to compete."
Two of the three Tiger wins came in relays where the 4x800 team of Maria Kiminski, Maggie Strid, Bailey Opsal and Nicole Clifton and the 4x200 foursome of Mary Cline, Courtney Johnston, Alyssa Parco and Erin Hickey led the field.
Hannah Seitzinger provided the lone individual first place effort with a win in the 800-meter run.
The 4x400 relay quartet of Parco, Kiminski, Hickey and Clifton also ran well in finishing second.
Individual second place finishes went to Strid (800-meter run and triple jump); Kiminski (400-meter dash); Cline (200-meter dash); Hickey (long jump); Victoria Jacoby (1200-meter run) and Alysha Grebner (high jump).
Three more Farmington entrants ranked third: Opsal in the 1600-meter run; Grebner in the shot put and Graham in the 400-meter dash.

Boys Track: Tigers wrap up indoor season

John Schimmel
Shot put champion

The Tigers closed their brief (two meets) indoor season with a third place finish in a triangular meet Saturday, Apr. 9, at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
Missota Conference favorite Shakopee used its depth and talent to pile up 83.5 points and run away from league rivals Holy Angels (46) and Farmington (29.5).
"Shakopee showed why they are the favorite in the conference," Tiger coach Brian Helmstetter said. "We have about the same numbers but the majority of theirs are juniors and seniors where ours are freshmen and sophomores.
"With that said, we had a lot of our younger guys competing against their upperclassmen and doing well."
John Schimmel, Zach Wyatt and Trevor Breezley scored the Farmington firsts with Schimmel heaving the shot put 49-4, Wyatt clearing 5-10 in the high jump and Breezley clocking 2:22 in the 800-meter run.
CJ Record came back from a leg injury to capture second in the 55-meter dash and two more Tigers recorded third place finishes, Albert Obnamia in the pole vault and Carl Elmer in the 1200-meter run.
Three key seniors missed the meet for the Tigers, including sprinter Charlie Wicks, conference 400-meter champion Tyler Grubb and school high junp record holder Sam Hanson.
"We were missing some key elements but as coaches, our goals were met," Helmstetter said. "It was successful meet because we got many athletes another good track experience."

Boys Track: Hanson sets high jump record

Sam Hanson
Sets new school high jump record at 6-7

If the first two meets are any indication, Tiger high jumper Sam Hanson is in for one productive 2011 season.
In the first indoor meet, Hanson tied the school record with a 6-2 effort. In the first outdoor competition of the year, a triangular at St. Thomas Academy, held last Thursday, the high-flying senior cleared 6-7 to establish yet another school record. The old school outdoor mark of 6-5 was set in 2004 by Nick Rechtzigel.
Woodbury won the three-team meet with 80 points. St. Thoams Academy finished at 67 and Farmington tallied 49.
"The goal was to get all of our new athletes introduced to track and field," coach Brian Helmstetter said. "We have 88 boys out and over half of them are new which means there were a lot of anxious and nervous athletes.
"It was a success and the boys had fun cheering each other on and getting acquainted with the pace of a varsity meet."
Notable Farmington performances:
John Schimmel, 1st in shot put and 3rd in discus;
Justin Hett, 1st in long jump;
Zack Wyatt, 6-2 in high jump; 40+ feet in triple jump;
Tyler Lerbakken, 2nd in 800-meter run;
Charlie Wicks, 2nd in 100-meter dash;
Jake Rudeen, 3rd in 1600-meter run;
Eric Stoeckman, 3rd in 800-meter run;
Carl Elmer, 4th in 1600-meter run;
Cory Johnson, 4th in discus
Tyler Beckett, 4th in 100-meter hurdles;
Mason Gaylord, 4th in triple jump
Jeff Hansen, 4th in 400-meter run and
Mason Auge, 5th in 100-meter dash.
"Everyone got a chance to get a time or mark down on paper," Helmstetter said, "which brings a new meaning to pratice and future meets. All four relays are wide open at this time and that will make practice even more competitive.
"We definitely lack experience but the upperclassmen are doing a great job of leading the rookies and helping them get their feet wet. These guys get after it."

Baseball: Walks haunt Tigers in opener

Shakopee worked six Farmington pitchers for 16 walks on the way to a 15-4 Missota Conference victory in the season opener played Thursday, April 8, at Tiger Field.
"We knew pitching was going to be a question coming in," Tiger coach Mike Winters said, "but we'll get it figured out.
"I still feel there's potential with this club. We hit the ball and played defense as well as can be expected for this early in the season."
The Sabers erupted for five runs in their first-at bat off Farmington starter Jonathan Ellis and then continued to run up the score against five relievers--Andy Morris, Cole Luskey, Dayne Eich, Spencer Merle and Ty Vincent. Shakopee pounded 13 hits to go with its 16 walks.
The visitors led 10-0 after three-and-a-half innings before the home team got on the board with a three-spot in the bottom of the fourth.
Nathan Graham had two of Farmington's seven hits and also scored a run. Quinn Eden and John Stibal each drove in a run for the Tigers. Vincent, Jake Baskerville and Sebren accounted for the other Farmington in the losing effort.
The Tigers will try to bounce back from the loss in a busy three-game second week. Tuesday they travel to Richfield for a date with Holy Angels before returning home the following day for a non-conference game with Edina. Thursday they jump back into league play at Northfield.

Softball: Shakopee blanks Tigers 4-0

Alyssa Kalmes
Only Tiger hit in season opener

Defending Missota Conference champion Shakopee showed it will be one of the teams to beat in the race for 2011 league honors with a 4-0 shutout of the Tigers in the season opener for both teams played Thursday afternoon, Apr. 7, in Shakopee.
Sabers ace Ashley Walker struck out 10 and allowed only one hit, a first-inning single by Alyssa Kalmes, to kick off her senior season in style.
"Shakopee is loaded with talent and good pitching," Tiger coach Rob Laden said. "They will be the top team in our conference and one of the top ten in the state."
The Sabers scored four runs in the first two innings, two of them unearned, off Tiger starter Ashley Betzold who gave up nine hits in six innings.
Laden said despite the loss he was pleased with his young team's opening day effort.
"Considering it was the first time the weather has allowed us to be outside and it was a game against a very tough opponent, I thought we played well," he said.
"We have things we can improve upon. I would like to build on this game and surprise Shakopee when we play them later in the season."

Tiger Scoreboard: April 8, 2011

Boys Track
St. Thomas Academy Triangular
Woodbury 80 St. Thomas Academy 57 Farmington 49

Softball
Shakopee 4 Farmington 0

Baseball
Shakopee 15 Farmington 4

Boys Tennis: Tigers fall in season opener

Seth Roberts 6-2, 6-2 winner at No. 3 singles

The honor of opening the Tiger spring sports season went to the boys tennis team who dropped a 5-2 non-conference decision Wednesday afternoon, Apr. 6, in South St. Paul.
Although the Tigers didn't come home with a victory, coach Jack Olwell seemed satisfied with his team's performance, calling it "a pretty good day at the office."
Seth Roberts, recovering from a bout with mononucleosis, earned a point at No. 3 singles with a convincing 6-2, 6-2 straight sets win and Jeff Zakoskie and Ivan Rodriguez paired at second doubles for a 6-2, 7-5 victory to account for the Farmington scoring.
"Seth's match was pretty routine," Olwell said, "but considering the concerns he has been battling, he played a sharp match.
"It was fun to watch Jeff and Ivan make some great plays after getting down 0-3 in the second set."
Olwell was also pleased with the play of Ben Cline who lost a hotly contested 2-6, 7-5 match at first singles.
"Ben was down 0-4 in the first set and 1-4 in the second," Olwell said, "but he never gave up, never gave in."

South St. Paul 5 Farmington 2
No. 1 singles Ben Cline lost 2-6, 5-7
No. 2 singles Blake Olmscheid lost 0-6, 1-6
No. 3 singles Seth Roberts won 6-2, 6-2
No. 4 singles Brian Waldbillig lost 2-6, 0-6
No. 1 doubles Peter Folz/Tyler Olsen lost 2-6, 0-6
No. 2 doubles Jeff Zakoskie/Ivan Rodriguez won 6-2, 7-5
No. 3 doubles Austin Rau/Austin Tremmel lost 0-6, 2-6

Tiger Scoreboard: April 7, 2011

Boys Tennis
South St. Paul 5 Farmington 2

Baseball
Farmington vs. Edina, postponed until April 13 @ Farmington

Boys Golf: Missota will provide tough test

Tommy May
All-Missota Conference honorable mention in 2010

If the Tigers are to improve on last season's sixth place finish in the Missota Conference, they will have to do so on the backs of the players who put in the course time over the off-season.
"We lost to Northfield by a point for fifth place last season," Tiger coach Jon Holmes said, "but the four teams above that will be tough to catch and newcomers Chanhassen and Chaska should be tough. too. The Missota will be strong from top to bottom."
Holmes lost only one regular from last spring and returns a solid group of 10 letterwinners for the fight for the six spots in the varsity lineup.
Included among the letterwinners are seniors Mike Dahled, Cooper Loew, Trevor Hockert and Matt Provost and juniors Tommy May, Mitch Reed, Ryan Kelly, Jake Hanson, Victor Simones and Tony Lalani.
Senior Kyle Olson and sophomore Kevin Olund, both staples on last year's junior varsity team that finished third in the Missota, also figure to be in the hunt for varsity playing time.
May earned all-Missota Conference honorable mention last spring and was the only Tiger to advance to the second round of play in the Section 1AA tournament.
"This year we will take aim at getting a few more individuals into that second round and perhaps playing for team honors on both days," Holmes said.
Because the weather has been anything but spring-like Holmes may not be able to judge his talent on the course until after the first scheduled meet on April 11.
"Many of these boys logged hours on the course this summer," he said, "and have hopefully come back ready to fire lower numbers."
Holmes will handle the varsity coaching duties with his father, former Tiger girls golf coach Terry Holmes, guidng the junior varsity squad. Tiger boys swimming and diving coach Ryan Hamen will work with the middle school players.

Boys Basketball: One to grow on

Alex Michels
All-Missota Conference
(photo by Jim Lindquist)

Coach Shane Wyandt said the 2010-11 edition of Tiger basketball didn't post as many wins (9-18 overall and 3-11 in the Missota Conference) as he would have liked but the season nonetheless provided more than its share of positive moments.
"In my opinion, it was fun season," he said. "This was a very coachable group that worked hard and got along with each other as well.
"The seniors were great kids to work with and I hope our younger guys look up to and learn from them and their positive qualities."
Wyandt and his staff awarded varsity letters to 18 players for their efforts this winter, including seven seniors: Josh Ruthenbeck, Sam Hanson, Elliot Fenske, Sebren Baer, Andy Born, Alex Michels and Zach Wallace..
Underclassmen letterwinners included juniors Alec Hogstad, Austin Bassett, Jake Hanson, Grant Blomster and David Zitzmann; sophomores Darren Beenken, Alex Chadwick and Tom Sell and freshmen Mackinley Bassett, Johnny Dittman and Nick Varner.
Michels, the team's leading scorer with a 14.1 points-per-game average, made the all-Missota Conference team and Baer (8.3 points per game) received all-league honorable mention. Other awards were to be announced at next week's post-season banquet.
Wyandt said he was pleased with his team's success against Section 1AAAA opposition and some early season wins, including a third place finish in the Hastings Holiday Classic, that earned the Tigers a home game in the opening round of the section tournament.
"We knew we were a relatively inexperienced team coming into the season," Wyandt said," and that we would have to win the close games, something we didn't do last season.
"There were a few games where we couldn't convert down the stretch. It's always difficult to lose when you have chances like that."
The Tiger coach added that next season could look a lot like the one just completed as far as varsity experience is concerned.
"We will be very young again," he said, "but we will have some talented kids coming back as well as some younger kids who will get a chance to show what they can do. It will be a team that I hope gets better as the season moves on."
Between now and then, Wyandt said he and his staff are setting the expectations bar at a high level.
"We expect our kids to participate in basketball academy, training camp, summer league and AAU tournaments," he said "We want to outwork the competition."

Boys Tennis: On the rebound

Seth Roberts top)
2010 MVP, All-Missota Conference Honorable Mention
Ben Cline (bottom)
2010 Player of the Year. All-Missota Conference Honorable Mention


After a winless 2010 season, season Tiger boys tennis coach Jack Olwell is looking for a spike in his team's fortunes this spring.
Olwell's hopes seem to be well-justified as he returns his top three singles players as well as three letterwinners with varsity experience in doubles play.
Senior Seth Roberts, last year's Most Valuable Player who also received all-Missota Conference honorable mention, is expected to hold on to his familiar spot at No. 1 singles if he can stay healthy.
"Seth has had a laundry list of injuries and health issues so we are praying that he will be OK," Olwell said.
Juniors Ben Cline, an all-conference honorable mention performer last year, and Blake Olmscheid, the team's 2010 "Player of the Year", are penciled in at the second and third singles slots.
"The fourth singles position looks open," Olwell said. "Right now, Brian Waldbillig looks like the front-runner."
Senior Peter Folz and juniors Tyler Olson and Jeff Zakoskie all bring doubles experience to the table and will likely fill half of the doubles lineup.
Sophomore letterwinner Austin Rau along with newcomers Austin Tremmel, Blake Bostrom, Colton Sanders, John Zakoskie and Trent Kortenbusch could also log varsity court time this spring.
Olwell picked perennial contender Red Wing as the pre-season choice in the Missota Conference with Rochester Mayo the odds-on favorite to grab Section 1AA honors.
Veteran Jon Malin returns as varsity assistant coach this spring as does volunteer coach Joe "Doc" Emond.
The Tigers kick off their spring season, Wednesday, Apr. 6, with a non-conference dual meet at South St. Paul.

Boys Lacrosse: Ready for Year Two

2011 captains:
Blair Berg, Justin Rees, Tyler Tutewohl-Klotz, and Charlie Weierke

From a won-lost perspective last year's first-ever boys lacrosse season was a tough one for coach Paul Sorenson and his team. The Tigers went winless in 13 starts and suffered some major growing pains in the process.
But this spring provides a new staring point and after a week-plus of practice, Sorenson believes things will be different in 2011.
"With no wins from last season, I'm sure we'll be considered a bit of a dark horse," he said. "But we are stronger, faster and mentally tougher than we were a year ago.
"Last year mental mistakes and costly penalties put us in too many down-man situations. If we can eliminate those mistakes and penalties we'll be just fine. I can't wait for the first face-off."
One of the reasons for Sorenson's bright outlook is the return of 15 letterwinners from last year's inaugural team.
Returnees include seniors Quinn Malcolm (midfielder), Tyler Tutewhol-Klotz (defense), Kyle Jensen (long stick midfielder), Blair Berg (defense), Justin Rees (midfielder) and Ian Eich (attacker); juniors Mitch Collier (attacker); Trevor Howard (attacker), Matt Ackerman (midfielder), Charlie Weireke (goalie), Alex Rojesky (midfield) and Marques Woods (attacker); and sophomores Matt Heinzerling-Weise (goalie/midfielder), Jake Bauman (midfielder) and Joey Todd (attacker).
Newcomers expected to compete for varsity playing time this spring include senior Luke Brevik (midfielder); juniors Jake Mendala (attacker) and sophomores Carter Daigle (defense) and Nathan Brunelle (defense).
Howard was the leading point-getter fo the Tigers last spring with 13. Collier finsihed with 11, Malcolm nine, Rees eight and Ackerman seven.
"We have a crop of athletic freshmen who look to compete as well," Sorenson said.
Sorenson said that balance and experience should be two his team's primary strengths.
"A question mark might be on defense," he said. "We'll need to stay healthy there."
The Tiger coach offered he doesn't want to measure success in season two solely on wins and losses.
"It will be a successful season if each individual grows in each of the key areas: stickwork, footwork and mental toughness," he said. "And, of course, we want all of our players to finish strong in the classroom."
Drew Malcolm will serve as Sorenson's varsity assistant with two volunteers, Justin Hauge and Mike Fox, also helping with the coaching duties.
The Tigers open their 2011 season Monday, Apr. 11, with a home contest against Lakeville South.

Girls Track: 14 veterans buoy Tiger hopes

Alyssa Parco
MVP, All-Missota Conference, All-State in 2010

Last spring the Tigers put together a very successful season. They won the Missota Conference indoor meet, placed third at the league outdoor championships and ranked fifth in a quality Section 1AA field.
With 14 letterwinners back from the 2010 squad, coach Tom Hart is looking for more of the same success in 2011.
"We look to be deep on the track and in some of our field events," he said. "We have many new, young athletes who are hungry and challenging for varsity positions. I think we have a shot at finishing near the top of the conference and being in at least the top five in the section again."
The list of returnees includes just three seniors: jumper Jordan Bridges; middle distance runner Nicole Clifton and sprinter/jumper Erin Hickey.
Returning underclassmen letterwinners include juniors Jessica Arey (sprints/jumps), Abby Haugen (jumps/vault), Bailey Opsal (distance) and Alyssa Parco (hurdles/sprints.jumps); sophomores Alexa Frost (mid-distance), Courtney Johnston (sprints); Maria Kiminski (mid-distance/jumps) and Nadia Lorencz (jumps/hurdles/vault), freshmen Maria Pacheco (distance)and Maddie Strid (mid-distance/jumps) and eighth-grader Victoria Jacoby (distance).
Other upperclassmen expected to vie for varsity positions include seniors Mary Cline, Kayla Long and Nadia Perdomo and juniors Elizabeth Jenny, Elizabeth Okikiolu, Leah Rohde, Shelby Schillerstrom and Kayla Watne.
*For a complete listing of underclassmen hopefuls, see bottom of page.
Parco, last season's Most Valuable Player, brings an impressive set of credentials to her junior season, having won all-Missota Conference and All-State honors as a sophomore. Arey, Hickey, Kiminski and Lorencz were also all-Missota performers last spring with Hickey, Kiminski and Lorencz all appearing in the state meet.
If there are question marks concerning the season ahead, they revolve around the field events.
"We are young as far as throwers and pole vaulters go," Hart said, "but we have lots of excitement and competitive drive going in those events."
Hart and Tiger boys head coach Brian Helmstetter will work specifically with sprints, jumps and relay events and rely on a mostly veteran corps of assistants for help in others.
Varsity assistants include Joe McCarthy (mid-distance); Lisa Lippold (distance); Julian Buss (pole vault/sprints); Maggie Endersbe (hurdles/sprints) and Justyn Helgeson (throws).
The Tigers kick off their home season with a co-ed quadrangular on April 12 and close it on May 26 when they for the first time host the Missota Conference Championships.
"We're excited to have the conference meet on our new track," Hart said.

*Sophomores: Melanie Brothers, Megan Butje, Gwendolen Dunst, Cassidy Gerber, Cailie Kittleson, Jessica Lee-Jones, Kelsey Lindell, Kiana Lord, Laura Madtson, Victoria Oettinger, Taylor Schmaltz, Kassy Seegert and Leah Zak.
Freshmen: Sedona Anderson, Kathryn Beckett, Nikki Cayard, Corale Cobb, Elizabeth Cummings, Averi Davis, Tahra Eckert, Kelli Elmer, Izzie Ferm, Alysha Grebner, Shaye Jenrich, Abby Kampa, Kelly Kornmann, Sirena Rodriguez, Hannah Seitzinger and Mikayla Todd.
Eighth-graders: Meghan Graham and Sarah Cummings
Seventh-grader: Marciella Pacheco.

Girls Track: Tigers tune-up at St. Thomas

The Tigers geared up for their 2011 season with a meet at the new indoor facility at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. Hill-Murray, Totino Grace, Edina and East Ridge also participated in the five-team get-together.
"We brought most of the younger kids to try and get them some experience and a scrimmage meet before the real thing happens," coach Tom Hart said. "There were some really good efforts and times for this early in the season."
Farmington had particular success in the relay events, scoring a pair of firsts and a runner-up finish.
The 4x800 foursome of Bailey Opsal, Devyn Alberts, Hannah Seitzinger and Abby Kampa crossed the line first as did the 4x400 quartet of Erin Hickey, Meghan Graham, Courtney Johnston and Seitzinger.
The 4x200 relay team of Johnston, Mary Cline, Alysha Grebner and Shaye Jenrich placed second.
Individually, eighth-grader Graham won the 400-meter dash and classmate Tori Jacoby claimed victory in the 3200-meter distance race.
Jordan Bridges also got her senior season off to a good start, clearing 4-10 in the high jump.
Next up for the Tigers is a Saturday (April 9) appareance at an indoor meet hosted by Holy Angels at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.