Alumni Tracker: Schmitz runner-up at Minnesota State Amateur Championship

Sammy Schmitz

1999 Tiger grad Sammy Schmitz shot rounds of 73-72-71 to finish in a second place tie at the 2012 Minnesota Golf Association (MGA) State Amateur played at Hastings Country Club last week. Schmitz, the 2011 MGA Player of the Year, finished three shots back of winner Frederick Van Rooyen.

It's been a busy month for Schmitz who earlier placed second in the Twin Cities Open played at Bunker Hills Golf Club in Coon Rapids and Keller Golf Course in St. Paul. At that tournament, FHS boys golf coach Jon Holmes finished in a sixth place tie with 2012 Missota Conference champion Jonathan Dutoit of Chaska.

Another  former FHS golfer, Greg Werner, earned a tie for 42nd place at the State Amateur Championship with rounds of 77-77-75. Earlier this summer, Werner qualified for and played in the United States Golf Association (USGA) Publinx Championship Tournament in Hill, Utah.

2005 FHS male Athlete of the Year Matt Simon who was the tight ends coach for Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion University of St. Thomas last fall has headed east and will be a member of the Rutgers University staff. Rutgers of the Big East Conference finished 8-4 last fall and defeated Iowa State 27-13 in the Pinstripe Bowl played in Yankee Stadium.

Mike Markuson of the FHS class of 1979 should find a good fit for his skills this fall as he takes over the offensive line coaching duties at the University of Wisconsin. Markuson's teams at Arkansas and Mississippi were consistently among national leaders in rushing offense.

Captain John Feely

2001 Oscar Lubke Award winner John Feely who later went on to graduate from the United States Air Force Academy is back in Colorado teaching at his alma mater. Captain Feely is an instructor in the Management Department at the Academy...Another former Tiger, 2008 male Athlete of the Year Jordan Hauschild, graduated with distinction from the Air Force Academy this spring and will attend the University of Minnesota Medical School this fall.

1990 Tiger grad Tim Sejba was on hand for the Tiger football scrimmage with Caledonia and Mankato West a couple of weeks ago. Lt. Colonel (Air Force) Sejba is headed to the Washington D.C. area where he will attend a leadership program that will also be attended by a high school classmate, Lt. Colonel Eric Quehl of the United States Marine Corps.

Former Tiger boys hockey coach Jim Hoey, who has already published two trivia books, one on the Minnesota Twins and the other on the state high school hockey tournament, is working on a third dealing with Minnesota Vikings trivia. Hoey is also the editor of new online hockey magazine that will debut this fall...Long-time Tiger football coach Earl Wetzel is pursuing a graduate degree in writing in California.

Two ex-Tiger football players, Andy Pierskalla and 2007 Oscar Lubke Award winner Ben Froehling, will be assistant coaches for state powerhouse Wayzata this fall. Pierskalla, who has coached the Farmington American Legion baseball teams the past several seasons, played college ball for St. John's University; Froehling played at Wisconsin-Lacrosse.

1988 Oscar Lubke Award winner Chad Hansen was among the finishers of the 2012 Lifetime Fitness Triathlon held in Minneapolis earlier this month...1999 Leslie Lindell Award winner Janet (Brownawell) Smith has stepped down from her position as girls cross country coach at Faribault.