Alumni Tracker: January 2014

Tiger graduates Kelsey (2007) and Lindsay Jensen (2009), both six-year members of the Tiger Dance Team, are still active in dance-related activities. After two years serving as a varsity assistant coach at her alma mater, Lindsay, now a fifth grade teacher at Riverview Elementary School, moved up to the head coaching position this winter....Kelsey (pictured at left), a student at St. Catherine's University in St. Paul majoring in sonography, is a first-year member of the Minnesota Vikings cheerleading squad.

Three alumni of the Tiger girls' basketball program continue to see a lot of playing time for their collegiate teams. Jordan Bridges is a starter for Jamestown College (North Dakota) which has started its season with a 16-1 mark and is ranked third in the NAIA national poll. Bridges, who averages 10.2 points and 6.2 rebounds a game, scored 17 points and pulled down nine rebounds in a recent win over Oglala College.

Taylor Meyer, the 2011 FHS female Athlete of the Year, has started four of 12 games for the University of Minnesota-Duluth, averaging nine points and 4.9 rebounds a game in 20 minutes of playing time per game....Elena Koch is a top player of the bench for the College of St. Benedict, scoring four points and grabbing 4.2 rebounds a game in 18 minutes of action a night.

Former high school teammates Betsy Anderson and Krystal Baumann were on different benches last weekend when Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Gustavus Adolphus split a weekend series of women's hockey of games. Anderson plays for the Pointers who are ranked fifth nationally among NCAA Division III schools. Bauman is a forward for the Gusties who are rated No. 8 in the same poll.

Jordan Bridges averages 10.2 points and 6.2 rebounds for Jamestown College

2011 FHS male Athlete of the Year Carl Elmer was just one of four St. Olaf College wrestlers to post a win in a 33-12 dual meet loss to Augsburg, the nation's fourth-ranked NCAA Division III team. Elmer scored a 6-0 decision in the 149-pound bout.

Former Tiger boys hockey coach Greg Gamache must have felt a little disoriented last Thursday night when he returned to Schmitz-Maki Arena, this time standing behind the visitors' bench as the head coach of the Hudson, Wisconsin girls' team.

Three former Tigers are members of collegiate swimming teams that are in the middle of their seasons. Kristin Peters is a senior at Wisconsin-Eau Claire; Brian Huls is a junior at the University of St. Thomas and Tyler Magalis is junior diver at St. Cloud State University.

The names of former Tiger track athletes dot the rosters of several college teams this winter, including Logan Hussung and Kaitlin Mincke, University of Minnesota; Nadia Lorencz, Michigan State; Erin Hickey, Minnesota-Duluth; Mike Shutey, Wisconsin-River Falls; Andrew Thomas and Tyler Lerbakken, Hamline; and Amy Kiminski, College of St. Benedict.

One name not on the list this year is four-time state meet qualifier Alyssa Parco (FHS class of 2012) of Brigham Young University. According to Tiger girls' coach Tom Hart, Parco is serving the mission component of her academic program in South America this year.

Ashley Betzold and Toni Hunsinger, the only seniors on the Tigers' 2013 state tournament softball team are both on the 2014 roster at St. Mary's University in Winona...Joel Klinkhammer, son of 1977 Tiger male Athlete of the Year Pat Klinkhammer and grandson of long-time Tiger middle school coach Dick Klinkhammer, is a sophomore pitcher on the Dakota County Technical College baseball team.

Tom Rolloff

Former FHS principal Tom Rolloff, always a strong supporter of Tiger athletics, passed away last Monday at his home in Bloomington following a battle with pancreatic cancer. Rolloff, who coached numerous youth sports teams in Bloomington, served as Executive Secretary for both the Missota Conference for many years following his retirement from Farmington. Funereal services are scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 14, in Bloomington.