Alumni Tracker: April 2014

Jordan Bridges All-North Star Athletic Association

Former Tiger Jordan Bridges was one of two Jamestown College (North Dakota) players named to the first-ever All-North Star Athletic Association women's basketball team. Bridges, a junior forward, averaged 10.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and two blocks a game for Jamestown who finished fifth in the final NAIA Division II national poll with a record of 27-5.

Dave DeWitt, former Tiger boys' basketball coach, had another outstanding season with the women's hoops team at Anoka-Ramsey Community College. The Rams won the Minnesota Junior College championship with a perfect 12-0 record and advanced to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national tournament. DeWitt guided Anoka-Ramsey to the NJCAA national title in 2007 with a 33-1 mark.

The annual Louie Schmitz Memorial Classic golf fundraiser has been scheduled for Friday, June 20, at Southern Hills Golf Course. The event raises monies used for scholarships for FHS students as well as helping to pay participation fees for eligible youth athletes. The registration fee of $100 includes 18 holes of goal with cart, food and refreshments and a post-tournament dinner. For more information contact former Tigers John Barger (952-240-6793 or johnbarger@frontiernet.net) or Bobby Schmitz (schmitzr21@gmail.com).

Three-time MGA Player of the Year Sammy Schmitz

Ex-FHS and St. John's University golfer Sammy Schmitz will enter this golf season as the defending  three-time winner of the Minnesota Golf Association Player of the Year award.

2009 Tiger grad Kaitlin Mincke continues to enjoy a a successful senior season with the University of Minnesota women's track team. Last weekend Mincke won the 1500-meter run at the Spec Towns National Team Invitational held at the University of Georgia, finishing in a career-best 4:29.85...Nadia Lorencz, a two-time state champion for the Tigers, won the 100-meter hurdles and took third in the the long jump at the Spartan Invitational held two weeks ago in East Lansing, Michigan. Lorencz is a a freshman at Michigan State.

Two former Tigers from the class of 2012 are playing softball and baseball respectively this spring for the University of St. Thomas. Ty Vincent is a sophomore outfielder for the Tommies baseball team while Allison Rice (below) is a first-baseman/outfielder with the softball team....Ex-Tiger Matt Rudorfer is a senior outfielder for Holy Cross College in Indiana....2013 Tiger grad Spencer Merle is a freshman outfielder for Century College in White Bear Lake that  is currently ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA Division III  national poll.

Allison Rice

Two members of  the Tigers' 2013 Section 1AAA champion softball team are continuing to see a lot of playing time for St. Mary's University this spring. Toni Hunsinger has started all 18 games for the Cardinals and carries a .326 batting average into this week's games. Ashley Betzold has been the team's most effective pitcher with a 4-3 record, 1.86 earned run average and two saves. Betzold has also been getting more plate appearances and has her batting average up to .243.

Former Tiger and University of Minnesota standout Amber Hegland is the softball coach at Wayzata High School...Another ex-Tiger, Ryan Pietsch, is the head coach at Nortfield...Retired Tiger boys' golf coach Gerry Greupner is back at his familiar post as assistant boys' coach at Rosemount...1989 Tiger male Athlete of the Year Matt Walter who has had a long and successful career as football coach at Annandale is an assistant baseball coach there this spring.