In this edition of Lots O’ Stuff we have our first updates of college athletes for the school year, an area radio legend is taking on some additional duties and an update on former major leaguer Bill Lee.
Boyum fifth
In his first college cross country race Friday, Jackson County Central graduate Andrew Boyum, a freshman at Iowa Central Community College, placed fifth out of 23 runners with a 5K time of 18:26.8 at a meet hosted by Iowa Western in Council Bluffs. He was the Tritons No. 2 runner.
Martin County West grad Jake Lewis, a sophomore at ICCC, was 16th in 20:52.4.
Iowa Central won 18-43 over Southwestern. The host Reviers did not have a complete team.
The Tritons have been an NJCAA power under Coach Dee Brown. Since he started the programs in 2004, Iowa Central’s men’s CC team has won five national titles and has five runner-up finishes; the women’s team has eight national championships; and the half-marathon team also has eight national titles.
Sadie Voss
JCC grad Sadie Voss is a 5-foot-10 freshman outside hitter at the University of Sioux Falls, which opened its season with four matches in Kearney, Neb.
On Friday, she had 13 digs and five kills in a 3-0 win over Midwestern State and then had a double-double of 11 kills and 10 digs in a 3-1 loss to Central Washington.
The Cougars played two ranked opponents on Saturday.
Voss recorded seven kills, 11 digs and two blocks in a 3-0 loss to No. 10 Nebraska-Kearney and then had 10 kills, nine digs, one ace and one block in a 3-1 loss to No. 2 Washburn.
And Sadie was featured in the post-match tweet:
USF goes to Chadron State for three matches next Friday and Saturday.
Alaina Wolff
JCC graduate Alaina Wolff is a 5-6 junior defensive specialist at South Dakota, which opened its season by going 2-1 at the Coyote Invitational in Vermillion.
On Friday, Alaina had four digs, two assists and one ace serve in USD's 3-0 loss to No. 4 Louisville. The Cardinals were an NCAA Final Four team last year, losing to eventual champion Wisconsin 3-2 in the national semifinals.
That match drew a record crowd of 2,774 to the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.
On Saturday, Wolff had seven digs, one ace serve and one assist in a 3-0 win over Northern Kentucky and followed that up Sunday with 12 digs and two ace serves in a 3-2 win over Missouri.
Here’s one of those aces in the Sunday match:
In 2020, Missouri swept USD in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
The Coyotes go to El Paso, Tex. next weekend, where they’ll play Portland State and New Mexico Friday and host UTEP on Saturday.
Alicia Brandt
JCC graduate Alicia Brandt had six kills, two blocks, two digs and one ace serve for Waldorf in a 3-0 win over Faith Baptist Bible College Thursday. She’s a 6-foot sophomore middle blocker.
Last week she had four kills and two blocks in a 3-0 win over Goshen.
The Warriors (3-0) are at William Penn for four matches next weekend.
DWU volleyball
Heron Lake-Okabena-Lakefield graduate Lindsay Wilber’s Dakota Wesleyan volleyball team is 5-0 to start the season after the NAIA 15th-ranked Tigers went to North Dakota to claim a 3-1 over Mayville State.
Wesleyan heads to the Omaha area for three matches next week.
St. Olaf football
Two JCC graduates are freshmen with the St. Olaf College football team.
Will Freking (6-1, 220) is playing running back for the Oles, while Trace Michelson (6-0, 240) is an offensive lineman.
Will’s dad put out a tweet:
Will also won Reserve Champion Market Gilt at the Minnesota State Fair this weekend:
St. Olaf opens its season at No. 14 Central College on Saturday.
Rudy Rudy Rudy
JCC grad Rudy Voss (6-3, 210) is the No. 2 quarterback at South Dakota State, which ranked third in the initial Football Championship Subdivision poll conducted by the American Football Coaches Association.
The Jackrabbits installed a “Rudy package” into the offense last season and Voss earned a scholarship along the way.
Now a sophomore, Rudy ran the ball 13 times for 95 yards and one touchdown. He attempted four passes with one completion.
SDSU opens its season Saturday at Iowa. Kickoff at Kinnick Stadium is at 11 a.m.
Brookens to broadcast MSU games
Local broadcasting icon Dan Brookens is going to have a new gig this fall.
He’ll continue the majority of his duties with KSUM and KFMC Radio in Fairmont including play-by-play of the Cardinals.
Dan will also be doing the radio broadcast of some Minnesota State University football games this fall and then basketball this winter.
Casey Lloyd, who began broadcasting Mankato State athletic events in 1971, is going to reduce the number of Maverick games that he does. Mike Sullivan will continue on MSU hockey.
We’ll let you know when you can hear Dan’s golden tones on a new outlet when the time draws closer.
Bill Lee update
Last week we told you about a health scare involving former major league pitcher Bill Lee. Here’s an update.
If you missed it, the 75-year-old Lee went through a medical emergency on Friday, Aug. 19. He was warming up in the bullpen before entering a Savannah Bananas exhibition game that was televised on ESPN2.
Lee was hospitalized through Monday after undergoing a procedure implanting a medical device for his heart. He was instructed him to wait six weeks before doing anything.
Jesse Cole, owner of the Savannah Bananas, visited Lee in the hospital:
Lee says that he feels good enough to play now, but he's going to follow doctors' orders and miss the Banana Ball games against the Party Animals next weekend.
He had planned to play in two amateur adult league tournaments this fall, including the Men's Senior Baseball League World Series.
That’s where Jackson Bulls players Blaise Jacobsen, Andy Wolf, Tom Hady and Pat Boggess met Lee, who has come to the Iowa Great Lakes area to conduct clinics with Total Baseball Development and this summer was in Ruthven for a Banana-style scrimmage with the Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire team
Lee also has been in communication with old friends from his Red Sox days such as pitchers Sparky Lyle and Gary Bell.
"A lot of people wanted to come," he said. "I told them not to come because a party's going to break out and I won't be able to attend."