In this edition of Lots O’ Stuff we have an update on college wrestling, some news about a couple of Jackson County Central graduates at Bethany Lutheran College, a JCC grad has earned some academic honors and the Minnesota Football Coaches Association has named its latest group of Hall of Fame inductees.
Wrestling update
Several area graduates were on the mat Thursday when NCAA Division II Augustana University hosted Division III No. 1 Augsburg at Elmen Center in Sioux Falls. The visiting Auggies won the dual 22-13.
At 125 pounds, Martin County West graduate Jaxson Rohman of Augustana, rated second in the nation, won a 17-5 major decision that gave the Vikings the early lead. Former Windom/Mountain Lake Cobra Kade Sammons of Augustana lost at 141 pounds to Division III No. 6 Sam Stuhl.
Two local grads locked up at 157, with JCC grad Payton Handevidt recording a takedown with about 1:00 left to pick up a 4-2 win over MCW graduate Blake Jagodzinske, who is ranked fifth in D3.
The final local graduate to wrestle that night was MCW grad Payton Anderson for Augustana at 165, where lost to No. 3 Cooper Willis.
Augustana then defeated Minnesota State 28-15 on Saturday. Rohman won by fall vs. the Mavericks, MCW graduate Connor Simmonds won a decision at 157 and Anderson lost at 165.
The Vikings make their final home appearance of the season Friday when they host St. Cloud State. Augustana competes in the NCAA Super Region V Tournament in Minot on Saturday, March 2, with the national tournament March 15-16 in Wichita, Kan.
Augsburg wrestles a dual vs. Concordia College Saturday in Moorhead.
Jackson County Central graduate Kie Anderson has returned to the Cobbers’ lineup and recorded a fall at 125 pounds in Concordia’s 27-17 win over cross-town rival Minnesota State Moorhead Friday.
The dual started at 165. Anderson scored an early takedown and recorded the fall at 1:10. Anderson is 6-2 since returning to the lineup in January. He is ranked fourth at 125 in the latest Upper Midwest Region rankings.
The NCAA Upper Midwest Regional is March 1-2 at Wisconsin-Stevens Point and the national tournament is March 15-16 at La Crosse.
Former Huskies at Bethany Lutheran
Jackson County Central graduate Pat Garvin is the head men’s basketball coach at Bethany Lutheran College, which clinched its second straight Upper Midwest Athletic Conference regular-season title with a road win Friday and then added another win on Saturday. The Vikings defeated University of Northwestern 77-70 and North Central 110-86.
It’s the first Bethany has won the title in consecutive seasons.
The Vikings are 18-3 overall and 12-0 in the UMAC. They lead the conference by four games with two remaining.
Bethany hosts Northland at 7:15 p.m. Friday and Wisconsin-Superior at 4:45 p.m. Saturday.
At the Saturday game there will be a banner drop honoring the 2023 BLC baseball team that won the UMAC regular-season and tournament championships and qualified for the NCAA Division III tournament.
JCC grad Gavin Jacobsen, was a member with the Vikings’ baseball team last year and has been named one of the team captains for the upcoming season.
Jacobsen pitched in 11 games for BLC in 2023, starting 10.
He was recognized last season as the NCAA Division III leader for strikeouts per nine innings. The left-hander struck out an average of 15 batters per nine innings for the Vikings as he had 85 strikeouts in 51 innings.
Jacobsen was a first-team selection on the all-Upper Midwest Athletic Conference team with Bethany.
He had a 1-2 record with a 4.11 earned run average. In 51 innings he allowed 34 runs (25 earned) on 43 hits, walked 24, hit eight and struck out 85.
Jacobsen started last summer with the Jackson Bulls amateur team but joined St. Cloud of the Northwoods League in early July. He set a Bulls’ record for strikeouts with 18 at Lakefield on June 11 and recorded 14 at Pipestone on June 25.
Gavin pitched in four games (starting one) for the Rox and has a 1-1 record. In 7.2 innings he allowed nine runs on nine hits, walked seven and struck out eight.
The Rox made it to the Northwoods League Championship Series, losing to the Green Bay Rockers.
Bethany Lutheran is scheduled to open its 2024 season with 12 games in the Pacific Northwest starting on March 3.
Academic honors
Andrew Boyum, who was a sophomore with the Iowa Lakes Community College men’s cross country team, earned first-team honors on the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference Academic All-Region team.
First-team performers received a grade-point average of 3.5 or above.
Football Hall of Fame
The Minnesota Football Coaches Association has announced its latest group of inductees into its Hall of Fame.
They are:
Dan Essler, New London-Spicer
Carl Fruechte, Caledonia
Mike Kleinschmidt, Albany
Wayne Ribsy Petermeier, Browerville
Jeff Williams, Owatonna
Kids in 1995 explaining why they should be on the internet.