In this edition of Lots O’ Stuff we feature updates on local graduates, plus one former coach.
Jackson County Central graduate Alaina Wolff, a 5-foot-6 junior defensive specialist at South Dakota, had five digs and was 15-for-15 serving with three aces for the Coyotes in a 3-0 win over North Dakota Saturday. On Thursday Alaina posted seven digs and three ace serves in a 3-0 win at St. Thomas.
USD is 15-9 overall and is in a three-way tie for third place with Kansas City and North Dakota State in the Summit League with a 9-4 record.
The Coyotes host Oral Roberts Thursday and NDSU Saturday.
JCC grad Sadie Voss, a 5-10 sophomore outside hitter, had a big night for the University of Sioux Falls in a 3-2 win over Augustana Tuesday. She recorded 18 kills and had career highs in digs with 25 and blocks with five.
She followed that Saturday with eight kills in a 3-0 loss at Minnesota-Duluth.
The Cougars are 12-13 overall and eighth in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference standings with an 8-8 record. Eight teams make the conference tournament.
USF closes its regular season schedule with two home matches, hosting Concordia-St. Paul Friday and Winona State Saturday.
Jackson County Central graduate Alicia Brandt, a 6-foot junior middle blocker at Waldorf University, had seven kills and five blocks Saturday for the Warriors as they closed out their season with a 3-2 win over Dickinson State.
On Friday Brandt had three blocks in a 3-0 loss to Valley City State. Waldorf is 12-14 overall, 1-11 in the North Star Athletic Association.
Martin County West grad Alyssa (Taylor) Maiers is Associate Head Coach of the Gustavus Adolphus College volleyball team. The Gusties won their third straight MIAC regular-season title as they went 11-0 in conference play.
Gustavus, 23-6 overall, are the number one seed for the MIAC tournament and will meet the winner of the match between fourth-seeded St. Catherine and fifth-seeded Bethel on Thursday.
JCC graduate Lacey (Wacker) Reitz is an assistant coach at Northwestern College. The Red Raiders are 24-2 overall after beating Doane 3-0 in the quarterfinals of the GPAC tournament Saturday.
Northwestern, which is the top-ranked NAIA team in the country, hosts Midland in the semifinals Wednesday.
Heron Lake-Okabena-Lakefield grad Lindsay (Voss) Wilber, is the head volleyball coach at Dakota Wesleyan, which ended its season 19-15 after a 3-0 loss to Concordia (Neb.) in the GPAC tourney.
JCC graduate Megan Bezdicek is an assistant volleyball coach at Minnesota State University. The Mavericks won 3-1 over Minot State and lost 3-2 to Mary last weekend.
Bezdicek has also spent one season as a volunteer coach at Minnesota State, been an assistant coach at Spirit Lake High School and head coach at Iowa Lakes CC for three seasons.
MSU is 13-11 overall and ninth in the NSIC with a 8-8 record. The top eight make the conference tournament. On the final week of the regular season, the Mavericks play at Northern State and Minnesota State Moorhead.
JCC grad Michelle (VanEpps) Aggen is the Director of Volleyball Operations at Iowa State. The Cyclones won a pair of matches over TCU this weekend, 3-2 and 3-0.
Iowa State is 16-7 overall and 7-5 in the Big 12, tied for sixth place. The Cyclones host No. 14 Kansas Friday and Saturday.
Michelle’s mom, Teresa VanEpps, is a former head coach at Jackson County Central and is now an assistant coach at Waukee Northwest High School, which won the Iowa state Class 5A title in Coralville last week.
The third-seeded Wolves defeated top-seeded West Des Moines Dowling Catholic 3-2 in the championship match. Northwest is in just its third year as a school since splitting from Waukee and has played in two state tournaments, winning one state title.
Teresa is a third-grade teacher at Shuler Elementary in Waukee.
Jackson County Central graduate Will Freking is a 6-1, 240-pound sophomore defensive lineman at Concordia University. The Cobbers lost 31-14 at Bethel Saturday to fall to 5-4 overall and 4-3 in the conference.
Concordia will host St. John’s this Saturday as part of MIAC Championship Week.
Martin County West grad Max Olson (6-3, 222) is a first-year defensive lineman at Gustavus. He had three tackles Saturday in the Gusties’ 38-20 win over Carleton.
Gustavus is 6-3 overall and won the MIAC’s Northwoods Division with a 4-0 record. The Gusties play at Skyline Division champion Bethel in the conference championship game this Saturday.
Martin County West grad Katie Lange is taking an Olympic year and has moved to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs to live and train.
She recently competed in the U23 World Championships Wednesday in Tirana, Albania, losing her only match.
Katie recently posted some thoughts on her Facebook page:
Ended up going 0-1 at my first U23 worlds, the farthest thing away from the finish I wanted.
I’ve pondered this post for some time. It’s hard to dissect ones own defeat and even harder to share it with the world.
In a conversation with coach Terry after my match, I was reminded that days like this, days that we fall short and find ourselves aching from the sting of disappointment. Days that we are forced to face the intricacy of our own vulnerability, deserve appreciation too. It’s easy to talk about our victories but it’s important to embrace our failures as well.
Wrestling is a hard sport. Period. It is ruthless and unforgiving. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my 15 years of it, it’s this- failing is ineluctable. Though it hurts, it is a necessary component to one’s pursuit to greatness. So let it teach you, let it motivate you, let it shape you. The key is to never let it define you.
After my loss, it was hard to face the people that had come to support me. Many of the people closest to me are just as invested in my goals as I am. And though I fell short of a big one, I was met with the reminder that I am much more than the sport. So, to those that love someone that has a passion that burns as hot as mine- let my support system be your example. I don’t like to brag but I believe it’s the best there is. From my family that crossed an ocean to be at my side to my partner and friends that woke up at 4 a.m. to watch me live. And from the coaches at the OTC that helped me prepare for this tournament to my personal coach Jake Short who was in my corner like he’s been the last couple years of my career. I don’t have the words to thank you.
The international scene is a whole new world to me. I’m excited to grow into it with you guys.
Jake Short, who wrestled for his father, Will Short, at Simley High School, was a four-time Minnesota state champion and was a three-time NCAA qualifier at the University of Minnesota.
He coached the Lange on the women’s wrestling team at Augsburg University. Short is now the head women’s wrestling coach at Grand Valley State in Michigan.
Five area graduates wrestled in the Yellow Jacket Open in Rochester Saturday.
Two JCC grads now wrestling at Augustana placed.
Redshirt freshman Payton Handevidt had a bye and then went 2-1 as he finished second in the Open 157-pound division. Freshman Logan Butzon went 5-1 as he placed fifth in the Freshman-Sophomore 157 class.
Jackson County Central graduate Cooper Moore is a graduate assistant at Augustana.
Another JCC grad was in the Freshman-Sophomore 157 weight class in Rochester. Freshman Isaiah Rodriguez of host Rochester dropped two tough matches, losing 10-5 in sudden victory overtime and then losing a wild 26-22 decision.
Two MCW grads now wrestling at Minnesota State also placed in Rochester.
Kain Sanders was sixth in the Open 149-pound division and Aden Welcome was sixth in the Freshman-Sophomore 157 class.
Another former Martin County Red Bull is wrestling this winter.
Fairmont graduate Jacob Rahn is a junior at Wartburg College. He spent two seasons at Iowa Lakes Community College, earning all-American honors last years with an eighth-place finish at 285 pounds at the NJCAA tournament.
The Knights, rated second in the NWCA Division III poll, open their season with a dual at Simpson Wednesday and are at the Luther Open on Saturday.
JCC graduate Christian Benda is a 6-2 freshman guard at Iowa Lakes Community College, which was ranked 10th in the NJCAA Division II preseason poll. Christian saw some playing time for the Lakers Friday in a 101-70 win over Illinois Central Friday.
ILCC lost 90-86 to No. 1 Milwaukee Area Technical College Saturday. Iowa Lakes hosts the Dordt JV Tuesday in Estherville and then goes to Kansas next weekend for games vs. Johnson County Community College and Highland CC.
Martin County West graduate Tony Taylor is in the third season of his second stint as assistant men’s basketball coach at St. Olaf College. He’s also the Recruiting and Video Coordinator for the Oles.
Taylor spent two seasons as head coach at Windom, leading the Eagles to the state tournament in 2010. He has also been head coach at New Life Academy of Woodbury and an assistant coach at Minneapolis Southwest.
JCC graduate Caleb Rubitschung is a sophomore with the Iowa Lakes Community College men’s swimming and diving team, which competed in a pair of meets last weekend.
On Friday at Morris, Rubitschung placed second in the 200 freestyle, third in the 100 freestyle and fourth in the 50 breaststroke.
Saturday at Marshall he swam the backstroke led of the Lakers’ second-place 200 medley relay, was second in the 100 freestyle and fourth in the 100 breaststroke.
Three former Windom Area boys hockey players are among the top scorers for the Dordt University men’s hockey team, which plays in the American Collegiate Hockey Association.
Junior forward Alex Espenson and freshman forward Brady Espenson both have 10 points on five goals and five assists. Sophomore defenseman Zach Espenson has nine points on one goal and eight helpers.
The Defenders lead the MAHA Silver Central Division with 23 points heading into a home weekend series vs. Creighton, which is second with 19 points.
Sherburn native Carsen Musser is in his first season as a goalie with the Madison Capitols of the United States Hockey League. He’s been in goal for seven of the team’s 13 games and has a 3-1-2-1 record (W-L-OTL-SOL).
In 433 minutes, he has a goals against average of 2.77 and save percentage of .902.
Madison has a 8-2-2-1 record heading into games this weekend vs. the Chicago Steel and Des Moines Buccaneers.
It’s well after Halloween, but I never got last week’s Lots O’ Stuff, sent out so here’s the finale to The Paul Lynde Halloween Special from 1976.
The clips includes Lynde, Roz Kelly (referred to as "Pinky Tuscadero," her character from Happy Days), Billy Barty, Tim Conway, Florence Henderson, and a then-relatively unknown band KISS watching from a balcony.
The entire special also included Margaret Hamilton (reprising her role as the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz for the first time in nearly 40 years), Billie Hayes, Betty White, and Donny and Marie Osmond.