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Sports from the week of November 24, 1999

 

Injury will sideline Rialson for basketball season

John Rialson should be known to Panther sport fans as "our tough luck kid".

John has always been interested in athletics, and, at about the age of 15, he began to develop a physique, stretching to 6-3, that could help him achieve his dreams of being a real good athlete.

He was athletic enough to play quarterback on the junior varsity football team as a sophomore and also looked promising in basketball and track.

Other promising athletes have been thwarted from achieving their athletic dreams by injuries, but John has had it happen to him twice. Both times it has been a tear in the anterior cruciat ligament but on different knees. This is the injury most feared by athletes because it takes so long to heal and then even longer to rehabilitate. Some can't overcome the mental fear of reinjury and never regain their athletic abilities.

John first injured his right knee as a sophomore in a B-squad football game when he was run into while punting. He missed the whole basketball season and part of the track season that year.

Last year, as a junior, he was a regular in football and his height got him a starting position on the basketball team with great expectations for his senior season. He also ran on some very successful relay teams in track. When you have an athlete who plays quarterback in football and runs track plus showing great promise in basketball it excites coaches and fans alike. This was to be John's pinnacle year after he had worked so hard rehabilitating his knee following his injury in his sophomore year.


 

Banquet honors fall sport athletes

Over 250 people filled the Tracy Area High School gym Monday for the Panther fall sport banquet. Keith Lubben was master of ceremonies.

Participants in cheering, football, volleyball and cross-country were honored.

Cheer Team

Coach Pam Marsh announced that Kelly Warner was the captain of the football cheer team composed of Warner, Hayley Johns, Jill Johnson, Sarah Pamp, Catie Willard, Brooke Carlson, Shannon Vylasek and Shanna Campbell. The volleyball cheer team is captained by Brittany Scott and also included Crystal Deem, Becky Lessman, Gina Ockenfels and Hilary Giebner.

Cheering awards went to:

Best Spotter-Shanna Campbell; Most Improved-Gina Ockenfels; Most Organized-Kelly Warner; Highest Jumper-Brooke Carlson; Best Teacher-Hayley Johns; Best Form-Jill Johnson and Crystal Deem.

Girls' cross country

Coach Brian Michelson introduced the Panther cross country team, who in their fifth year as a school-sponsored sport, placed third at the state meet.

Julie Gifford (who placed first in the state meet and set a new course record) and Jenna Boerboom ( who placed 23rd in the state meet) earned all- state honors. Gifford, Boerboom and DeAnn Johnson served as 1999 captains. Kristen Sweetman and Laura Miller were chosen to captain the team in 2000.

Gifford was named the Most Valuable Runner, Jenna Boerboom the Most Improved Runner, DeAnn Johnson won the Sixth Year Award and Johanna Schmidt the Newcomer Award.

Johnson (6th), Gifford (1st), Boerboom (2nd) and Kristen Sweetman (3rd) received all-conference honors for placing in the top ten at the 212 Conference meet.

Gifford, who was named the Worthington Globe Athlete of the Week, finished a most successful career in which she won 34 of 36 races she participated in during her last three years. Letter winners were: Gifford; Debbie Gabel; Laura Miller; Johanna Schmidt; Jenna Boerboom; Melissa Sweetman; Kristin Sweetman; DeAnn Johnson; Heather Engesser.

Football

Letterwinners on the Panther football team, which posted an 8-3 record, were:

Seniors: John Rialson; Peter Jacobsen; James Evans; Dan Flesner; Ben Lightfoot; Justin Morin; Jeremy Goltz; Cory Schmidt; Pat Coquyt; Matt Jones;

Juniors: Brady Schmidt, Derek Rignell; Aldon Struchen; Zach Jones; Aaron Goettig; Matt Loeslie; Eric Jacobson; Tony Lanoue; Geoff Ruppert; Nathan Clark; Ben Gervais; Andy Johnson;

Sophomores: Bryce Peterson; Colin Evans; Darin Wilking; Clay Caron; Scott LaVoy.

Senior captain Justin Morin earned all-conference, all-area honors and was voted most valuable offensive lineman. Jeremy Goltz, another captain, was all-conference, all-area and was voted most valuable defensive back. Ben Lightfoot was all-conference and named most valuable defensive lineman.

Aaron Goettig was all-conference and was named most valuable offensive back and most valuable defensive back. Seniors John Rialson and Peter Jacobsen were the Panthers other captains. Scott LaVoy and Nathan Clark were voted the Mr. Hustle awards.

Volleyball

"It was a great year for Panther fall sports," said Volleyball Coach Katie Gervais as she introduced the following volleyball letter winners: Suzanne LaVoy; Heidi Miller; Stephanie Welvaert; Heidi Peterson; Michelle Schreier; Marcia Ankrum; Maria Ankrum; Jenny Otto; Kristen Rokke; Katie Lanoue; Rhonda Bitker; Kami Skoglund; Jenna Tholen; Sara Saxton; Laura Zwach.

The captains were Suzanne LaVoy, Heidi Miller and Stephanie Welvaert. Welvaert and Heidi Peterson were named to the all-conference team and Maria Ankrum received honorable mention status. Stephanie Welvaert was named to the Coaches Association All-State Team.

"We exceeded our goal for the year which was to get past the sub-section tournament," said Coach Gervais.


Panther grapplers and cagers start another season

Wrestlers report for first practice

The Panther wrestling squad started workouts Monday preparing for their opening meet at BDRSH on Dec. 3.

Participating in the wrestling program this season are:

Mark Andree; Dan Flesner; Aaron Goettig; Peter Jacobsen; Eric Jacobson; Andy Johnson; Mike Kamrud; Erik Kathman; Jesse Kline; Phia Moua; Geoff Ruppert; Aldon Struchen; Paul Swenson; Scott Torkelson;

Cassidy Arnold; Kevin Bierbaum; Tim Byrne; Jim Carlson; Derek Dahmes; Justin Dardis; Colin Evans; Matt Freeburg; Derick Goettig; Troy Hanson; Paul Jacobson; Freddie Martinez; Jason Morin; Sheng Moua; Sue Moua; Pheng Moua; Christian Peterson; Matt Prairie; Ross Ryan; Troy Rykhus; Mike Schreier; Matt Schreier; Adam Snyder; Donald Strand; Shawn Torkelson; Ron Vylasek; Mike Weedman.

Cagers begin practices

The boys basketball squad started prepartions for their opening game with YME on Dec. 9 to be played at Granite Falls, at the Prairie Pavilion Monday.

Athletes reporting for practice include:

Seniors: Jeremy Goltz, Chris Gervais, Pat Coquyt.

Juniors: Jeremy Cauwels; Nathan Clark; Matt Daniels; Tony Lanoue; Matt Loeslie; Derek Rignell; Brady Schmidt; Dane Schmiesing;

Freshmen & sophomores: Kou Thao; Joe Brockway; Clay Caron; Scott LaVoy; Brandon Lightfoot; Kham Moua; Bryce Peterson; Jordan Roots; Adam Schmidt; Darin Wilking; John Xiong; Jeff Buyck; Greg Carlson; Bryan Koch; Curt Paradis; Jake Peterreins; Austin Skoblick.

Eighth graders: John Gabel; Jake Gervais; James Hay; Ross Ladehoff; Nick Miller; Matt Persons; Eric Peterson; Brandon Rumfelt; Ryan Stobb; Chue Thao; Shou Thao; Derek Towne; Jerad Wendorff.

Seventh graders: Chris Bangasser; Jon Carter; Jason Heern; Brett Jackson; Paul Johnson; Adam Louwagie; Victor Maffetone; Jon VanDeWiele.