Sports from the week of March 27, 2002

Baseball team prepares for opener

The Panther baseball team has begun workouts in preparation for the 2002 season. The season is scheduled to open at the Panther field on Tuesday, April 2 against Murray County Central. With all of the snow we have it is very unlikely that the field will be playable and according to the current weather the temperatures would be too cold for outdoor baseball.

"John Rokke just returned from Kansas City Sunday and he said there is not much snow south of here," said Athletic Director and baseball Coach Bill Tauer. "So it may be possible to hold the track meet in Luverne Tuesday. I understand that when we had the last snowfall, Jackson had rain and no snow. "

Candidates for the baseball A squad are: Joe Brockway, Tim Byrne, Greg Carlson, Clay Caron, Nick Hanson, John Hay, Erik Kathman, Scott LaVoy, Adam Schmidt, Matt Schreier, Austin Skoblik, Josh Skoblik.

Vying for positions on the B squad and hoping to move up to the varsity will be: Dane Bloch, Kory Burch, J. T. Cook, Anders Davidson, Eric Fraser, Kong Her, Brett Jackson, John Knott, Ross Ladehoff, Ted Nilius, Matt Person, Ross Ryan, Matt Schons, Pat Spielman, Ryan Stobb, Donald Strand, Jerad Wendorff, Sean Kirk.

"We have some experience at all the positions except left and right field," said Tauer. "We return Adam Schmidt and Erik Kathman from the pitching rotation from last season and we will also look at Greg Carlson, Scott LaVoy and Austin Skoblik to help us on the mound."

The Panthers are coming off a very successful season in 2001 in which they lost to Luverne in the finals of the Section Tournament. Gone from that team are four 212 All-Conference selections: Derek Rignell, Matt Daniels, Brady Schmidt, Eric Dolan.

"They have left some big holes to fill," said Tauer. "Both Rignell and Dolan have played some for Southwest State University in Marshall during their spring trip as freshmen and former Panther Brendan Rokke is off to a great start for the Mustangs also."

Girls softball team looking to improve on their record

The Panther girls softball team, in their second year of operation are looking to improve on last years record of four wins. Graduated from last year's team were Katie Scharfe, Katie Hayes, Kara Wichmann, Alison Chandler and McKenzie Schelhaas.

These graduated seniors have left a big void for this year's team to fill but Coach Dave Sogge has returning captains Kristina Anderson and Kami Skoglund plus letter winners Emily Miller, Megan Anderson, Steph Kaup, Lindsay Erickson, Katie Bauer, Jaclyn Rathje and Ashley Erbes to make contributions.

Candidates for this year's team include: Kristina Anderson, Megan Anderson, Katie Bauer, Lynn Brockway, Lindsay Erickson, Kaylan Johnson, Ashley Julien, JaRae Kathman, Stephanie Kaup, Alissa Lightfoot, Kasey Loeslie, Emily Miller, Jaclyn Rathje, Kami Skoglund, Andrea VanMoer.

From the eighth grade are Ashlei Carpenter, Jackie Coulter, Alyssa Kirk, Suzanne Knott, Stacy LaVoy, Emily Minett, Mariah Schelhaas and Angela Towne.

From the seventh grade are Celia Brockway, Ann Marie Byrne, Jackie Haecherl, Ashley Kirk, Elizabeth Rayman, Rebekah Zens.

The softball team's first game is scheduled for April 9 at Marshall.

Track teams return strong

Last season Panther Track Coach Steve Jones' team sent Nate Clark (discus), Jason Morin ( pole vault) plus the 3200 relay team of Kris Sweetman, Laura Zwach, Jillian Tholen and Rebecca Gervais and the 400 meter relay team of Tina McIntire, Sarah Fritz, Katie Lanoue and Melissa Luckhardt to the state track meet. Of these athletes they have lost only Nate Clark to graduation so there is talent in this year's squad.

The girls A squad candidates are: Brooke Averill, Rhonda Bitker, Courtney Bitker, Cassandra Carlson, Jill Domine, Becky Gervais, Kristina Gervais, Katie Gervais, Nicole Haecherl, Kylie Henkel, Danielle Jones, Kelly Laleman, Tashia Lamb, Laura Lanoue, Katie Lanoue, Melissa Luckhardt, Elizabeth Malmberg, Tina McIntire, Lyndsie Jo Murphy, Tessa Nelson, Jenny Otto, Megan Pool, Norma Raymond, Jenna Schaar, Johanna Schmidt, Tiffany Stolp, Kristin Sweetman, Jessica Wurscher, Katherine Yearous, Laura Zwach, Cecilia Saenz.

From the eighth grade are Erin Bitker, Bobbi Jo Buyck, Jessica Coulter, Ashlee Domine, Sarah Fritz, Rachel Gervais, Emily A. Miller, Jillian Tholen, Krysta Tholen, Danielle Thooft, Jackie Vroman and Cassie Willard.

From the seventh grade are Julia Olson, Emily Scharfe, Jamie Sieverding, Ashley Vandromme and Jessica Mason,

The boys track team A squad candidates include: Jared Baumann, Jon Carter, Anton Lazvan, Brandon Lightfoot, Jason Morin, Trevor Morin, Matt Noakes, Curt Paradis, Kyle Peltola, Anthony Rasmussen, Paul Seipel, Kyle Stibbe, Daniel Tutt, Darin Wilking.

From the eighth grade are Casey Kline and Brad Lanoue.

From the seventh grade are Jacob Hoflock, Brady Jackson, David Jones and Chris Swenson.

The Panther track teams are scheduled to open their season at Luverne this coming Tuesday, April, 4.