Tribune Notebook: Three Willmar Cardinals honored by Central Lakes Conference
Dec. 22—WILLMAR — Three Willmar Cardinals earned Central Lakes Conference Performer of the Week honors, including two Nordic skiers.
Blake Schoolmeester, a 6-foot-6 senior forward, was named the CLC"s boys basketball player offensive performer of the week. He scored 37 points in two games for the Cards.
And in Nordic skiing, Emmie Larson and Timothy Halvorson received honors. Larson took 25th place in the girls' portion of the Fergus Falls Invitational. She recorded a time of 26 minutes, 16 seconds. Halvorson placed 18th in the boys' race with a time of 21:56.
Other CLC performers of the week were:
* From Alexandria, girls basketball player Hadley Thul
* From Brainerd, boys swimmer Cayden Sumption;
* From Fergus Falls, boys basketball player Josh Sternberg and girls basketball player Karley Braeger;
* From St. Cloud, wrestler Tyler Hugg;
* From Sauk Rapids, wrestler Vance Barz; and
* From Sartell: boys swimmer George Larson and gymnast Ally Tromburg.
Former Litchfield star Avery Liestman is headed to the Augustana Vikings to continue his baseball career. The right-handed pitcher and infielder heads to the NCAA Division II school in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, after doing well for Minnesota North-Itasca this past season.
Liestman was 4-2 with a 3.33 earned-run average at Itasca, a two-year school in Grand Rapids. He struck out 36 and walked 15 in 48-2/3 innings, allowing three home runs. Liestman, who also plays for the Litchfield Blues amateur baseball team, batted .313 with four doubles and 10 RBIs in 64 at-bats for Itasca, which was 20-22.
"Avery is a really good athlete with a good frame (he's 6-foot-4) and even as a juco transfer we still see a lot of upside and potential for him on the mound," Augustana head coach Tim Huber said in a statement released by the school. "From what we have seen, he has some raw skills but has already flashed good velocity with movement and the makings of a really good slider.
"There are a lot of things he is still working on and we look forward to helping him complete the transition into talented pitcher (for) his last couple years of college. He will see how he does as a hitter. He also plays the infield currently at Itasca."
Ten members of the New London-Spicer football team, including four coaches led by head coach Chad Gustafson, got to stand the sidelines of Saturday's Minnesota Vikings game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
The Wildcats were being honored for their unlikely state Class AAA championship at the Prep Bowl when they beat Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton 27-26 on a last-second touchdown pass and lateral on Dec. 3.
Players on the field included Blake Schultz (No. 4), Mason Delzer (7), Grant Paffrath (12), Bennett Schultz (35), Luke Wosmek (51) and Brycen Christensen (81).
Christensen scored the game-winning TD after taking a lateral from Paffrath, who caught a long pass from Blake Schultz.
The Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City Falcon dance team placed second of seven teams in the high kick division of the Melrose Invitational last Saturday.
ACGC placed sixth of nine teams in varsity jazz.
Team members are: Laura Anderson, Kendell Berger, Macy Elton, Ally Giese, Brinley Grimsgard, Haley Johnson, Kaylee Keppers, Shelby Lange, Lily Matteson, Rylie Nelson, Jayden Olson, Jada Rosenquist, Gabi Shea and Josie Starkovich
The Falcons are coached by Tori Dengerud and Sloan Hedtke.
