By John Rittenhouse

One of the most famous athletes Luverne has ever produced came back to her hometown for a short visit last week.

Jerilyn Britz, who made a name for herself as a member of the Ladies Professional Golf Association, returned home to visit her mother, Alice, and some of her many area friends.

Britz, who now lives in Orlando, Fla., says she usually comes home to Luverne on a monthly basis during the summer months each year, but the cold Minnesota climate limits her trips to the Midwest to once each winter.

As is customary with her summer visits, Britz got the chance to play the game that made her famous at the Luverne Country Club.

"I enjoy going out and playing the Luverne course. It still is one of my most favorite golf courses to play. I prefer its country setting rather than the courses that are surrounded by housing developments," she said.

A new job has limited the number of appearances Britz has made at LPGA events the past two years.

Britz has become a golf instructor at the VIP Academy, working with players at Academy sites in Orlando, Tampa and Port St. Lucie.

She said she works with players on a one-to-one basis for three hours each morning. After having lunch with the student, she then takes them out on the links in the afternoon and works on course strategy with her pupils.

"It's an all-year-long type of job, so I haven't been playing a lot of competitive golf myself. I was a school teacher for eight years and have a master's degree in education, so teaching is something that comes naturally to me. It wasn't my intention to stop playing more LPGA events. I just wasn't making enough putts to make any money at it," she said.

There was a three-year stretch when Britz made most of her putts, and that's when she emerged as one of the LPGA's top players.

She joined the tour in 1974 and gained prominence by winning the 1979 U.S. Women's Open and placing second in the LPGA Championship the same season. Those efforts led to Britz being named Golf Digest's Most Improved Player in 1979.

Britz won the tour's Mary Kay Classic in 1980 and placed second at the LPGA Championship again in 1981.

Although Britz said it would be hard for her to compete with the younger LPGA players of today, she still can match up well with players her own age.

During an event staged in Green Bay, Wis., that was put together by some former opponents, Britz placed 21st overall. She finished fourth in the category for players 55 years of age or older.

"At 57, it would be tough for me to compete against the 30-year-olds on tour. If it was arm wrestling or a foot race, then I might be able to," said Britz, who finished fifth in a physically-challenging event named the Women's Superstars Competition in 1980.

Although there is no seniors' competition for the LPGA at this point, she hopes the organization does put one together some day.

If not, she'll remain in golf instruction and continue making her trips back home to Luverne from Florida.

By John Rittenhouse

Two teams from the Star Herald coverage area met in Hills Thursday for the opening volleyball match of the season for both squads.

The Hills-Beaver Creek Patriots made their debut by hosting Tri-County Conference rival Ellsworth.

H-BC got the best of the Panthers by posting a 3-0 victory.

"We played well for the first game of the season," said first-year Patriot coach Nicole Fey. "We still have some things to fine-tune, but I was happy with the way we played for the first time."

H-BC won the match by posting 15-11 victories over the Panthers in Games 1 and 3 with a 15-7 victory coming in between.

Although the Panthers came up on the short end of the scores, Ellsworth coach Ryan Nielsen was pleased with his team's initial performance of the campaign.

"For the first game of the year, we did all right. All the games were well fought out; they just got the edge each time. We had some girls who were playing new positions. We had some mental breakdowns, but that was to be expected. Once we overcome our mistakes we'll be OK," he said.

Connie Lewis had a good match for the Panthers that included recording five kills and five blocks.

Jamie Arp led the Patriots in serving by completing all 11 of her attempts and recording five aces. Tonya Leenderts was 11 of 13 with three aces.

Shanna Tilstra was 14 of 20 spiking with nine kills to pace H-BC. Erin Boeve was 11 of 14 with seven kills and Becky Broesder nine of 11 with three kills.

LaDonna Sandstede (47 of 51) and Brittney Olson did the setting for the winners.

By John Rittenhouse

All three cross country programs from the Star Herald coverage area converged at the Adrian Country Club Tuesday for the annual Adrian-Edgerton Harrier Invitational.

By John Rittenhouse

A young Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth football team won its 2000 opener and gained some character in the process Friday in Edgerton.

After being blanked for three quarters and facing a 6-0 deficit, the Patriots rallied for 12 unanswered points in the final 12 minutes of play to post a 12-6 victory.

As many inexperienced teams do, a jittery Patriot squad turned the ball over three times to hamper its chances of producing offensive points in the early stages of the contest.

When H-BC-E settled down in the fourth quarter, big plays started to fall in favor of the Patriots, allowing them to secure a come-from-behind win.

"I thought we learned a lot as the game went on," said Patriot coach Dan Ellingson. "We definitely played better in the second half than we did in the first half. I was really happy with that."

H-BC-E's fourth-quarter rally came after a missed scoring opportunity in the period.

The Patriots were in a first-and-goal situation inside Edgerton's 10-yard line early in the stanza, but a pair of dropped passes kept them out of the end zone.

When Edgerton punted moments later, H-BC-E mounted a game-tying drive capped by Lyle DeBoer's 32-yard touchdown scamper that knotted the score at six.

DeBoer, who carried the ball 15 times for 84 yards in the contest, came up with another big play to set up the game-winning tally.

After the H-BC-E defense forced Edgerton to punt midway through the fourth quarter, DeBoer returned the kick 31 yards to the Flying Dutchmen 10-yard line.

A few plays later, tailback Chris Reid scored on a four-yard run to give the Patriots their first lead at 12-6.

Thanks to the H-BC-E defense, Edgerton was unable to mount a serious scoring threat after the Patriots took the lead around the 5:00 mark of the fourth quarter.

After an uneventful first quarter, Edgerton took advantage of one of H-BC-E's three fumbles to take a 6-0 lead in the second stanza.

Patriot quarterback David Top dropped back to pass when he was hit hard by an Edgerton defender, jarring the ball loose. Edgerton recovered the fumble on the H-BC-E 20, and Flying Dutchmen running back Eric Elgersma covered the 20 yards on the first play from scrimmage to give the Flying Dutchmen an early second-quarter advantage.

H-BC-E also lost fumbles at the end of a long run and at the end of a long pass reception during the contest, taking some yards away from what was a 241-171 advantage in total yardage at game's end.

"We moved the ball well, but the fumbles hurt us offensively," Ellingson said. "One came after a long run, another came after a long reception, and one set up Edgerton's first score. That's something we'll have to take care of. When we get more experience, it should help us eliminate some of those mistakes."

The Patriots open Southwest Ridge Conference play tomorrow night in Cottonwood. H-BC-E will play Lakeview, a team that lost a 34-12 decision to Westbrook-Walnut Grove Thursday in Westbrook.

"Lakeview is one of the teams we tied for second place with in the conference last season. They should be a much-improved team because they've got a lot of guys coming back. They are a running team that likes power football, running the ball straight at you. When they do pass, they usually like to go for it all. It will be a good test for us. Every game will be a test for a young team like ours," Ellingson said.

Team statistics

H-BC-E: 222 rushing yards, 19 passing yards, 241 total yards, 13 first downs, nine penalties for 50 yards, three turnovers.

Edgerton: 123 rushing yards, 48 passing yards, 171 total yards, 12 first downs, three penalties for 35 yards, one turnover.

Individual statistics

Rushing: Reid 25-138, DeBoer 15-84, Chris Willers 1-0.

Passing: Top 3-9 for 19 yards.

Receiving: Brad Haak 2-15, Willers 1-4.

Defense: Lance Crawford 10 tackles, Darin DeBoer 10 tackles and one interception, Lyle DeBoer nine tackles and three passes knocked down.

By Sara Quam

The Rock County Board of Commissioners set the preliminary levy for 2001 at a 5-percent increase over last year, with hopes that they can shrink that figure before it's finalized.

As budget projections read, the county should need a 4.06-percent levy increase, or $130,028.

Kyle Oldre, county administrator, said, "I recommend you set the preliminary at 5 percent to allow flexibility. The board has shown a past practice of decreasing the levy, and after the auditor looks at it, we can change it to the 4.06 percent and below."

A state auditor will review last year's spending in sometime this month and determine how much the county dipped into reserves. Then the board will judge if it is enough to justify a higher increase in the levy this year to compensate.

Commissioner Ron Boyenga said, "There are a few [budget items] I'm sure we can reduce."

Oldre said, "There are a number of figures that the budget committee isn't comfortable with." He said setting the preliminary levy at a 5-percent increase will allow plenty of room for review.

Chairman Bob Jarchow said, "Time will help us, and I think five is a good ceiling. - There's still some wild cards out there."

Commissioner Ken Hoime said, "In the past, we've proven that we can lower it. - I would move that we set the preliminary levy at 5 percent, hoping that we can adjust downward."

The board passed the preliminary levy as state law requires. After the preliminary is set, the board can reduce but not increase it before finalizing it in December.

Law Enforcement Center

Jeff Nelson of the architectural firm Baldridge and Associates will continue to provide services to the county prior to the November bond for a remodeled Law Enforcement Center.

The county will pay Baldridge a fee of $9,700 for research, estimates and drawings for the proposed building.

Boyenga said, "So if the bond fails, we're out $10,000."

Commissioner Wendell Erickson said in return, "And if it passes, we're out more than that."

Commissioner Jane Wildung said, "I think that if we're going to go to the trouble to have the bond issue before the public, we should provide them with the information they need to make the decision."

Jarchow said, "We need to spend some money to get that information is what you're saying."

Commissioners have already heard from the public that the aesthetics of the planned remodeling will greatly influence their vote on the bond.

For that reason, the board wants Baldridge to provide quality visuals and basic plans that will fit within the $1-million budget so the public can visualize what it's voting for.

Erickson said, "I think we just about have to go ahead [and pay for the work from Baldridge]. - They may very well vote it down, but they should get the chance to know."

Boyenga cast the only vote against the fees for Baldridge.

Drivers testing station

After notification this year that the local driver's exam testing station will be closed due to low usage, Rock County has been lobbying to keep it open.

In Oldre's verbal communication with state officials, they have indicated that Rock County's station could remain open if it meets a list of requirements.

"There are some hoops to jump through," Oldre said.

The state wants Rock County to provide a secure space (file cabinet), a phone line and a T-1 line.

The T-1 line was a point of contention, but Oldre said if the tests were moved to the Human Services building, the station would have a direct link to a T-1 line.

The state currently pays $10 a month rent to use the Highway Department meeting room.

Wildung suggested that Oldre get the list of requirements in writing with an assurance that all testing stations are being asked to meet the same standard.

That would clarify for the board that Rock County isn't being singled out with those high demands in an effort to force closing of the testing station.

He said if change is the prevailing issue, the city has already made changes during the time he was in office: baseball improvements, underground wiring, garbage system, electrical upgrades, support for ethanol plant odor control and continued maintenance of the city.

"The city is like a big business. Now, out of the three of us, who is more qualified to be on the board of directors?"

The newcomers

David Cook is new to politics and said he values the role of the council and would like to see more weight carried there. "A few too many non-elected officials have too much power," he said.

"I think the voice of the people needs to be heard instead of employees deciding and the City Council going along with it," Cook said.

"If I'm elected, I think we'll all get educated," Cook said. He admits he's not an expert on government, but he looks forward to learning in depth about the city as a councilman.

Cook said if he is eliminated in the primaries, he might run again in the future.

That sentiment is echoed by the other potential alderman, David Hauge.

Hauge has been vocal on his idea of change. "I think we need representatives who pay attention to people's views instead of having the elitist attitude that they know best."

He said that if elected, he'd like to use the assets of the city to bring in new businesses and industries. Although he was a major opponent of the city's use of tax increment financing in the Jubilee Foods relocation, he said the city wasn't wrong in the legal sense.

"I'd just like to see a philosophical change in the way decisions like that are made."

He said that while the city isn't set up as a true democracy, that people's opinions should be valued. "The council should have some faith in the wisdom of the people - believe in the common sense of the people."

When Hauge has said that it's time for a change throughout his campaign, he said he means, "that over the years, there's been a general feeling that you can't fight City Hall, that people don't matter."

Trying to make people feel like they have power is what Hauge said he'll try to do as a council member.

The primary data

Ballots will be tabulated by late Tuesday to see who has the most votes overall. The voting tally will give an indication of what the general election could bring.

The South Ward council seat is the only local three-way race, but Tuesday's primary election is open to all voters.

Primary voters must vote in just one party, but voters are not required to make their party choice public. The city ballot is non-partisan.

Eligible voters may register at the polling place. To be eligible, a person must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old and a resident of Minnesota for at least 20 days.

Voters must provide proof of residence by a valid Minnesota driver's license, learner's permit or state ID. A receipt of these will also be acceptable. Voters can also use a bill for electric, natural gas, water, solid waste, telephone or cable television service with a due date within 30 days of election day that contains the voter's name and current address. This must accompany a photo identification card.

Proof of residence can also be proven by the oath of a registered voter in the same precinct who can vouch for the person. College students can use a student identification card, registration card or fee statement that contains the student's current address, a student photo ID or a current fee statement and photo ID.

Absentee voting

Times for absentee voting changed this year. The auditor/treasurer's office in the courthouse will be available for voters Saturday, Sept. 9, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Minnesota voters who will be absent from the precinct or unable to go to the polling place due to illness, physical disability, religious observance or service as an election judge in another precinct may vote by absentee ballot. Those who plan to be out of town on election day or are unable to go to their polling place should apply for an absentee ballot.

Eligible voters may cast their ballots either by mail or in person at the county auditor's office.

After Serie chipped his third shot within four feet of the hole, he gave way to Norman, who calmly dropped a 12-foot, downhill putt for par. Serie still had a chance to win the playoff with a birdie, but he strong-armed his four-footer before dropping his par putt.

"It was kind of funny the way things worked out," Serie said later. "Cory was in total control of the first playoff hole and just missed his par putt. I was in control of the second hole, but my birdie putt was too hard. Cory just made a great putt for par (on the second playoff hole)."

With darkness at hand, tournament officials decided that the LCC's third hole, a par-3, would be the last playoff hole of the day. If the championship had not been decided after that hole, the playoff would have continued Monday.

Serie was first on the tee box and promptly delivered a six-iron shot that landed on the front half of the green. Norman followed with a tee shot that landed in a tough position off the green to the right.

Norman's chip onto the green was hot, and it rolled 15 feet past the hole. Serie then hit an outstanding 20-foot putt that came to rest one inch on the right side of the cup, where he tapped in for par. Norman's 15-foot par attempt was off the mark, giving Serie his first club title in nine years.

Both players experienced the ups and downs of tournament play during the first 36 holes.

After playing the first five holes at three-over-par Saturday, Serie settled down and played the next 13 holes at even par to go home with a lead that night.

A 38 during the first round gave Serie a one-shot cushion over Gary Golla (39) and a two-stroke advantage over Norman, Tim Connell, Dick Iveland and Steve Smedsrud, who all turned in 40s.

Both Serie and Iveland shot one-over-par 37s during Saturday's second round, giving the eventual champ a two-shot edge (75-77) over Iveland.

Golla's second 39 of the day placed him three shots off the pace with a 78, and Connell and Victor Van Dyk were four shots back with 79s. Norman's second consecutive 40 left him tied with Tim Knoll for sixth place as both players finished Saturday's rounds with 80s.

"I got off to a bad start on Saturday, playing the first five holes at three-over-par. Then I played the final 13 holes at even par. I was playing pretty well then, hitting some good shots and making some good putts," Serie offered.

Serie's recovery during the final 13 holes of play Saturday did not carry over into Sunday's first round, when he shot a five-over-par 41.

"I played really badly on the front nine Sunday. I wasn't hitting the ball well at all, and that brought a lot of good players back into the tournament," he said.

Serie's 41 opened the door for Norman, who happened to shoot par-36 in the foursome in front of Serie and gain a share of the lead heading into the final round.

Connell, Van Dyk and Golla were two strokes behind the leaders at the turn after shooting respective 39-, 39- and 40-stroke rounds. Iveland, however, slipped out of contention after carding a 47.

As the final round progressed, it turned into a three-man race among Serie, Norman and Connell.

Van Dyk dropped out of contention with a 48 during the final round, and Golla played the first two holes at three-over-par en route to a 42 that led to a fourth-place finish.

The race was on for Connell and Serie, who were playing in the final foursome, and Norman, who was playing with the group in front of them.

Connell, Serie and Norman all made par during the first hole of the final round, but Norman moved in front of Serie (par) by one stroke and increased his lead over Connell (par) to three strokes with a birdie on the second hole.

Both Serie and Norman made par on the third hole, but Connell recorded a birdie to trail Norman by two strokes and Serie by one.

Serie regained a share of the lead and Connell was one shot back after dropping par putts on the fourth hole. Norman bogeyed the same hole.

Serie and Norman parred the fifth hole, but a poor approach shot by Connell led to a bogey that set him two strokes off the pace.

An excellent approach shot by Serie on the sixth hole led to a four-foot birdie that put him one stroke in front of Norman and three shots ahead of Connell, who parred the hole.

The three challengers all bogeyed the par-3 seventh hole, but Norman tied Serie again when he birdied the eighth hole that Connell and Serie parred.

Serie did have a four-foot attempt for birdie on the eighth hole, but his putt was off the mark.

Norman parred the ninth hole, as did Connell and Serie.

Serie's par was not of the ho-hum variety.

After an approach shot that left him off the green to the left, Serie chipped onto the putting surface with his third shot. The chip set up a knee-knocking five-foot attempt for par, which Serie made under intense pressure.

"When I hit that putt, I thought I missed it. It crept into the low side of the hole," he said.

Serie said he would have preferred playing against Norman in a head-to-head situation during the final round, but being mixed in with Connell, Golla and Iveland may have helped him in the long run.

"You always like to know what the guy or guys you have beat are doing. With as many people (checking up on each foursome) as we had watching us, I always knew what Cory was doing in front of us. It was great playing with Connell, Golla and Plante (Iveland). They were very helpful. When I was playing bad on the front nine Sunday, they were very supportive to me. To win a club tournament is a very special thing. When you win one, you know you played well, and you beat some very good golfers."

Here is a look at the final standings from the championship flight:

Serie (38-37-41-36-152),
Norman (40-40-36-36-152),
Connell (40-39-39-37-155),
Golla (39-39-40-42-160),
Iveland (40-37-47-40-164),
Knoll (43-37-44-40-164),
Smedsrud (40-42-40-42-164),
George McDonald (43-38-43-41-165),
Van Dyk (42-37-39-48-166),
Darwin Elbers (41-40-45-40-166).

Gehrke, a 2000 Luverne High School graduate, came home from St. Paul loaded with plaques and ribbons he'd earned on the University of Minnesota ag campus.

By a wide margin, he earned first place overall in all categories of livestock judging, finishing 13 points ahead of his next nearest competitor.

"I knew I could do it, but I didn't think I'd win by 13," Gehrke said Monday. "It's really a prestigious award."

Most contestants to reach first or second place in livestock judging get to that point after five years of state judging. Gehrke got there on his third trip, skipping past the customary intermediate judging competition.

Local Extension Educator Fraser Norton said Gehrke represented Rock County well. "I knew he was going to do well this year," Norton said. "I thought he'd be in the top 15 percent, but he just blew everybody out of the water. We are all extremely proud of Clint and very pleased that his hard work and dedication have paid off in this way."

While Gehrke is the first local competitor to place first overall, Rock County has a rich history of livestock judging at the state level. Scott Beers, for example, earned third place overall in 1972, second place in 1973 and fourth in 1974.

In addition to the first-place honors overall, Gehrke also placed second in swine judging last week, third in sheep judging, fourth in oral reasons and was only one point shy of fifth place in beef judging.

He competed among 98 other individuals at the 2000 version of the annual event. A $750 scholarship accompanies the first-place award, but since Gehrke isn't attending the U of M, he is ineligible to receive it.

Gehrke, son of Mary Overgaard, Luverne, plans to major in animal science this fall at South Dakota State University, Brookings.

By Lori Ehde

Clint Gehrke made local history last week by becoming the first Rock County participant to win top honors in the Minnesota State Fair general livestock judging contest.