By Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor
April 01, 2026
The Luverne girls’ softball team opened the season with a win Monday.
The Cardinals closed the game with the 10-run rule after the fifth inning beating the Dragons 15-5 at home.
The game was scheduled to be played March 31 but was moved up due to weather.
Clean-up batter Rylee Kurtz led the Cardinals with four hits and three RBIs.
She also scored three times against the Dragons.
Jocelyn…
By Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor
April 01, 2026
The Luverne Taekwondo program sent six competitors to the 35th Annual South Dakota State Taekwondo Championships in Tea, South Dakota, Saturday, March 21.
They joined over 160 competitors from more than 20 clubs representing five states: South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska.
Luverne came home with six second-place finishers, one third place, one fifth place and one sixth…
By Lori Sorenson
April 01, 2026
The Luverne High School track and field team traveled to Brookings, South Dakota, Saturday, March 28, for the SDSU Ruth Marske Invitational.
The indoor meet hosted 30 high school teams from Minnesota, South Dakota and Iowa.
Luverne had five athletes finish in the top eight, which means they scored points for the Cardinals.
“The kids had a great day and competed hard against some very talented…
By Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor
March 25, 2026
The 2026 Luverne High School March Mayhem basketball tournament thrilled spectators and pitted student teams against each other Tuesday, March 17, in the school’s Classic Gym.
The annual tournament, which has been going on for about 12 years, is one of the main fundraising activities for the Luverne Student Council.
Funds raised are used for school wide, student-focused events like Homecoming,…
By Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor
March 25, 2026
The Red Rock Conference recently announced its 2025-26 all-conference team, which includes five Lady Pates girls’ basketball players.
Seniors Abbie Harris and Ella Sammons along with juniors Olivia Deelstra and Brynn Bakken were selected all-conference.
Sophomore Ella Rheault was named all-conference honorable mention.
All five helped H-BC to a 26-4 season and made the Section 3A Championship…
By Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor
March 18, 2026
The Hills-Beaver Creek Patriots boys’ basketball team qualified for its first ever state tournament taking down Central Minnesota Christian 77-70 Thursday, March 12, in the Section 3A Championship game.
H-BC, the No. 1 South seed, outplayed Central, the No. 1 North seed, beating the Bluejays 77-70 in the finals held at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall.
This was the Patriots…
By Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor
March 18, 2026
Six Luverne boys’ hockey players and one girls’ basketball player received Big South All-Conference honors.
Seniors Jaxon Lais, Landyn Lais and Maddux Domagala along with junior Ben Hartquist were named to the Big South All-Conference team.
Senior Gavin Hoven and junior Will Bergman received All-Conference Honorable Mention.
The Luverne boys’ hockey team was named the Big South Gold Division…
By Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor
March 18, 2026
Luverne alumni Bill Benson earned a Lifetime Service Award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Minnesota Chapter.
Benson is among nine 2026 honorees who will be inducted at a banquet in Austin Saturday, April 25.
Bill Benson, son of Clarwence and Marelleen Benson, was born in Worthington and moved to Luverne with his family when he was a youngster.
Bill had an outstanding senior…
By Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor
March 11, 2026
The Patriots head to the Section 3A Championship after taking down Edgerton Public 64-47 March 3 in Worthington and Southwest Minnesota Christian 69-48 March 7 in Marshall.
H-BC, the No. 1 south seed, is scheduled to take on Central Minnesota Christian, the No. 1 north seed, Thursday, March 12, in Marshall for the Section 3A Championship.
The winner of that contest will advance to the state…
By Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor
March 11, 2026
The Luverne wrestling team had four wrestlers make the 2025-26 Big South Conference team.
Honors went to senior Bernie Rock, junior CeCe Rock, freshman Ellie Rock and seventh-grader Mary Rock.
Bernie finished her season with a fifth-place finish in the 118-pound weight class at the state tournament and her sister CeCe placing second in the 155-pound weight class.
Ellie qualified for the state…
By Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor
March 11, 2026
The Luverne boys’ basketball team mounted a second half comeback against No. 1 north seed Montevideo only to fall by 13 at the final buzzer.
The Cardinals fell 74-61 to the Thunderhawks in the Section 3 AA subsection semifinals in Windom March 3 to end their season.
Montevideo built a 12-2 lead at the start of the game hitting multiple three-point shots and grabbing several LHS passes under…
By Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor
March 11, 2026
The Lady Pates fell 55-33 to Central Minnesota Christian Thursday, March 5, in the Class 1A Section 3 Championship in Marshall.
H-BC fell behind 38-14 in the first half after the Bluejays rallied several three-point shots and H-BC turned the ball over multiple times under the hoop.
“We dug ourselves into a hole in the first half and were not able to come back from it in the second half,” H-BC…
By Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor
March 11, 2026
Eight former Luverne track and field athletes participated in the 2026 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Conference Championship Feb. 27-28 at Myers Field House in Mankato, Minnesota; hosted by Minnesota State University.
“I think it is very rewarding to have so many athletes move on to compete at the collegiate level,” said Luverne track and field head coach Pete Janiszeski.
The…
By Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor
March 11, 2026
H-BC boys’ basketball head coach Chad Rauk was awarded the Section 3A Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year after the game March 7 in Marshall.
The award is voted on in late February each year by the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association.
The award recognizes outstanding coaches across all four classes (AAAA, AAA, AA, A) and eight sections based on member submissions.
In receiving the award,…
By Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor
March 04, 2026
The Luverne boys’ hockey team ended their season earlier than they expected.
The Cardinals fell 2-1 to Mankato West Thursday, Feb. 26, in the Section 3A Championship game in St. Peter.
It took three overtime periods to decide who would move on to the 2026 state tournament.
With the game tied 1-1 after the second period in regulation play, both teams dug in and dragged out the game another four…
By Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor
March 04, 2026
After two section basketball playoff wins, the H-BC Lady Pates will take on Central Minnesota Christian for the Section 3A Championship Thursday, March 5, in Marshall.
H-BC beat Westbrook Walnut Grove 62-38 Feb. 24 in the sub-section semifinals and won 48-40 against Murray County Central Feb. 27 in the sub-section finals.
H-BC, the No. 1 south seed, will take on Central Minnesota Christian, the…