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The “pause” in prep sports events ended in January 2021 as experts figured out how athletes and spectators could safely gather for sporting events during the coronavirus pandemic.
Prep athletes began winter sports practices on Jan. 7, almost two months after the normal start to the season. Competitions began Jan. 14.
A ticket system was developed to limit the number of parents and family members gathered at the actual event, and livestreaming on social media allowed the rest of the public to watch.
At the end of the lengthened season in March, several area teams and individuals again qualified to compete at state tournaments, many of which had been canceled in early 2o20 as the pandemic started.
Girls’ hockey
In 2021 the Luverne High School girls’ hockey team won its second straight Section 3A title and again competed at the state Class A Girls’ Hockey Tournament.
The Cardinals lost 8-0 in the opening round to undefeated Proctor/Hermantown.
As a preview to the 2022 sports season, Luverne girls’ hockey senior Reghan Bork recorded her 100th goal as the season hit the midway point.
Wrestling and gymnastics individuals
Individually three winter sports athletes, wrestler Riley Cowell and gymnasts Ella Reisdorfer and Amira Cowell, wrapped up memorable seasons.
Cowell, who wrestled at 120 pounds, earned his 100th career win.
Gymnast Cowell set the new school vault record Feb. 13 with a 9.3 in a triangular meet with the Worthington Trojans and Windom Eagles.
Gymnast Reisdorfer also set school records in 2021 on the beam and the all-around with scores of 9.35 and 35.2. The school records were set in a Feb. 25 meet against Marshall. Reisdorfer broke her own all-around score on March 11 with a 35.475 against Blue Earth Area.
Reisdorfer qualified for her second straight state gymnastics tournament. She competed on the beam, receiving a score of 8.80 (tied for 18th).
H-BC track
After a year away from the track, both LHS and Hills-Beaver Creek High School returned in the spring of 2021 with record-setting track and field performances.
H-BC’s 4-by-100 relay team broke the school record, doing so in an April 29 meet in Luverne. Team members Cole Baker, Gavin Wysong, Dewell Rauk and Tyson Bork ran a time of 44.64.
Cole Baker went on to tie the school record in the triple jump May 7 in a meet in Slayton. Baker completed a leap of 41-11.50
The relay team and Baker were among the seven relay teams and 10 individuals from Rock County who competed at the state track and field meet June 18 at St. Michael High School.
Luverne track
The LHS girls’ 4-by-800 team claimed first place at the state meet with a time of 9.34:65.
The team of Regan Feit, Tiana Lais, Jenna DeBates and Tenley Nelson marked the time, and it was the third straight season that a Cardinal team took home the first-place medal in the event.
Luverne’s Ashton Sandbulte placed third individually in the 100-meter dash at the state tournament. His time of 11.02 also broke the school record.
LHS boys’ tennis
The LHS boys’ tennis team won the Section 3A championship for the 11th straight year and earned the team another trip to the state tennis tournament.
The team was ousted in the first round by Mounds Academy 5-2.
LHS junior Pierce Cunningham qualified for the individual state tennis tournament after winning the No. 1 singles title in Section 3A. He lost in the opening round 2-1.
Softball
Rounding out the 2021 spring sports season was LHS’ softball player Billi Connell, who was named to the Minnesota High School Fastpitch Coaches Association 2AA All-State team. Connell, a junior, played a variety of positions and had a batting average of over .500 in 2021.
Summer turned to baseball and the town team competitions.
Summer baseball
The Post 123 Senior Legion team won the sub-section state championship and qualified for the Division II state tournament. The team came up short in the state consolidation championship.
The Luverne Redbirds extended their season to the Region 13C tournament, where they claimed the region title and qualified to play in the state amateur baseball tournament.
The region title was the Redbirds’ third in a row and marked the 13th time the Redbirds participated in the state tournament. Eagle Lake ended the Redbirds’ season 3-0 in Round 2 after a Round 1 bye.
Wenzel state tennis
Fall meant a return to a normal competition schedule for the prep sports season.
Luverne senior Mia Wenzel, who played No. 1 singles for LHS, won the Section 3A singles championship and earned her first trip to the state tennis tournament Oct. 28-29. Wenzel lost in the opening rounds.
LHS cross country
The LHS girls’ cross country runners continued their dominance in Section 3A by placing in the top two teams for the eighth consecutive year.
The LHS boys’ cross country team took the runner-up title and returned to the state tournament after a nine-year absence.
2021 marked the fourth time in school history that both the girls’ and boys’ teams earned the right to run at the state cross country tournament in Northfield Nov. 6.
The girls’ team placed third at the state tournament.
Individually Tenley Nelson finished the 5K race in second place with teammate Jenna DeBates finishing in third. The athletes finished with the same places at the conference meet.
The boys’ team placed ninth.
Individually Camden Janiszeski finished first in the conference with Owen Janiszeski second. At the state meet, the brothers finished 15th and 17th respectively.
H-BC Patriots football
Rounding out the 2021 sports season was the H-BC football team who set out to avenge the shortened 2020 season.
The Patriots were set to play in the state football tournament when the 2020 games were canceled.
This year the Patriots earned the Section 3 Nine-Man Championship title for the fourth time in four years and another chance to play in the state football championship.
The team made it to the semi-finals before losing to undefeated Fertile-Beltrami.