The Class of 2024 held their graduation ceremony last Friday at the high school gymnasium. I'll be spending a good portion of the next 3 to 4 days combing over my notes from the various speeches and getting a feature story ready for the June 6 issue of the Bonanza Valley Voice.
Here's another video featuring the seniors visiting with friends and family following graduation that night:
I have a mountain of sports notes to go over and get posted here tonight. They revolve around all four spring sports: golf, baseball, fastpitch and track and field. No rest for the restless!
Tomorrow, the B-B-E Jaguars baseball team travels to Morris to open the Sub-Section 6A-South playoffs. They enjoyed a first-round bye and will take on No. 5-seeded Hancock at 2:30 p.m. at Chizek Field. On Tuesday this week, the Hancock Owls earned a mild upset with a 7-4 win at Benson in the quarterfinal round. The Owls are 9-10 overall. They finished 4-6 (fourth place) in the Little Eight Conference, which was won by Border West.
In boys' golf action at the Section 5A finals today in Willmar, eighth grader Walker Winter fired a 97 and fell out of contention for a state berth. Last week he shot an 84, and his score of 181 earned him 16th place overall. He will regroup with the returning members of the boys' golf team for the 2025 season, and I expect they will move up in the conference and section standings next year. Just today, while I was getting my daughter signed up on a youth membership at Prairie View Golf Course, I saw two members of the Class of 2029 heading out on the links. Coach Goodwin has said he expects the nucleus of the boys' golf team to be at the golf course frequently this summer. That's the only way you get better!
In track and field news...
Five members of the B-B-E Jaguars track and field teams concluded their season at the Section 5A meet in Collegeville. Here's some results: Kameron Hiltner placed sixth in the 100 meter dash; Taylor Nelson placed sixth in the 1600 meter run and eighth in the 3200 meter run; Bree Thieschafer earned a personal record and took eighth in the long jump (15'6.75") and also 14th in the pole vault; Josh Walstrom placed 11th in the 400 meter dash; Grace Jackson competed in the pole vault, and Hiltner also competed in the long jump.
In fastpitch playoff news...
Nine-time defending Section 3A champion Edgerton/Southwest MN Christian was dethroned on Tuesday night this week after losing both the winner's bracket final (section semis) then the elimination bracket final. In the Section 3A semifinals against Russel-Tyler-Ruthton, the R-T-R Eagles won 5-1. Next came Wabasso, who stormed through the loser's bracket, who defeated the Flying Dutchmen's season with a commanding 10-4 win.
R-T-R, who split the regular season series with Edgerton/SW MN Christian, faces Wabasso on Thursday (May 30) in the Section 3A championship series in Marshall. If R-T-R wins the first game, they advance to state. If Wabasso wins the first game, a second game will be played right away in winner-take-all fashion. The R-T-R Knights are currently ranked No. 6 in the QRF standings, while Edgerton/SW MN Christian was No. 8. Wabasso is not far behind at No. 13.
Sub-Section 6A-South baseball playoff opener scores on May 28:
Border West 4, West Central Area 0
Hancock 7, Benson 4
Upsala/Swanville Area 2, Ortonville 0
