Girls repeat as basketball champs is top 2021 sports/activity story
1. GIRLS REPEAT
The Minneota girls' basketball team, which had its state tournament bid for a championship repeat cancelled partway through in 2020 because of the pandemic, took right over where it left off by winning the 2021 Class A tournament.
The Vikings finished the season with a 25-0 record.
In the three state tournament games, Minneota defeated Houston 67-34 in the quarterfinals, Mt. Iron-Buhl 54-53 in the semifinals, and Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 48-45 in the championship.
It was the third state title for the girls after titles in 2013 and 2019.
BBE had whittled a 16-point deficit to just one point late in the game before the Jaguars were forced to foul. Abby Hennen, a career 2,000-point scorer, was fouled with 2.8 seconds left and calmly sank bother free throws for the final margin.
The night before in the semifinals, Hennen was fouled with 2.1 seconds left in a tie game and, after missing the first free throw, sank the second to send the Vikings into the title game.
Hennen and Abby Rost had 12 points apiece in the championship game, and Natalee Rolbiecki had 10.
2. MASK UP MINNEOTA
In an unprecedented move, Governor Tim Walz issued a mask mandate for all boys and girls basketball players to help combat COVID-19. Wrestlers and swimmers were the exception to the new mask rule.
"This is not the senior season I have always looked forward to, but at least we get to play," said Minneota's Abby Rost.
Those in attendance were all required to wear masks, as were officials and coaches.
At first, athletes were uncomfortable wearing the mask while trying to catch their breath. Some were upset that they were forced to wear the mask while wrestlers who have much closer contact with one another do not.
The masks were to be worn in such a way as to cover both the nose and mouth. But nearly all of the athletes had trouble keeping them in place.
"Breathing is difficult from the get-go, but once the mask gets wet with sweat and spit and hot breath, my ability to breathe falls downward at a surprising rate. It feels like I am just sucking the mask into my mouth and not breathing any air."
3-4. VOLLEYBALL/FOOTBALL 2ND
It's rare when the same school's volleyball and football teams advance to the state tournament. It's even rarer when they both reach the championship.
That's exactly what happened with both Minneota and Mayer Lutheran teams this season.
The Minneota volleyball team advanced to the Class A championship and was looking for a threepeat when it ran into Mayer Lutheran and lost in straight sets, 25-15, 25-20, 25-18 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
Minneota defeated Badger-Greenbush-Middle River in the quarterfinals 25-15, 25-14, 25-11, and swept Walker-Hackensack/Akeley 25-18. 25-21, 25-14 in the semifinals.
Minneota finished the season 31-5. Ireland Stassen had 13 kills and Natalee Rolbiecki 10 in the championship match. Rolbiecki, Stassen, McKenna Yost and McKenzie Tolk were named All-State.
The Vikings' football team faced a similar fate. After beating Mahnomen-Waubun 34-0 in the state quarterfinals, and Rushford-Peterson 28-8 in the semifinals, they do would be facing Mayer Lutheran for the Class A title.
Mayer Lutheran was able to rally from a 14-13 halftime deficit by producing the lone score for either team in the second half, a six-yard touchdown run by Cole Neitzel, giving the Crusaders a 20-14 victory.
It was the first time all season that Minneota (13-1) had lost a game, been outgained and had more turnovers.
5. SKILLINGS ENTERS HALL
Joel Skillings, Minneota's longtime wrestling coach was inducted into the Dave Bartelma/Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame during a banquet Oct. 31 in Benson.
With several family members, friends and colleagues in attendance, Skillings was presented by his former wrestler and assistant coach Matt Buysse.
Skillings was inducted along with five other coaches, wrestlers and contributors to the sport.
Skillings coached at Minneota for 31 seasons and compiled a record of 559-174-4. He was twice named Class A Coach of the Year, 2013 when the Vikings won the state title, and again in 2015.
Skillings stepped down following the 2019 wrestling season and is currently an assistant with the Southwest Minnesota State University wrestling team.
Skillings recently found out that he will be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Minnesota Division next year in Stillwater, OK.
6. GILLINGHAM EARNS HALL NOD
Brad Gillingham, a Minneota resident who grew up in Little Falls, was recently inducted into the USA Powerlifting Hall of Fame this summer.
Over a two-decade career, Gillingham earned 37 medals at World Championships.
USA Powerlifting is the leading powerlifting organization in the United States and is a member of the International Powerlifting Federation, the governing body of powerlifting internationally.
Rep. Chris Swedzinski of Ghent heard about Gillingham's honor and authored a House of Representatives resolution that was signed by himself, as well as Melissa Hortman, Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, and Ryan Winkler, Chairman of the Rules and Legislative Administration, and presented it to Gillingham recently.
The resolution listed all of Gillingham's accomplishments, which include numerous IPF Open world records. He is a six-time IPF World Powerlifting champion and a 14-time USA Powerlifting champion. He won a silver medal in the 2001 World Games in Japan.
7. HENNEN SCORES 2,000TH
Abby Hennen became only the third Minneota girls' basketball player to score 2,000-or-more points in a career when she accomplished the feat on March 19.
Hennen needed 27 points entering the Section 3A-North semifinal game against Canby. She finished with 29 points in a 68-32 victory. She made 12 of 25 shots, including a pair of three-pointers.
Taylor Reiss is the girls' all-time leader with 3,038 points, followed by Lydia Sussner with 2,197. Hennen finished her career with 2,101 despite the team missing two state tournament games in 2020 and a reduced schedule in 2020-21 season due to the pandemic.
8. MOORSE EARNS FFA HONOR
Grady Moorse received the American Degree on Oct. 31 at the National FFA convention in Indianapolis, IN.
As the highest degree available in the National FFA organization, the American FFA Degree showcases an FFA member's dedication to his or her chapter and State FFA Association.
The degree also demonstrates the effort FFA members must apply toward their supervised agricultural experience and the outstanding leadership abilities and community involvement they exhibited throughout their FFA career.
Moorse becomes only the sixth Minneota FFA member to earn his American Degree.
9. TEAM SHELLY
Prior to the final regular season football game at K.P. Kompelien Field on Oct. 20, the Minneota players approached Shelly Rybinski, the mother of two of the team members, and huddled around here.
That act was a show of support for Rybinski, who is battling cancer/ The players and coaches were all wearing "TEAM SHELLY" t-shirts under their uniforms. Written on the back of the shirts was "In this family, no one fights alone" with a football in the background.
To get fired up before a game, the team forms a giant huddle and begins bouncing up and down while chanting. They had Shelly go into the middle of the huddle and she jumped up and down with them.
"I was jumping up and down with them, although I didn't know what they were chanting," laughed Rybinski. "It was such a beautiful thing. I will never forget it."
10. LIPINSKI TALENT WINNER
Emma Lipinski of Ivanhoe, was the talent winner at the Minnesota Distinguished Young Women Virtual Scholarship Program on July 31.
Lipinski, who has appeared in numerous plays and musicals at Minneota High School and Lake Benton Opera House, performed "Let Me Sing and I'm Happy" from Irving Berlin's White Christmas.
"I chose this piece because it fits my voice well and I am comfortable singing it," Lipinski said. "I also have an emotional attachment to the song and show as it was the last high school production I did with Jackson Jeremiason and Jacob Haen."
Along with scholarships offered by various colleges to the state participants, Lipinski received a $150 cash scholarship for winning the talent portion of the Minnesota DYW program.