JANUARY:The Luverne girls hockey team ran its record to 13-2-1 and defeated Windom 9-2 to clinch the Southwest Conference championship. The Cardinals went undefeated in the conference.In girls basketball, Erin Boeve of Hills-Beaver Creek joined the 1,000-point club.The Luverne boys hockey team beat Sleepy Eye 8-2 for its first Southwest Conference victory of the season.Luverne’s gymnastics team had its third record-setting performance of the season in a loss to JCC, 135.125 to 132.15. It was a school record for team points.FEBRUARY:Ellsworth’s Curt Schilling drained a 3-pointer to net his 2,000 career point in a victory over Russell-Tyler-Ruthton.The Luverne wrestlers finished the season 0-17.Adrian’s Kyle Knips notched the 1,000th point of his career in a win over Sioux Valley-Round Lake-Brewster.The Luverne gymnastics team turned in another record-setting performance to end an 8-3 regular season. They scored 133.4 points in a loss to Martin County West. Luverne’s Callen Bosshart won the all-around.The Adrian wrestling team won its first section 3AA team tournament by defeating Redwood Valley and Yellow Medicine East. AHS, 34-5, advanced to the state championships.Luverne’s Callen Bosshart became the first Cardinal gymnast since 1990 to qualify for the state meet.The LHS boys hockey team ended the season 4-20.MARCH: The Luverne boys basketball team ended the regular season 10-14.Seven Adrian Dragons advanced to the state wrestling championships with their sectional performances. Taking section titles were Michal Barrie and Joey, Dusty, Levy and Brandon Bullerman. Second-place honors went to Tony Sauer and Josh Winselman.Luverne’s Callen Bosshart finished 31st at the state gymnastics meet.Luverne lost 75-47 to Southwest Conference co-champion Windom in the opening round of the South Section 3AA girls basketball tournament.Ellsworth beat SV-RL-B 62-29 in the first round of the South Section 3AA girls basketball tournament.The Hills-Beaver Creek girls upset Adrian 56-53 in the Section 3A semifinals. Adrian ended the season 19-6.The Ellsworth boys beat SSC 76-54 in the Section 3A opener.The Hills-Beaver Creek boys edged Adrian 60-57 in overtime of their Section 3A game. The Dragons ended their season 16-7.The Adrian wrestling team ended its best season ever by finishing second at state. Three individuals placed: Levi Bullerman was third at 189, Joey Bullerman was fifth at 112 and Dusty Bullerman sixth at 140.The H-BC girls downed Fulda 46-34 in the South Section 3A championship game.Luverne’s boys posted their first postseason basketball victory when they beat Murray County Central 69-37 in a quarterfinal game of the South Section 3AA tournament.H-BC’s girls lost 54-42 to Wabasso in the Section 3A championship game. The Patriots ended their season 17-11.Ellsworth won its second straight South Section 3A boys basketball championship with a 65-60 victory over Hills-Beaver Creek. The Patriots’ season ended at 20-9.The LHS boys basketball team bowed out of the South Section 3AA tournament with a 68-47 semifinal loss to Redwood Valley. The Cardinals ended their season 11-15.R-T-R snapped Ellsworth’s 12-game winning streak with a 56-53 victory in the Section 3A boys basketball championship game. The Panthers went 23-7 on the year.APRIL:Tim Rust of Luverne cleared 13-0 to set a new school record in the pole vault during the Dan Lennon Invitational Track and Field Championships in Vermillion, S.D.The Luverne girls track team successfully defended its team title at the Cardinal Relays.Adrian’s David Brake cleared 6-0 in the high jump at the Fulda Invitational to break the 39-year-old record of 5-11 set by Randy Rust.MAY: The Adrian girls won the team title at the Arrow Relays in Pipestone.Luverne’s boys tennis team swept Worthington to secure the Southwest Conference title.The Luverne girls won the Tri-State Relays in Luverne.Athletic directors announced that the Southwest Conference and South Central Conference will merge to form a new 13-team conference next season.The Luverne High School girls golf team captured the Sub-Section 10 championship in Tyler. Team members were Lindsey Severtson, Alyssa Klein, Mindy Lysne, Brittany Boeve, Jessica Klein and Nikki Van Dyk.The Luverne boys tennis team advanced to the semifinals of the Section 3A team tournament.Adrian’s girls golf team captured the Red Rock Conference team title in Westbrook firing a 10-stroke win.JUNE: Dusty Antoine and Patrick Bennett of Luverne qualified for the state tennis tournament with their doubles performances in the section tournament. The Luverne girls track team successfully defended its title in the Sub-Section 10 Championships. LHS had 14 individuals qualify for the Section 3A meet.The Luverne boys track team placed second in the Sub-Section and advanced 12 to the section.Tracy-Milroy-Balaton beat Luverne 1-0 in the first round of the section tournament to end the Cardinals’ softball season at 7-13.Luverne’s boys tennis team ended the season with an 18-5 record.Tim Rust, Justin VanWyhe and Jake Hendricks advanced to the state track meet for the Luverne boys team.Four Cardinal girls advanced to the state track meet: Lexi Heitkamp, Tera Boomgaarden, Kelsey Dooyema and Victoria Arends.Five Patriots qualified for the state track meet: Tyler Bush, Todd Alberty, Kale Wiertzema, Derek Haak and Lee Jackson.Adrian’s Sarah Kruger earned a trip to the state track meet in the 400 meters.Luverne’s Bennett and Antoine went 1-1 at the state tennis tournamentBush placed fourth in the state 800.Adrian’s baseball team captured their second section title in three years. The Dragons dropped two at the state tournament.JULY:Jeremy and Jason Sudenga won the Member-Guest Golf Tournament at Luverne Country Club.A pair of one-run losses in the opening rounds of the Area A American Legion baseball playoffs ended Luverne’s season at 10-8.Luverne dropped a 15-7 decision to Edgerton to cap a 17-8 regular season in VFW baseball.The Luverne Redbirds wrapped up a 10-8 regular season.Luverne VFW took top honors during the South Third District VFW baseball playoffs.AUGUST:The Luverne VFW baseball team came up one win short of qualifying for its first state tournament berth since 1994.The Luverne Redbirds were ousted by Hadley in the Gopher League playoffs.Luverne’s George McDonald won a pair of trophies at the Seniors’ Club Tournament at the LCC. He turned in a repeat performance as the tournament’s gross champion and won the low net title.Melissa Kopp successfully defended her title during the Women’s Club Tournament at the LCC. Paula Lammert and Karen Fey placed second and third, respectively.Dan Serie successfully defended his crown and won his fifth career Men’s Club Tournament championship at the LCC. Dick Iveland placed second and Tim Connell and Chris Nowatzki tied for third.The Steen fast-pitch softball team won a region tournament to earn a trip to the American Softball Association National Tournament in Nebraska.SEPTEMBER:Luverne beat Marshall 20-12 to secure their first high school football victory of the season.Adrian moved its football record to 3-0 with a 43-24 win over R-T-R, the defending conference champions.The Luverne boys and girls cross country teams swept the team titles at the Jackson County Central Invitational.OCTOBER:Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth won its homecoming football game 34-14 over Lincoln HI-Lake Benton.Samantha Gacke and Brittany Boeve advanced to the semifinals of the Section 3A Individual Tennis Tournament.The Luverne girls emerged as meet champions of the Cardinal Invitational cross country meet with top-10 finishes from Lexi Heitkamp, Amanda Saum and Kayla Raddle.The Luverne Cardinals held on to the coveted Battle Ax trophy after defeating Pipestone 19-12 in football.Luverne’s volleyball team wrapped up a 13-12-1 regular season.The Adrian Dragons secured a share of the Little Sioux Conference football championship by routing MCC50-28.Gacke and Boeve placed third as a doubles team in the section tennis tournament.Adrian’s Morgan Lynn and H-BC-E’s Tyler Bush raced their way to individual championships in the Red Rock Conference cross country meet.Luverne’s bid to win the Southwest Conference football championship outright came to an end with a 27-7 loss to Redwood Valley.The Cardinals beat Windom 24-20 to end its regular season football record at 6-2.Adrian beat Canby 39-8 in the first round of the Section 3A football playoffs.H-BC-E’s football season ended with 24-6 loss to Brewster in the Section 2 Nine-Man playoffs. They ended the season 3-6.The Cardinals rallied to beat Minnewaska Area 13-10 in the Section 3AAA football playoffs.NOVEMBER:Fulda upset Adrian 6-0 in overtime in the semifinals of the football playoffs.Luverne rallied with 13 points in the fourth quarter to beat Fairmont 21-20 in the semifinals of the football playoffs.Luverne’s Bruce Gluf was named Section 3A Girls Cross Country Co-Coach of the Year.The LHS boys and girls cross country teams qualified for the state meet for the second straight year, where the girls went on to place sixth and the boys eighth. Tom Ward placed 15th and Lexi Heitkamp was 11th.Luverne fell 28-19 to Redwood Valley in the championship game of the Section 3AAA football playoffs.Natalie Domagala went over the prestigious 200-career goal mark for the Luverne girls hockey team.DECEMBER:The Luverne boys basketball team started the season 6-0 before losing to Edgerton.Natalie Domagala and Sadie Dietrich each scored five goals in separate games to push the Cardinal girls hockey team to 6-3 overall and 2-0 in the conference.The boys hockey team beat Redwood Valley 8-2 to get its first win after opening the season 0-4.Luverne’s girls basketball team notched its first win beating Edgerton 60-53.The Ellsworth girls basketball team went 4-0 for the month and raised its record to 5-3.The H-BC boys basketball team moved to 5-0 in the Red Rock Conference.
