Local race results for Rapid Speedway, Murray County Speedway and Worthington Speedway for the week of June 20-26 are listed below.
Hartford Speedway and Huset’s Speedway had races, but no drivers from Rock County participated.
 
Rapid Speedway 
6/20/2023 Rock Rapids, IA
Sportsman’s 
5th - #17 Brandon Boeve, Beaver Creek
7th - #24H Brock Harnack, Hills
Hobby Stocks 
3rd – #14K Bryant Klaassen, Adrian
9th - #10 Blake Schneekloth, Brandon
11th - #15X Thomas Kracht, Luverne
15th - #17 Evan Schettler, Adrian
DNF - #15B Isaac Bullerman, Adrian
Stock Cars
4th - #46 Colton Arends, Luverne
7th - #42 Chad Overgaard, Luverne
8th – 4D Cory Kelderman, Hills
9th - #21 Trevor Kracht, Luverne
DNF - #69 Cadyn Wessels, Luverne
 
Murray County Speedway
6/23/2023 Slayton, MN
Hobby Stocks 
DNF - #16B Zachary Bierman, Adrian
DNF - #15B Isaac Bullerman, Adrian
 
Worthington Speedway
6/24/2023 Worthington, MN
Hobby Stocks 
5th - #17 Evan Schettler, Adrian
6th - #16B Zachary Bierman, Adrian
Stock Car
8th - #20K Spenser Kalass, Luverne
6/25/2023 
Hobby Stocks 
5th - #16B Zachary Bierman, Adrian
15th - #17 Evan Schettler, Adrian

The Luverne Sr. Legion baseball team took three games this week, beating Windom 5-3 at home Tuesday, June 20, topping Windom 12-1 on the road Thursday, June 22, and rolling over Tracy 13-2 at home Monday, June 26.
Luverne is now 6-1 for the season and will travel to Marshall Thursday, June 29, for their last regular season game.
 
LHS 5, Windom 3
The Luverne Sr. Legion defeated Windom 5-3 in 6 1/2 innings at home Tuesday, June 20.
In the bottom of the second, Brayden Ripka doubled to left field to score Kaden Anderson, and Landon Ahrendt doubled to score Ripka.
The Cardinals added one run in the fifth with Serie scoring from third on an Anderson single. Carter Sehr advanced to third on an error by the third baseman and was caught stealing home trying to extend the play.
Luverne’s final run came in the sixth inning when Connell doubled on a ground ball to third base, scoring Riley Sneller from second.
In the game Luverne had five runs on eight hits and covered 12 bags.
Jacob Stroh took the mound pitching five innings, allowing three runs on three hits and struck out eight batters.
Anderson came in to relieve Stroh in the sixth, allowing zero runs on one hit and striking out three batters.
 
BOX Score
WNDM 0 0 2 1 0 0 0
LUV     0 3 0 0 1 1 x
 
BATTING
Luverne         AB   R H  RBI
Sneller               2   1   0   1
Connell             4   0   2   1
Stroh                 4   0   0   0
Serie                  1   1   1   0
Sehr                  2   0   1   0
Domagala          3   0   0   0
Anderson          1   1   0   0
Ripka                 3   1   2   1
Ahrendt             3   0   2   1
2B: Connell 2, Ahrendt, Ripka
Total Bases: Connell 4, Ahrendt 3, Ripka 3, Serie, Sehr
 
PITCHING
Luverne      IP      H    R   ER    SO
Stroh            5      3     3    1     8
Anderson     1      1     0    0     3
Sehr             1      0     0     0     3
Pitches-Strikes: Stroh 84-50, Anderson 16-11, Sehr 14-10
Batters Faced: Stroh 22, Anderson 4, Sehr 4
 
LHS 12, Worthington 1
Luverne Sr. Legion went on the road, rolling over Worthington 12-1 Thursday, June 22.
Serie had a big night, posting four RBIs with two runs on three hits.
Ahrendt had three RBIs, driving in two of them on a home run shot in the third inning.
Sehr, Schlosser and Ripka each added two runs for Luverne, and Sneller, Domagala and Stroh added one.
Anderson took the mound for the game, pitching six innings, allowing one run on two hits, striking out seven batters.
Serie came off the bench to relieve Anderson, finishing the game pitching one inning, not allowing a run or a hit and striking out two batters.
 
BOX Score
LUV    0 0 2 1 3 3 3
WRTH 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
 
BATTING
Luverne         AB R H  RBI
Sneller              3   1   0   0
Sehr                  3   2   1   0
Serie                 3   2   3   4
Anderson          5   0   1   1
Ahrendt            4   1   2   3
Domagala         3   1   0   0
Schlosser          5   2   3   0
Ripka                3   2   3   0
Stroh                 4   1   2   2
DeBates             1   0   0   1
2B: Serie, Ripka
HR: Ahrendt
Total Bases: Ahrendt 5, Serie 4, Ripka 4, Schlosser 3, Stroh 2, Anderson, Sehr
 
PITCHING
Luverne     IP     H    R   ER    SO 
Anderson    6      2     1   1   7
Serie           1      0     0    0   2
Pitches-Strikes: Anderson 88-54, Serie 18-8
Batters Faced: Anderson 24, Serie 4
 
LHS 13, Tracy 2
Luverne Sr. Legion hosted Tracy Monday, June 26, blowing over the Panthers 13-2 in four innings.
Luverne had a big first inning, scoring eight runs and creating a hole Tracy could not climb out of. Connell tripled, driving in Sneller; Serie singled, scoring Connell; Ripka singled, driving in Serie and Stroh; Anderson tripled, scoring Domagala and Ripka; Sneller singled, scoring Anderson; and Connell doubled, scoring Sneller once again.
Luverne led 8-0 and added one run in the second and third innings.
In the fourth inning Luverne closed the door on the game, adding three more runs.
Sehr tripled, knocking in Sneller and Connell.
 Serie reached first on a dropped third strike from a throw that hit him in the back on the baseline and a heads-up play by Sehr scoring from third
Sehr took the mound, pitching three innings, allowing one run on three hits and striking out three.
Buss came off the bench to close the game, pitching two innings, allowing one run on one hit, and striking out one batter.
 
BOX Score
TRCY 0 0 1 1 x x x
LUV   8 1 1 3 x x x
 
BATTING
Luverne          AB R H  RBI
Sneller               3   4   3   1
Connell              3   2   2   2
Sehr                   2   1   1   2
Miller                 1   0   0   0
Serie                  4   1   1   2
Stroh                  2   2   2   0
Domagala           3   1   2   1
Ripka                  2   1   1   2
Anderson            3   1   1   2
Buss                   2   0   0   0
2B: Connell
3B: Sehr, Connell, Anderson
Total Bases: Connell 5, Sehr 3, Anderson 3, Sneller 3, Domagala 2, Stroh 2, Serie, Ripka
 
PITCHING
Luverne      IP    H   R  ER  SO
Sehr            3    3   1   1   3
Buss            2    1   1   0   1
Pitches-Strikes: Sehr 34-21, Buss 30-20
Batters Faced: Sehr 10, Buss 9

The Luverne Jr. Legion baseball team went 1-4 this past week.
The Cardinals’ only win was Tuesday, June 20, at home, defeating Windom 10-0.
Luverne then lost its next four games, falling to Mankato East 15-2 and Prior Lake 5-4 Friday, June 23, and to Osseo 9-5 Saturday, June 24, on the road.
On Monday, June 26, Luverne fell to Tracy 11-7 at home. The Jr. Legion’s next game is scheduled for Thursday, June 29, against Marshall on the road.
 
LHS 10, Windom 0
The Luverne Jr. Legion defeated Windom 10-0 in 4 innings at home Tuesday, June 20.
Jaxon Lais led Luverne with two RBIs with one run on one hit.
Layke Miller and Josh Hansen both posted three hits for Luverne.
Hansen pitched four innings, not allowing a run.
 
BOX Score
WNDM 0 0 0 0 x x x
LHS     1 1 1 7 x x x
 
BATTING
Luverne         AB R    H   RBI
Sauer                4    1    2    1
Schlosser          3    1    2    1
Sehr                  3    2    2    1
J. Lais                3    1    1    2
Miller                3    2    3    1
L. Lais               3    0    1    1
Johnson            3    1    2    1
Hansen             3    1    3    1
Vortherms         3    1    2    1
2B: Sauer, Miller
 
Junior Midwest Classic tournament
The Luverne Jr. Legion baseball team took part in the Midwest Classic Friday, June 23, and Saturday, June 24.
Luverne played three games, the first two at Essig Ball Park in Essig June 23 and the third one at Johnson Park in New Ulm June 24.
On June 23 Luverne lost to Mankato East 15-2 in three innings and lost to Prior Lake 5-4 in nine innings.
On June 24 the Cardinals took on Osseo, losing 9-5.
“We definitely need to play better ball. We played some good teams but that can’t change the way we play and I feel like we are a better team than what we showed,” said head coach Jake Haugen.
“I thought we were pretty good at the plate considering that was the best pitching we’ve seen this year.” 
 
BOX Score Game 1
Mankato East 15, Luverne 2
 
BATTING
Luverne         AB  R H  RBI
Sauer                 3   1   2   0
Schlosser           3   0   0   1
Sehr                   3   0   0   0
E. Domagala       3   0   0   1
J. Lais                 2   0   0   0
Ahrendt             2   0   1   0
Johnson             3   0   0   0
Vortherms          2   0   0   0
M. Domagala      2   1   1   0
Sehr and Maddox Domagola pitched the first game. 
 
BOX Score Game 2
Prior Lake 5, Luverne 4
 
BATTING
Luverne         AB R H  RBI
Sauer                5   1   2   1
Schlosser          5   0   0   1
Sehr                  5   0   2   1
L. Lais               5   0   0   0
M. Domagala    4   1   1   0
J. Lais               4   0   1   0
Hansen             4   1   2   0
Goembel           4   1   1   0
DeBates            4   0   1   1
Johnson, Ahrendt and Sauer pitched Game 2.
 
BOX Score Game 2
Osseo 9, Luverne 5
 
BATTING
Luverne         AB R H  RBI
Sauer                4   1   2   1
Schlosser          4   0   2   2
Sehr                  4   0   1   0
E. Domagala     3   0   2   0
J. Lais               3   0   0   0
Ahrendt            3   1   1   0
Hansen             3   1   2   0
Vortherms        3   1   1   0
DeBates            3   1   1   1
Hansen, Sauer and Ahrendt pitched Game 3. 
 
 “Overall, it was a tough three games but a good learning experience for these guys and will help us out in the long run,” Haugen said.
 
Tracy 11, LHS 7
The Luverne Jr. Legion lost to Tracy 11-7 at home Monday, June 26.
Luverne fell behind 2-1 after three innings and gave up three more runs in the top of the fourth to find themselves in a 5-1 hole.
In the bottom of the fourth Luverne rallied with five runs to take the lead 6-5.
Luverne and Tracy traded one run each in the fifth inning and held each other scoreless in the sixth.
In the top of the seventh inning Tracy mustered five runs and took the win 11-7 over Luverne.
 
BOX Score
TRCY 2 0 0 3 1 0 5
LUV   0 0 1 5 1 0 0
 
BATTING
Luverne         AB R H  RBI
Sauer                5   0   3   2
Schlosser          5   0   3   0
Domagala         4   0   2   0
J. Lais                4   0   1   0
Miller                4   2   2   0
L. Lais               4   1   1   0
Hansen             4   1   1   0
Johnson            4   1   3   1
M. Domagala   4   2   3   1

The Redbirds left the 8-5 Milroy Irish knackered* and banjaxed,** beating them 6-3 at Redbird Field Wednesday, June 21.
Luverne jumped to a 3-2 lead after three innings of play.
The Redbirds added two more in the fifth and the Irish managed one more run in the eighth inning.
Scoring for Luverne in the bottom of the first inning was Skyler Wenninger on a Nick Smith double to left field, and Smith came in on a Ben Serie single.
In the second inning Skyler Wenninger singled a line drive to left to score Jake Haugen.
Newt Johnson sent a bomb over the fence in the third inning, lifting the Redbirds to a 3-2 advantage.
In the fifth inning Smith doubled on a fly to left field, scoring Cade Wenninger, and Smith scored from third on a wild pitch.
Cade Wenninger led Luverne with two RBIs and two runs on two hits.
Skyler Wenninger had three hits for the night with one run and an RBI.
Serie started on the mound for the Redbirds, going eight innings and facing 31 batters.
Haugen came off the bench in the ninth to relieve Serie, allowing two hits and zero runs to earn the save.
With the win the Redbirds are now 11-0 for the season and will be hosting the Brookings Cubs Tuesday, June 27.
 
BOX Score
MROY   2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
RBirds   2 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 x
 
BATTING
Luverne         AB R H   RBI
S. Wenninger     4   1   3    1
C. Wenninger     4   2   2    2
Smith                4   0   2     1
Serie                  4   0   2    1
Johnson             4   1   2    1
Beers                 3   0   1    0
Sehr                 4   0   0    0
Haugen             3   1   1    0
Lundgren          4   0   0    0
2B: Smith, Haugen
HR: Johnson
Total Bases: Johnson 5, Smith 4, S. Wenninger 3, Haugen 2, Serie 2, Beers
 
PITCHING
Luverne    IP   H   R    ER   SO
Serie          8   3   3     2      3
Haugen      1   2   0     0      2
Pitches-Strikes: Serie 115-69, Haugen 16-12
Batters Faced: Serie 31, Haugen 5
 
1 (knackered) exhausted, tired
2 (banjaxed) damaged, not working

The Rock County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Land Management Office have for decades been working with farmers to protect drinking water.
Today those efforts are making a difference, according to Doug Bos with the Land Management Office.
“The work we have done and the changes the farmers have made in the Rock County Rural Water wellhead area have stabilized the nitrogen peaks in the aquifer,” he said.
Bos took the helm of a June 15 meeting of Southwest Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts where local successes were on display.
He showed a group of nearly 50 SWCD officials a map of the Rock County Rural Water wellhead area which identified various conservation methods that had been implemented in the past 20 years.
Cover crops, no-till and strip till planting and converting some row crops to long-term grassland have all reduced the levels of nitrates in the drinking water wellhead area.
“Instead of 20 to 30 parts per million during crop growing season, we’ve seen nitrates moderate to levels of 14 or 15 in some wells and even some under 10,” Bos told the group at the June 15 meeting.
“For the first time in 15 years we’ve seen that change. So, we’re making a difference. We’re still not fully successful, but we’re making a difference.”
 
Success on display
Thursday’s meeting included a tour of the Jim and Sherri Ladd farm atop the Rock County Rural Water wellhead south of Luverne along County Road 9.
“The best thing we can do in the wellhead is like the Ladds did and grow a perennial crop, whether it be alfalfa or grass, and have it be a grazed, managed pasture,” Bos said, acknowledging that taking crops out of production is a big decision.
“When it’s their living for farming and you’re asking them to make that kind of change, it’s quite an ask,” Bos said. “That’s why we applaud Jim and Sherri for what they have done.”
(See the Ladd story)
 
Keeping nitrogen out of drinking water
Nitrogen, a necessary component of corn growing, is the primary pollutant in the wellhead area of Rock County Rural Water, which supplies drinking water to more than 30 percent of local residents.
There are 3,680 acres in the Rock County Rural Water drinking water supply management area. “Basically, all the raindrops that flow to the well area are included in that,” he said.
Of those, 1,400 acres are in the “very sensitive” area, which is the draw zone for the wells.
“Whatever’s put on the surface of those soils above that area we can see in two months,” Bos said.
“The area is also prone to flooding. When farmers put nitrogen on the corn and then it floods, it goes right on through to the aquifer. It’s very course-textured soil, which means it doesn’t hang on to the nitrates, so it gets to the aquifer pretty fast. Sometimes within two weeks we can see a change.”
He said his office started working with farmers on nitrogen management in 2014 with Clean Water Legacy funds through incentives.
“And that helped,” Bos said. “With any farming practice change there are costs and risks. By offering incentives, we can help that transition and help find a way to improve ground water or surface water.”
The Land Management Office is still working with several landowners on nearly 500 acres of row crops in the sensitive draw zone to lower the nitrogen levels below the 10 ppm drinking water standard.
“It does come down to a few landowners, but I don’t want to point fingers, because all of the farmers have made changes,” Bos said.
“Corn has to have nitrogen, but the problem is that corn utilizes only at best 60 percent of the nitrogen we put on it, and the rest leaches away into our aquifer.”
He said farmers are improving their nitrogen management and implementing other conservation measures, but in the draw zone more work is needed.
 
Incentivizing change
He said local agencies are learning that successful programs require coordination among many agencies at various levels of government.
For example, programs affecting the Rock County drinking water management area involved the Board of Soil and Water Resources, and Natural Resources Conservation Service along with the Minnesota Rural Water, Minnesota Department of Ag, Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
“It came down to partnerships,” Bos said. “It’s important to work not only with other state agencies, but with private consultants and agronomists.”
The Ladds were able to participate in two separate programs, one state and one federal, to transition their crop ground to a managed grazing system and pollinator planting.
Local and regional technicians worked with the Ladds to tailor a program that suited them.
Funding and technical support came from the Board of Water and Soil Resources Partner Program and the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s EQIP Grazing Management Program.
“It’s basically ‘working lands’ through managed grazing,” Bos said.
“It’s a 30-year easement and the Ladds get 90 percent of what a RIM agreement would have been.”
Without those long conversations and connections across agencies, Bos said the Ladd success story wouldn’t have happened.
“It takes everybody coming together to make this work,” Bos said. “To sit down and figure out what practices a farmer is willing to use, what they need to make it work (equipment or incentives) and what it will take to move it further.”
 
Funding shifts will contribute to success
Recent funding through the Minnesota Legislature will go a long way toward securing effective change.
“Before, it came out of the Clean Water Legacy Fund dollars. You have to apply every two years and every year there can be different board members,” Bos said.
“Now, the state approved SWCD State Aid Funding for additional capacity funding that pays our staff. It’s more stable coming through the general fund, similar to city-county funding.”
He said it will help his office hire and retain professional technicians, in addition to an agronomist that will work as a liaison with watershed experts.
“The dollars coming from state and federal are a fantastic opportunity to make some good changes in farming toward conservation, but we want to make sure it’s done right,” Bos said.
“We need to provide the technical resources for farmers, whether it’s us or agronomists, to do it right, to help them make that shift … And there are a ton of opportunities coming up for farmers.”
Producers and landowners should watch for information about these opportunities or call the Land Management Office directly at 507-283-8862.