By Jolene FarleyMost of Rock County has dodged the downpours and flooding that has plagued counties just across the South Dakota border.For the most part, local producers are optimistic that this year will be a good year for farmers. Hills Brothers Farms, two miles west of Hills, has tracked the rainfall so far this year, according to Gene "Pucky" Sandager. Sandagers have recorded rainfall amounts for their land since 1992.Hills Brothers Farm has received 2.7 inches of rain so far this month, while last year they received 3.5 inches of rain in June.During May this year, Sandager received 5.6 inches of rain compared with 3.9 inches in May last year."We’ve missed the ones (downpours) out of Sioux Falls," he said. "Those fronts have been coming up and staying west of us."Sandager, who just returned from a trip, saw standing water in fields south of Sioux Falls while flying overhead in a plane.Although the amount of rain hasn’t caused a problem for Sandager, the frequency of the rain has made haying difficult.All you need is a small amount of rainfall or heavy dew and you have to re-tip the hay or use a dryer, according to Sandager. There has been a stretch of only four days when conditions were ideal for drying the hay. Hills Brothers Farm has corn that is about knee high and will grow more rapidly as temperatures increase. The corn crop "looks very good" Sandager said, and he is optimistic about the bean crop, too."We’ve got a chance at some good crops," he said.Weed control has been the biggest issue this spring in Rock County, according to Southwest Minnesota Farmers Coop Agronomy Production Specialist Dustin Warns."Due to the longer spring, cool and dry conditions early on, pre-plant and pre-emerge herbicides weren’t as effective this year," he said.Post-emerge chemical applications are less effective this year because weeds aren’t actively growing.The county is also behind on heat units due to the cooler conditions the last week, according to Warns. Nitrogen leeching out of the soil in low-lying areas has been an issue in the portion of the county that received more rain. "Hardwick seems to be an area that got a little more rainfall than some of the others," Warns said.LeRoy Kellenberger, who farms three miles north of Hills, is also optimistic about his crops this year. "They’re looking good. For as long as the corn has been in the ground maybe a little behind, but she’s coming," he said."We’re getting the rains about right," he said.Kellenberger received a small amount of hail during a storm about a month ago but there wasn’t any lasting damage to his crops. Kellenberger has a weather wish list to make his crops grow this year."Bring on some sunshine and warm weather and slow the wind up so we can finish spraying," he said.

By John RittenhouseThree Hills-Beaver Creek athletes punched their tickets to state competition during the District 11 Track and Field Championships in Pipestone Saturday.Two H-BC boys and one girl met the criteria of qualifying for state competition by placing first or second at the District level.The Minnesota Hershey’s State Track and Field Championships will be staged in Owatonna July 10.Earning trips to the state meet from H-BC are Siera Wilgenburg, Casey Van Middendorp and Dalton Bass.Wilgenburg placed second in the 100- and 200-meter dashes in the division of girls between the ages of 9-10.Van Middendorp won a pair of district titles and placed second in one event in the boys’ 13-14 division.His championships came in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. Van Middendorp finished second in the standing long jump.Bass placed second in three events as a member of the boys’ 9-10 division.Bass finished second in the 50- and 100-meter dashes, and the softball throw.Dustin Verhey and Brent Kramer earned places without advancing to state in the boys 13-14 division.Verhey placed fourth in the 1,600-meter run and fifth in the 800-meter run. Kramer placed fifth in the 1,600.Isaac Tilstra and Dylan Gehrke competed without placing in Pipestone.Ryana Sandoval placed third in the girls’ 13-14 division of the 1,600-meter run.Whitney Wilgenburg placed fourth in the girls’ 11-12 division of the 800-meter run, and ran a leg for H-BC’s 400-meter relay, which finished fourth in the same division. Heather Hensel, Heather Esselink and Brooke Tilstra are the other members of the team.Kelsey McGuire competed without placing in Pipestone.Two H-BC boys and one girl met the criteria of qualifying for state competition by placing first or second at the District level.The Minnesota Hershey’s State Track and Field Championships will be staged in Owatonna July 10.Earning trips to the state meet from H-BC are Siera Wilgenburg, Casey Van Middendorp and Dalton Bass.Wilgenburg placed second in the 100- and 200-meter dashes in the division of girls between the ages of 9-10.Van Middendorp won a pair of district titles and placed second in one event in the boys’ 13-14 division.His championships came in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. Van Middendorp finished second in the standing long jump.Bass placed second in three events as a member of the boys’ 9-10 division.Bass finished second in the 50- and 100-meter dashes, and the softball throw.Dustin Verhey and Brent Kramer earned places without advancing to state in the boys 13-14 division.Verhey placed fourth in the 1,600-meter run and fifth in the 800-meter run. Kramer placed fifth in the 1,600.Isaac Tilstra and Dylan Gehrke competed without placing in Pipestone.Ryana Sandoval placed third in the girls’ 13-14 division of the 1,600-meter run.Whitney Wilgenburg placed fourth in the girls’ 11-12 division of the 800-meter run, and ran a leg for H-BC’s 400-meter relay, which finished fourth in the same division. Heather Hensel, Heather Esselink and Brooke Tilstra are the other members of the team.Kelsey McGuire competed without placing in Pipestone.

By John RittenhouseZach Wysong has played a big part in a 4-0 start for the Luverne American Legion baseball team this spring.Wysong, a Hills-Beaver Creek High School student, made a positive impact during road wins against Worthington and Pipestone and a home victory over Okabena since June 16.The H-BC athlete scored three runs and recorded one hit during a 5-1 win in Pipestone Tuesday.Wysong doubled with two outs and scored the team’s first run of the game moments later.He reached base on errors and scored runs in the fifth and seventh innings.Wysong played a solid game during Thursday’s 13-3 win over Okabena during Luverne’s home opener Tuesday.He slapped three hits in three official at bats offensively, and Wysong pitched all five innings to get the win.Wysong yielded three walks and three hits during a seven-strikeout effort that led to his first pitching victory of the season.Wysong had a productive offensive day during a 14-5 victory in Worthington Wednesday, June 16.He went 2-4 at the plate, scoring one run and picking up two RBIs.Wysong delivered RBI singles in the fifth and seventh innings against the Trojans.The 4-0 Cardinals host Fulda tonight before playing at the Jackson Tournament Saturday and Sunday.

By John RittenhouseThe Hills Town fast-pitch softball team put together a three-game winning streak in Border League play.The team posted recent wins over Lester (Iowa), Hardwick and Beaver Creek.Matt Metzger’s three-run triple ignited a seven-run third inning, which set the stage to a 12-2 victory against Lester.Blake Wysong and Pete Gehrke contributed three hits each to the winning cause. Greg Van Wyhe drove in three runs with a single, a double and a bases-loaded walk.Dan Huisman tossed a? four-hitter and surrendered two unearned runs to get the win against Lester.Clutch pitching by Tim Bosch lifted Hills to a 2-1 victory against Hardwick. Bosch, who yielded nine hits, worked out of jams with the help of six strikeouts to nail down the win.Hills, which was limited to four hits by Hardwick pitcher Derek Fiekema, received a one-out homer from Van Wyhe in the seventh inning to seal the win.Chuck Hoffman and Huisman tossed a combined five-hit shutout during a 1-0 win over Beaver Creek. The Hills’ hurlers fanned a combined 10 batters.Hills plated one unearned run in the first inning against Beaver Creek pitcher Chad Rauk.Who’s hot for Hills?Tyson Metzger, Bosch and Gehrke.Metzger is hitting .400 and leads the team with six hits. Gehrke is hitting .417 and shares the team lead in RBIs (four) with Bosch. Bosch sports a 1-0 pitching record with a 0.00 ERA.Who’s not hot?Hills’ batters.The team has been limited five hits and three runs in the last two games.

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne American Legion baseball team ran its record to 4-0 by reeling off three wins since Wednesday, June 16.The Cardinals posted a nine-run win in Worthington June 16 before besting Okabena by 10 runs in their home opener Thursday. Luverne remained unbeaten with a five-run victory in Pipestone Tuesday.Luverne hosts Slayton tonight before playing at the Jackson Tournament Saturday and Sunday.Luverne 6, Pipestone 1The Cardinals nailed down their fourth straight victory when they prevailed by five runs in Pipestone Tuesday.Jared Pick and J.T. Bruynes combined efforts on the mound to limit the hosts to one run. Adam Reisch had a solid night at the plate for the winners, slapping three hits and driving in two runs.Both teams scored one run in the first inning before Luverne moved in front to stay (2-1) when Reisch singled and scored on Seth Goembel’s RBI double in the top of the second.Pick and Zach Wysong scored runs on errors to make it a 4-1 game in the third inning.Reisch capped the scoring with RBI singles in the fifth and seventh innings. Adam Kurtz reached base on an error in the fifth and Wysong reached on an error in the seventh before scoring on Reisch’s singles.Pick tossed the first four innings and picked up the win. Bruynes blanked Pipestone over the final three frames to earn a save.Box score AB R H BIGraphenteen 4 0 0 0Johnson 0 0 0 0Pick 4 1 1 0Wysong 4 3 1 0Kurtz 4 1 1 1Remme 4 0 0 0Reisch 4 1 3 2Boen 4 0 1 0Fodness 3 0 1 0Goembel 2 0 1 1Bruynes 1 0 0 0Luverne 13, Okabena 3The Cardinals turned their home debut into a successful outing by beating Okabena by the 10-run rule in five innings.Zach Wysong pitched a complete game on the hill to get the win.Wysong’s teammates scored 10 runs in the first two innings to overcome a pair of two-run deficits early in the game.Okabena plated a pair of runs in the top of the first inning before Luverne got one run back in the bottom of the frame on a RBI ground out by Adam Kurtz.The visitors added another run in the top of the second to sport a 3-1 lead before Luverne scored nine runs in the bottom of the second to take control of the game.Rob Fodness slapped a pair of RBI singles in the second, while Adam Reisch, Kurtz and Seth Goembel added one RBI single each. Tim Boen chipped in a sacrifice fly to the rally, which ended with the Cards sporting a 10-3 advantage.Luverne iced the win by scoring one run in the fourth inning and two in the fifth.Boen walked and scored in the fourth on J.T. Bruynes’ sacrifice fly. Reisch delivered a RBI single before scoring the final run of the game on a passed ball in the fifth.Wysong fanned seven batters in five innings. He walked three players and surrendered three hits.Box score AB R H BIGraphenteen 3 1 1 0Johnson 0 1 0 0Reisch 4 3 3 2Wysong 3 1 3 0Kurtz 3 1 1 2Remme 3 1 1 0Boen 1 2 1 0Fodness 3 2 2 2Bruynes 1 0 0 1Goembel 3 1 1 1Luverne 14,Worthington 5The Cardinals notched their second win of the campaign by besting the Trojans in a nine-run game played in Worthington Wednesday, June 16.Goembel and Mark Remme drove in three runs each at the plate and Jared Pick tossed a complete game to lead the Cardinals to victory.Luverne assumed control of the game early by scoring three runs in the first inning and four in the third to open a 7-0 cushion.Remme and Boen slapped RBI singles during the three-run first inning. Gombel belted a three-run home run to highlight the four-run third.Worthington plated its first run in the bottom of the third, but the Cards answered with three runs in the top of the fourth to open a 10-1 lead.Remme and Reisch doubled home one run each in the fourth. Derek Johnson added a RBI with a fielder’s choice.Worthington went on to score three runs in the bottom of the fourth before adding one run in the sixth.Luverne padded its scoring total by plating one run in the fifth and three in the seventh.Taylor Graphenteen walked and scored the fifth-inning run when Wysong singled. Wysong singled home a run, Remme received a RBI for a ground out and Kurtz doubled before scoring on a passed ball in the seventh.Pick overcame eight walks and six hits during his seven-inning pitching stint with the help of five strikeouts. He allowed five earned runs.Box score AB R H BIGraphenteen 3 1 0 0Pick 4 2 1 0Wysong 4 1 2 2Kurtz 4 3 1 0Remme 5 2 2 3Reisch 5 2 2 1Boen 3 1 1 1Fodness 1 1 1 0Goembel 3 1 1 3

By John RittenhouseA pair of youth basketball teams from Adrian mixed it up with some of the state’s best squads during different tournaments at St. Benedict University in St. Joseph Saturday and Sunday.The Adrian eighth-grade girls’ squad competed in the Minnesota Invitational on Saturday.The seventh-grade girls’ team played in the Minnesota State Pacesetter Tournament on Sunday.The eighth-grade girls (some of the girls on the team are seventh-graders) formed one of four teams playing in the Minnesota Invitational on Saturday.Adrian qualified for the event by placing second at the Region 3 Pacesetter Tournament in Marshall April 10.The young Dragons defeated Wabasso, Hancock and Willmar (in two overtimes) before falling to Marshall in the region championship game.All four eighth-grade teams played three pool games (16-minute halves) on Saturday, and the results of pool competition were used to seed the teams for 32-minute games in the tournament.Adrian lost its first two pool games by scores of 21-18 and 6-5 to Kingsland and New London-Spicer respectively. The Dragons earned the third seed for the tournament by defeating Lake Park-Audubon 17-11 in the pool finale.With Sam Lynn scoring 14 points to lead the way, Adrian avenged its pool loss to NL-S by upsetting the second seed 33-22 in the semifinals.The win sent Adrian to the championship game, where it lost a 32-23 decision to Kingsland. Kayla Bullerman netted eight points to lead the Dragons in the title tilt.Adrian, which has compiled a 32-11 record since last December, will play two more tournaments this summer before its season is complete.The seventh-grade girls went 1-2 and placed seventh in an eight-team field at the Minnesota State Pacesetter Tournament in St. Joseph on Sunday.Adrian qualified for the tournament by winning the Region 3 Tournament in Marshall April 17.The Dragons disposed of Worthington, Morris, Chokio-Alberta and Marshall in the region attraction.Adrian’s Kayla Wiertzema scored 10 points in Sunday’s state opener against Detroit Lakes, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Dragons from dropping a 31-24 decision.Rochester Lourdes topped Adrian 31-15 in the first round of consolation play. Erica Thier scored eight points to lead the Dragons in the loss.Adrian secured a 32-18 victory over Esko in the game for seventh- and eighth-place. Sam Lynn, Thier and Wiertzema scored 11, 10 and nine points respectively in the finale.The seventh-graders finish the campaign with a 31-3 record.

By John RittenhouseEight Luverne area athletes earned berths in the Minnesota State Hershey’s Track and Field Meet during district competition in Pipestone Saturday.Twelve local athletes participated in the District 11 Meet in Pipestone, and eight moved on by placing first or second in their events.Paige Nath and Paige Olson qualified for the state meet, which will be staged in Owatonna July 10, in three events each.Competing in the 9-10 age division, Nath won district titles in the standing long jump, 50- and 100-meter dashes.Olson won the softball throw and placed second in the 100- and 200-meter dashes in the 13-14 division.Hayden Bauman won district championships in the boys’ 9-10 division 50- and 100-meter dashes.Kayla Raddle took top honors in the 1,600-meter run in the girls’ 13-14 division, and Abby Elbers won the 13-14 division title in the standing long jump.Luverne also fielded the championship relay team in the girls’ 13-14 division. Sydney Bosshart, Alyssa Stegenga, Sarah Schneekloth and Abby Elbers formed the team.Schneekloth (third in the softball throw) and Elbers (third in the 200) placed in individual events in the 13-14 division without advancing to the state meet. Salinda Fletcher finished fourth in the girls’ 11-12 400-meteter dash.Blake Stegenga, Devin Nelson and Sadie Fletcher competed at the district meet without placing.

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne Redbirds went 2-1 without placing at the Miller Lite Invitational Amateur Baseball Tournament in Arlington and Green Isle over the weekend.The Redbirds posted two-run wins over Watkins and Fairfax Friday and Saturday respectively. Luverne was eliminated from the 16-team event without placing after losing a six-run game to Essig Sunday.Luverne ended the weekend with a 6-2 record. The Redbirds host Truman at 3 p.m. Sunday before playing a 7:30 p.m. game in Jackson.Essig 10, Luverne 4The Redbirds bowed out of the tournament after taking a six-run setback from Essig in Arlington Sunday.Essig scored nine runs in the first four innings of the game and the Redbirds were unable to climb out of the early hole.Luverne did trail by one (3-2) when Tony Sandbulte singled home a run and Eric Edstrom received a RBI for a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the second, but Essig scored two runs in the third and four in the fourth to open a 9-2 advantage that wasn’t seriously challenged.Jon Jarchow singled and scored on Jake Studer’s double in the bottom of the fourth to make the difference 9-3.Essig plated a run in the top of the sixth to lead 10-3 before Luverne capped the scoring when Jarchow singled and scored on an error in the bottom of the sixth.Edstrom worked all seven innings on the mound and took the loss. He surrendered eight earned runs and six walks during a three-strikeout effort.Box score AB R H BIBoen 4 1 2 0Sandbulte 3 0 1 1Schmidt 1 0 0 0Edstrom 2 0 0 1Shelton 1 0 0 0Winkels 1 0 0 0Goebel 3 0 0 0Jarchow 3 2 2 0Studer 3 0 2 1Fisher 3 0 0 0Nath 2 1 0 0Iveland 2 0 0 0Luverne 5, Fairfax 3The Redbirds posted their second win of the tournament when they topped Fairfax by two runs in Green Isle Saturday.Luverne fell behind 2-0 in the top of the first inning, but the Redbirds outscored Fairfax 5-1 the rest of the game to advance in the winner’s bracket.The Redbirds rallied from a 2-0 hole by scoring one run in the bottom of the first and three in the second to gain a 4-2 cushion.Mike Boen reached base on an error and scored in the first when Ben Winkels singled. Luke Iveland singled home two runs and Boen added an RBI double during the second inning.Fairfax trimmed the difference to one run (4-3) in the top of the third before Luverne capped the scoring with a counter in the bottom of the same inning.Jarchow walked and scored the insurance run when Jesse Kuhlman singled.Kuhlman tossed the first six innings to pick up the win. He fanned four batters, walked four and surrendered three earned runs. Boen recorded three strikeouts in the seventh inning to register a save.Box score AB R H BIBoen 4 1 2 1Sandbulte 2 0 1 0Edstrom 3 0 0 0Winkels 3 0 1 1Jarchow 2 1 0 0Studer 1 1 0 0Fisher 1 1 0 0Kuhlman 2 0 1 1Iveland 3 1 1 2Luverne 2, Watkins 0A strong pitching performance by Jarchow carried the Redbirds to a two-run victory over Watkins during the tournament opener in Arlington Friday.Jarchow blanked Watkins through seven innings, striking out 11 batters and allowing four hits.Luverne, which was limited to one hit in the game, scored the only runs of the contest in the bottom of the sixth.Joel Nath walked, advanced to second base when James Fisher grounded out, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Iveland and scored the first run on a wild pitch.Boen walked, stole second and scored on a single by Tony Sandbulte as the inning progressed.Box score AB R H BIBoen 2 1 0 0Sandbulte 3 0 1 1Edstrom 3 0 0 0Winkels 3 0 0 0Jarchow 2 0 0 0Studer 2 0 0 0Nath 1 1 0 0Fisher 2 0 0 0Iveland 1 0 0 0

By John RittenhouseThe Adrian Dragons were unable to record a victory during their second appearance at the Minnesota State Class A Baseball Tournament in the past three years Thursday.The Dragons dropped a heart-breaking, 6-5 decision to eventual tournament runner up New York Mills in the quarterfinals.Adrian then lost a 9-4 game to eventual consolation champion Mayer Lutheran in the first round of consolation play.The Dragons end the season with an 18-9 record.ML 9, Adrian 4The Dragons bowed out of the state classic after dropping a five-run decision to Mayer Lutheran during a consolation game played in Jordan Thursday.The teams exchanged three-run rallies in the game’s first inning, but the Crusaders outscored AHS 6-1 the rest of the way to advance to the consolation finals.It looked like the contest would be a high-scoring one when the teams plated a combined six runs in the first inning.ML opened the scoring in the top of the first, taking a 3-0 lead with a fielder’s choice for an RBI from Chris Schaefer, a double-steal that ended with Jon Schwartz scoring and Neil Willmsen slapping an RBI single.Adrian answered with a three-run rally in the bottom of the first that started with Cody Kontz slapping a single and Tyler Wold sending Kontz to third with a double. Levi Bullerman singled home Kontz before Brandon Wolf delivered a two-run double to knot the score at three.Neither team could produce a run in the second inning, but ML scored one run in the third, three in the fourth and two in the fifth to open a commanding 9-3 advantage.Nic Haller, one of two Crusaders to slap a pair of hits in the game, singled and scored the go-ahead run in the third when Matt Bruers grounded out.Haller belted a three-run homer to make it a 7-3 game in the fourth. Bruers singled and scored on an error and Jared Duske was hit by a pitch and scored on a wild pitch when ML increased its lead to 9-3 in the fifth.Adrian scored its final run of the season in the bottom of the fifth when Tyler Wolf connected for a solo homerun to left field.David Hoffer pitched the first four and two-thirds innings for Adrian. He took the loss after surrendering 10 hits, nine runs (seven were earned) and three walks. Brandon Diekmann tossed two and one-third innings of hitless, scoreless relief. Diekmann walked two batters.Box score AB R H BIKontz 3 1 1 0T.Wolf 4 2 2 1Bullerman 3 1 2 1B.Wolf 4 0 1 2Kruger 2 0 0 0Diekmann 3 0 0 0Hoffer 3 0 0 0Lutmer 3 0 0 0Tjepkes 3 0 1 0NYM 6, Adrian 5The Dragons opened the tournament by dropping a one-run decision to New York Mills during Thursday’s quarterfinals in Chaska.The game was tight from beginning to end, but the Lakers were able to fight off a late challenge by Adrian to advance into the tournament’s semifinals.Adrian drew first blood in the contest by scoring two runs in the bottom half of the second inning.Brandon Wolf, who led all players in the game with three hits, singled to start the second inning for AHS. When Glen Kruger followed Wolf’s hit with a single, Wolf drew a throw as he dashed to third base that was wild. Wolf scored on the wild throw, and Kruger advanced to second base.Diekmann then doubled high off the right-field fence to plate Kruger. Diekmann advanced to third base on an error, but he was stranded at third at innings end.Adrian’s lead didn’t last long as NYM scored three runs in the top of the third inning before adding two more in the fourth to gain a 5-2 advantage.The Lakers loaded the sacks in the fourth with a one-out single by Tim Wegscheid, Jeramie Willer being hit by a pitch and Brent Weller drawing a walk. Dustin Geiser then hit a chopper that was fielded by AHS third baseman Will Lutmer, but his throw to the plate was never caught by Bullerman, Adrian’s catcher. Bullerman was charged with an error as the play progressed, and two runs scored to tie the game.NYM’s David Klinnert slapped a RBI single before the third inning was complete, giving the Lakers a 3-2 edge.The Lakers loaded the bases with one out in the fourth with Davin Wait drawing a walk, Wegscheid slapping a single and Jeramie Weller reaching base on an error. Brent Weller drew a walk to force home Wait, and Wegscheid scored when Geiser reached base on a fielder’s choice to make it 5-2.Adrian climbed back into the game by scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth.Hoffer ignited the rally with a one-out single before advancing to second on a ground out by Lutmer. Brent Tjepkes doubled home Lutmer and scored on a single by Kontz to trim the difference to one run at 5-4.The Lakers plated what proved to be an important insurance run when Brent Weller singled with one out in the sixth and scored on a two-out double from Jake Hendrickx.Adrian’s Brandon Wolf cut the lead in half (6-5) when he homered to left in the bottom of the seventh, but the next two AHS batters were retired to end the game.Tyler Wolf worked all seven innings on the mound for AHS. He allowed eight hits, six runs (four were earned) and five walks.Geiser pitched all seven innings for NYM. He surrendered 11 hits, five earned runs and one walk.Box score AB R H BIKontz 4 0 2 1T.Wolf 4 0 0 0Bullerman 3 0 0 0B.Wolf 4 2 3 1Kruger 4 1 2 0Diekmann 4 0 2 1Weidert 0 0 0 0Hoffer 3 1 1 0Lutmer 3 0 0 0Tjepkes 3 1 1 1