Lois Marie Nelson, 92, Hills, died Monday, Dec. 13, 2021, at Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
A memorial service was at 11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 20, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Hills. Inurnment followed at the Flowerfield Cemetery near Hills.
Lois Oleson was born on Jan. 2, 1929, in Ottumwa, Iowa, to Calvin and Irene (Bishop) Oleson. When she was young, her family moved to Brookings, South Dakota, and she graduated from Brookings High School. She continued her education at South Dakota State University (SDSU), earning her bachelor’s degree in chemistry, with a minor in music, where she learned how to play the French horn. She continued graduate school at SDSU at Brookings, Mankato State University and Augustana College.
Lois married Raymond Nelson on June 10, 1951, in Hills. She was a high school teacher for many years as a choir director and science teacher. She was a member of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Hills and was active in many church organizations. She also was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary #339 and the Mortar Board Honor Society. She played the French horn for several years with Sioux Falls Municipal Band and Augustana College Community Band. Most recently she served as the treasurer for the Flowerfield Cemetery Association.
Lois enjoyed swimming, aerobics, playing in bands, yard and flower gardening, walking, reading and sewing. She especially enjoyed playing French horn and volunteering for community activities.
On Feb. 28, 2010, Lois’s husband, Raymond, died. She remained active with the cemetery duties and community events. 
She is survived by her three children, Bruce Nelson of Brooklyn Center; Vicki Nelson of Mankato, and Gail (Rodney) Arendsen of Charleston, South Carolina; a brother, Robert (Bonnie) Oleson of Waconia; and many nieces, nephews and other extended family.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Raymond Nelson; and a sister, Dorothy Gosmire.
Arrangements were provided by Jurrens Funeral Home of Hills, www.jurrensfuneralhome.com
 (1223 F)

This is a year much like last in that there are more hunters afield later into the season than normal. If Mother Nature delivers like she normally does, there are only a few diehards still chasing what by now are the smartest remaining roosters in the state.
This year and last year were very different. This is my hypothesis as to why. In a normal year there are thousands of bird hunters crisscrossing the state in the pursuit of roosters.
This is common for about the first three weeks of the season, and then these bird hunters hang up the shot gun and pick up a deer rifle and muzzleloader for roughly three weeks before moving on to ice fishing.
This transition between different seasons reduces bird hunters by large numbers. This year like the last one, when the deer hunting season ended, there was no ice to stand on.
Twenty years ago I would ice fish three out of every five years on the Friday after Thanksgiving. I have not been able to fish in my favorite spot on that day for the past five years.
So, with no ice to support local anglers and very temperate weather, those same folks keep chasing roosters, which requires a change of tactics.
With mild temperatures and the increased late season hunting pressure, the birds move from public hunting acres to nearby marginal habitats that can support birds in mild weather.
As encounters between the smart survivors increase, the birds also stay out later than they normally would, filling their crops with food, roosting in cover at sunset. When there is little snow and mild temperatures, they do not need dense cover to provide them protection from the elements nearly as much.
What I have seen on almost all public lands with higher than normal hunting pressure is that the birds will not move back into a habitat area where hunters can encounter them until way after the legal shooting time which is sunset.
I normally sit on the tailgate of my dog truck for about a half hour when I am done hunting. I watch the last of the sunset and enjoy a few moments with the dogs at my feet inhaling my favorite outdoor experience.
If there is a bird in the vest, all the better, but successful or not, I take those 30 minutes to enjoy what non-outdoor folks never experience. There might even be a beer in that picture.
As I head for home right at or a little after dark, in the headlights of the truck I very often see pheasants returning to the cover. They stay out far later than legal shooting time and thus my spot might be filled with birds an hour after I left.
No matter how accomplished a bird hunter you might be, there is no way to overcome this obstacle.
If you can get permission on the private lands that are nearby, you might be able to harvest those birds from those private spots. This is by no means automatic.
I did just this on a nearby private spot new to me about two weeks ago. The landowner said “yes” when I asked, and I put to use all of the experience I had to make a successful walk.
I zigzagged the cover and knew the birds were running ahead of me. I finally pinched them into the corner and as I neared the end, they all busted out about 80 yards ahead of me – six roosters and nine hens.
To top off the night, my youngest dog, Ghost, was severely injured when he contacted a galvanized tile outlet pipe covered in reed canary grass. Another quarter inch and we would have been doing tendon reattachment surgery. Luckily, he is set to make a full recovery.
The spot they were in did not have dense cover and they just would not hold – the challenge of every late-season bird.
Every one is a trophy and all require extra effort. There are some hunters who are still shooting limits occasionally, but they are hunting on unpressured spots and these are not public lands.
I have always said the difference between a good day and a bad day is a good spot. Every day walking behind a squad of four finely tuned Labradors is a great day. Too bad there are only a few days left.
 
Scott Rall, Worthington, is a habitat conservationist, avid hunting and fishing enthusiast and is president of Nobles County Pheasants Forever. He can be reached at scottarall@gmail.com. or on Twitter @habitat champion.

Hills-Beaver Creek essay writer Jenifer Martinyuk earned a $100 prize for her winning entry in the Voice of Democracy VFW District writing contest.
Martinyuk’s essay, “America’s Gift to My Generation Is Pride,” was first in the local VFW contest, which qualified her for the district level competition.
 
‘America's Gift to My Generation Is Pride’
By Jenifer Martinyuk
Have you ever thought about the accomplishments that our country has made? The people we’ve lost? The hardships we went through? Our country has been through so much and look how everything turned out. Just thinking about all the accomplishments gives me pride.
This country gave me the gift of pride. This country has had many people serve and give their lives. This country has freedom. Here we are safe. This is America.
America is so great, it is so free, because of the leaders and people who have helped. The
people in our country yet to this day still help make our country a better place. Even 200 years ago, there were great people striving, giving their lives to make America great. In 1775 the American Revolution started. The American Revolution is what made our country indivisible.
America represents many great things, and the people in our country made that happen by working together as one.
In the lyrics of the American National Anthem, it states, “O’er the land of the free, and home of the brave.” America is free. Americans are free to vote, free to get an education, to do even little things as in driving. America is a free country where men and women are treated equally. Our National Anthem and our flag both have a part in our beloved country’s freedom.
America is safe. America is safe due to our strong economic nation and our national security partnerships around the world. In the American Constitution, it states that America will “provide for the common defense.” Both our President and Congress have great responsibilities for this field. Our country is very educated and will always look for ways to solve problems without causing conflict. Being safe is definitely one of the most important things America cares about.
This country gave me the gift of pride. Many people in this country have either served or lost someone who has served for our country. Every day we thank them for caring, giving us freedom, and keeping us safe. Have you thought about our country? What America stands for?
The people who helped make America great? Thank you, veterans, thank you, leaders, thank you people for giving me pride. Bless this indivisible nation under God, with liberty and justice for all.
 
Second- and third-place Voice of Democracy essays were submitted by H-BC’s Britton McKenzie and Leif Tollefson, respectively.
The VFW essay writing contest included a middle school competition, The Patriot’s Pen. H-BC writers Olivia Deelstra, Hadley Spath and Hailey Moser won first-, second- and third-place honors respectively. Deelstra’s first-place local essay follows here:
 
‘How to Be a Good American’
By Olivia Deelstra
I am glad to be an American, but I wonder if I am a good American all the time. I want to challenge myself to be a better American, but how do I do this? One way I can be a good American is doing the right thing even when it’s hard to do. One thing I can do is stand for the flag that so many of our veterans died for.
Our veterans had to do the right thing even when it was hard. For example, fighting in the war, losing their lives, and being separated from their families. Putting my hand over my heart is not much of a sacrifice but it’s the least I can do to be a good American.
I am proud to be an American by showing respect for soldiers and thanking them for their service. I can’t thank them personally every single day, but I can thank them by using the freedoms they gave me to honor them. For example, I can use my freedom of speech to show thanks and express respect to my teachers who give me my free education. I can use my freedom of religion to pray to God for protection of the soldiers and my country. Respecting the freedom of our veterans is the perfect way to be a good American.
In order to be a good American, we need to make sure that we take care of our country that our veterans fought for. In the past few years many Americans have broken, burned and destroyed buildings and structures that our fellow Americans have built. By doing this, we are showing disrespect for our veterans and our country.
Instead of burning down buildings and being mad at each other because of our different opinions, we can be better Americans by respecting others’ opinions and honoring our veterans and our country.
Doing the right thing when no one is looking and showing respect for our country is being a good American. Every day we have the opportunity to be a good American by putting your hand over your heart, using your freedom of speech to spread kindness, and making sure to honor and respect our veterans. If we do all these things, we can be a good American and live peacefully in the United States of America.
 
Established in 1947, the Voice of Democracy essay program provides high school students with the opportunity to enter a democratic and patriotic-themed essay for a chance to win scholarship money. The first place national writer is awarded a $30,000.
The Patriot’s Pen essay contest encourages middle school students to share their views on America’s history, along with their own experiences in modern American society.
The top three winning essays in the Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen contests are:
 
Hadley Spath
How to be a good American
As a 13-year-old American girl, I know that I have endless opportunities to make my country proud. Each and every one of us has different ways of showing and proving how to be good Americans.
People will show how to be a good American by what they believe is important. My parents taught me to support our military, show pride in where I come from, and honor who sacrificed and died for my freedom. These three values have helped me to develop into what I believe is a good American.
I know I will never be able to thank the military enough for what they have done for us, but I do know that I can show them support by honoring those who have died while fighting for our freedom. I can show support by saying thank you to our veterans, celebrating Veterans Day, and acknowledge all they’ve done for our country. In my opinion, veterans do not get the attention and thanks they deserve for their service, because they are the reason that our country is the land of the free.
I am proud to be an American, so showing pride in our country is extremely important. We can hang the flag in our front yard to show that we are proud to represent the red, white, and blue. My favorite way to show my pride for my country is to celebrate the Fourth of July. Whenever I see the fireworks go off, I feel a sense of honor and pride knowing that our veterans gave us this amazing country. It reminds me that freedom didn’t come without a price. We should be happy for all the freedom we have, because the veterans gave us that freedom when they were fighting. We should always show pride in our country, because we have the most freedom out of all the countries.
Lastly, it is absolutely crucial that we honor the people that sacrificed and died for our freedom.
Standing for the flag, and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance is the simplest way we can honor our veterans. Doing this shows our veterans that we care and that we remember. We remember their sacrifice and the freedom they’ve given us. I will never want to stop supporting the military, showing pride, and honor who sacrificed and died for our freedom.
By Haily Moser
I am definitely proud to be an American, but is everyone? When I think about being a good American, a couple things stand out to me: honoring the flag and all the differences we have, supporting our people who fight for our freedom, and being united in race and gender. Everyone can say they're a good American, but the challenge is to prove it. To me these things are important because they are actions, and actions always speak louder than words.
The flag resembles those who served and died fighting for our freedom. It's important to honor and respect the flag. Since June 14, 1777 we have been honoring the flag and still continue to. On that day the Continental Congress approved the nation's flag. Soon after that president Harry Truman signed it into law, that June 14 was national flag day. It's important to remember that our flag stands for our freedom.
Soldiers that are fighting for our freedom deserve our support, honor, and respect. They are fighting to protect our nation and freedoms. Today about 20 veterans commit suicide a day and about 30,177 this year because of the traumatic things they saw and had to do in wars fighting for us. In Afghanistan 13 soldiers died in a bombing attack at the Kabul airport, allowing 117,000 people to get to safety. Our soldiers go through more than we could ever imagine, and deserve our respect and support.
In our free country we have many differences which is an honor. Some countries only allow one kind of race and only one belief, that's what makes America so great. In today's world we have over 10 different races in America and a bunch of different beliefs. Everyone should be really grateful for our soldiers, because they are the ones who gave us these incredible freedoms. Honoring and respecting our diversity is an action we can all take to be a good American.
It is clear that actions speak louder than words and if we all work together, we can make America even more great. Being a good American can mean different things to everyone but the most important thing to me is being thankful for the great and free country we have today. It's important to remember the journey of how we got this free country and who all went down fighting for it.
By Britton McKenzie
History class is full of dates of different tragedies, wars, and catastrophes. Though there
is one year in history that gives a more exclusive message of unity and freedom, 1776. Ask just about any American citizen and this date is instantly recognizable as our country's birth year. The year our founding fathers stood their ground against a world superpower in the name of their freedoms. We have come so far throughout the last 245 years. As a country we have been through civil war, division, economic ruin, and several civil rights movements. As we stand looking over our downfalls and accomplishments we have to ask ourselves, what now.
As a nation we need to act so that we can fix the rift in our country, to prepare for the worst, and hope for the best. We should all try to be more considerate and accepting toward people, thoughts, and opportunities. This could let new partnerships blossom and then true change can happen. Although change is inevitable we must hold onto what makes America,
America, and defend that at all costs. The future is uncertain and we must make sure we are built to withstand it. The accomplishment of these goals will lead to the continued existence of our way of life as the founding fathers would have wanted.
In modern day America most of us are quite closed off from opportunities because of political reasons. We need to be more open and accepting towards other thoughts and people.
This ideology can bring us together and help end the widespread division that has not plagued us since the times of the Civil War. Lincoln once said that I'm a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn't have the heart to let him down. With just a small amount of kindness we can lift up our fellow countrymen and women. Working together to build the American utopia the founding fathers envisioned back in 1776. Although this task seems insurmountable, as Americans we all have the same basic ideals that we can rally behind. We all love freedom. Despite our differences, we need to be ready to open our hearts and work with others to propel us towards the future. Even though we will be united, that doesn't mean our job as Americans will cease.
We must be ready to defend our freedoms and our country. This country was founded on freedom of speech and religion. If those freedoms are to be lost then we will lose the soul of our nation. Out of all of our ideals democracy is at the heart. The second that we lose our right to vote is the second that we lose America. The battle to maintain those rights are ongoing and must prevail. In the most extreme conditions we must defend our rights with the military. In those scenarios there will be heroes who stand up and fight for our freedoms. We need to make sure that we stand by to support the military and those who are and are not active duty. The freedoms of Americans are inviolable and must be protected. Once the state of our nation is secured we will have to look towards the future.
America needs to make sure that we are ready to face the next disaster. As a nation we
have been crippled by the covid 19 pandemic. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have lost their lives and millions lost their jobs. This is not the first time we have been hurt by disasters, and we need to be ready to react so that we can save lives. Between hurricanes, viruses, earthquakes, fires, and more we should make emergency precautions to save the lives of countless Americans. Not to mention there are man-made emergencies such as war and missiles.
Most important of all we need to prepare the next generation, for they will be the backbone of our society. Their minds are malleable and must be taught correctly and must have the materials to succeed that way they can lead not just themselves but future generations into a better tomorrow. With their help we can achieve almost anything.
America is one of the greatest countries without a doubt. With the help of one another we
can make America the best country. We need to work together with not just ourselves but the rest of the nations of the world. While we unite we will keep our nation at heart and in mind by
staying free, and using our freedom to better ourselves and the America of tomorrow. These
goals will make America the greatest country ever. The type of country that makes the founding
fathers proud. The type of country that may one day live up to the precedent of 1776.
By Leif Tollefson
When a loved one dies accepting it can be hard, but eventually you have to. If you linger
in the past you will never grow, and you won’t ever move on, but that doesn’t mean that you
have to forget. Once you move on however, it’s hard to look back, and you are never the same.
Suddenly the things that you once held dear are dropped and forgotten. Then, eventually, you find new hobbies, meet more people, and you move on. In the same way, the history of the
United States is like losing a loved one.
Looking to the past to find answers is often times the best strategy to overcome a difficult
situation. In the past the United States has been bonded in the iron-grip strength of kinship. On
the other end of the spectrum the United States has been as far apart as the Earth from the Sun. If we are to move forward we need to realize that sometimes our life isn’t going as well as we’d like it to, and there’s strength in realizing your flaws.
In the past the United States has been a pillar of liberty and freedom, and we still are.
However other countries have adopted our philosophies and freedoms and we are no longer as far ahead. To be as great as we can be, we need to introduce better policies that will help us move back to center stage in the world theater. Sometimes to move on, you need to understand that you can’t remain stuck in the past, and you can’t linger on less important matters.
You may be wondering; how can we grab the spotlight on the world theater? To answer
this question I think of something that my mom always says to me; “Be a problem solver, not a
problem finder.” This means that you should solve problems rather than just notice them and
complain. I feel like this doesn’t just apply to the US, but also the entire world. Most countries
have acknowledged that climate change is a problem, but hardly anyone is doing anything about it. There are a myriad of other problems that have yet to be addressed, such as more efficient energy sources other than fossil fuels, which are very abundant, but eventually they will run out.
To move on you have to actually make an effort, you can’t just sit and wallow in your sadness, but sometimes it’s difficult to solve problems all by yourself. You need the help of others. That’s what makes our nation so great, we are united. It’s difficult to move on if you never make an attempt.
The US is far from perfect, but who’s to say we can’t try our hardest to reach perfection.
The US was built on the backs of people who were striving for perfection, and many people were lost along the way. Moving on from tremendous loss can be difficult, but it is necessary to grow and expand to new horizons. It’s also important to not forget where you came from as well. The United States has always been a land of opportunity, and a pillar of liberty and freedom, but lately we’ve been falling apart and we should be coming together. I hope that in the future, we can become, just like our name suggests, united.

The Luverne boys’ hockey team went 2-1 this week and moved their season record to 5-1.
The Cardinals beat Windom 5-2 on Tuesday, Dec. 14, and Worthington 6-3 Thursday, Dec. 16, in conference home games before losing to Rochester Lourdes 4-0 Saturday at the Blue Mound Ice Arena.
The Cardinals go on the road to play Two Rivers Wednesday, Dec. 22, in West St. Paul and then host Rochester for their holiday tournament starting Dec. 28.
 
Luverne 5, Windom 2
The Cardinals welcomed conference foe Windom to the BMIA Tuesday night, Dec. 14.
 The Windom Eagles struck first seven minutes into the game, and the score remained 1-0 through the first period after both teams had scoring opportunities.
Shots on goal in the first period were nearly equal with Luverne at a slight advantage at 12-11.
The second period saw only one goal, this one from Luverne, to tie the game. Brady Bork beat Windom’s goalie Dan Stubbe with 2:30 left in the second period with assists going to Brock Behrend and Patrick Kroski.
Luverne goalie Tyler Arends had seven big saves in the period. Shots on goal were 14-7 in favor of the Cardinals.
The final period started with Behrend giving the Cardinals a 2-1 lead four minutes in.
Windom tied the game at 2 with six minutes left in the game.
Luverne battled back with Kroski beating Stubbe at 11:48 in the third to take a big 3-2 lead.
Luverne senior Zach Kruse gave the hometown Cardinals a 2-goal cushion when he found the back of the net with four minutes remaining in the contest.
Kroski then got his second goal of the game on an assist from fellow sophomore defenseman Henry Hartquist to give the Cardinals a 5-2 lead, and that’s how it ended.
Arends finished with 24 saves in the game. Luverne had a 38-26 advantage in shots on goal.
 
Luverne 6, Worthington 3
The Worthington Trojans came to Luverne Thursday night, Dec. 16, for a matchup at the Blue Mound Ice Arena in front of a packed house of Cardinals and Trojan fans.
Midway through the first period Worthington was blown for a roughing call that sent the Cardinals on the power play.
Elliot Domagala found line mate Patrick Kroski who beat Worthington goalie Steven Adams to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.
Two minutes later it was Kroski and Domagala again, with Kroski getting his second of the game and giving the Cardinals a two-goal lead heading into the period break.
Tyler Arends had 11 saves for the Cardinals, and both teams had 11 shots on goal for the period.
Luverne scored three unanswered goals in the second period. Domagala crashed the net hard and got the rebound off Kroski’s wrister to make it 3-0 for the Cardinals.
Worthington had opportunities when Luverne was called for back-to-back penalties that gave the Trojans a 5-on-3 advantage.
After a flurry of shots, Arends stood tall and Luverne shook off the penalties with more momentum.
With just under five minutes left in the period Luverne’s Brock Behrend found a streaking Owen Sudenga who dove and tapped the puck past Adams in an incredible hockey play to make it 4-0.
It was Sudenga again two minutes later when he received the puck from Kroski and blasted a wrister bar down to give the Cardinals a 5-0 lead after 2.
Arends had 13 saves in the period with the Cardinals having a 13-12 advantage in shots on goal.
Worthington finally got on the board five minutes into the third period to cut the deficit to 4 points, but 24 seconds later Blaik Bork scored on a pass from Kroski to bring Luverne’s lead back to 6-1.
Worthington got a couple more goals late in the third to bring the Trojans within three points, but it wasn’t enough as the Cardinals went on to win the contest 6-3.
Arends finished with 29 saves and Luverne won the shots on goal battle for the game 34-32.
 
Luverne 0, Rochester Lourdes 4
The Rochester Lourdes Eagles came to Luverne on Saturday for an afternoon tilt at the Blue Mound Ice Arena.
Rochester Lourdes scored the only goal in the first period, beating Luverne goalie Tyler Arends with 5:19 left in the period.
Arends made 23 saves in the first to keep the Cardinals in the game. Luverne had 9 shots on goal.
Rochester Lourdes took a 2-0 lead just 20 second into the second period.
Luverne had some chances but just couldn’t capitalize on them.
The Eagles scored again halfway through the second period to take a 3-0 lead at the BMIA. Rochester had a 16-8 shots on goal advantage for the second period.
The speed and positioning of the Eagles eliminated a lot of chances for the hometown Cardinals.
The Eagles scored the only third-period goal and handed Luverne its first loss of the season by a total of 4-0.
Final shots on goal for the game were Rochester Lourdes 54 and Luverne 23. Arends ended with 50 saves.

The Luverne Cardinals girls’ basketball team hosted the Redwood Valley Cardinals in the first game of a girl-boy doubleheader in Luverne Friday night.
The host Cardinals entered the game 5-0 and easily maintained their undefeated record with an impressive 87-28 victory over Redwood.
The Luverne offense put on a show in the first half, taking a 50-16 lead into halftime.
When the Luverne defense held Redwood Valley to only 12 points in the second half while scoring another 37 points in the
half themselves, the result was a lopsided win for the home team.
Luverne’s defense also held Redwood Valley to 31 percent shooting from the field and caused 39 turnovers in the contest.
Elizabeth Wagner led the impressive LHS offense with a season-high 36 points (16 of 17 field goals). She added nine rebounds and was credited with seven steals.
“We’re having a really fun season and are really getting into the flow of basketball,” Wagner said. “The last couple of games have felt really good and we have all had a blast.”
A total of 14 Cardinals played in the game, with 12 players scoring and 11 recording assists.
“The team does a really good job of sharing the ball and looking for scoring opportunities,” said Elizabeth Wagner, who had 27 points three nights earlier against Hills-Beaver Creek.
“I’m really grateful to have such an amazing team on and off the court."
Sophomore Sarah Stegenga totaled 14 points in the game, including three three-pointers. Emma Beyer added eight points and five assists.
Luverne was scheduled to play in Worthington Tuesday before a two-week break for the holidays.
 

Box Score
Christina Wagner 1 0 0-2 2, Beyer 1 2 0-0 8, Ver Steeg 2 0 0-2 4, Sehr 0 0 0-0 0, Elizabeth Wagner 16 0 4-10 36, Stegenga 1 4 0-0 14, Sandbulte 3 0 0-0 6, John 3 0 1-4 7, Smith 1 0 0-0 2, Serie 2 0 0-0 4, Voorhees 0 0 0-0 0, Hansen 2 0 0-0 4, Schmuck 0 0 0-0 0, Jadyn Hart 0 0 0-0 0
 
Team Statistics
Luverne: 38 of 72 (53 percent), 5 of 18 free throws (28 percent), 37 rebounds, 12 turnovers
Redwood: 11 of 36 (31 percent), 5 of 8 free throws (63 percent), 27 rebounds, 39 turnovers

The Cardinal wrestling team came home empty-handed after attending the Redwood River Riot Dec. 17-18.
The tournament is perhaps the toughest one the team will see this year with 32 teams present in Redwood, according to Luverne senior Braydon Ripka
“This weekend had some very good competition,” Ripka noted. “I went 2-2, which put me in the top 12 of the bracket, so I’m happy about that.”
Ripka posted the best performance of the tournament at 2-2 but just missed the medal rounds. 
After an initial bye, Ripka suffered a 19-3 technical fall to Bold’s Austin Kiecker. 
He rebounded with a 9-3 decision over NLS’s Adam Sandau before recording a 9-2 decision over STPE’s Taylen Travaille. 
Ripka needed one more win in order to secure a medal, but he fell short in an 8-2 to MAGR’s Max Johnson.  
Senior Noah Mehlhaff and freshman Jaden Reisch each recorded one win in the consolation bracket, rounding out the varsity wins.  
“I thought the team wrestled pretty well,” said head coach Jordan Kopp. “Ripka was one match away from placing.”
He mentioned that the younger wrestlers on junior varsity did their share.
“We did well with a second place, third place, and two fourth-place finishers on that side,” Kopp said. “The [varsity] team is very young and the JV side of the tournament also had some good competition. … The JV wrestlers had a good turnout, which is exciting to see.”
The Cardinals enter the holiday break and will travel to Garretson for a tournament on Jan. 8.
“We have about three weeks off until our next event. We are really going to focus on our technique, get some rest and heal up.” Kopp said.
“Next month things are really going to start to take off with a lot of our team events, and we need everyone to be healthy and up to speed.”

The Luverne girls’ basketball team remained undefeated on the season when they came out on top of the visiting Hills-Beaver Creek Patriots 74-41 Dec. 14.
Cardinal Emma Beyer started the scoring with a three pointer and Luverne maintained the lead the rest of the game.
The score was 42-19 at the intermission.
In the second half, Luverne added 32 more points while H-BC scored 22 in the second stanza.
Cardinal Elizabeth Wagner led all scorers with 27 points in the game. She added eight rebounds, four assists and five steals to her impressive stats.
Beyer tallied 12 points and four rebounds for Luverne.
Averill Sehr (five points, four assists and four steals), Christina Wagner (eight points) and Brooklynn Ver Steeg (four points, four rebounds and four steals) also had solid efforts for the Cardinals.
H-BC senior Kenadie Fick led the way for the Patriots. Fick scored ten points and recorded five rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Lanae Elbers scored eight points and pulled in seven rebounds while Mackenzie Voss tallied six rebounds in the game.
 
Luverne box score:
C. Wagner 1 1 3-4 8, Beyer 3 2 0-0 12, Ver Steeg 2 0 0-0 4, Sehr 2 1 0-0 5, E. Wagner 10 0 7-10 27, Stegenga 0 1 0-0 3, John 3 0 0-0 6, Smith 0 0 0-0 0, Serie 1 1 0-0 5, Voorhees 0 0 0-0 0, Bloemendaal 0 0 0-0 0, Hansen 1 0 0-0 2, Schmuck 1 0 0-0 2, Hart 0 0 0-0 0
 
H-BC box score:
Fick 3 0 4-6 10, Rauk 0 1 0-0 3, Deelstra 3 0 1-2 7, Voss 2 0 0-0 4, Bork 0 0 0-0 0, Steinhoff 1 1 1-6 6, Elbers 3 0 2-2 8, Moser 1 0 1-2 3
 
Team statistics:
Luverne: 29 of 65 (45 percent), 10 of 14 free throws (71 percent), 36 rebounds, 11 turnovers
 
HBC: 15 of 49 (31 percent), 9 of 18 free throws (50 percent), 36 rebounds, 26 turnovers

The Luverne boys’ basketball team picked up its first win of the season when it made the short trip to Hills for a game with Hills-Beaver Creek.
The Cardinals defeated their Rock County rivals, the  H-BC Patriots, 48-32 in the Tuesday, Dec. 14, contest.
The Patriots led the entire first half of the game, leading by as much as 10 points (18-8), and took a 20-16 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Luverne came out stronger in the second half and quickly narrowed the lead and then tied the game.
The two teams traded baskets until about 11 minutes remaining in the contest when the Cardinals took a 27-26 lead.
Luverne outscored the Patriots 21-5 the remainder of the game to earn the sixteen-point victory.
Casey Sehr led the Cardinals with 18 points, four rebounds and four assists.
Connor Overgaard had 13 points and six rebounds in the contest.
For the Patriots, senior Cole Baker scored 18 points and brought in four rebounds.
Andrew Harris scored five points and collected five rebounds.
Ty Bundesen and Liam Raymon recorded seven and six rebounds respectively.
 
Luverne box score:
Cole-Kraty  2 0 1-2 5, Schoeneman 0 0 0-0 0, Frahm 0 0 0-0 0, Sneller 0 0 0-0 0, Cowell 1 0 0-1 2, Sehr 8 0 2-4 18, Feit 0 0 1-2 1, Radtke 3 1 2-5 9, Friedrichsen 0 0 0-0 0, Connor Overgaard 6 0 1-7 13, Mounce 0 0 0-0 0, Arp 0 0 0-0 0
 
H-BC box score:
Baker 6 1 3-4 18, Raymon 1 0 0-0 2, Page 0 0 0-0 0, Leenderts 0 1 0-1 3, Bundesen 1 0 0-3 2, Metzger 0 0 0-0 0, Durst 1 0 0-0 2, Harris 2 0 1-6 5
 
Team statistics:
Luverne: 20 of 48 (42 percent), 7 of 21 free throws (33 percent), 35 rebounds, 15 turnovers
 
HBC: 13 of 42 (31 percent), 4 of 12 free throws (33 percent) 35 rebounds, 18 turnovers

Team depth was on display Dec. 16 as the Luverne High School gymnastics team earned a conference win against Pipestone Area High School in Pipestone.
Two of the LHS team’s varsity performers sat out the meet due to injury.
Freshman Amira Cowell, one of Luverne’s top all-around performers, and freshman teammate Hailey Como, also out for the Dec. 7 meet, did not compete against the Arrows.
Luverne squeaked out the win with a team score of 123.225 to 121.90, the lowest team score of the season.
Coach Phoebe Flom shuffled her normal team routine around in the win.
“Our saving grace was that Pipestone seemed to have the same situation going on that we did. They were absent people and did not have a good meet,” she said.
“We will be without both girls on Tuesday (Dec. 21), so we don’t have much time to prepare.”
In Pipestone, Luverne swept three of the four team events (vault 34.525, uneven bars 27.9, and floor exercise 32.150) by margins ranging from .2 to .9 of a point.
Pipestone won the balance beam by .4 by posting a score of 29.050.
Freshman Ella Reisdorfer won three of the four events along with capturing the individual all-around title with an accumulated score of 33.225.
Reisdorfer placed first on the vault (9.0), uneven bars (8.275) and balance beam (7.550). Pipestone Area’s Kaysa Douty took the floor exercise title with a score of 8.6.
Kianna Winter placed second to Reisdorfer with an 8.650 on the vault, third on floor exercise (8.225) and third in the all-around (29.925).
Sara DeCesare placed third on uneven bars (7.025) and third on balance beam (7.250).
 Addyson Mann rounded out Luverne’s top-four finishers by placing fourth in the all-around (28.150).
Pipestone Area claimed the junior varsity team win over Luverne 107-104.050.
Luverne was scheduled to take on Fairmont at home Tuesday, Dec. 16, in the last meet of the year. However, the meet was postponed.
 
Individual placings
Vault: Reisdorfer 9.0, Winter 8.650, Mann, 8.3; Tiana Lais 8.450, Kendra Thorson 8.425.
Uneven bars: Reisdorfer 8.275, deCesare 7.025, Winter 6.350, Kendra Benson 6.250, Mann, 6.175.
Balance beam: Reisdorfer 7.550, deCesare 7.250, Winter 6.7, Kendra Thorson 7.150, Mann 5.950.
Floor exercise: Reisdorfer 8.4, Winter 8.225, deCesare 7.8, Mann 7.725, Kendra Thorson 6.825.
All-around: Reisdorfer 33.350, Winter 29.650, Mann 27.950.