By John RittenhouseThe Luverne baseball team opened Section 3AA Tournament play by splitting games in Jackson Monday.The third-seeded Cardinals posted a four-run win over Redwood Valley in the tournament opener. No. 2 Jackson County Central beat the Cardinals by four runs in Game 2.Luverne, 13-9 overall, was scheduled to play Yellow Medicine East in an elimination game Tuesday in Montevideo, but the tilt was postponed until Wednesday, June 2, due to rain. A win over the Sting would send the Cardinals back to Montevideo tonight for another elimination game.JCC 9, Luverne 5The Cardinals lost their first section game in two years when they squared off against the Huskies during Monday’s second game in Jackson.Luverne sported 2-0 and 3-1 leads during the early stages of the contest, but JCC hit the long ball while outscoring the Cards 8-2 in the final three innings to post a four-run victory.Brendon Raggow belted a pair of homers for JCC, including a two-run shot during a five-run fourth inning that gave the Huskies their first lead. Travis Anderson also homered for the winners.Luverne took a 2-0 lead by scoring single runs in the first and second innings.Taylor Graphenteen singled and scored in the top of the first when Zach Wysong doubled.Rob Fodness singled in the second and scored when Brad Herman slapped an RBI single.JCC cut Luverne’s lead in half (2-1) when Raggow hit his first homer in the bottom of the third, but the Cards got the run back when Jared Pick walked and scored on Tim Boen’s sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth to make it 3-1.The Huskies moved in front 6-3 with their five-run fourth inning only to give up two runs to Luverne in the fifth.Adam Reisch reached base on an error and Wysong singled before Adam Kurtz belted a three-run triple to make it a 6-5 game.JCC scored one run in the bottom of the fifth and put the game away by scoring two runs in the sixth.Wysong pitched the first three and one-third innings and was saddled with the loss. He allowed seven hits, five runs (four were earned) and one walk.J.T. Bruynes recorded two outs and Herman tossed two innings in relief of Wysong.Box score AB R H BIGraphenteen 4 1 1 0Reisch 4 1 0 0Wysong 3 1 2 1Kurtz 3 0 1 2Remme 3 0 0 0Pick 2 1 0 0Fodness 3 1 2 0Boen 3 0 1 1Herman 3 0 2 1Luverne 8, RWV 4The Cardinals opened the tournament by securing a four-run victory over Redwood Valley in Jackson Monday.Luverne trailed 2-1 after four and one-half innings of play, but the Cards scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth on the way to outscoring RWV 7-2 in the final two innings to lock up the win.RWV had just gained a 2-1 lead by scoring one run in the top of the fifth before Luverne erupted for six runs in the bottom of the frame to gain its first lead at 7-2.Herman and Graphenteen singled and scored the first two runs of the sixth when Wysong tripled. After Kurtz walked, Mark Remme delivered a single to plate Wysong.Fodness drew a walk to load the bases as the inning progressed, and a walk to Boen forced home the fourth run of the inning. Herman doubled home two runs to end the rally.Wysong doubled and scored on an error to give the Cardinals an 8-2 lead in the bottom of sixth before RWV capped the scoring with a two-run seventh inning.Both teams scored single runs in the second inning.Remme doubled and scored on a triple by Jared Pick to account for Luverne’s run.Pick pitched the first six and two-thirds innings to record the win. He fanned 10 batters, walked five, allowed four hits and four runs (two were earned). Kurtz relieved Pick with two outs in the seventh and struck out the only batter he faced.Box score AB R H BIGraphenteen 3 1 1 0Reisch 4 0 2 0Wysong 3 2 1 2Kurtz 3 1 0 0Remme 4 2 3 1Pick 4 0 1 1Fodness 2 1 0 0Boen 2 0 0 1Herman 3 1 2 2

By John RittenhouseFourteen members of the Luverne boys’ track program qualified for section competition during the Sub-Section 10 Track and Field Championships in Pipestone Thursday.Twelve LHS boys earned passes into the section meet by placing in the top three in individual events or as members of relay teams during sub-section competition.Under a new qualifying format that compares times and distances with athletes representing all four sub-sections that make up Section 3A, four more LHS individuals and one relay team (which includes two athletes that did not earn automatic berths into the section meet) earned the right to compete at the section level.Luverne will host the Section 3A meet today. Meet time is 2 p.m.The Cardinals were unable to win the team championship at the sub-section event for the second straight year. Luverne placed second in the seven-team field with 133 points, finishing 25.5 points behind champion Southwest Christian (158.5 points).Three LHS athletes won a combined five sub-section titles during individual competition in Pipestone.Tim Rust had an outstanding meet for LHS. Rust won the 100- and 200-meter dashes with respective 11.19 and 23.39 times, and took top honors by clearing 13-6 in the pole vault.Tyler Elbers secured a sub-section title by clearing 6-1 in the high jump. Justin Van Wyhe won the triple jump with a distance of 42-7 1/2.Jake Hendricks and Van Wyhe placed second during individual competition. Hendricks ran 400 meters in 52.3, and Van Wyhe covered 19-9 3/4 in the long jump.Luverne’s 800-meter relay team consisting of Ben Cornish, Jordan Siebenahler, Andy Stegemann and Ben Uphoff finished second with a time of 1:38.46.Cornish earned an automatic berth in section competition by clearing 10-9 to place third in the pole vault.Another automatic berth went to the 3,200-meter relay team consisting of Scott Goebel, Nick Otten, Thomas Pinkal and Ruston Aaker, which placed third in 8:45.62.Ryan Wynia (fourth in the pole vault by clearing 9-6), Otten (fifth in the 1,600 in 4:52.45), Aaker (fourth in the 400 in 54.75) and Cornish (sixth in the 100 in 11.88) advance into section competition based on time and distance comparisons.The 400- and 1,600- meter relay teams also qualified for the section meet by time comparisons. Cornish, Chris Ashby, Siebenahler and Van Wyhe placed fourth in the 400 with a time of 47.61. Hendricks, Goebel, Otten and Aaker placed fourth in the 1,600 in 3:38.81.Here is a look at the rest of Luverne’s individual performances and the team results from the sub-section meet.Boys’ standings: SWC 158.5, Luverne 133, MCC 94, H-BC-E-E 92.5, Fulda 91.5, Pipestone 64, Adrian 62.Individual resultsFifth place: Matt Rosin, discus, 121-2.Sixth place: Stegemann, 400, 55.54; Goebel, 800, 2:13.16.Seventh place: Siebenahler, 200, 25.0; Pinkal, 3,200, 11:21.76; Nick Van Wyhe, shot, 42-4 1/2; Tony Willers, discus, 120-0.Eighth place: Willers, shot, 40-6 1/4.

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne girls’ track squad successfully defended its 2003 team title during the Sub-Section 10 Track and Field Championships in Pipestone Thursday.The Cardinals compiled 155 points during the event, outscoring second-place Pipestone (119) by 36 points to run away with the championship in a seven-team field.Along with succeeding as a team, LHS had 14 individuals qualify for the Section 3A meet that will be staged in Luverne today. The meet begins at 2 p.m.Thirteen of the 14 girls who earned the right to compete today advanced by locking up automatic berths that go to individual and relay teams that place in the top three positions at the sub-section level.Under a new qualifying format that compares times and distances with athletes representing all four sub-sections that make up Section 3A, four LHS individuals (one that didn’t earn automatic berth into the section field) and one relay team locked up qualifying positions in the section field.Luverne athletes won four sub-section individual championships during the meet in Pipestone.Marissa Stewart claimed a pair of titles by winning the shot put and discus competitions with respective 35-3 1/5 and 101-6 distances.Cassie Pap won the triple jump crown with a distance of 31-8, and Lexi Heitkamp took top honors in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 5:22.75.Jenni Christensen, Victoria Arends and Katie Schneiderman placed second in individual events at the sub-section meet.Christensen ran 200 meters in 27.45, Arends cleared the 300-meter hurdles in 51.09 and Schneiderman cleared 7-6 in the pole vault.The 3,200-meter relay team of Kelsey Dooyema, Tera Boomgaarden, Arends and Heitkamp placed second with a time of 10:08.03.Other individuals securing automatic berths into the section meet by placing third include Callen Bosshart (13.54 in the 100-meter dash), Kelsey Dooyema (5:50.41 in the 1,600), Amanda Saum (12:32.81 in the 3,200) and Maggie Kuhlman (51.46 in the 300 hurdles).Automatic berths also went to Luverne’s 800- and 1,600-meter relay teams, which placed third with respective 1:51.2 and 4:19.09 times. Bosshart, Amanda Dooyema, Nicole Willers and Christensen formed the 800-meter team. Christensen, Amanda Dooyema, Arends and Heitkamp teamed up in the 1,600.Individuals advancing to the section meet under the new qualifying format include Boomgaarden, Kayla Raddle, Kuhlman and Heitkamp.Boomgaarden placed fourth in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:32.1, Raddle placed fourth in the 3,200-meter run in 12:32.81 and Kuhlman and Heitkamp cleared 4-10 and 4-8 to place fourth and fifth respectively in the high jump.Luverne’s 400-meter relay team qualified for the section meet based on a time comparison. Bosshart, Amanda Dooyema, Pap and Willers placed fourth with a time of 54.49 in Pipestone.Here is a look at the rest of Luverne's individual performances and the team standings from the sub-section meet.Girls’ standings: Luverne 155, Pipestone 119, Fulda 104, Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth-Edgerton 84, Murray County Central 80, Adrian 74, Southwest Christian 61.Individual resultsFourth place: Jessica Willers, 300 hurdles, 18.44; C.Bosshart, long jump, 14-8.Sixth place: Natalie Willers, shot, 30-5 1/2; LaRae Kor, discus, 90-1.Seventh place: Nicole Willers, 200, 28.73; Amanda Kannas, 3,200, 13:14.7; Pap, long jump, 14-4.Eighth place: Jessica Willers, 300 hurdles, 54.59; Morgan Bosshart, 400, 1:09; Brittany Mulder, 200, 28.74.

By John RittenhouseLuverne High School athletes Patrick Bennett and Dusty Antoine will make a repeat appearance at the state tournament after their performance during the Section 3A Individual Tennis Tournament played in Redwood Valley Thursday and Tuesday.Bennett, a senior, and Antoine, a junior, went 4-0 to win the doubles competition at the section event.The Luverne boys won four straight matches in straight sets to secure their first section championship.Bennett and Antoine placed at the Section Individual Tennis Tournament as a doubles team in 2003, which sent them to their first appearance at the state classic. They lost their first match at state and were eliminated from the competition.As the Section 3A champions, Bennett and Antoine will face the runners-up of Section 2 in the opening round of the Minnesota State Class A Tennis Championships in Burnsville Thursday, June 10. They will play a 10 a.m. match at the Northwest Athletic Club to open the event.Luverne coach Greg Antoine was happy with the way his doubles team played in Redwood Falls."I think the big thing was their confidence," he said. "They went into this tournament with a lot of confidence. They both had good years, and they’ve been to the state tournament before, and they knew what they had to do to get back there."Bennett and Antoine, the tournament’s No. 1 seeded team, rolled to a pair of wins during tournament play Thursday.They coasted to 6-1 and 6-0 victories over Lac qui Parle Valley’s Jamin and Darren Schweiger, the 16th-seeded squad, in the first round.The Luverne team then registered a pair of 6-1 wins over eighth-seeded Nathan Briones and Keith Gordan, of Montevideo, in the quarterfinals.Bennett and Antoine continued their solid play Tuesday.They beat Yellow Medicine East’s Justin Thomas and Andrew Hewitt, the No. 4-seeded team, by 6-3 and 6-1 tallies.Lac qui Parle Valley’s Ian and Dutch Hansen, the tournament’s second-seeded squad, met the Luverne squad in the finals.Antoine and Bennett notched a 6-2 in the first set before falling behind 4-3 in the second set. The Cardinals rallied to win the next three games and clinch a 6-4 win."They had to earn it in that last match," said coach Antoine. "Ian Hansen is an eighth-grader, and Dutch Hansen is a sophomore, and they played very well."While Bennett and Antoine move on, the season came to an end for the rest of the Cardinals during Thursday’s rounds of the individual tournament.Kyle Fletcher and Derek Boeve formed a doubles team that drew the 10th seed for the event.Fletcher and Boeve upset Worthington’s seventh-seeded team consisting of Ben Clark and Nate Peterson in a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 match during the first round. Lac qui Parle Valley’s Ian and Dutch Hansen, the second-seeded team, handed the LHS squad 6-4 and 6-1 setbacks in the quarterfinals.David Nelson and Brandon Deragisch played singles for Luverne.Nelson drew the No. 8 seed, and he topped Worthington’s Tim Miller by 6-0 and 6-1 scores in the first round. No. 1-seeded Matt Flaherty, from Montevideo, saddled Nelson with 6-3 and 6-0 setbacks in the quarterfinals.Deragisch, the 14th seed, dropped 6-2 and 6-0 sets to third-seeded Zach Rieger, of MACCRAY, in the first round.

By John RittenhouseLuverne High School athletes Patrick Bennett and Dusty Antoine will make a repeat appearance at the state tournament after their performance during the Section 3A Individual Tennis Tournament played in Redwood Valley Thursday and Tuesday.Bennett, a senior, and Antoine, a junior, went 4-0 to win the doubles competition at the section event.The Luverne boys won four straight matches in straight sets to secure their first section championship.Bennett and Antoine placed at the Section Individual Tennis Tournament as a doubles team in 2003, which sent them to their first appearance at the state classic. They lost their first match at state and were eliminated from the competition.As the Section 3A champions, Bennett and Antoine will face the runners-up of Section 2 in the opening round of the Minnesota State Class A Tennis Championships in Burnsville Thursday, June 10. They will play a 10 a.m. match at the Northwest Athletic Club to open the event.Luverne coach Greg Antoine was happy with the way his doubles team played in Redwood Falls."I think the big thing was their confidence," he said. "They went into this tournament with a lot of confidence. They both had good years, and they’ve been to the state tournament before, and they knew what they had to do to get back there."Bennett and Antoine, the tournament’s No. 1 seeded team, rolled to a pair of wins during tournament play Thursday.They coasted to 6-1 and 6-0 victories over Lac qui Parle Valley’s Jamin and Darren Schweiger, the 16th-seeded squad, in the first round.The Luverne team then registered a pair of 6-1 wins over eighth-seeded Nathan Briones and Keith Gordan, of Montevideo, in the quarterfinals.Bennett and Antoine continued their solid play Tuesday.They beat Yellow Medicine East’s Justin Thomas and Andrew Hewitt, the No. 4-seeded team, by 6-3 and 6-1 tallies.Lac qui Parle Valley’s Ian and Dutch Hansen, the tournament’s second-seeded squad, met the Luverne squad in the finals.Antoine and Bennett notched a 6-2 in the first set before falling behind 4-3 in the second set. The Cardinals rallied to win the next three games and clinch a 6-4 win."They had to earn it in that last match," said coach Antoine. "Ian Hansen is an eighth-grader, and Dutch Hansen is a sophomore, and they played very well."While Bennett and Antoine move on, the season came to an end for the rest of the Cardinals during Thursday’s rounds of the individual tournament.Kyle Fletcher and Derek Boeve formed a doubles team that drew the 10th seed for the event.Fletcher and Boeve upset Worthington’s seventh-seeded team consisting of Ben Clark and Nate Peterson in a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 match during the first round. Lac qui Parle Valley’s Ian and Dutch Hansen, the second-seeded team, handed the LHS squad 6-4 and 6-1 setbacks in the quarterfinals.David Nelson and Brandon Deragisch played singles for Luverne.Nelson drew the No. 8 seed, and he topped Worthington’s Tim Miller by 6-0 and 6-1 scores in the first round. No. 1-seeded Matt Flaherty, from Montevideo, saddled Nelson with 6-3 and 6-0 setbacks in the quarterfinals.Deragisch, the 14th seed, dropped 6-2 and 6-0 sets to third-seeded Zach Rieger, of MACCRAY, in the first round.

By John RittenhouseKerri Fransman and the Luverne High School softball team were unable to extend their season past the first round of the Section 3AA Tournament Monday in Pipestone.The Cardinals played Tracy-Milroy-Balaton in a single-elimination game that comes into play during the tournament’s first round.Sixth-seeded Luverne played well against the No. 3 Panthers, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Cardinals from bowing out of the tournament after dropping a 1-0 game in eight innings.Luverne pitcher Stacy Lorenzen pitched a no-hitter through seven innings, but she allowed a single in the bottom of the eighth. The runner eventually scored on an LHS error.Fransman, a Hills-Beaver Creek High School freshman, came up with one of Luverne’s four hits in the game. She slapped a single.Luverne ends the season with a 7-13 record.

By John RittenhouseZach Wysong and the Luverne High School baseball team went 2-1 during games played since Wednesday, May 26.Luverne capped a 12-8 regular season by posting an eight-run win in Adrian May 26.The Cardinals began defense of their 2003 Section 3AA Tournament title in Jackson Monday, winning a four-run game against Redwood Valley in the opener before falling by four runs to Jackson County Central.Wysong had mixed results during Monday’s tournament game against Jackson County Central in Jackson.He had a solid offensive performance that featured two hits, one RBI and one run scored.On the other hand, he took the loss as Luverne’s starting pitcher in a 9-5 loss. Wysong worked the first three and one-third innings on the mound, surrendering seven hits and five runs (four were earned).Wysong gave the Cards a 1-0 lead when he doubled home a run in the top of the first against the Huskies. He also singled and scored a run in the fifth.The H-BC athlete drove in two runs with one hit and scored two runs during the tournament opener against Redwood Valley in Jackson Monday.He delivered a two-run double to ignite a six-run rally in the sixth inning that set the stage for an 8-4 victory over RWV.Wysong reached base with a walk and scored Luverne’s final run of the game in the sixth.Wysong experienced a very productive day during a 10-2 win over Adrian in Adrian Wednesday, May 26.The H-BC junior drew the starting pitching assignment for the Cardinals, but he didn’t gain a decision after tossing three and one-third innings of one-run ball. Wysong fanned three batters and allowed three hits.Wysong had a big day at the plate, slapping four hits in four official at bats and scoring three runs.Wysong doubled and scored in the third and fourth innings, and he singled and scored in the sixth.Luverne, 13-9 for the season, was scheduled to play an elimination game against Yellow Medicine East in Montevideo Wednesday, June 2. A win would send the Cardinals back to Montevideo for a game tonight.

By John RittenhouseThe Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth-Edgerton track teams secured 16 automatic berths into section competition during the Sub-Section 10 Track and Field Championships in Pipestone Thursday.With the top three finishers in individual and relay competition earning automatic bids into the section meet, H-BC-E-E finished the day assured that 15 athletes would represent the school at today’s Section 3A Championships in Luverne.Under a new qualifying format that compares times and distances produced by athletes during all four sub-section meets that make up Section 3A, two Patriots who already secured automatic berths into the section field earned the right to compete in two other events.The section meet begins at 2 p.m. today in Luverne.The H-BC-E-E boys scored 92.5 points to place fourth in the team standings at the sub-section meet. The girls tallied 84 points to place fourth.Eight Patriot boys guaranteed themselves positions in the section meet in nine different events by earning automatic berths in Pipestone.Tom LeBoutillier and Tyler Bush came up with individual championships to provide the team’s highlights of the meet.LeBoutillier, who placed third with a time of 19-6 in the long jump, won the 110-meter hurdles in 16.06.LeBoutillier also qualified for the section meet by a time comparison in the 300-meter hurdles, an event he placed fifth in at the sub-section meet with a time of 43.94.Bush took top honors in the 800-meter run with a 2:01 effort.Todd Alberty, Curt Schilling, Cody Scholten and Derek Haak also earned automatic berths into the section attraction.Alberty covered 40-9 to place second in the triple jump. Schilling placed third in the shot put with a toss of 45-7 1/2, Scholten cleared 5-10 to place third in the high jump and Haak ran 800 meters in 2:10.51 to place third.The boys’ 1,600- and 3,200-meter relay teams locked up automatic berths into section competition by placing second with respective 3:32.66 and 8:32.76 efforts. Kale Wiertzema, Lee Jackson, Alberty and Bush ran with both teams.Eighth H-BC-E-E girls locked up a total of seven automatic berths into section competition Thursday.Cassi Tilstra helped the Patriots win a pair of sub-section titles.Tilstra won the 800-meter run in 2:26.76, and ran a leg with the champion 3,200-meter relay team, which produced a time of 10:00.25. Mya Mann, Ashley and Jocelyn Bucher joined Tilstra in the 3,200.Rosie Lewis, Amanda Connors and Jocelyn Bucher earned automatic berths in the section field as individuals.Lewis placed third in the discus with a toss of 94-1, Connors placed second in the long jump with a distance of 14-9, and Bucher raced 400 meters in 1:05.36 to place third.Lewis also qualified for the section meet with a distance comparison in the shot put. She placed fifth in the sub-section event with a toss of 31-6 3/4.H-BC-E-E’s 1,600- and 400-meter relay teams secured automatic berths into the section meet by placing second and third respectively in Pipestone.Mann, Ashley Bucher, Amanda Tilstra and Cassi Tilstra ran the 1,600 in 4:14.65. Connors, Lewis, Mann and Kelly Mulder covered 400 meters in 54.09.Here is a look at the rest of H-BC-E-E’s point scorers and the team standings from the sub-section meet.Girls’ standings: Luverne 155, Pipestone 119, Fulda 104, Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth-Edgerton 84, Murray County Central 80, Adrian 74, Southwest Christian 61.Boys’ standings: SWC 158.5, Luverne 133, MCC 94, H-BC-E-E 92.5, Fulda 91.5, Pipestone 64, Adrian 62.H-BC-E-E boysFifth place: 800 relay (John Sandbulte, Soeren Trebesch, Devin DeBoer and Cody Rozeboom), 1:43.2; Greg Van Batavia, 800, 2:12.8.Sixth place: Sandbulte, triple jump, 37-4 1/2; 400 relay (Paul DeLeon-cepeda, Rozeboom, D.DeBoer, Roger DeBoer), 50.44.H-BC-E-E girlsFourth place: Connors, 100, 14.07.Fifth place: A.Tilstra, 800, 2:35.29; Rayna Sandoval, 3,200, 13:05.04.Sixth place: Kari Roozenboom, triple jump, 18.86; Roozenboom, 100 hurdles, 18.86.

ORDINANCE NO. 264, THIRD SERIESAN ORDINANCE RELATING TO UTILITY EASEMENT CHANGES AS PROVIDED FOR IN CITY CODE CHAPTER 12.10, SUBD 4 (B)THE CITY OF LUVERNE DOES HEREBY ORDAIN: SECTION 1. In compliance with City Code Chapter 12.10, Subd. 4 (B), and with concurrence of the Planning Commission relative to electric utility easements, the City Council hereby:1. Vacates a portion of a perpetual utility easement for the purpose of clearing, trenching, laying, constructing, maintaining, replacing, and repairing electric light, power, telephone cables, lines, conduits, water and sewer lines, cable television lines, natural gas lines, and other appurtenances for the said City on property owned by Michael and Lauri Wenninger, legally described as follows:Lot Five (5) and Lot Six (6) in Block One (1) In Siebenahler Addition to the City of Luverne, Rock County, MinnesotaMore particularly, that portion of the easement lies partially on Lot 5 and Lot 6, is rectangular in shape (approximately 5 ft. x 29 ft.), is located 6 ft. west of Phyleon Drive along the lot line of Lots 5 and 6, and was reserved for installation of an electrical transformer. This portion of the easement is no longer necessary due to one home occupying two lots, namely the consolation of Lots 5 and 6. SEC. 2. This ordinance shall take full force and effect seven (7) days after its publication. (6-3)