On the Bench with Byron Higgin

Hall of Fame event will be at Homecoming

The 2017 class of Minneota Athletic Hall of Fame inductees will be inducted during a ceremony that coincides with Homecoming Week on September 23.

The ceremony will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the competition gymnasium at the school. There will be a social gathering after the induction at Countryside Golf Club.

This year’s Hall of Fame class includes:

·Joe Anderson, a stellar football athlete who went on to play collegiately in North Dakota.

·Jami (Rolbiecki) Bossuyt, a former standout softball, basketball and volleyball player for Minneota.

·Dick Culshaw, a Minnesota Tennis Coaches association Hall of Fame member, who was also on the Minneota state baseball team of 1959.

·Ron Davidson, a former standout baseball, football and basketball player for the Vikings.

·Kris Fier, the first individual wrestling champion from Minneota, and current assistant wrestling coach here.

·Chris Meidt, a standout quarterback who helped Minneota capture two state football championships.

·Gerald Olson, a former principal at Minneota.

·Jim Rolbiecki, a longtime former teacher at coach at Minneota. He is being inducted along with his daughter, Jami.

·Dale Yost, a longtime baseball coach and basketball coach at Minneota.

·The 2006 Minneota volleyball team that is the school’s only state championship in that sport.

“Hall of Fame members that are able to attend the (Homecoming) football game that Friday night will have a short introduction before the game,” said Minneota Athletic Director Matt Myrvik.

“We may try to livestream the event this year, too.” Last year was the inaugural year for the Minneota Athletic Hall of Fame and there were also 10 inductees.

The high number of inductees in the first two years is to give those deserving of induction into the Hall of Fame a chance to catch up after so many years of successful individuals, teams, coaches and administrators going unrecognized with such an honor.

Scouting volleyball

Minneota’s volleyball game with Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa Monday night was attended by a group of the Canby girls volleyball team. Anxious to see their rivals play, the Lancers showed up to watch. Expect another good year of Minneota vs. Canby volleyball.

It’s hard to predict a season based on only two games, but the Minneota Vikings certainly are off to a nice start. Their two wins have shown them to be a good-passing, solid digging defense team that doesn’t let the ball drop on their side of the court very often. And they’ve got some nice hitters. Lizzy Gillingham has upped her game and is getting some nice hits from the corner.

Against the Jaguars Monday, Jennifer Krog also did some good hitting. She’s been plagued by injuries the past two years and appears to be set to help the team in her senior year — and she’s the only senior. So, a very nice nucleus will be back again next year. Got to give a big amount of credit for Minneota’s setting game to Morgan Kockelman — and to the Junior Olympic volleyball program.

After all, while Kockelman is in her first year setting for the varsity, she got plenty of time in JO’s. When these JO girls step out onto the varsity court, it’s like they’ve been playing all year around. Minneota has handled their two opponents rather easily so far. There are lots of tests coming, including Canby, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton, Lakeview and MACCRAY in conference action. So we’ll just take it one game at a time and see how the season progresses.

As they say, “So far, so good!”

ODDS AND ENDS:

•The Night Cross Country Meet at the Canby Golf Course was to be a huge event Friday night. The coaching staff had lights set up and everything in place. They ran the junior high event — then the lightening flashed and the heavens opened up and poured rain on the event, washing it out.

That was a shame because Coaches Beth Jessen and Allison Pesek and their staff of people put a lot of hard work into the meet.

•Minneota volleyball player Brooklyn Nelson is on the shelf after an Achilles injury. She will have surgery in the future. Nelson also pitches for the Minneota-Canby softball team.

•Minneota speedster Skylar Gilbertson will miss the first two Viking games due to ineligibility. He ran back two kickoffs last year.

Byron Higgin & Scott Thoma

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