Top Sports stories of 2016: 6 – 10
Published 10:55 am Friday, December 30, 2016
- Pacelli’s Kayla Christopherson is cheered on by head coach Jim Parlin as she runs down the stretch at the Minnesota Class A State Cross Country Meet in St. Olaf College in Northfield this past October. Herald file photo
Big efforts, near misses; 2016 had all the big moments a sports fan could ask for
It was another year of great sports moments extending out from Austin to encompass the entire area.
Starting with voter-picked six through 10, the Austin Daily Herald will count down those top moments that had fans on their feet.
6. Pacelli’s Kayla Christopherson continues to run strong in track and CC
Pacelli sophomore Kayla Christopherson earned her third straight All-State honors at the Class A state cross country meet this fall and she also made a big impact in her first Minnesota Class A State Track and Field Meet this past spring.
Christopherson, who has run at the state cross country meet four times, took sixth overall at this year’s state meet after missing much of the season with an injury.
In track, Christopherson took seventh place in the 3,200-meter run this past spring.
7. APDT takes fourth at state dance meet
The Packers took fourth place in the Minnesota Class AA State High Kick finals as Austin competed in its 14th straight state meet.
Austin seniors Victoria Hepler and Kayla Jacobsen were each named to the Class AA High Kick All-Tournament Team.
Austin’s Tucker Nelson steals the ball from Northfield’s Finn Muir in the second half of the Section 1A championship in Rochester this past October. Herald file photo
8. Austin boys soccer team has strong season, but comes up a game short of state
The Packers did a lot of great things in 2016, but they fell one win short of their ultimate goal. After taking second in the Big Nine and earning its first No. 1 seed in the Section 1A Tournament in school history, the Packers saw their season end on a 1-0 loss to Northfield in the Section 1A title game.
“It’s awful. We had such a great season with a bunch of great guys. It’s tough,” Austin senior defender Josh Snee said after the season. “We’ll never forget a season like this. It was awesome. A season doesn’t come down to one game.”
The Packers swept all four Rochester schools for the first time in school history this past season.
The Hayfield Vikings celebrate after the final point in game four to claim the Section 1A West Division title over Faribault Bethlehem Academy at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester this past November. Herald file photo
9. Hayfield volleyball team knocks off No. 1 FBA
The Hayfield volleyball team shook off some ghosts of playoffs past when they finally knocked off top ranked Faribault Bethlehem Academy 18-25, 26-24, 25-22, 25-23 in the Section 1A West title match.
Hayfield had been knocked off by FBA in each of the past four seasons, but it was able to turn the tables in 2016.
The Vikings ended up one win short of the school’s first ever state tournament berth as they lost to Caledonia in four games in the Section 1A title match.
10. LP girls basketball team has run come up short
The Lyle-Pacelli girls basketball team missed out on its second straight Minnesota Class A State Girls Basketball Tournament appearance when it lost 43-42 to Goodhue in the Section 1A West title game.
LP was held scoreless in the last eight minutes of the game as Goodhue closed things on a 17-0 run.
