This past weekend was a good one for Austin sports and it all began with the gymnastics team taking fifth in the Class ‘A’ state meet Friday afternoon.

While taking fifth in any state meet is a good accomplishment, it may be a bigger deal that this was the Packers’ second state appearance in three years. With much of their team coming back next year, it’ll be interesting to see if the Packers can make the state meet an annual experience.

On Friday night, the Packer boys basketball team pulled off another routine home win. Only this one gave Austin a share of its first Big Nine title since 2002.

The Packers have a chance to win the Big Nine outright when they host Owatonna this Friday at 7:30 p.m.

I was at the first meeting between these two teams and Owatonna had their gym packed and rocking for a 39-34 win. Let’s see if the Austin fans can match intensity and give the Packers, who haven’t lost at home all season, a little bit of a boost.

On Saturday afternoon, Austin sophomore Sela Fadness locked up a state title on the floor exercise at the state gymnastics meet and freshman Abby Bickler finished third.

I have a feeling both will be back at state next year and they’ll both be looking to do bigger things.

On Saturday night, two Austin wrestlers — Devon Felten and Brennen Russell — clinched trips to the Class ‘AA’ state wrestling meet.

Felten went to state last year in ‘AAA’, but Russell was a little bit more of an underdog.

He has come a long way from last season, where he lost his first match of the section tournament.

The fact that Russell is headed to state shows the amount of hard work and dedication he’s put in to improve himself.

While Herald photographer Eric Johnson and I gave up most of our weekend to cover these four events, it wasn’t so bad when good things are happening.

Let’s hope the Packers can keep it up as the postseason begins for girls basketball this Wednesday and for the wrestlers and swimmers head to their state meets this week.