spring 2011 mshsl bulletin

Volume 80, Issue 3 Spring 2011

THE BULLETINOfficial Publication of the

Minnesota State High School League2100 Freeway Boulevard

Brooklyn Center, MN 55430-1735763-560-2262

http://www.MSHSL.org

Information within this Bulletinmay be reprinted only with the

permission of the MSHSL.

Volume 80, Issue 3Spring 2011

Editorial StaffEditor:

Howard W. VoigtAssistant Editor:Ellen Rajkowski

Contributing Editors:David SteadKevin Merkle

Lisa LissimoreCraig Perry

Jody RedmanJohn MilleaRich Matter

Chris Franson

Board of DirectorsRegions 1-2A

Les Zellmann, St. JamesRegions 3-4A

Chris Laird, Heritage Christian AcademyRegions 5-6A

Rick Bleichner, BreckenridgeRegions 7-8A

Mike Kolness, Ada-BorupRegions 1-2AA

Mark Fredericksen, WaconiaRegions 3-4AA

Mike Manning, RosemountRegions 5-6AA

Ray Kirch, OsseoRegions 7-8AA

Perry Aadland, Chisago Lakes AreaState School Boards Assn.Carol Bomben, Eden PrairieWalter Hautala, Mesabi East

MN Assn. of Secondary PrincipalsJohn Hamann, Underwood

Luanne Wagner, St. FrancisBoys Sports

John Schumacher, Park Rapids AreaGirls Sports

Mindy Sparby, Belle PlaineMN Music Educators Assn.

Bill Webb, EdinaSpeech Assn. of MN

Jill Lofald, Duluth DenfeldGovernor's Appointees

Kim Algoo, ShakopeeLaurie Esau, Orono

Brent Robbins, PlymouthMike Rusinko, Eden Prairie

Printed byCarlson Print Group

7490 Golden Triangle DriveEden Prairie, MN 55344

The MSHSL Bulletin is publishedin Fall, Winter and Spring and

is designed to meet the needs ofthe 525 member Schools.

League Office Personnel

The Minnesota State High School League Officehas been established to provide special services tothe member schools. Listed below are the officepersonnel:

Extension / Voice MailboxExecutive Director - David Stead ........................ 480

Executive Assistant - Lynne Johnson ........... 490Associate Director - Jody Redman ..................... 481

Administrative Assistant - Amie Symens ...... 491Associate Director - Kevin Merkle ...................... 484

Administrative Assistant - Amanda Johnson 494Officials Coordinator- Katie Vanderpoel ........ 496

Associate Director - Craig Perry ......................... 482Administrative Assistant - Susi Hollenbeck ... 492

Associate Director - Lisa Lissimore .................... 483Administrative Assistant - Sheila Robinson .. 493

Director of Information - Howard W. Voigt .......... 485Assistant - Ellen Rajkowski ........................... 542

Assistant Director - Richard Matter ..................... 497Accounting Assistant - Sharon Bahma ......... 541Ticketing Assistant - Nancy Myers ................ 487

Assistant Director - Chris Franson ...................... 488Web Site Coordinator - Nancy Etter .............. 551Technology Assistant - Tracie Bressler ........ 552

Media Specialist - John Millea ............................ 554Program Specialist - Amy Doherty ..................... 495Office Manager - Kristi Vesall ............................. 489

Administrative Assistant - Yvonne Walsh ..... 486Receptionist - Ann Bailey .............................. 540

The MSHSL Logo is a registered mark of the organizationand use in any manner is prohibited unless prior approval is

obtained from the League.

Schedule of Board of Directors Meetings

October 7 ................................. MSHSL OfficeBrooklyn Center

December 2 ............................. MSHSL OfficeBrooklyn Center

January 24 ............................... MSHSL OfficeBrooklyn Center

April 7 ....................................... MSHSL OfficeBrooklyn Center

June 6 ...................................... MSHSL OfficeBrooklyn Center

Representative Assembly Meeting

May 16 .......... Edinburgh USA, Brooklyn Park

When calling the League Office (763-560-2262),direct your requests to staff persons as designated:

Accounts Payable .............................................................. Sharon BahmaAccounts Receivable ......................................................... Yvonne WalshActivity / Late Registrations ................................................ Chris FransonActivity Section Assignments ............................................. Chris FransonAdministrative Regions ........................................................... Dave SteadArchive Information ........................................................ Howard W. VoigtAthletic / Activity Director Advisory Committee ................... Kevin MerkleBoard of Directors Information ............................................... Dave SteadCamps and Clinics .................................................................. Craig PerryCharter Officials Associations .............................................. Kevin MerkleChemical Rule Interpretations ............................................... Craig PerryCooperative Sponsorship ................................................. Lynne JohnsonDebate & Music Judges ..................................................... Chris FransonDebate Judge & Music Judge Registrations ......................... Nancy EtterExCEL Program ................................................................. Lisa LissimoreFine Arts Rules Interp. (Debate & Music) .......................... Chris FransonFine Arts Rules Interp. (One Act & Visual Arts) ................ Chris FransonFine Arts Rules Interp. (Speech) ....................................... Chris FransonGender Equity ......................................................................... Dave SteadGeneral Information on MSHSL ............................................. Dave SteadHall of Fame ....................................................................... Lisa LissimoreInsurance ................................................................................ Rich MatterInterstate Sanctions ................................................................ Dave SteadLeague Publications ...................................................... Howard W. VoigtMarketing and Promotions ................................................ Lisa LissimoreMembership Information .................................................. Lynne JohnsonNews Media Services .................................................... Howard W. VoigtNon-School Competition ........................................................ Craig PerryOffice Management ................................................................ Kristi VesallOfficials Program .................................................................. Kevin MerkleOne Act Play Judge Registrations ......................................... Nancy EtterOne Act Play Judges .......................................................... Chris FransonPSAs and TV Visuals .................................................... Howard W. VoigtRegistration of Officials ................................................ Katie VanderpoelResults and Records ..................................................... Howard W. VoigtRulebooks, Supplies, Awards ........................................... Yvonne WalshRules Interpretation Meetings ...................................... Katie VanderpoelSchool Eligibility ...................................................................... Craig PerrySpeech Judges .................................................................. Chris FransonSpeech Judge Registrations .................................................. Nancy EtterSports Medicine Advisory Committee .................................... Craig PerrySportsmanship Program ................................................... Lisa LissimoreSpotlight on Scholarship Program .................................... Lisa LissimoreStudent Ejections ..................................................................... Ann BaileyStudent Eligibility .................................................................... Craig PerrySupplemental Allowances ...................................................... Kristi VesallTEAM UP Advisory Committee .......................................... Jody RedmanTEAM UP Program ............................................................. Jody RedmanTicket Assistant .................................................................... Nancy MyersTriple “A” Award .................................................................. Jody RedmanWeb Site Development ....................................................... Chris FransonWeb Site Assistance ............................................................... Nancy Etter

Activity Rule Interpretations,Coach Incidents Reports, andActivity Advisory Committees

Adapted Athletics (Bowling, Floor Hockey, Soccer, Softball) .. Rich MatterAlpine Skiing / Boys’ & Girls’ .................................................. Rich MatterBadminton / Girls’ .............................................................. Lisa LissimoreBaseball ................................................................................. Kevin MerkleBasketball / Boys’ ................................................................. Kevin MerkleBasketball / Girls’ ............................................................... Lisa LissimoreCheerleaders ...................................................................... Jody RedmanCross Country Running / Boys’ & Girls’ ............................ Lisa LissimoreDance Team / Girls’ .............................................................. Kevin MerkleDebate ................................................................................. Chris FransonFootball .................................................................................. Kevin MerkleGolf / Boys’ & Girls’ ................................................................. Dave SteadGymnastics / Girls’ .............................................................. Jody RedmanIce Hockey / Boys’ & Girls’ ..................................................... Craig PerryLacrosse / Boys' & Girls’ ........................................................ Rich MatterMusic ................................................................................... Chris FransonNordic Ski Racing / Boys’ & Girls’ .......................................... Rich MatterOne Act Play ....................................................................... Chris FransonSoccer / Boys’ & Girls’ ........................................................ Jody RedmanSoftball / Girls’ .................................................................... Lisa LissimoreSpeech ................................................................................ Chris FransonSwimming and Diving / Boys’ & Girls’ ............................... Lisa LissimoreSynchronized Swimming / Girls’ ....................................... Lisa LissimoreTennis / Boys’ & Girls’ ............................................................ Craig PerryTrack & Field / Boys’ & Girls’ .............................................. Jody RedmanVisual Arts ........................................................................... Chris FransonVolleyball / Girls’ ................................................................. Jody RedmanWrestling ................................................................................. Craig Perry

www.MSHSL.org Spring 2011 Bulletin 1

Dave’s DialogueDave’s DialogueDave’s DialogueDave’s DialogueDave’s DialogueMaking A Difference Is “Great Stuff” (You Make A Difference)... .............................................................. 2

News and FNews and FNews and FNews and FNews and FeatureseatureseatureseatureseaturesRosemount’s Hausmann Transformed Loss Into Excellence... .................................................................. 2I Accept The Triple Award With The Utmost Humility And Respect .......................................................... 3Ferry, Harrison, Hausmann, Spitzack Win Triple A Awards ........................................................................ 32011 ExCEL Award Winners Fulfill The Call To Service .............................................................................. 9

Inside This Issue

Athletic ActivitiesAthletic ActivitiesAthletic ActivitiesAthletic ActivitiesAthletic ActivitiesParticipation Eligibility: Simplifying The Process ........................................... 24Continuing Education Requirements Approved For Head Coaches .............. 26League Adds Wheelchair Division Track And Field Events ............................ 26Board Declines Section Football Proposal; Instead Adds Seventh Class ..... 27Schedule Revised For State Baseball Tournament ........................................ 27Heart Screening For Student-Athletes............................................................ 28Proper Hygienic Principles Nedded To Combat CA-MRSA ............................ 30

AlsoAlsoAlsoAlsoAlsoBoard Of Directors Meeting Minutes.................. 35

2010-11 Calendars Of State Events, Meetings ... 40

14

OfficialsOfficialsOfficialsOfficialsOfficials2011 Officials Awards PresentedAt Boys’ Basketball Tournament ......................... 33

What InspiresAnd Motivates Me12 “Blind Your Ponies:”

Have Fun . . . . . And Learn Something

15Athletes For Amy:

Students Switch Roles,Conduct FundraiserFor Cancer-Stricken

Athletic Trainer

Zach Gabbard:Perham Player

Survived BecauseOf Immediate AndCorrect Response,

As Well AsThe Availability

Of An AED

18

Art Downey AndHis GlassesRecognized As

21Icons By Minnesota’sHigh School SwimmingCommunity

2 Spring 2011 Bulletin www.MSHSL.org

Dave’s Dialogue

Dave Stead

By Dave SteadExecutive Director

Theodore Roosevelt said,“There are two kinds of success.One is the very rare kind thatcomes to the man who has thepower to do what no one else hasthe power to do. This is genius.But the average man who winswhat we call success is not agenius. He is a man who hasmerely the ordinary qualities thathe shares with his fellows, but whohas developed those ordinaryqualities to a more than ordinarydegree.”

Danny Cox, one of America’s

Making a difference is ‘great stuff’busiest speakers and author ofseveral books on leadership, saidit this way, “Success is knowingwhat your values are and living ina way consistent with yourvalues.”

I believe Les Zellmann,president of the League Board ofDirectors, had those thoughts inmind as he spoke at the Triple ALuncheon on March 25, 2011. Heshared his thoughts about thesignificant difference the honoredguests have made in their school,their school community, and inthe lives of those who know thembest — their family, friends, andteammates.

You Make a DifferenceBy Les Zellmann

On behalf of the MSHSL Board of Directors, I would like tocongratulate each of you for being selected as your region’s Triple Arecipient. It is a tremendous honor to receive this award. I wouldalso like to congratulate the parents, extended family members ofthe recipients, and the school administrators who are here today.We know that there is an important supporting village behind eachstudent, and the essays submitted by the students reflect yourencouragement.

The purpose of the Triple A program is to recognize and honorhigh school seniors who have excelled in the classroom, on theathletic field, and in fine arts, and the resumes and nominationforms clearly identify a commitment to excellence in all of theseareas.

I truly believe that the Triple A award reflects the highest honora high school student can receive in each of our schools. This awardrepresents a student well rounded and talented in many areas. It isnot about being the most valuable player of one sport or activity. Itis not about the most points scored, the best batting average, themost outstanding soloist, or the best performer. Rather, this awardcan be viewed as recognition of the best overall student in a schooland in a regional area.

You Make a Difference is thefocus of his remarks, and his

comments to the luncheonattendees are reprinted below.

On a personal level, I have been an educator and coach for 34years. I continue to be in the classroom on a daily basis, and Icoach two seasons each school year. I know about the importantvitality each of you brings to your school. You bring great qualitiesto the classroom, the practice environment, the field, the court, theconcert hall, and the theatre. It is great stuff! You raise the bar forall other students. Your daily display of motivation, achievementdirection, personal sacrifice, leadership, and service to otherscannot be measured. You provide a better environment foreveryone. It is great stuff!

You will be graduating in just a few months, and your lives willtake different directions. I believe you will continue to carry thesame standards and expectations for yourself in your fields of studyand choice of career. I know you will continue to make a positiveimpact wherever you choose to live and work. It is great stuff!

On behalf of the Minnesota High School League Board ofDirectors, the League staff, and the more than 500 memberschools, I would like to congratulate all of you for being selected asa state finalist. We would also like to say thank you for yourpresence in your schools serving as role models for others toemulate.

You make a difference!It is great stuff.

By Dave SteadExecutive Director

Andrew Hausmann is a senior atRosemount High School and was honored,along with 31 other students from theLeague’s administrative regions, as the ClassAA Triple A award recipient at the recognitionluncheon on March 25, 2011. Followinggraduation, Andrew plans to attend an IvyLeague college and pursue engineering andmedicine while continuing to be involved inathletics and choir.

Hausmann wrote the following in an essay

Rosemount’s Hausmann transformed loss into excellencehe submitted as a part of the Triple Aapplication process.

“As a young man a month away from highschool, I was struck with tragedy when myfather passed away in the 35W bridge collapse.Furthermore, I knew similar stories resulted instudents dropping out of school. With this inmind, I actively ensured my story would notmirror that of failure. My responsibilities,priorities, and life perspective changed. Iattacked academics, arts, and athleticsthrough the most emotionally troubling time ofmy life.”

When Andrew was recognized as the Class

“As a young man a monthaway from high school,

I was struck with tragedywhen my father

passed away in the35W bridge collapse.”

AA Triple A recipient, he was asked to share

See HausmannHausmannHausmannHausmannHausmann on Page 3


News & Features

See TTTTTriple Ariple Ariple Ariple Ariple A on

his thoughts about the honor. His commentswere heartfelt as he thanked administrators,

teachers, friends and his family. This is whathe said.

By Andrew Hausmann

Thank you. It is a pleasure to stand infront of so many accomplished studentsand their families. Before I say anythingelse, I would like to thank the Triple A staffand committee for this honor. Thank youMr. Michael Manning and our school’sadministration for not making studentschoose between excellence in academics,arts and athletics. Even though they arenot present today, I would like to thank JeffErdmann, Jay Hatleli, Tim Conboy, SteveOlsen, and Steven Albaugh, my coaches forsupport and instruction in arts andathletics. Thank you, David Bierly, for yourgarrulousness and talking me through mymost troubling times outside theclassroom. Finally, I thank Mom and therest of my family for coming to every gameor concert, and showing more love than aperson needs to succeed.

When I was a lanky ninth-grader,looking upon all the terminal awards wasominous. My friends and I would talkdubiously about how none of us would getthose awards because it sounded like theyhad to set up camp at school andparticipate in everything. We weresomewhat right. There have been longdays, days when I was in school before thesun rose and left after the sun had longshaded under the horizon. However, I’mproud to say I still have friends to speak of.

For me, this award qualifies four yearsof hard work. From the start I beganrunning blindly. Through band, football,track, schoolwork I ran, and I could not seewhere I was going; all I knew was that itwas far away. I studied until I began to tire.I don’t know who it was, but all of asudden, I was up in the air, being carried.

When he let me down and I thrustforward again, I performed: concerts,games, competitions, I went until my legsgave out and then again, I was hanging

I accept the Triple A Award with the utmost humility and respect

over someone’s shoulder. Let down oncemore and rejuvenated, I hit the groundrunning again.

I prayed for family, friends, strength. Iprayed until my heart gave out. Once againI was hung over someone’s shoulder. WhenI began running again, I bothered to openmy eyes and I found myself at my choirshowcase concert, the state championshipgame in football, the state track meet, andhere at this banquet.

With this, I accept this year’s Triple AAward with the utmost humility andrespect for those who brought me here. Asarduous of a task as it was, I could not doit without the support of so many along theway, and it has been nothing but enjoyable.

Thank you.

Heidi Richards, sports medicine andorthopedic physical therapist and

clinic administrator for the Institutefor Athletic Medicine and Fairview

Sports and Orthopedic Care,presented Andrew Hausmann his

Triple A award.

Thank you, Andrew, and thank you to all ofthe administrators, teachers and students

who provide support for one another and whoare “….vigilant every day lest (they) lose onefragile opportunity to improve tomorrow.”

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Hausmann ..................................... continued from Page 2

By Jody RedmanAssociate Director

Ellen Ferry of Underwood High School,

Julia Harrison of Mound-Westonka HighSchool, Andrew Hausmann of Rosemount HighSchool, and Logan Spitzack of Triton HighSchool were awarded the Minnesota State

High School League Academics, Arts andAthletics Awards on March 26 duringceremonies held at the Graves 601 Hotel inMinneapolis.

Established in 1988, the award, popularlyknown as the Triple A Award, recognizes andrewards high school seniors from across thestate for their achievements in the classroom,the arts, and athletics. To qualify for theaward, students must have a “B” or bettergrade-point average and participate inLeague-sponsored athletic and fine artsactivities. League member schools are invitedto nominate two students — one boy and onegirl — for the award.

Award recipients are selected through amulti-level process involving the League’sadministrative regions and a committee ofathletic, fine arts and educational leaders.One girl and one boy from Class A schoolsand one girl and one boy from Class AAschools receive a four-year, $1,000scholarship.

Following are the brief profiles of the four2011 Academics, Arts and Athletics Awardwinners, plus those of the other 28 finalists.Each shares thoughts about participating inhigh school activities.

Ellen FerryUnderwood High School — Region 6AG.P.A. 4.042Volleyball, basketball, band, choir, speech

Ellen Ferry’s principal boasts that as aleader, Ellen is responsible to herself andothers, is a role model’s role model, and of allthe students he’s worked with, Ellen is in thetop 1 percent. Academically, Ellen hasenrolled in both PSEO and College in theSchools courses. Athletically, Ellen hasreceived all-conference honors in basketballand an all-conference honorable mention involleyball. Artistically, Ellen participates inband, winning solo/ensemble superior ratings;choir, winning superior and Best of Siteawards; speech; and visual arts, where shealso received a superior rating. She says thatthrough art and music, she has learned howto express her ideas and unlock herimagination, and – in a more literal sense –has learned self confidence, individuality andcreativity.

“Taking tough classes, participating inacademic activities, and balancing everythingelse hasn’t always been easy. However, hardwork and commitment to learning areworthwhile endeavors. Certainly, my highschool education has taught me the basics –reading, writing, and arithmetic - but it hasalso allowed me to take chances and learnfrom my mistakes. I’ve discovered new ideas,challenged the old ones, and stretched myways of thinking to see the bigger picture.”

Ferry, Harrison, Hausmann, Spitzack win Triple A Awards

2011 Academics, Arts & Athletics Award FinalistsA recognition program sponsored by the Minnesota State High School League and its member schools, Fairview Health Services, Fairview Sports and Orthopedic Care, and the Institute for Athletic Medicine

Annalise WallerichLake City

Logan SpitzackTriton

REGION 1A

Danielle LarsonSt. Peter

Andrew ThiesSibley East

REGION 2A

Karina FastMountain Lake

Dillon SchultzSpringfield

REGION 3A

Calli Jo McLellanHeritage Christian

Academy

Steven KieselBreck

REGION 4A

Ellen BlackLitchfield

Alex MaciejHoldingford

REGION 5A

Ellen FerryUnderwood

Matthew CotterMorris Area

REGION 6A

Emily DienerMarshall School,

Duluth

Adam EskuriEsko

REGION 7A

Mikaela JanickeGreenbush-

Middle River

Jeremy BensonStephen-Argyle

Central

REGION 8A

Meghan BarryLakeville South

Luke SadergaskiFaribault

REGION 1AA

Julia HarrisonMound-Westonka

Jeremy BorgOrono

REGION 2AA

Sharmila AhmedBurnsville

Andrew HausmannRosemount

REGION 3AA

Rebecca DysonRoseville Area

Thomas KendrickSt. Paul Central

REGION 4AA

Olivia EvansonMaple Grove

James RafterMounds View

REGION 5AA

Lyndsay GusekRobbinsdale Arm-

strong

Edward McKlveenEdina

REGION 6AA

Mandi SaloHermantown

Mark VolkerCambridge-Isanti

REGION 7AA

Maria ZimmermanBecker

Lukas GemarMoorhead

REGION 8AA


News & FeaturesTriple A ................................................................................ continued from Page 3

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Julia HarrisonMound-Westonka High School — Region 2AAG.P.A. 4.0Cross country running, Nordic ski racing, hockey, track and field,speech, visual arts

Julia Harrison is a regular at state tournaments, competing in thestate cross country running meet for six straight years, in the statetrack and field meet for three years, and also in the state Nordic skiracing meet. In all of her sports, Julia has all-conference and all-statehonors. Beyond athletics, she expresses herself through painting,tallying numerous superior ratings in the state visual arts festival. Juliaappreciates that painting teaches her to rely on intuition and to stretchthe boundaries of her imagination. Julia has also been on her school’sspeech team and has taken multiple advanced placement classes. Aschool guidance counselor praises Julia’s motives for success: “Shesimply does these things because she believes that hard work is worthdoing; taking risks often has rewards and being good to others is theright thing to do.”

“I have learned what it takes to achieve success and how to pushmyself to get there. Not only have I learned about working towards agoal, I have also learned to respect my competitors. While during arace I will do all that I can to beat my opponents, afterwards I canshake their hands with gratitude, win or lose. Running and skiing hastaught me humility and that there are always others working just ashard as I am.”

Andrew HausmannRosemount High School — Region 3AAG.P.A. 3.864Football, track and field, band, choir

Andrew Hausmann appreciates his teachers who have challengedstudents to learn independently, and says that learning with thedirection of teachers – rather than merely absorbing what the teacherpresents – has allowed him to explore beyond normal classroomcurriculum. Andrew’s classes include College in the Schools courses,band and choir. He has earned a superior rating in choir, and all-conference and all-state honors in both football and track and field. Histeam placed second at this year’s state football tournament and he hasmedaled as high as second in track, as well. During the winter Andrewcompetes in Olympic-style weightlifting, where he has found muchsuccess. A teacher of Andrew’s stated, “He is confident, yet humble.Articulate, yet not pedantic. Reverent, yet willing to tell a joke.” Hegoes on to say that he is most struck by Andrew’s adherence to ethicalprinciple, personal integrity and his strong internal spirit.

“As a young man a month away from high school, I was struck withtragedy when my father passed away in the 35W bridge collapse.Furthermore, I knew similar stories resulted in students dropping outof school. With this in mind, I actively ensured my story would notmirror that of failure. My responsibilities, priorities, and lifeperspective changed. I attacked academics, arts, and athletics throughthe most emotionally troubling time of my life.”

Logan SpitzackTriton High School (Dodge Center) — Region 1AG.P.A. 3.792Football, basketball, baseball, band, choir

Logan Spitzack is an active member in all aspects of his school andhis principal boasts that he is one of the best role models he has seenin more than 24 years in education. Logan stays active in football,basketball and baseball, and has participated in the state tournamentin all three of his sports, including three state tournament visits infootball. In addition, Logan is a multiple all-conference award recipientin all three of his sports. Logan’s accolades do not stop on the athleticfield. He has received superior ratings in each year’s participation inboth band and choir solo/ensemble competitions. He has also opted tochallenge himself in the arena of academics, taking both College in theSchools and Advanced Placement classes.

“Leadership is very important in athletics. I have learned from mycoaches and teammates that you need leaders to have a balancedteam. Over time I have taken over a stronger leadership role on myteams. I understand that I need to set a good example on and off thefields to be a good leader. If I can be a good influence on a youngerteammate, I am doing my job as a leader.”

Annalise WallerichLake City High School — Region 1AG.P.A. 3.93Tennis, dance team, golf, band

“My academic performance and qualities I have developed byparticipating in all of these areas are things I will always rememberand benefit from throughout my life. I will someday encourage my ownchildren and others to be active participants in all activities their highschools have to offer. I will continue my dedication and growth in theseareas during my college years as I discover even more about thepositive contributions I can make.”

Danielle LarsonSt. Peter High School — Region 2AG.P.A. 4.15Soccer, basketball, track and field, band, choir

“I think I have grown the most from my involvement in bandbecause it has taken me out of my comfort zone and allowed me toface challenges that have made me stronger. I remember shaking withnerves the whole time I was playing a solo, but looking back I realizethat I have developed confidence and courage from the experience. Iknow that I will be able to call upon that bravery and self-confidencewhen facing new and scary adventures in my life in order to emergefrom them successfully.”

The 2011 Triple A Award winners (L-R): Ellen Ferry ofUnderwood High School, Logan Spitzack of Triton High Schoolin Dodge Center, Andrew Hausmann of Rosemount HighSchool, and Julia Harrison of Mound-Westonka High School.

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News & Features

Andrew ThiesSibley East High School — Region 2AG.P.A. 4.094Cross country running, basketball, track and field, choir

“By experiencing the sense of accomplishment that stems from thehard work and dedication I put into my school work, I have beeninspired to continue challenging myself and working hard. Mycoursework has also taught me the lesson that you can do anything ifyou put your mind to it. By never giving up when things become tough Ihave learned to persevere not only in school, but life as well.”

Karina FastMountain Lake High School — Region 3AG.P.A. 3.98Cross country running, basketball, track and field, band, choir, speech

“I have often thought back to times that I felt like giving in, and theincredible feeling I had when I finished strong instead. Often times Ihave thought about skipping homework and going to bed, and then Iremember to persevere because I know how I will feel, knowing that Igave my best effort all the way to the finish line.”

Dillon SchultzSpringfield High School — Region 3AG.P.A. 3.93Football, basketball, golf, choir, speech

“To me, sports are not just activities, but they aremy passion. Since a young age, I have loved the thrillof competition in many different sporting events. Mydetermination in sports to be the best I can be andachieve my goals will bring me future success as well.I know that if I continue to work as hard in the futureas I do in activities such as sports, I will have a brightfuture to look forward to.”

Calli Jo McLellanHeritage Christian Academy (Maple Grove) — Region 4AG.P.A. 3.9Volleyball, basketball, softball, choir, visual arts

“I believe that we are capable of far more than werealize and I want that opportunity to pursue my intended major incollege. All I desire is to be able to live my life to the fullest. I knowwhat I want and am meant to do, and I am not afraid to go after it. Onelife is what I have been given, and I am striving to make a difference.”

Steven KieselBreck School (Golden Valley) — Region 4AG.P.A. 3.64Football, Alpine skiing, lacrosse, band

“Finding that if I dedicate myself to something, and really devotetime to it, I can be as successful as I want to be is a lesson that I willcarry with me for the rest of my life. It will help me in whatever careerI choose, and I will aspire to be the best as I can be, knowing that Ihave had a great education thus far. It is a matter of taking advantageof the opportunities given to me that will determine how well I can doin my life, and that is something only I can determine.”

Ellen BlackLitchfield High School — Region 5AG.P.A. 4.078Tennis, hockey, golf, band, choir, visual arts

“Athletics have taught me leadership qualities. I lead by example. Ionly ask my teammates to do what I would do. I train in the off season,put in extra time, and give 100 percent. Sports have also improved mycommunication skills with coaches and teammates. I have learned to

be a gracious winner and loser. I have competed on both highlysuccessful teams and teams that keep me humble.”

Alex MaciejHoldingford High School — Region 5AG.P.A. 3.7Football, basketball, baseball, track and field, band, choir

“Fine arts activities have shown me that the only way to achieveyour goals and improve at something is by hard work andperseverance. Hours and hours of practice and performing allcontribute to the development of musical abilities, along with manyvaluable life lessons. The fine arts taught me that a cast of 50 or 60people can all put their minds and efforts toward one common goaland the outcome will be spectacular.”

Matthew CotterMorris Area High School — Region 6AG.P.A. 4.0Cross country running, swimming, golf, band, choir, speech

“My motivation to learn and lust for challenges has led me to strivefor increasing academic involvement, an overwhelming passion ofmine. My desire will push me in the future to be a successful andhappy person. I firmly believe that my current deep involvement inacademic activities has been perfect preparation for a healthy,academically strong future.”

Emily DienerMarshall School (Duluth) — Region 7AG.P.A. 4.367Soccer, Nordic ski racing, track and field,choir, band

“Being active in sports throughout my highschool career turned out to be an incredible stress-reliever. I personally thrive on a busy schedulebecause it forces me to manage my time well. Irealized how important it is to be dedicated tomultiple things because each in turn gives me abreak from the others. Being used to a multi-activity schedule as I enter college will make itmuch easier for me to become active in clubs and

activities because I already have the skills required to make such asituation successful.”

Adam EskuriEsko High School — Region 7AG.P.A. 3.928Cross country running, basketball, track and field, band, one act play

“Athletics have been a huge part of my life. The hard work anddedication necessary to achieve success makes managing timecommitments critical. I had to become organized and had to prioritizemy commitments to meets any required deadlines. Thoseorganizational skills will be very beneficial to my future.”

Mikaela JanickeGreenbush-Middle River High School — Region 8AG.P.A. 3.967Volleyball, basketball, softball, band, choir, one act play, visual arts

“My participation in athletic activities has instilled in me a strongwork ethic, teamwork skills, and leadership and motivational skills. Asa three-sport athlete I have learned to manage my rigorous courseworkand athletic practices and competitions all at the same time. Intenseand grueling practices have given me a strong work ethic and havegiven me the mental toughness to face and handle adversity in real lifesituations.”




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Jeremy BensonStephen-Argyle Central High School — Region 8AG.P.A. 3.63Football, basketball, golf, band, choir, one act play

“Involvement in sports has kept me physically fit throughout theyears of high school, and has given me a chance to be a part of twostate championships in football. I have a greater appreciation for thecoaches and for all that they have done for the teams over the years.Being in these different types of sports has given me the desire to workhard and good things will happen, which I plan on carrying with me forthe rest of my life.”

Meghan BarryLakeville South High School — Region 1AAG.P.A. 4.17Cross country running, dance team, Nordic ski racing,track and field, choir, visual arts

“As an individual of many curiosities, I have lived my high schoolyears with the philosophy that I will never know what could have beenif I don’t take a few daring leaps and test new waters. I entered thesewaters an ordinary student and emerged a new person; one wellrounded, versatile, and confident in my abilities.”

Luke SadergaskiFaribault High School — Region 1AAG.P.A. 3.875Band, choir, orchestra, one act play, football,swimming and diving, track and field

“Musical performances have taught me how toget up on stage in front of people, stay focused andperform successfully without fear. Being sectionleader in band and choir has helped me become aconfident individual and leader of others, whichwill be a great skill for my future. I’ve met manynew people because of the musical groups I’vebeen in and will always enjoy making music withthese friends.”

Jeremy BorgOrono High School — Region 2AAG.P.A. 3.91Soccer, basketball, band

“I have always challenged myself when it comes to my education.While working hard in the classroom, I have also found time to devoteto music and athletics. These experiences have taught me the value ofcollaboration and teamwork. Throughout high school I have strived tobecome the best I can be. I have pushed myself to excel in academics,arts and athletics. I have been blessed with many opportunities tosucceed.”

Sharmila AhmedBurnsville High School — Region 3AAG.P.A. 3.986Cross country running, Nordic ski racing, track and field, band

“Throughout high school, my MSHSL fine arts, athletics andacademics have all gone hand in hand. I joined the varsity crosscountry running and skiing teams in eighth grade and was introducedto role models who were maintaining straight A’s, actively participatingin choir, band, and theater, and still managing to qualify for state. I wasgiven the opportunity to be part of an effective support system, and onthe bus rides to ski meets, I would often be caught in calculus studycircles or skiers practicing choir songs.”

Rebecca DysonRoseville Area High School — Region 4AAG.P.A. 3.99Cross country running, soccer, Nordic ski racing, track and field,band, choir, orchestra

“For someone who strives to achieve excellence, learning thatvictory does not always mean winning was a challenge. I truly valuethis lesson because humility has taught me that the most importantthing is giving my best effort. I also attribute my courage to myparticipation in athletics. It is always scary to stick yourself out thereand compete against others because you run the risk of failing. Sportshave developed me self-confidence and given me the courage to takerisks in all aspects of my life.”

Thomas KendrickSt. Paul Central — Region 4AAG.P.A. 4.79Cross country running, soccer, Nordic ski racing, track and field,band, orchestra

“Playing music to such an extent at school has helped me becomewho I am as a thinker and a person. I have developed my brain not justin the structured math and science related aspect, but also creatively.Playing music is like learning another language, yet one with nolimitations on its usage and boundaries. I will definitely continueplaying trumpet in college, and it will help me enjoy my life more, make

friends who also play music, and add a crucial,creative activity to my daily mental exercises.”

Olivia EvansonMaple Grove High School — Region 5AAG.P.A. 4.0Swimming and diving, gymnastics, track andfield, orchestra

“My instructors and my peers have taughtme many skills that have enriched my musicalability and have also impacted my life outside theclassroom. They have taught me the importance ofdetail, for example, dynamics, and articulation inan arrangement. Additionally, my patience hasgrown while working to learn new and difficult

pieces over the years. Most importantly, they have taught me howbalance can make or break a piece, similar to the fact that balance inall aspects of my life can assist me in future success.”

James RafterMounds View High School — Region 5AAG.P.A. 3.607Swimming and diving, band, visual arts

“In my academic coursework, I strive to take the courses that bothhold interest with me and challenge me intellectually. By taking classesthat will challenge me mentally, I am able to grow and develop as astudent, ultimately helping me later on in life when I am faced witheven more challenging obstacles.”

Lyndsay GusekRobbinsdale Armstrong High School — Region 6AAG.P.A. 4.0Cross country running, soccer, track and field, band, orchestra

“Throughout high school, I have participated in a variety ofactivities. I have battled athletes on the soccer field, analyzed theworks of Shakespeare, performed stirring compositions with my schoolorchestra, fought through grueling cross country races, and conqueredchallenging problems in physics. Along the way, I have developeddiscipline, persistence, and confidence.”



News & Features

Edward McKlveenEdina High School — Region 6AAG.P.A. 4.32Cross country running, football, band,Nordic ski racing, track and field

“Three hours spent skiing in below freezingweather sounds enjoyable to few, and after threemonths of daily training even I must force myselfto gear up and hit the trails. Yet without fail, I’ll beout there every day. I have observed the simplephilosophy of ‘you get out what you put in’ throughmy participation in cross country, Nordic skiing,and track and field. This statement encompassesthe self-discipline necessary to drag myself out to train every day, andalso the perseverance necessary to increase motivation after a badcompetition.”

Mandi SaloHermantown High School — Region 7AAG.P.A. 4.0Golf, choir, speech, visual arts

“My involvement in the arts has undoubtedly been one of the mostpositive parts of my high school experience. My commitment to thearts, besides being a cornerstone of my high school career, hasdeveloped focus, confidence, and proficiency in my public speaking andcommunication abilities – skills that will permanently benefit my life.”


The 2011 regional Triple A Award winners awaited the beginning of the award ceremony and presentation of medals duringhalftime of a state boys’ basketball tournament game.

Mark VolkerCambridge-Isanti High School — Region 7AAG.P.A. 4.0Cross country running, wrestling, track andfield, band, choir

“Excellence isn’t just what you do; it is howyou do it. It is putting in the extra time in whateveractivity you choose to ensure that you do your best.Studying for the test, staying after practice to drill,and bringing music home to learn it are just a fewexamples of the pursuit of excellence. When aperson pursues excellence in the little pieces oflife, it becomes a habit that is tough to break.

Excellence has nothing to do with a person’s natural ability andeverything to do with a person’s attitude in facing new challenges.”

Maria ZimmermanBecker High School — Region 8AAG.P.A. 4.0Cross country running, gymnastics, track and field, choir

“My academic coursework has greatly prepared me for the future.My high school classes are the groundwork on which I will build morelevels of education and knowledge. The time and effort I have put intomy high school classes have shown me that hard work pays off. In thefuture I will continue to work hard and will hopefully see even morebenefit from my determination and devotion to my education.”

Lukas GemarMoorhead High School — Region 8AAG.P.A. 4.0Cross country running, track and field, orchestra, speech

“The opportunities I have had for intellectual advancement haveprepared me for a life of academic exploration. Each course I havetaken and each educational activity I have been involved in has incitedme to know more. In addition to stimulating a love for learning, myacademic involvement has taught me how to be diligent. I hope thatthese skills, coupled with my passion for education, will help me to besuccessful in college and beyond.”

To qualify for the award, students musthave a “B” or better grade-point averageand participate in League-sponsoredathletic and fine arts activities.

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News & Features

Lisa Lissimore

By Lisa LissimoreAssociate Director

The Minnesota State HighSchool League and AAAMinneapolis honored the 2011ExCEL Award recipients at the2011 State Girls’ BasketballTournament in March. ExCEL —Excellence in Community,Education and Leadership — is aunique recognition program thatis given annually to high schooljuniors who are leaders in theirschools and who work voluntarilyin their community helpingothers. AAA Minneapolis is theaward sponsor.

“The ExCEL programrecognizes student leaders whoare making a difference in theirschool and community,” said LisaLissimore, the League associatedirector who oversees the awardprogram. “Success for this groupof young people is not measuredby finishing first or having thehighest grade-point average.

Rather, their achievements aregauged by what they have givenback to others throughcommunity volunteerism andservice.”

With more than 22,000community service hours amongthem, the 2011 ExCEL awardrecipients volunteer their freetime coaching youth sports,teaching Sunday school, assistingseniors, visiting shelters, andmentoring at-risk children. Theyoffer time to worthy causes toend hunger, house the homeless,help the environment, andprovide disaster relief for those inneed.

“The young people that we arehonoring are without doubtextraordinary individuals, saidRod Shilkrot, vice president ofmarketing for AAA Minneapolis.“We are very proud to recognizestudents who go beyond theclassroom, the athletic field andperforming arts stage todemonstrate leadership and a

strong commitment to communityvolunteerism.”

KSTC- TV, Channel 45, theLeague’s broadcast partner,recognized the 2011 ExCELaward recipients during itsbroadcast of the League wintersports tournaments. Each studentthen participated in an on-courtaward ceremony during halftimeof the Class AA girls’ basketballchampionship game on March 19.

The ExCEL award programbegan in 1996. Award recipientsare selected through a multi-level

process that involves Leaguemember schools and anindependent panel of judges fromschools throughout Minnesota.More than 3,000 students havebeen recognized with this awardprogram. Two-hundred andseventy-four students werenominated by their schools thisyear.

Here’s a look at the 2011ExCEL Award winners and theservice projects they’re involvedin.

2011 ExCEL Award winners fulfill the call to service

Autumn AelingBertha-Hewitt High SchoolSchool Activities: Marching Band, School Musical, Elementary TeacherAide, Middle School Mentor, Student Council, FCCLA, BusinessProfessionals of America, FFA, Knowledge Bowl, YearbookAthletics: Volleyball, Basketball, SoftballFine Arts: Choir, Band, Visual Arts, One Act PlayCommunity Service: Student Tutor, Haiti Supplies Drive Volunteer,Elementary Summer School Volunteer, Church Volunteer, Youth SportsCoach, Relay for Life Participant, Food Drive Volunteer, HomelessShelter Supplies FundraiserSpecial Mention: Autumn implemented a project collecting andrecycling more than 1,400 used T-shirts and turning them into diapersfor babies in Haiti.

Spencer BrandAlexandria High SchoolSchool Activities: Marching Band, Foreign Exchange Program Host,Student Council, Media Assistant, School MusicalAthletics: Swimming and Diving, TennisFine Arts: Band, ChoirCommunity Service: Community and Church Musician, Boy Scouts,Senior Care Home Volunteer, Community Park Maintenance

Michael BurgdorfBuffalo High SchoolSchool Activities: School Musical, Marching Band, Math Competition,German Exchange Program, National Honor Society, Global ActivistClub, Peer Tutor, Middle School MentorAthletics: Soccer, Nordic Skiing, Track and FieldFine Arts: Band, OrchestraCommunity Service: Church and Community Musician, ChurchVolunteer, Blood Drive Volunteer, Meals on Wheels

Maria DonnayKimball Area High SchoolSchool Activities: Student Council, National Honor Society, KnowledgeBowl, Sports Team ManagerAthletics: Volleyball, Track and FieldFine Arts: Band, ChoirCommunity Service: Church Volunteer, Nursing Home Volunteer, YouthSports Tournament Volunteer

Shannon FieldEastview High School, Apple ValleySchool Activities: Drama, Students Against Destructive Decisions,Student Council, National Honor Society, Fellowship of ChristianAthletesAthletics: Hockey, LacrosseFine Arts: Choir, Visual ArtsCommunity Service: Church Volunteer, Humane Society , Feed MyStarving Children, Camp Counselor, Breast Cancer 3-Day Fundraising,PBS Telethon Volunteer

Brittany FossellMesabi East High School, AuroraSchool Activities: Marching Band, Knowledge Bowl, Student SportsInformation Director, Math League, Leadership Group, Student Council,Yearbook, Spanish ClubAthletics: Volleyball, Cheerleading, GolfFine Arts: Band, ChoirCommunity Service: Youth Dance Teacher, Church Volunteer, ChristmasGift-Giving Volunteer, Clothing Drive OrganizerSpecial Mention: In addition to being active in the school’s Christmasgiving campaign, Brittany has organized clothing drives at her schoolfor less fortunate children.

Thomas RobertsMorris Area

Richell MehusSpring Grove

Molly LarsonNorwood-

Young America

Ryan KillionProvidence Academy,

Plymouth

Shane HalversonOrr

Autumn AelingBertha-Hewitt

Bryon SchuldtNevis

SamanthaParipovich

Buffalo

Desiree HartmanBloomington Kennedy

Spencer BrandAlexandria

Ashley TroutDeer River

Zac PleinKasson-Mantorville

Kara HelgesonOrtonville

Michael BurgdorfBuffalo

Lauren TrummAlexandria

Cody PreislerLeCenter

Arianna HesemannSouthwest Star Con-

cept, Okabena

Maria DonnayKimball Area

Ryan WatkinsMaranatha Christian

Academy, Minneapolis

Elias RadtkeWoodbury

Jackson HoustonHoward Lake-Waverly-

Winsted

Shannon FieldEastview, Apple Valley

Preston WeberPierz

Robert RasmussenHutchinson

Makayla JorgensenLittle Falls

Brittany FossellMesabi East, Aurora

Afton WindspergerWatertown-Mayer

Sydney RemusSleepy Eye

Ellen MathiowetzSleepy Eye St. Mary’s

Kyle KrzmarzickSleepy Eye St. Mary’s

Kaylen LarsonEast Grand Forks

Megan KilbrideLakeville South

Alex GolbuffGlenville-Emmons


News & Features


ExCEL .................................................................................. continued from Page 9Alex GolbuffGlenville-Emmons High SchoolSchool Activities: Student Council, Youth in Government, FFAAthletics: Football, BasketballCommunity Service: Community Musician, 4-H, Church Volunteer, CampCourage Fundraiser, Kids Against Hunger, Blood Drive, Elks LodgeFundraising Volunteer

Shane HalversonOrr High SchoolSchool Activities: National Honor Society, Knowledge Bowl, StudentCouncil, Student Advisory CommitteeAthletics: Football, Basketball, GolfFine Arts: Band, ChoirCommunity Service: Church Volunteer, Boy Scouts, Food ShelfVolunteer

Desiree HartmanBloomington Kennedy High SchoolSchool Activities: Show Choir, Mentor, Youth Advisory Council, FrenchClub, Student Government, Principal Advisory Committee, DiversityCommittee, National Honor SocietyAthletics: Soccer, Nordic Skiing, LacrosseFine Arts: ChoirCommunity Service: Church Volunteer, Feed My Starving Children,Bridging Volunteer, MS Walk, Homelessness Awareness

Kara HelgesonOrtonville High SchoolSchool Activities: Show Choir, Knowledge Bowl, School Musical,Environmental Awareness TeamAthletics: Volleyball, Basketball, Track and FieldFine Arts: Band, ChoirCommunity Service: Church Volunteer, Adopt aHighway, Kids Against Hunger, 4-H, CommunityMusician, Community Theater, New OrleansHurricane Clean-Up

Arianna HesemannSouthwest Star Concept High School,OkabenaSchool Activities: National Honor Society, Student Council, FFA,Elementary Mentor, Flag Squad, DramaAthletics: Basketball, Volleyball, SoftballFine Arts: ChoirCommunity Service: Soup Kitchen Volunteer, Adopt a Highway, HospitalVolunteer, Church Volunteer, Relay for Life Participant, Camp Counselor,Kids Against Hunger

Jackson HoustonHoward Lake-Waverly-Winsted High SchoolSchool Activities: FFA, Student Council, Knowledge Bowl, NationalHonor Society, Leadership Conference, DramaAthletics: Football, BaseballFine Arts: Band, Choir, One Act PlayCommunity Service: Local Carpentry Volunteer, Chamber of Commerce,Church Volunteer, Youth Sports Volunteer, Community Musician

Makayla JorgensenLittle Falls High SchoolSchool Activities: Marching Band, Fellowship of Christian Athletes,DECA Business Association, Leadership CouncilAthletics: Soccer, Tennis, Basketball, SoftballFine Arts: BandCommunity Service: Youth Coach, Church Volunteer, Mission TripParticipant, Healthy Communities Board Member, Youth Camp Aide

Megan KilbrideLakeville South High SchoolSchool Activities: Environmental Club, Kindness Challenge, NationalHonor Society, Youth in Government, Freshman Orientation LeaderAthletics: Cross Country Running, Nordic Skiing, Track and FieldFine Arts: Band, SpeechCommunity Service: Youth Sports Coach, Relay for Life Captain, CountyWetland Program Volunteer, Feed My Starving Children, ChurchVolunteer

Ryan KillionProvidence Academy, PlymouthSchool Activities: Alter Service, Student Council, Math League, MilitaryPersonnel OutreachAthletics: Football, Track and FieldFine Arts: Band, DebateCommunity Service: Boy Scouts, Church Volunteer, Feed My StarvingChildren, Breast Cancer Fundraising Participant, Youth Sports RefereeSpecial Mention: Ryan planned and coordinated a landscapeconstruction project at his church, building two stone patios forchildren to safely wait for parents, and correcting a drainage andflooding problem.

Kyle KrzmarzickSleepy Eye St. Mary’s High SchoolSchool Activities: School Musical, Math Contest, Student Council,National Honor Society, Students for Life, Students Against DestructiveDecisions, Peer TutorAthletics: Football, Basketball, BaseballFine Arts: Choir

Community Service: Youth Sports Umpire andCoach, Church Volunteer, Adopt a Highway, 9-11Memorial Volunteer, Park Maintenance Volunteer,Ronald McDonald House Fundraiser

Kaylen LarsonEast Grand Forks High SchoolSchool Activities: School Musical, Sports TeamManager, National Honor Society, German Club,Student Council, FCCLA, Leadership Group, Drug

Awareness Group, Distracted Driving Prevention GroupAthletics: Volleyball, BasketballFine Arts: Choir, BandCommunity Service: Global Youth Service Grant Writer, ChurchVolunteer, Adopt a Highway, Tornado Relief Volunteer, Toy DriveVolunteer, Feed My Starving Children, Youth Sports Referee, DistractedDriving Awareness SpeakerSpecial Mention: Kaylen has been an advocate for teen distracteddriving awareness, attending the National Department ofTransportation’s Distracted Driving Summit, speaking at a pressconference in Washington D.C., and meeting with Senator AmyKlobuchar and other representatives to ask for their sponsorship of abill that would prohibit texting while driving.

Molly LarsonNorwood-Young America High SchoolSchool Activities: School Musical, Yearbook, National Honor Society,Knowledge Bowl, Peer Tutor, Sports ManagerAthletics: Cross Country Running, Track and FieldFine Arts: Choir, One Act Play, BandCommunity Service: Church Volunteer, Hospital Volunteer, CommunityPool Aide, Community Theater, Elementary School Volunteer, GirlScouts


News & Features

Editor’s Note: Prior to the startof every League Board ofDirectors meeting, one member isinvited to prepare and present areflection. The following was thereflection made on April 7, 2011.

By Mike Manning

This morning I would like toshare what inspires me and whatmotivates me to be an athleticdirector, along with whatmotivates me to be on the Boardof Directors for the High SchoolLeague.

There are four examples I willshare with you that inspire me ona continual basis. Most of what Iwill share has been written aboutby John Millea and Tim Leightonin their newspapers and on theLeague Web site.

The first example is a youngman that is pictured on the wallbehind Dave Stead in the lowerright corner (of the Boardmeeting room). Rich Matter willremember him well. He is thereason that the League asked usto split Dakota United into twoteams. I always told the LeagueDakota United would split rightafter they made Eden Prairie splitin football.

This young man is the sameage as my oldest child, Kelly, and

What inspires and motivates me

Brendan Downes, as a senior onthe 2004 PI Divisionchampionship Dakota Unitedadapted soccer team, scoredfive of the Hawks’ eight goals,finished the tournament with12 goals and five assists, andwas named to theall-tournament team. It was notunusual for him to end up onthe floor, out of his wheelchair,during competition.

I remember taking my young,impressible twin sons, Nick andNate, to a state adapted soccerchampionship game when theywere in seventh grade. I told myboys that if they ever tried atanything in life as hard asBrendan Downes tries at adaptedsoccer, they would be successfulin life.

That afternoon we watchedBrendan in a wheelchair go upand down the court scoring goalsand stealing the ball. Mostplayers in wheelchairs would bethe goalie or the defense in frontof the goalie. Not Brendan! Hecould maneuver his chair whilecontrolling the soccer ball. Hewould move the ball from hand to

hand; hewould putthe ballbehind hischair; and hewould diveout of hischair flippingit over tostop the ball.Then hewould bellycrawl backto histurned-overchair. Hewouldupright thechair fromthe floor andthen hewould pullhimself upand placehimself inthe chairwithamazingspeed tocontinueplay.

He wenton to playwheelchairbasketball attheUniversity ofArizona andhasrepresentedour countryin thewheelchair

I told my boys that if theyever tried at anything in lifeas hard as Brendan Downestries at adapted soccer, theywould be successful in life.

basketball Olympics. He was ourmale athlete of the year hissenior year and the reason hewas so good at basketball was hewould come to school almostevery morning at 6 a.m. and Iwould let him into the gym toshoot. He shot and shot and shotand shot.

He was responsible for eightstate team adapted titles duringhis high school career.

Brendan Downes inspires meto do my job every day.

The second example for me isDave Stead. We hear manypositive things said about Dave,but one area that even he mightnot be aware of his that he issuch a role model for me andother ADs. We have seen himrepresent the League, most oftenpresenting controversial topics insuch a way that he calms thewaters, handles difficultquestions from the audience, andnever appears to be rattled,upset, or angry. He causes meand other athletic directors tothink if Dave can handle toughsituations with that type of graceand dignity that we as athleticdirectors then should be able tosurvive the angry parents we dealwith on a daily basis. When Iencounter difficult people andsituations, I have learned fromwatching Dave that I need to do itwith care, grace and dignity.Often I fail, but I still keep trying.

The athletic directors in theroom this morning had thepleasure to listen to Dave as hedelivered the keynote address toclose the (recent) AD stateconvention. It was a wonderfuladdress that lifted your spirit andgave purpose to our profession.

Dave Stead inspires me to domy job every day.

My third example is about ayoung man that many in the roomheard speak at the Triple Abanquet two weeks ago —Andrew Hausmann. The Leagueawarded him the Class AA TripleA Award and a $4,000scholarship. In his application forthis award he wrote as follows:

“The Triple A Award embodiesthe most vivid qualities of self-driven success in the areas ofacademics, arts, and athletics. Asa young man a month away fromhigh school, I was struck withtragedy when my father passed

See InspiresInspiresInspiresInspiresInspires on Page 17


News & FeaturesExCEL ................................................................................. continued from Page 11Ellen MathiowetzSleepy Eye St. Mary’s High SchoolSchool Activities: School Musical, National Honor Society, StudentCouncil, Knowledge Bowl, School Newspaper, Yearbook, StudentsAgainst Destructive Decisions, Mock Trial, Math ContestAthletics: Volleyball, Basketball, Track and FieldFine Arts: Band, ChoirCommunity Service: Community Theater, Church Volunteer, Adopt aHighway, Mission Trip Participant, Optimist Club, Wildlife Volunteer,Community Lifeguard, Library Aide

Richell MehusSpring Grove High SchoolSchool Activities: Student Council, Youth Development, Business DayRepresentativeAthletics: Volleyball, Basketball, Track and FieldFine Arts: Band, ChoirCommunity Service: Church Volunteer, Mission Trip Participant, Adopt aHighway, Meals on Wheels, Relay for Life Team Leader, 4-H, NursingHome Volunteer, Youth Sports Volunteer, Race Volunteer

Samantha ParipovichBuffalo High SchoolSchool Activities: Marching Band, National Honor Society, ElementarySchool Helper, Student Cabinet, Knowledge BowlAthletics: Tennis, Basketball, SoftballFine Arts: BandCommunity Service: Church Volunteer, Meals on Wheels, Missions TripParticipant, Food Shelf Volunteer, Girl Scouts

Zac PleinKasson-Mantorville High SchoolSchool Activities: Link Crew, Elementary SchoolPresenter, Students Against Destructive Decisions,Fellowship of Christian Athletes, State History DayRepresentativeAthletics: Soccer, Track and FieldFine Arts: Band, ChoirCommunity Service: County Sheriff ’s DepartmentVolunteer, Food Shelf Volunteer, CommunityMusician, Church Volunteer, Mission Trip Participant

Cody PreislerLe Center High SchoolSchool Activities: Student Council, Math League, Knowledge Bowl,Business Professionals of America, National Honor SocietyAthletics: Football, Hockey, BaseballFine Arts: Band, SpeechCommunity Service: Church Volunteer, Tornado Clean-Up Volunteer,Kids Against Hunger, Youth Sports Referee, Community Musician, FoodShelf Volunteer, Adopt a Highway, Veteran’s Day Program Emcee, Relayfor Life ParticipantSpecial Mention: When Cody was asked to be the Master of Ceremoniesfor the community’s Veteran’s Day program, he went beyond what wasasked and researched all of the individuals he would be introducingand wrote personalized introductions for each veteran.

Elias RadtkeWoodbury High SchoolSchool Activities: Student Council, Key Club, National Honor Society,Fellowship of Christian Athletes, German National Honor Society,Knitting Club, Event Emcee, Marching Band, Poetry Out LoudAthletics: Football, Basketball, BaseballFine Arts: BandCommunity Service: Feed My Starving Children, Church Volunteer, Relayfor Life Participant, Race for the Cure, Second Harvest Food Shelf,Parent’s Night Out Volunteer, Mission Trip Participant

Robert RasmussenHutchinson High SchoolSchool Activities: Student Advisory Council, Math League, Blood DriveCommittee, Link Crew, Key Club, Leadership CouncilAthletics: Football, Wrestling, TennisFine Arts: Band, Choir, SpeechCommunity Service: Adopt a Highway, Food Shelf Volunteer, YouthSports Volunteer, Park Construction Volunteer, Lions Club Volunteer,Boy Scouts: Order of the Arrow, Veterans Recognition Volunteer, ChurchVolunteer, Wood Duck Habitat VolunteerSpecial Mention: Over a three year period, Robert planned, solicitedcontributions and created a veteran’s awareness project, making morethan 750 concrete markers and placing them at veteran’s gravesites inhis local cemetery.

Sydney RemusSleepy Eye High SchoolSchool Activities: National Honor Society, Student Council, FFA,Elementary School Mentor, Danceline, TheaterAthletics: Volleyball, Cheerleading, Basketball, SoftballFine Arts: BandCommunity Service: Church Volunteer, Kids Against Hunger, Food ShelfVolunteer, Blood Drive Volunteer, Youth Sports Coach, Senior CitizenPenpal

Thomas RobertsMorris Area High SchoolSchool Activities: School Musical, Poetry Out Loud, Student Council,Leadership Committee, Math League, Knowledge Bowl, Robotics,Middle School Orientation Leader

Athletics: Swimming and DivingFine Arts: One Act Play, Band, ChoirCommunity Service: Community Musician, FoodShelf Volunteer, Youth Music Instructor, PovertySurvey Translator, Feed My Starving Children,Theater Volunteer, Toys for Tots

Bryon SchuldtNevis High SchoolSchool Activities: Knowledge Bowl, National Honor

Society, Student Council, Middle School Mentor, Community EducationCommittee, Chemical Health FairAthletics: Cross Country Running, Basketball, Track and FieldFine Arts: BandCommunity Service: Boy Scouts, Church Volunteer, Food ShelfFundraiser, Youth Sports Coach, Community Sand Bagging, CommunityEvents Volunteer

Ashley TroutDeer River High SchoolSchool Activities: National Honor Society, Spanish Club, StudentCouncil, FCCLAAthletics: Cross Country Running, Track and FieldFine Arts: Band, Choir, Visual Arts, SpeechCommunity Service: 4-H, YMCA Volunteer, Salvation Army, NursingHome Volunteer, Feed My Starving Children

Lauren TrummAlexandria High SchoolSchool Activities: Student Council, Respect Retreat, SportsmanshipWorkshopAthletics: Soccer, Basketball, SoftballFine Arts: Band, Choir, OrchestraCommunity Service: Church Volunteer, Mission Trip Participant,Nursery School Volunteer, Walk for MS, Humane Society Fundraiser,Youth Sports Referee



Kevin Merkle

By Kevin MerkleAssociate Director

I recently finished reading abook titled “Blind Your Ponies” byStanley Gordon West. This novelis a “Hoosiers” type of storyabout basketball in a very smalltown in Montana. The title isbased on a haunting legend of theCrow Indians. The story isfictional, but based on a realtown, Willow Creek, and thestruggles of the high schoolbasketball team in the early ’90s.

The author, originally from St.Paul, self-published this bookabout 10 years ago and hasliterally been selling the book outof the trunk of his car. In fact, inthe early 2000s he was selling outof his trunk with another well-known local author by the nameof Vince Flynn who, since thattime, has written numerous bestsellers.

“Blind Your Ponies” eventuallycaught on, was picked up by localbookstores throughout the regionand sold more than 40,000copies. The book was picked upby Algonquin paperback booksand was released in January.

While the book has abasketball theme, it is aboutmuch more than basketball, andeven non-basketball fans willenjoy the read. West writes aboutthe journey of a team that has notwon a game in over five years,but the story is about this tinytown, the colorful, eccentriccharacters that live there, andtheir relationships and personalissues are more important thanthe story of

the basketball team.As the team — with only six

players in grades 9-12 — beginsto win, the community comestogether in an unforgettable way,just like it happens in our owncommunities. However, there ismore to the story than theemotional ride of this community.While there are various themesand messages that can be takenfrom the book, there are two thatI want to share with you.

First is one of the manymotivational messages or themesthat the team’s coach, SamPickett, uses to inspire theplayers. One of his favoritesayings is used just as the teamleaves the locker room or as theybreak the huddle: “Have fun andlearn something.” I don’t thinkthere is any better way todescribe the purpose of ouractivities programs — especiallyusing only five words.

In survey after survey, studentathletes will rank having fun astheir number one reason forbeing involved in sports and otheractivities. I believe that when theyrank having fun as mostimportant, it’s more than havingeasy practices and laughing at orwith teammates and coaches, etc.Having fun is enjoying theexperiences, the relationships,setting goals and reaching them,and of course winning.

So many times coaches andplayers get so wrapped up withall of the challenges and issuesthat come up during the seasonthat they forget to have fun. Whatbetter way than to remind yourteam to have fun before they takethe court, to play loose, playwithout pressure, and enjoy thegame. Coaches, administratorsand parents need to hear thatsame message. They, too, needto be reminded to have fun andenjoy the experience.

However, the second part ofthat message is even moreimportant — “learnsomething.” This was CoachPickett’s way of reminding theplayers to keep learning andimproving. He knew that whatthey learned during theseason would pay benefitslater.

Prior to one of the lastgames of the season CoachPicket delivered thismessage before they tookthe court. As the team

breaks its huddle and begins tohead out the door of the lockerroom, the young, unskilled ninth-grader who has been thrust intothe starting line-up responds tothe coach with “Why do we needto keep learning something? Theseason will be over.”

Coach Pickett replied: “Learnsomething that you can take withyou the rest of your life.” Isn’tthat exactly what our programsare all about? I would hope thatis what occurs in our programs.

As we all know, well less than1 percent (last figure I heard was.03 percent) of high schoolstudent-athletes will ever earn aliving by playing professionalsports. However, all of ourparticipants can and will learnlessons that they can take withthem the rest of their lives. Asyou administer, coach, officiate,or in some other way are involvedin our many activity programs,make sure to be purposeful inmaking sure that our participantslearn something that will beuseful for the rest of their lives.

The second message or themeis the impact that this team, (atrue underdog that begins to havesuccess), has on not only WillowCreek, but fans in general —throughout the region andthroughout the entire state. The

author does a great job ofidentifying the impact thatunderdogs who win can have onall of us. Instead of trying toexplain, let me share a portion ofone paragraph from the book:

“Sam looked up at the blur offaces and knew that, thoughthese people had come to watchan athletic contest, it had becomemore than that now. They werehoping to find out if their deepestlongings – the fairy tales theyclung to like a teddy bear fromchildhood – would ever cometrue. They stood and cheered forboys they didn’t know, whorepresented the misspent liveswithin themselves, the dreamsthey never realized, boys whostood for the shattered hopes andlost loves that would neverreturn, and they cheered becausein these boys, for this oneglorious moment, they could allwin!”

I’d like to tell more of thestory, but it would be much betterif you read it yourself. The book isavailable through Amazon as wellas local book stores. While it’s along book and not a quick read,it’s a fun read and well worth theeffort.

In the meantime, rememberthat in whatever you do: “Havefun and learn something.”

‘Blind Your Ponies:’ Have fun . . . . . and learn something

“Have fun and learn something.” I don’tthink there is any better way to describe

the purpose of our activities programs —especially using only five words.

“Sam looked up at the blur of faces andknew that, though these people had come

to watch an athletic contest, it hadbecome more than that now.

News & Features


ExCEL ................................................................................. continued from Page 13Ryan WatkinsMaranatha Christian Academy, Brooklyn ParkSchool Activities: Mock Trial, Peer TutorAthletics: Soccer, Basketball, Track and FieldFine Arts: Visual ArtsCommunity Service: Church Volunteer, AddictionRecovery Center Volunteer, Youth Service andSupport Center VolunteerSpecial Mention: Ryan was on a school buscrossing the 35W Bridge when it collapsed. Thefollowing year he began volunteering for acommunity beautification group, painting a muralto express the group’s feelings toward the bridgecollapse, and encouraging graffiti art as a way to bring people together,not as a territory turf war. Ryan was chosen by his fellow artists tospeak at the collapse anniversary.

Preston WeberPierz High SchoolSchool Activities: National Honor Society, Middle School Mentor, Peer

Helper, Drug Awareness Coalition, School MusicalMusician, Leadership ConferenceAthletics: Football, BasketballFine Arts: BandCommunity Service: Community Musician, YouthSports Coach, Youth Musical Group Fundraiser

Afton WindspergerWatertown-Mayer High SchoolSchool Activities: Fall Musical, National Honor

Society, Student Council, Business Professionals of America, DancelineAthletics: GymnasticsFine Arts: Band, ChoirCommunity Service: Youth Sports Coach, Youth Dance Instructor,Community Musician, Church Volunteer, Little League Volunteer

By Kristin Martinand Jill KasparieKAAL-TV ABC 6 News

Being sidelined by an injury isthe sort of heartbreak Mitch Gadeknows far too well.

“I fractured my tibia onOctober 11th,” said Gade, asophomore at Century. Gade wasdetermined to heal in time for thehockey season. Rochester CenturyHigh School athletic trainer AmyCline was with him every step ofthe way.

“She always knows what tosay at the right time. I mean thatwas the reason I was back soquickly, too. She was pushing melike no other to get back on theice,” said Gade.

When softball pitcher HannahKuisle broke her throwing handmid-season, Amy was there.

“Amy did an awesome job withme. She came up to the field everyday,” said Kuisle, a Century junior.

And when football quarterbackNick Beise had not one, but twosurgeries on his throwingshoulder, Amy was by his side.

“I saw Amy like every day for asolid two years,” said Beise, aCentury senior.

But one day after school, Amywasn’t in the training room.

Now Amy’s the one on thesidelines. She’s been away fromwork since December and hasstarted treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

“It was awful when I found

out. I couldn’t believe it,” saidGade.

“It was shocking just becauseAmy is Amy and you don’t thinkshe’d ever get sick,” said Kuisle.

In Amy’s absence, the athleteshave rallied together, findingways to raise money to help payfor Amy’s medical bills and showtheir support.

The girls’ basketball team haslisted Amy on their roster asnumber 55. It’s the same numberon the jersey they hang over thebench in her honor.

And it’s hard to miss thebright green socks the boys’basketball team wears or thegreen tape wrapped around thePanthers’ hockey sticks.

All of it reminders that there isa bigger battle playing out off thefield. One with no rules and noofficiating.

“She’s never going to quit andyou should never quit out on theice, no matter how hard it gets,”said Gade.

While Amy has compelledthese athletes to band together,they’re the ones inspiring her toget back in the game.

“Just knowing that they’rewilling to fight with me, it helps aton. I mean they’re behind me soI can’t quit because I would neverlet any of them quit,” said Cline.

Because nothing can comebetween Amy and her athletes.

“Who’s excited for two a days?I am! I’m ready for August. Let’sgo!” said Cline.

Athletes for AmyStudents switch roles, conduct fundraiser for cancer-stricken athletic trainer

“Just knowing that they’re willing to fightwith me, it helps a ton. I mean they’re

behind me so I can’t quit because I wouldnever let any of them quit.”

Amy Cline and her husband Dave. The student-organizedfundraiser brought in more than 450 people for dinner, 190silent auction items were donated, and 500 T-shirts were sold.More than $23,000 has been raised to assist the Cline family.

A benefit was held at theschool on March 8. Here’s afollow-up report.

Tuesday night athletes fromjust about every Century sportsteam got together for their

biggest effort yet, a benefit inAmy’s honor.

“I have lost count of how manykids will actually be here,” saidCentury Activities Director Mark

See AmyAmyAmyAmyAmy on Page 16

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Amy .................................................................................... continued from Page 15

Kuisle. Most days it’s hard tokeep kids at school any longerthan they have to, but Tuesdaynight they didn’t need anyconvincing.

“It’s exciting to see her and belike ‘Oh it’s Amy,’ like we haven’tseen her in a couple months andit’s nice to see our athletic traineragain,” said freshman athleteKaitlyn Maidl.

Amy Cline has spent her daysdedicated to these student-athletes. But since her cancerdiagnosis, her athletes have beenthe ones showing theirdedication. They organized thisbenefit in her honor.

“The money that’s raised isgoing to help offset some of hermedical costs,” Kuisle said.

“It’s hard to see her in painand knowing that this is going onfor her, but it’s great to see her,that she’s well enough and happyenough to be here,” saidfreshman athlete Olivia Rieck.

Even though the night is tohonor her, for Amy, it’s really not.It’s about her athletes.

“I think about them all thetime,” Cline said.

“Are you guys ready for trackseason to start?” Cline asked onegroup of students. “Are you guysbored now that hockey is over?”she said to another group.

“Amy was always there andalways there for them at the endof the bench and at those games.Whether it was snow, sleet, hail

or lightning, she was there atthose events,” Kuisle said.

“I don’t know how to put it inwords what it means just havingthe athletes gather around you isan amazing feeling, seeing thismany people show up to try tosupport us is absolutelyawesome,” Cline said.

It’s a support system with onemain message: “When the worldsays give up, hope whispers tryone more time.”

They’re hoping she beats hercancer and joins them back onthe field as soon as she can.

“She should come back if shecan because everyone really lovesher here,” Rieck said.

About 400 people came toTuesday’s benefit. Studentshoped to raise $12,000 to$15,000.

Kristin Martin andJill Kasparie are reporters forKAAL- TV ABC 6 News inRochester. Transcribed from theirFeb. 28 and March 8, 2011reports. Reprinted withpermission.

“It’s hard to seeher in pain andknowing that this isgoing on for her,but it’s great to seeher, that she’s wellenough and happyenough to be here.”

This was the message thestudents had printed on the

back of the T-shirts.

Rochester Century athletic trainer Amy Cline (center) with herparents Tim and Sue Engel at the fundraiser.

“I don’t know how to put it in words whatit means just having the athletes gather

around you is an amazing feeling, seeingthis many people show up to try tosupport us is absolutely awesome.”

The National Federation of State HighSchool Associations (NFHS) and eKnowledge™

— a leading provider of interactive learningproducts and services — are continuing theirpartnership to help high school studentsprepare for college.

eKnowledge is offering SAT and ACT testprep programs, valued at $200 each, free tostudents in NFHS member state associations.The Minnesota State High School League is amember association.

The SAT and ACT PowerPrep software isprovided on a single DVD and includes morethan 11 hours of video instruction and 40hours of student participation time, 3,000files of supplemental test prep material,thousands of interactive diagnostic tools,sample questions, practice tests and graphicteaching illustrations. Students select thetraining they need and can study at their ownpace.

“I have met and worked with the folks ateKnowledge who started the SponsorshipPartners Alliance to assist high school

students, and we are pleasedto associate with them andencourage our memberassociations and high schoolsaround the country toleverage this opportunity toassist the families andstudents in their states,districts and schools,” saidNFHS Director of EducationalServices B. Elliot Hopkins.

The eKnowledgeSponsorship Partners Alliancehas more than 70 athletesfrom the National FootballLeague and Major LeagueBaseball, as well asindividuals from corporations,foundations and nonprofit organizations. Withthe support of these individuals, eKnowledgeis able to offer the $200 SAT and ACTPowerPrep software to schools in NFHSmember state associations.

The SAT and ACT PowerPrep Program can

eKnowledge offers free SAT/ACT prep courses

be ordered online at www.eknowledge.com/NFHS or by phone at 951-256-4076 (referenceNFHS). Although the $200 retail fee is waivedfor NFHS members, there is a $17.55 chargefor shipping and handling, support, materialsand registration.

News & Features


See ConcussionConcussionConcussionConcussionConcussion on

Inspires............................................................................... continued from Page 12away in the 35W bridge collapse.My responsibilities, priorities andlife perspective changed.”

I stop here in his writing toshare what some of you mightalready know about this story.Andrew’s father was a missionaryafter college and he served inKenya where he met and latermarried Andrew’s mother. Theymoved back home to Minnesotaand Mr. and Mrs. Hausmannraised four wonderful children.On the fateful day of the bridgecollapse, Andrew’s father wastalking on the phone to his wifewhen the bridge went down andthe line went dead. After Mr.Hausmann’s car went into thewater, he was able to free himselfand swim to the river bank.

At that point a mother wasscreaming for help because herchild was still stuck in her carunderwater. Mr. Hausmann,without hesitation, went back intothe river in an effort to save thechild of a stranger. He did notmake it back out of the river. Mr.Hausmann’s life was cut painfullyand tragically short, but he left alegacy of four wonderfuloutstanding children. I am luckyenough to interact with thesechildren.

Andrew completed hisapplication for the award with:“Furthermore, I knew similarstories resulted in studentsdropping out of school. With thisin mind, I actively ensured mystory would not mirror that offailure. I attacked academics,arts, and athletics through themost emotionally troubling timeof my life. I pursued leadershippositions in NHS and footballeven as I became the only driverin a house with two elementary-age kids and an unemployed

mother without a driver’slicense.”

I will stop reading Andrew’scomments there. Hedistinguished himself with a verylong list of accomplishments atRosemount High School. He wasaccepted at both Harvard andCornell for next fall. At oursigning ceremony this winter, Iintroduced Andrew by saying,“There are not many people thatwill be able to tell their childrenthat they turned down Harvardfor another school.”

Andrew will play football forCornell in the fall and major inengineering or pre-med.

Andrew Hausmann inspires meto do my job each day.

The final example I will sharewith you this morning is that Ihave been able to supervise theDakota United Adapted AthleticProgram for the past 15 years. Mywife, Monica, is a pediatricphysical therapist for CourageCenter for the past 20 years andhas treated many of the kids thatplay in our program. A month agoour CI hockey team did somethingthat was written about in thePioneer Press and by John Millea.The version I will share with youtoday is from the “Sainted andTainted” column in the PioneerPress and submitted by Liz

McGrory of Winona. Thankgoodness we are in there becauseof the “Sainted” and not the“Tainted.”

The title: “He Scores! Cheersfor Charlie on his birthday

“There are moments in one’slife that are never forgotten. Oneof those moments happened forme on Valentine’s Day.

“It was at my son’s floorhockey game. His name is Charlieand he has Down Syndrome. Heplays on the Winona adapted floorhockey team. I use the verb ‘play’loosely because during the gamesCharlie stands like a statue; hehas moved very rarely.

“At this particular game hewas announced in the lineup as‘The birthday boy, CharlieMcGrory.’ It was his 15thbirthday, and he was about to getthe best birthday present ever.

“We were playing the DakotaUnited adapted floor hockeyteam. They are a very successfulteam coached by BrettKosidowski and Dana Beck. Thewonderful staff and playersrepresent the Rosemount, AppleValley and Eagan districts. TheDakota team was ahead 9-4 with

two minutes left. Charlie was onthe floor at the time, in hisposition as the ‘frozen forward.’Dakota suddenly called a timeoutand I looked at the women aroundme and said, ‘What could theyneed a timeout for?’ Well, believeme, I got my answer.

“The faceoff was won byDakota, and their player passedto Charlie. Charlie lookedbewildered, as if to say ‘What do Ido now?’

“The player coaxed Charlie topass the puck. Charlie finallypassed it – with all of us cheering– out to the half-line. AnotherDakota player passed it back toCharlie and with all theexcitement, Charlie passed itright back out to the half-line!

“The puck then comes back toCharlie and the goalie is yelling,‘Over here.’ After two more tries,Charlie sends the puck into thegoal and is surrounded by theDakota players before his ownteam could even get to him! Therewas a flurry of high fives, hugsand head rubs. It was a momentfor all of us; we knew how luckywe were to witness it.

“It was because of this teamand its coaches that Charlie hadan unforgettable birthday. It wasbecause of them that the Winonafans went home with smiles ontheir faces and happy feelings intheir hearts.”

Dakota United players andcoaches inspire me to do my jobeach day.

Thank you for allowing me toshare.

Mike Manning is the activitiesdirector at Rosemount HighSchool.

“There are notmany people thatwill be able to telltheir children thatthey turned down

Harvard foranother school.”

After two moretries, Charlie sendsthe puck into the

goal and issurrounded by the

Dakota playersbefore his own

team could evenget to him!

Kindness, compassion from opponents appreciated

The following letter was sent to Assistant Director Rich Matter who oversees adapted athletic activities.

Mr. Matter,My name is Rod Schwarz and I coach the Winona adapted CI floor hockey team. We played Dakota

United last night here in Winona. Like most adapted teams, we have a few players that are very challengedwhen it comes to moving on the court.

Last night the Dakota coaches (Brett Kosidowski and Dana Beck) called a timeout during the third periodin order to set up an opportunity for one of our players to score a goal. The Dakota players let our kid havethe puck, carry it in, and score his first ever varsity goal.

This in itself was a class act. To carry it one step further, the Dakota players congratulated our playerafter his goal and came over and patted him on the back after the game.

Needless to say it will take a long while for the smile to leave this young man’s face. His parents andrelatives in attendance will be forever grateful for this kind act of sportsmanship.

I have coached at various levels for many years. The kindness of the Dakota coaches and players will be an image I will remember for a longtime. In this day and age of winning is everything, trash talking, and all the other baloney that goes on, it was really refreshing to see this act ofkindness and compassion.

News & Features



Perham’s Zach Gabbardcollapsed from sudden cardiacarrest (SCA) on January 20, 2011,during a boys’ basketball game atDilworth-Glyndon-Felton HighSchool. Eight minutes into thegame he suddenly collapsed tothe floor.

There was immediateresponse from a nurse in thestands, CPR was started, andthankfully D-G-F High School hadan automated externaldefibrillator (AED) available.

Gabbard was rushed to aFargo hospital where he receivedimmediate care and once he wasstable, he was transferred to theUniversity of Minnesota hospital,and later to BethesdaRehabilitation Center.

Gabbard was reunited with histeammates, coaches and friendsin a surprise visit prior to thestart of his team’s State Boys’Basketball Tournamentquarterfinal Game on March 23 atWilliams Arena. His team had

been told they would have a videoconference with Gabbard fromthe hospital. As his teammateswaited for the conference tobegin, Gabbard was wheeled intothe locker room and that’s whenthe celebration began.

His friends cheered, pattedhim on the back, hugged him, andof course gave him a hard timeabout his short haircut andmissed free throws.

“It was something very specialto have him there and see him dowhat he is doing and the strideshe is making to be back next yearas part of our team,” his coach,Dave Cresap, said. “It was aphenomenal thing to see.”

Because of the immediateresponse of CPR and the use ofan AED, Zach Gabbard is alivetoday. He is an amazing youngman who inspired all of us withhis courage and strength.

He got a second chance at lifebecause of the emergencyresponse that took place when hecollapsed. And if you don’t think it

Zach GabbardPerham player survived because of immediate and correct response, as well as the availability of an AED

“It was something very special to havehim there and see him do what he is

doing and the strides he is making to beback next year as part of our team. It

was a phenomenal thing to see.”

Zach Gabbard shared a smile with Perham freshman/assistantvarsity coach Brent Hanson after an on-court recognition of

the rescuers who helped save Gabbard’s life during halftime ofthe 2011 Class A Boys’ Basketball Tournament championship

game. Hanson himself is also a survivor of sudden cardiacarrest and has developed a very close bond with Zach, whose

mother Meridee assisted Zach with his wheelchair.

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The Minnesota State High SchoolLeague and the Medtronic Foundationdeserve credit for saving lives.

Perham basketball player ZachGabbard, who collapsed during thefirst half of the Perham versusDilworth-Glyndon-Felton basketballgame Thursday night, still is alivebecause the D-G-F school district had equipped the gymnasiumwith three defibrillators.

In 2008, D-G-F was able to get the defibrillators through theprogram the MSHSL and the Medtronic Foundation launched,Anyone Can Save a Life. Ninety percent of Minnesota schools arenow equipped with defibrillators.

Gabbard is not the only case of a high school player goinginto cardiac arrest. There have been 14 cases since 2008 inMinnesota, according to the MSHSL.

That the League and the Medtronic Foundation did awonderful thing in 2008 is a given. The family of Gabbard, andthe many others whose lives have been saved by thedefibrillators, would certainly agree.

This editorial was published in The Daily Journal, Fergus Falls,on Jan. 25, 2011.

MSHSL made the right callthat has saved lives

See ZachZachZachZachZach on Page 19

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Zach.................................................................................... continued from Page 18

Quick Steps to Implementation1. Print the Response Protocol Worksheet2. Complete the entire Response Protocol Worksheet3. Assign students on your team to each role4. Review each student’s role in the event of an

emergency5. Discuss the plan two to three times throughout the

season

could happen at your high school,think again. Gabbard’s father,Steve, has one simple messagehe would like to share with us all.

“It isn’t a matter of if it willhappen again; it is a matter ofwhen. Zach is here today becauseof the immediate emergencyresponse that took place when hecollapsed.”

And he wants to challenge youwith this: “Will you be ready?”

Anyone Can Save A Life canassist your school in being ready.The resources are easy to use andwill walk you through how to

“It isn’t a matter of if it will happenagain; it is a matter of when. Zach is heretoday because of the immediateemergency response that took placewhen he collapsed.”

implement a response protocolfor your school; specifically forevery level of every activity.Implement Anyone Can Save ALife at your school today.

For more information, visitwww.AnyoneCanSaveALife.org.

Gabbard has returned toPerham and continues hisrehabilitation. To track hisprogress, check out his CaringBridge site:www.caringbridge.org/visit/zachgabbard.

Registered Nurse Denise Cuchna, who was one of the firstbystanders to respond after Zach Gabbard collapsed, performingCPR and using an AED to help revive him, was presented anaward by Zach’s father Steve during the on-court recognition ofthe rescuers who helped save Gabbard’s life during halftime ofthe 2011 Class A Boys’ Basketball Tournament championshipgame.

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Fans passed the hat, donated $1,443.17 in two minutes

The following letter was sent to Associate Director Kevin Merkle.

Subject: Zach Gabbard

More than 700 people attended last night’s Park Region Conference match-up between the NewYork Mills Eagles and the Bertha-Hewitt Bears boys’ basketball teams. It was a great local rivalry,but last night’s game held a more important focus as the teams battled on the court.

At halftime of the varsity game, both teams gathered on the court in a joint effort to help raisefunds for Perham basketball player Zach Gabbard as he lay in a coma in Minneapolis. A heatedconference battle took backstage as both communities listened to team captains from both teamstalk about Zach and his battle. After a brief video of Zach, all basketball players from both teamsentered the bleachers for two minutes and collected donations from the crowd for the Gabbardfamily. After those 120 seconds concluded, both teams entered their locker rooms and prepared for the second half of action.

Just minutes before the game concluded, Superintendent Todd Cameron delivered the final tabulation to the head scorer’s tableand an amazing announcement was made during a timeout: the communities of Bertha, Hewitt, and New York Mills had donated$1,443.17 in just two minutes! An enormous cheer erupted in the gym and high fives were shared as a sense of pride arose out of aheated game.

It is something to be part of a group, team or organization, but to be part of an amazing area such as central Minnesota issomething that I am most proud of!

Thank you to all participants and donors from the game. It truly was a night to be proud to be a member of this area!If you would like to take a look at the news clip from last night with some of our student/athletes talking about Zach Gabbard and

the fundraiser the link is http://www.valleynewslive.com/Global/story.asp?S=13968291

Michael StokesStaples

News & Features


News & Features

Coach Art Downey and his horned rimmedglasses have been Minnesota swimming anddiving icons for 55 years!

As the head swimming and diving coach atEdina High School, Downey has taughtthousands of student-athletes much morethan how to excel in sports, he has taughtthem life lessons. He showed his swimmershow to be exceptional individuals byconducting themselves with class andintegrity.

Downey’s coaching accomplishmentsstand unrivaled. His Edina teams have won 10state championships, produced 55 state eventchampions, 55 All-Americans, 59 AcademicAll-Americans, and amassed an impressivedual meet record of 483-141-1.

Downey also has won virtually everypossible coaching award, and many of thoseawards multiple times. He’s won the SectionCoach of the Year 11 times, the State Coach ofthe Year six times, and National Coach of the

Art Downeyand his glasses recognizedas icons by Minnesota’shigh school swimmingcommunity

Year once. He has been inducted into eightdifferent halls of fame and this spring he’ll beinducted into the National InterscholasticSwimming Coaches Association (NISCA) Hallof Fame.

For Downey, success isn’t all in thewinning, but also in the giving to the sport heloves. He has held the offices of vice presidentand president of the Minnesota SwimmingCoaches Association. He’s served as chair ofthe Minnesota Swimming Hall of FameCommittee since its inception in 1978, andactively participates in NISCA where he’sbeen a delegate since 1980.

It has often been said that imitation is thehighest form of flattery. Prior to the start ofthe 2011 Class AA boys’ swimmingpreliminaries, dozens of coaches and officialsdonned horned rimmed glasses to recognizeand salute Art Downey’s 55 years of coachingand leadership.

His Edina teams have won 10 statechampionships, produced 55 state event

champions, 55 All-Americans, 59Academic All-Americans, and amassed an

impressive dual meet record of 483-141-1.

Dale Brainard wasone of many meetofficials andcoaches whodonned costumehorned rimmedglasses in honor ofDowney.

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News & Features

This is a story about two teams ofMinnesota high school students whoexperienced the exhilaration of synergy —working together to produce a successimpossible by working alone. The setting wasthe Metrodome and the League state footballsemifinals. The participants, however, are notfootball players.

The teams in this story are the schoolbroadcast program students from two schooldistricts working with GrandStadium.tv,Channel 45 and the League. They producedthe state football semifinals from theMetrodome for a worldwide viewing audienceover the Internet.

The veteran school broadcast teamvolunteers were from BloomingtonEducational Cable Television (BEC-TV) andBloomington School District led by TomRingdal. The other team members were 23students brand new to live Webcastproduction from St. Charles High Schoolsupervised by Adam Gust.

What happened between these two teamsis a story that needs to be told. In fact, it is anexperience that needs to be repeated againand again.

The BEC-TV ViewpointBloomington Educational Cable Television,

its director Tom Ringdal, and the BloomingtonSchool District have an educational access TV

TTTTTwo teams win big off the field at football semifinalswo teams win big off the field at football semifinalswo teams win big off the field at football semifinalswo teams win big off the field at football semifinalswo teams win big off the field at football semifinals

The student crews and advisors from BEC-TV (dark shirts) and St. CharlesHigh School (light shirts) who produced the Webcasts of some of the2010 State Football Tournament semifinal games at the Metrodome.

“They experience televisionproduction beside true

professionals. Theyproduce real television

that has real value topeople. They learn the

skills, technologies andunique culture of television

broadcasting. But, thegreatest thing they learn

is teamwork, responsibilityand people skills. They likeit because it is demanding.The hard work makes them

feel like they arecontributing to somethingimportant and somethingbigger than themselves.”

St. Charles students Nolan Barth (light shirt standing), a junior, and his brotherDylan (with camera), a senior, worked with BEC-TV volunteers Paul Fourniea (darkshirt left) of Bloomington Kennedy High School and Jackie Gartland (dark shirt thirdfrom left), a 2003 graduate of Kennedy who volunteered through junior and seniorhigh school and continues to work with current students.

partnership that dates back more than 30years. Tom, his students and volunteers havebuilt a studio and broadcast truck fromscratch with unusual creativity andperseverance. But the spirit of volunteerismTom has created is the real foundation.

Professional writers, producers, anddirectors from the area volunteer to teachseventh- through 12th-graders televisionbroadcasting skills. BEC-TV then involvesthese students to produce broadcasts of

graduations, concerts, and sporting events forthe Bloomington School District at the rate of600 to 700 shows annually. Students get areal-world, hands-on experience that resultsin a waiting list of students wanting to be apart of television production. The students,incidentally, do not get school credits for thetime they spend.

“I think it’s a combination of things,”Ringdal replied in response to why thestudents do this when there is no tangible

See WinWinWinWinWin on Page 23


News & FeaturesWin ..................................................................................... continued from Page 22benefit. “They experiencetelevision production beside trueprofessionals. They produce realtelevision that has real value topeople. They learn the skills,technologies and unique cultureof television broadcasting. But,the greatest thing they learn isteamwork, responsibility andpeople skills. They like it becauseit is demanding. The hard workmakes them feel like they arecontributing to somethingimportant and something biggerthan themselves.”

BEC-TV has been partneringwith 45.GrandStadium.tv andChannel 45 as part of trainingdays at the Channel 45 studiosand Hubbard Broadcasting in St.Paul. Students are placed intowork groups and are taught thetricks-of-the-trade by Channel 45producers, directors,videographers and televisiontalent. Ringdal and several ofBEC-TV’s former students whocome back as volunteers provideone of the clinics and bring theirtruck to Channel 45 to helpedprepare scores of students andfaculty from seven different highschools to produce the highschool football semifinals at theDome. BEC-TV also provides itstruck, cabling, cameras andstudent crew for all 12 games.

The Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce recentlyawarded KSTC-TV, Channel 45, with its CelebrateBusiness Success Award. The award honors businessesand individuals which provide leading examples of howmembers of the business community contribute to ashared vision of economic success throughout the SaintPaul/East Metro area. KSTC-TV, Channel 45, the League’sbroadcast partner, was granted the award for itspartnership with GrandStadium to expand the scope oflive coverage of League state athletic tournaments viafree Web streaming. (L-R): Saint Paul Area ChamberChamber of Commerce Immediate Past Chair SusanKratz of Moore, Costello and Hart, P.L.L.P., KSTC-TVStation Manager Susan Wenz, JDL Horizons Presidentand CEO Thomas Lapping, League Associate DirectorLisa Lissimore, KSTC-TV Director of Marketing JoeJohnston, and JDL Horizons Vice President of ProductDevelopment Clayton Bosquez. Lapping and Bosquez arealso key personnel of GrandStadium.

professional those BEC-TVstudents were with mine. Theydidn’t have to have their ‘handson the stick,’ and let our kids solowhen they felt ready. Once ourkids showed they could do it, theBEC-TV kids stepped away and letour kids produce the next gameon their own and then shadowedand coached, if needed. I’ve neverseen anything like it. When it wasfinished and they knew that theyhad done it all, they were skyhigh.” “The St. Charles kids wereunique,” Ringdal explained. “Theycame wanting to learn and work.There was no attitude. Just abunch of kids who were gratefulfor any part they could play andvery anxious to learn. Theirattitude is what prompted mykids to let them take over theproduction even though this iswhat they live for. I’ve never seenanything quite like whathappened in 25 years of doingthis.” “Our kids felt respected andmentored by the kids from BEC-TV,” Gust added. “When it wasover, they each went to theircounterparts from BEC andthanked them. We had such agreat experience, we volunteeredto produce the wrestlingchampionships.

“I was caught off guard by how patientand professional those BEC-TV studentswere with mine. They didn’t have to have

their ‘hands on the stick,’ and let ourkids solo when they felt ready. Once ourkids showed they could do it, the BEC-TV

kids stepped away and let our kidsproduce the next game on their own andthen shadowed and coached, if needed.I’ve never seen anything like it. When it

was finished and they knew that they haddone it all, they were sky high.”

But what they provided thispast fall in working with St.Charles students for the finalthree games was much, muchmore.

The St. Charles High SchoolViewpoint“It all started for us with a

study hall,” explained Adam Gust,math and applied technologyinstructor at St. Charles HighSchool. “As kids do in study all,they were just wasting time so Istarted an “applied technology”class with a home video camerathat has grown to a couple offormal classes and a weeklyrecorded news broadcast.

“I remembered hearing on thesemifinal football broadcasts in2009 that students produced itand streamed it for people all over thecountry. I e-mailed the League and explainedwhat I was doing.

“When I saw the article on studentWebcasting in the Fall Bulletin I e-mailed TomLapping of GrandStadium.tv. He was veryexcited that we were interested. His patiencewith us and the support of Clayton (Bosquez)and Matt (Schaaf) at GrandStadium.tv madeus think we could do this. . . even though wehad zero experience.”

Following the training at Channel 45, Gusttook 23 students on a bus to the Metrodomeon the Saturday morning of the state footballsemifinal games.

“When we arrived, we joined up with TomRingdal and his students who were runningthe cameras and BEC-TV truck. Our studentswere positioned to sit with the moreexperienced Bloomington students at eachstation in the truck.

“I was caught off guard by how patient and

“Can I add my thanks to theLeague Foundation for helping uswith expenses and giving us thischance? I want to thank TomLapping and GrandStadium.tv forsupporting us. Thanks also to thewonderful people at Channel 45for the chance to visit theirstudios in St. Paul. And I wouldespecially like to thank TomRingdal of BEC and his amazingstudents. Our applied techprogram is growing and kids arelearning in a real-world way thatwe never dreamed could bepossible.”

“The BEC crew couldn’t havebeen more patient and willing tohelp us high school students learnmore about broadcasting, whilehaving a good time as well,” saidBrianna Brinkman, one of the St.

Charles students trained by the BEC studentsas a director and camera operator.

When organizations work together to reacha common goal, we say they are collaborating.Each person gives 100 percent and showsappreciation for the effort of the others.Participation in this kind of collaboration ismemorable. . . and synergy happens. Two

See WinWinWinWinWin on Page 37


Craig Perry

By Craig PerryAssociate Director

When the eligibility for astudent seems to be complex —multiple transfers, chemicalviolations, and student code ofconduct issues — we mustsimplify the situation by breakingthe issue into separate parts.

What we are really doing ispeeling back all the layers ofeligibility to get to the core of thesituation. By looking at each layerof eligibility we can better focuson the whole picture.

The best way to do this is tofirst determine the transfereligibility, then look at thebehavior eligibility, and then thechemical eligibility before wefinally apply them all together.

Transfer EligibilityLet’s look at some of the items

that will help us make ourdetermination, starting with thedefinition of a transfer: Bydefinition, a transfer occurs anytime the school of recordchanges. This change in theschool of record is for all types ofschools, including public schools,private schools, home schools,online schools, and charterschools. And, we must considerall transfers that take place —within the state, from anotherstate, or from another country.

Here are a few guidelines toassist you with your transfereligibility determination process.

1) Transfer: Any time theschool of record changes.

2) Open Enrollment isdifferent from transfer eligibility.

● Open Enrollment is astate law that allows astudent to choose toattend any school in thestate.

● Transfer Eligibility is theparticipation eligibilitydetermination made bythe school administratorwhen a student changesschools, including theuse of Open Enrollmentoptions.

3) There are no free moves —this means each transfer must bepart of the review.

4) There is no such thing as “Ireturned to my home district so Iam fully eligible.”

5) The provisions of thetransfer bylaw are appliedregardless of:

● The student’s skill levelor lack of skill.

● Participation or noparticipation at thevarsity or any otherlevel.

● Any other situation thatis “special and unique”in the eyes of thestudent or student’sfamily.

6) The school administrativestaff and the League staff workwithin the provisions of thetransfer bylaw.

7) If the conditions of thetransfer do not fit the provisions ofthe bylaw to maintain eligibility,then the student is not eligible tocompete at the varsity level.

Chemical EligibilityWhen we have a situation

where we are trying to determineif the student is in violation ofBylaw 205 — Chemical Eligibility,there are a number of questionsand guidelines that can assist us.Remember, we are trying todetermine if a student is in use orpossession of alcohol, tobacco, acontrolled substance or drugparaphernalia.

1) First, review theInvestigation Checklist found inADvantage on your school’sadministrative Web page to guideyou through the process.

2) The provisions of thisbylaw are applied:

● 12 months of the year.● Whether the student is

currently participatingor not.

● Continuously from thefirst signing of theAthletic EligibilityStatement through thecompletion of highschool eligibility.

3) The provisions are appliedregardless of situation or amount.

● A student holding a beerfor another student oran adult is possession.

● One sip is a violation.4) Even though another

state’s or country’s laws mayallow the purchase or possession,the provisions of the Leaguebylaw must be applied.

● Minnesota law permitssomeone who is 18years of age to purchasetobacco, however, thebylaw must still beapplied. An 18-year-oldin possession of tobaccowould be in violation ofthe bylaw.

● In some foreigncountries the legaldrinking age is 18.However, an 18-year-oldwho participates inLeague-sponsoredprograms and uses orpossess alcohol in thatcountry would be inviolation of the bylaw.

5) An investigation with adetermination must take placeevery time an alleged violation ofthis bylaw occurs. This is why thereview of the InvestigationChecklist is important.

● You must ask thestudent if he or she wasin use or possession.

● You cannot simply tellthe student, “You have aviolation and here isyour suspension.”

● The parents orguardians should benotified immediately ofthe violation in personor by telephone call and

Participation EligibilitySimplifying the process that at first glance appears complex

What we are reallydoing is peeling

back all the layersof eligibility to getto the core of the

situation. Bylooking at each

layer of eligibilitywe can better focus

on the wholepicture.

Athletic Activities

See EligibilityEligibilityEligibilityEligibilityEligibility on Page 25


Eligibility ............................................................................. continued from Page 24

written notificationmust be sent to thefamily.

6) The student mustparticipate in and complete theentire season in which thepenalty has been applied.

● A student cannot beginparticipation in aprogram at the start of aseason, serve thepenalty and then quitafter the suspension hasbeen served.

● A student cannot join aprogram after theseason has begun andserve the penalty.

Good Standing EligibilitySimply put, this is Student

Code of Conduct Eligibility basedon the school’s rules and basedon the standards of the schoolcommunity.

1) Students must understandand accept the followingresponsibilities:

● Respect the rights andbeliefs of others andtreat others withcourtesy and respect.

● Accept responsibility forhis or her own actionsand the consequences ofthose actions.

● Respect the property ofothers.

● Respect and obey therules of the school andthe laws of thecommunity, state andcountry.

● Show respect to thosewho are responsible forenforcing the rules ofthe school and the lawsof the community, stateand country.

2) Students whose characteror conduct violates the StudentCode of Responsibilities or whoare suspended or expelled are notin good standing and areineligible for a period of time asdetermined by the principal orschool administration.

3) While not in good standing,students may not serve anypenalty for a chemical violation orother League bylaw violation.

General EligibilityThe student must be physically

able and otherwise eligible toparticipate in order to serve anypenalty. This includes transfereligibility, chemical eligibility,academic eligibility, and studentcode of contact eligibility.

1) The suspension cannot beserved while the student is onvacation in another country.

2) A student in rehab forsubstance abuse cannot serve thepenalty while in rehab.

3) While serving an out-of-school suspension or other “GoodStanding” penalty, the chemicalsuspension cannot be served.

4) A student who is notacademically eligible toparticipate in a contest cannot

serve a chemical suspension or aGood Standing suspension.

Now, we add all the layerstogether to determine theparticipation eligibility for thestudent. The following eligibilitysituation recently came to theLeague from a member school.We will use this situation to walkthrough the eligibilitydetermination process.

A junior boys’ tennis playerchanged schools on March 15 andis now participating with thetennis program at the new school.The student also has two chemicalviolations to serve. On April 15the student started a food fight inthe school lunch room and

received a five-day out-of-schoolsuspension. It was alsodetermined on April 15 that thestudent is academically ineligibleand by school rule will not be ableto participate in a contest for twoweeks, which in this examplewould be April 30.

The athletic directordetermined the following:

● Transfer eligibility — Thestudent is ineligible to compete atthe varsity level for one year.There was no family residencechange with this transfer.

● Chemical Eligibility — Thestudent is a JV tennis player skillwise, so he begins serving hischemical penalties. If he was avarsity-level athlete he would notbe able to serve the chemicalpenalties until he had served thetransfer suspension. The studenthad just about completed servinghis first chemical suspension — atwo week, two contest penalty —when he was suspended fromschool for the lunch roomincident.

● Good Standing Eligibility —Because the student has beensuspended from school he is nolonger able to serve the chemicalsuspension. He must serve theout-of-school suspension and thenwhen he returns to school he canresume serving his chemicalsuspension.

● Academic Eligibility — Thestudent is academically ineligibleso he cannot resume serving hischemical suspension. The studentmust serve the two-weekacademic suspension. Once thestudent is academically eligible,and once the two-week suspensionhas been served, he can beginserving the remainder of hischemical suspensions on April 30.

This is a multi-layeredeligibility situation that is quitecomplex. Hopefully, your situationwill not be quite so complex.However, with all eligibilitysituations remember to review allof the layers of the suspensionsindividually. Remember to startwith the transfer eligibility andwork your way through thechemical and good standingrequirements. Also, be sure toreview the Investigation Checklist— a very valuable tool foreligibility determinations.

The best way to do this is to firstdetermine the transfer eligibility, then

look at the behavior eligibility, and thenthe chemical eligibility before we finally

apply them all together.

Athletic Activities


Jody Redman

Athletic Activities


The League Board of Directorshas approved a new continuingeducation requirement (CER) forevery head coach in Minnesotaeffective for the fall of 2011.Individuals who currently meetthe state statute requirement andare serving as a head coach in aMinnesota high school arerequired to complete this onlinetraining.

The CER will be availablebeginning June 1, 2011, throughthe Coaches Clipboard page onthe League Web site. Coaches willreceive instruction and educationin: Coaching Philosophy;Emergency Planning; LeagueRules and Policies; andConcussion Management.

Once completed, coaches willhave access to the requiredonline rules interpretationmeeting. The CER must becompleted every three years.Additional educational curriculagermane to coaching and workingwith high school athletes will beadded for future training.

After June 1, 2011, a headcoach will do the following:

1) Access the CoachesClipboard page on the LeagueWeb site home page under the

Coaches tab and select CoachesClipboard.

2) Answer a number ofquestions that will provide theLeague with informationregarding the coach’s school, thesports that are coached and atwhat level, and how the coachcurrently meets the statutoryrequirement to be a head coachin Minnesota. Once thisinformation is completed, thecoach will be directed to theappropriate tabbed page on theCoaches Clipboard.

3) Upon confirmation that thecoach meets the statutoryrequirement, the followingcontinuing education requirementchapters must be completed.

● Chapter 1 – CoachingPhilosophy

● Chapter 2 – ConcussionManagement

● Chapter 3 – EmergencyPreparedness

● Chapter 4 – Rules andPolicies

4) Upon completion ofChapters 1-4 the coach will thengain access to Chapter 5 –Required sport-specific rulesinterpretation meeting

5) The CER and the rulesinterpretation meeting must becompleted no later than one weekafter the official start date of that

Continuing education requirements approved for head coachesContinuing education requirements approved for head coachesContinuing education requirements approved for head coachesContinuing education requirements approved for head coachesContinuing education requirements approved for head coaches

Coaches will receive instruction andeducation in: Coaching Philosophy;

Emergency Planning; League Rules andPolicies; and Concussion Management.

coach’s sport season. For fallsports that date is August 22,2011.

There is no fee to complete thecontinuing educationrequirement. The League Board ofDirectors will consider proposedpenalties for non-compliance withthe CER at its June meeting. Anypenalties approved will be postedon the Coaches Clipboard page.

If a coach does not currently

meet the statutory requirement tobe a head coach in Minnesota, thecoach will be directed to theCoaches Education Program tabon the Coaches Clipboard page toregister for the MinnesotaCoaches Education Program. Thiscourse includes six hours ofclassroom instruction andadditional online modules thatmust be completed. The cost ofthis course is $170.

The League Board of Directorshas approved adding three trackand field events exclusively forwheelchair athletes. Athletes inthe wheelchair division maycompete in the 800-meter and1600-meter track events and theshot put field event. This newdivision of competition will beavailable to athletes withpermanent physical disabilities.Competition can begin during theregular season and participationin a minimum of three meets isrequired to qualify for sectionmeets. Section competition willqualify athletes to the state meetthis June.

Schools were required toregister with the League by April4 to have athletes compete in thisnew event. The schools thatregistered were Andover, SpringLake Park, Irondale, Waterville-Elysian-Morristown, and PineIsland. Schools participating in

the wheelchair division mustnotify the schools they willcompete against at least 24 hoursin advance of the competition.

There are specific rules andspecifications for the wheelchaircompetition on the track. Forexample, the wheelchairs willhave only three wheels, two inthe rear and one in the front. Andalthough it might seem obvious,the wheelchairs can bemaneuvered only with the handsand arms. For the shot put, theathletes have a little moreflexibility in the type of chair thatcan be used, but scooters and“standing chairs” are not allowed.Assistance in holding the chair tolimit excessive movement isallowed.

All competition for wheelchairracers must be separate fromcompetition for able-bodiedathletes. Shot-putters in chairs,however, may compete alongside

able-bodied. Team points will notbe awarded for participation inany wheelchair division event.

League adds Wheelchair Division track and field eventsFor more information, visit the

Track and Field activity page onthe League Web site.

Athletes with permanent physicaldisabilities may compete in the

800-meter and 1600-meter track eventsand the shot put field event.


Athletic Activities

At the April 7 League Board ofDirectors meeting, a long-awaiteddecision was made in regard tosection football. After muchdiscussion and on a split vote, theBoard decided to continue thecurrent scheduling process forfootball. The proposal to move toa section football scheduling planwas defeated 12-5.

The difficulty that the Boardhad in making its decision isreflective of this issue and how itaffects member schools. Whilesome schools need help inscheduling and have conferenceissues which section footballcould help solve, many otherschools like their currentconference and schedulingsituation.

The Football Task Force, whichhas met over the past 15 months,provided the Board with a planfor section football, but alongwith it a recommendation of aplan that did not include sectionfootball. While the task forceacknowledged that sectionfootball would solve most, if notall scheduling issues, themembers also believed that asection football scheduling formatwould also create new problems.Thus, the dilemma.

The Task Force actually madetwo recommendations: 1) add aseventh class; and 2) establishnew enrollment guidelines todetermine football classification.Both recommendations were

Board declines section football proposal; instead adds seventh classapparent that there was also anissue with some conferences, andthat the enrollment gap betweenthe smallest and largest schoolsin some classes was too great –especially in Class AAAAA.

Adding a seventh class is notabout adding more champions,but instead reconfiguring thefootball playoffs to create morecompetitive equality betweenschools.

Class AAAAAA will be thelargest 32 schools afteradjustments are made for opt-upsand appeals are made for opt-downs. Class AAAAA will be thenext 48 schools, followed byClass AAAA with the next 48 andClass AQAA with the next 54.Class A and AA will be divided tomake them as equal as possible –currently 61 schools in eachclass. The maximum enrollmentto play 9-Man football willcontinue to be 165.

There are still a number ofdetails to work out in regard tothe reclassification and theplayoffs with seven classes.Those details will be worked outover the course of the nextseveral months. The goal will beto have the new classificationsand the re-sectioning for the 2012season done by the start of the2011 season. Sections will thenbe realigned based on newenrollments for the 2013 and2014 seasons, not only forfootball but for all activities.

Class Teams Enrollment Ratio

AAAAAA 32 1.83 : 1

AAAAA 48 1.69 : 1

AAAA 48 1.90 : 1

AAA 54 1.55 : 1

AA 61 1.49 : 1

A 61 1.29 : 1

9-Man 79 165 Students or Less

* Projected enrollment ratios based on 2011-2013 enrollmentdata.

2012 Football Classifications*

approved by the Board forimplementation for the 2012season.

As the issue of scheduling wasdiscussed by both the task forceand the Board, it became

As was announced in late March, thesecond Prep Championship Series will be heldat Target Field on Tuesday, June 21. All threeChampionship games will be played that day,with the Class A game at noon; AA at 3o’clock and the AAA championship at 6 p.m.The reason for the game being played onTuesday is that the Twins have home gamesJune 17-19.

As a result of the Championship gamesbeing pushed back to Tuesday, the Boardapproved a recommendation from theBaseball Coaches Association and staff tochange the schedule for the first two days ofthe tournament. Instead of playing two roundson the first day of the tournament, Thursday,June 16, only one round will be played. Four

quarterfinal games will be played on one fieldat each of the three sites (A - Chaska AthleticPark, AA – Dick Putz Stadium in St. Cloud, and

Schedule revised for state baseball tournamentAAA - Midway Stadiumin St. Paul). There willbe two sessions, one starting atapproximately 10 a.m. and the second at 4p.m.

On the second day of the tournament,Friday, June 17, the championship semifinalsand third-place game will be played on onefield, while the consolation semifinals andconsolation championship games will beplayed on a separate field. Saturday, June 18,will be available for if the championship-round games cannot be concluded on Fridaydue to weather issues.

At this point these change are for one yearonly and the moves will be carefully evaluatedprior to scheduling decisions being made forfuture years.


Dr. William Roberts

SportsMedicine

Athletic Activities

By William O. Roberts MD, MS

The sudden and unexpectedcardiac death of a high schoolathlete always shakes acommunity and raises questionsabout the pre-participation heartscreen that we use in Minnesota.

High school athletes arescreened for potential heartproblems in Minnesota everythree years with a full exam thatinvolves a questionnaire andlistening to the heart. In thesecond and third years, eachathlete completes a questionnairethat repeats the heart-relatedquestions. The questions arehighlighted on the League sportsphysical exam form with thesubheadings “Heart HealthQuestions About You” and “HeartHealth Questions About YourFamily.” These are the questionsrecommended by the AmericanHeart Association and thePreparticipation PhysicalExamination (PPE) writing group.

For student-athlete’s health, itis critical to answer the questionshonestly as they change the riskpattern for the athlete to anincreased probability of heartdisease. Those found to be atincreased risk from history andphysical should be held frompractice and competition until the

heart is deemed healthy and safefor strenuous activity. This is thegroup that will go on to haveECGs — echocardiograms — andother testing to determine if theheart is at fault for theexperienced symptoms.

Why not screen every athletewith an ECG? There are countrieswhere this is done. Italy has beendoing the ECG exams since 1982and has reduced their death rateto the level that we already havein the United States for the agegroup less than 30 years old.Israel passed a similar law in1997 and there has been nodifference in the death rates inthe 10 years before the lawcompared to the 10 years afterthe law took effect.

In an article in the BritishJournal of Sports Medicine, Elstonconcluded, “The impact ofscreening on reducing suddencardiac death in young athletes isonly modest and would beachieved with significant harmsto population health.”

In Minnesota high schoolstudent-athletes, the suddencardiac death rate is one in every340,000 athlete-years for the past20 years. Screening works bestwhen the prevalence of thecondition is high; and with thelow incidence in Minnesota (and

the U.S.); the risk of falsepositives begins to outweigh thechance of finding the problem(true positives). Given a 2-7percent false positive rate forathlete ECG screening done by“experts,” somewhere between50,000 and 125,000 “normal”athletes would have had toundergo unnecessary diagnostictesting over the past 20 years andmany would potentially not returnto sports even though there wasno true heart problem. Thatwould seem to support Elston’sconclusion that screening woulddo more harm than good.

Another consideration incardiac screening is theinterpretation of warningsymptoms in young athletes.Fudge (Clinical Journal of SportsMedicine AMSSM Abstracts) found

Heart screening for student-athletes

in one study that 76 percent ofathletes who died with SCAduring activity had antecedentwarnings that were notinvestigated; and found in asecond study that some heartsymptoms were either ignored ormisinterpreted as neurologicproblems. This points to the needfor education for parents,student-athletes, coaches, andphysicians to know the symptomsand to investigate them if found.

The important heart-relatedsymptoms and signs are found inthe questions below. If you haveany of the symptoms or familyhistory, you should be evaluated.Coaches need to be familiar withthe questions so they can sendathletes who develop thesesymptoms to a physician forevaluation.

HEART HEALTH QUESTIONS ABOUT YOU5. Have you ever passed out or nearly passed out DURING or

AFTER exercise?6. Have you ever had discomfort, pain, tightness, or pressure

in your chest during exercise?7. Does your heart ever race or skip beats (irregular beats)

during exercise?8. Has a doctor ever told you that you have any heart

problems? If so, check allthat apply:❒ High blood pressure❒ A heart murmur❒ High cholesterol❒ A heart infection❒ Kawasaki disease❒ Other: ________

9. Has a doctor ever ordereda test for your heart? (Forexample, ECG/EKG,echocardiogram)

10. Do you get lightheaded orfeel more short of breaththan expected duringexercise?

11. Have you ever had anunexplained seizure?

12. Do you get more tired orshort of breath morequickly than your friendsduring exercise?

HEART HEALTH QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR FAMILY13. Has any family member or relative died of heart problems or

had an unexpected or unexplained sudden death before age50 (including drowning, unexplained car accident, or suddeninfant death syndrome)?

14. Does anyone in your family have hypertrophiccardiomyopathy, Marfan syndrome, arrhythmogenic rightventricular cardiomyopathy, long QT syndrome, short QT

syndrome, Brugadasyndrome, orcatecholaminergicpolymorphic ventriculartachycardia?

15. Does anyone in yourfamily have a heartproblem, pacemaker, orimplanted defibrillator?

16. as anyone in your familyhad unexplained fainting,unexplained seizures, ornear drowning?


Athletic Activities

The Northfield gymnasts in the foreground and theRoseville Area gymnasts in the background.

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Camaraderieamonggymnasticscompetitors

The following letterwas sent to AssociateDirector Jody Redman,who oversees girls’gymnastics, andExecutive Director DaveStead.

Jody & Dave:This article was forwarded to me today from Mike

Flatten (assistant AD and girls’ gymnastics coach) atRoseville. He had received it from a Northfield parent. Iwas fortunate to witness this event — it was an awesomething to see.

What amazed me even more was a story that a Rosevilleparent told me Saturday night. Her daughter is in eighthgrade. Kaylee scored a 9.55 on bars that night — best ofher life. When she got home around midnight, exhaustedand excited, she talked more about the new best friendsshe had made that night — barely even mentioning theteam medal.

To add a bit more to the story, I just spoke with Kaylee’smother to get her permission for this e-mail. She told methat now all of the girls have connected on Facebook. Theyhave built friends for life.

Angela Hensley, PresidentMinnesota Girls’ Gymnastics Officials Association

Hello,I wanted to share this link (http://northfieldnews.com/

content/unparalleled-sportsmanship-atop-class-aa) fromthe Northfield News on a great story of sportsmanship. Ihave to admit, I watched it unfold and had a hard timebelieving it was real as well. I have two girls on the team.We lived in Roseville from 1989-2000 and then moved toNorthfield, so we have always felt a special connection.

I think what struck me was after the meet I asked mygirls what was up with the circle with Roseville....how didthat happen. Emily said, “Mom, they were so nice! Whenwe were in the circle no one had any idea who was going

See CamaraderieCamaraderieCamaraderieCamaraderieCamaraderie on

This is why we do it!

To the League:Since 2005, Channel 45

has been bringing thestate high schooltournaments to televisionsets all over the land of10,000 lakes. And everyyear we hear, “Thank youfor the job you do and forbringing home the storiesof the kids and coachesthat become legendsover the years.” But this season I want to thank theLeague and all of the cities, schools, coaches, athletes andfans for showing us and the rest of the state what thesetournaments really mean.

Over the years we’ve seen Blake Hoffarber shoot fromhis back and win an ESPY. We watched in awe as MicahKoehn did a flip into the end zone with no time left on theclock, and we’ve witnessed Erik Baskin sending us allhome after four overtimes and just seven minutes shy of anew record for the longest game in tournament history. Butthis year we saw what the games were really all about.

Rachel Ramsey led her team to a state title with herdad, a former Olympic goldmedalist, choking up in thestands.

Duluth East kidsdedicating a game to“Rachel” because theirfriend had cancer.

Mike Randolph walkinginto the visitors locker roomand congratulating a teamthat just beat his team inthree overtimes and thenthanking the seniors on theteam for staying in highschool and playing hockeyin Minnesota.

Faith Patterson tellingher kids, “Go shake their

Faith Pattersonhands because they madeyou better tonight.”

Chris Carr for hugging every member of his team, evenin a losing effort, because they gave him a season toremember.

Zach Gabbard for getting up out of his wheelchair tojoin his teammates for introductions.

The fans of Rochester Lourdes and Redwood Valley forgiving Zach a standing ovation during their halftime.

Some of these events won’t be talked about in the paperor they won’t be mentioned 20 years from now becausenew names and new stories will take their place. But fornow, these are the images and the impressions I’llremember because it wasn’t about winning or losing. Itwas about being a part of a team. It was about watchingyour kids grow up and working for a common goal withtheir friends. If only other people knew that a game ismuch more than a medal around your neck or a trophy inyour high school. It’s a lesson in life.

Dennis Silva, Executive Sports ProducerKSTC-TV Channel 45


Athletic Activities

1. Shower, at the event or school, after each practice andcompetition.

2. Use clean workout clothing for each practice.3. Clean equipment on a routine basis.4. Use your own towels after showering and don’t share

personal toiletry products.5. Don’t shave the groin area due to increased risk for CA-

MRSA.6. Use pump soap dispenser bottles in the shower. Bar soap

has been implicated in spreading CA-MRSA amongmultiple users.

7. Notify your coach or athletic trainer about any suspiciousskin lesion. Have them evaluated by a health-care providerbefore returning to practice or competition.

8. Certain sports have specific requirements when skininfections occur. Consult the League guidelines for yoursport.

Hygienic principles for all sports

By B.J. Anderson, MD

Antibiotic resistance is asignificant problem in our society.It’s a known fact we are runninglow on options for handlinginfectious diseases. What wasonce considered a simple choicehas now become a difficult onerequiring that we weigh theoptions of treatment against therisk of promoting drug resistance,as well as the possibility ofreducing available antibiotics foruse in the future. Antibiotic andantiviral medication usage is nowhighly scrutinized for everyinfection.

For the first time in 50 years,the annual InterscienceConference on AntimicrobialAgents and Chemotherapy failedto introduce a new antibiotic. Theconsequences of limitedantibiotic availability directlyaffects the management of skin-related infections in sportingactivities where CA-MRSA(community-associatedmethicillin resistantstaphylococcus aureus) hasreached epidemic proportions. Incertain athletic activities, propertreatment is fraught withcontroversy among medicalexperts, as well as the lay public.

Several years ago I wrote anarticle about CA-MRSA that wasfirst brought into the sportslimelight with the St. Louis Ramsprofessional football team. Sincethat time, CA-MRSA has spreadrapidly into other sports, too.

As we evaluate sports that areprone to skin infections, it’simportant to review the differenttypes of infection. Bacterial skininfections are due to organismssuch as Staphylococcus aureus orbeta-hemolytic streptococcus.They cause localized skininfections such as cellulitis andfolliculitis and may develop intodeeper infections such as a boil,also called an abscess orcarbuncle.

CA-MRSA classically presentsas boils that can require drainageand the use of antibiotics to heal.Recurrent outbreaks are due topersistent presence of thebacteria in the athlete’senvironment or on the skin. It is adifficult bacteria to eradicate dueto its ability to “hide” in the noseof the athlete or those in closecontact, such as team members,friends or family members.

Spreading bacteria to thesecontacts is quite common andabscesses may also occur.Treatment focuses on generalhygienic measures (see sidebar),antibiotics and possibly drainingthe area if an abscess is present.

Fungal infections (ringworm ortinea corporus) can appear on the

skin or in the scalp. Due to thedermatophyte Trichophvtontonsurans, it is considered anuisance infection but can infectthe groin, feet and even the scalp,where a deeper type of infectioncan develop (kerion). Fungalinfections require treatment withantifungal creams and

Proper hygienic principles needed to combat CA-MRSA, other skin infectionsoccasionally must be treated withoral medications. Scalp infectionsrequire up to four to six weeks oforal medication.

Viral infections such as HerpesGladiatorum (HG), veruccouswarts and molluscumcontageosum can be difficult totreat. Herpes Simplex-type 1accounts for more than 90percent of all HG outbreaks.Treatment with antiviralmedications serves to clear anoutbreak and may be used toreduce transmission when usedprophylactically. It’s important toremember that this virus willremain with the athlete for life.Recurrent outbreaks are the rule,not the exception.

Molluscum contagiosum is dueto a pox virus and is alsoconsidered a nuisance type ofinfection. Along with veruccouswarts, their removal is primarilyto prevent their spread.Cryotherapy, hyfrecator orchemical/topical treatments canbe used, but repeated treatmentsare necessary. They are notconsidered serious, yet it isnecessary to remove them toprevent transmission to anopponent or teammate.

Two common facts serve as areasonable explanation for therapid rise in these skin-relatedinfections: single-sport athletescompeting year-round — and alack of proper hygiene. A recentstudy showed that militaryrecruits had increased rates ofskin infections due to living inclose quarters for a prolongedperiod of time. Athletes in certainsports with repeated closecontact show similarly increasedrates of skin infections. Highschool wrestlers show a hugeincrease in skin infections duringthe month of January when teamsparticipate in tournaments almostevery weekend and more than 60percent of seasonal matchesoccur.

Unfortunately, basic hygienicprinciples are not being followed.Many students do not showerafter practice. During the past 20years, the practice of showeringafter gym class appears to havebeen virtually abandoned andapparently physical educationinstructors are not demandingthat students shower. Thesepractices carry over into after-

For the first time in 50 years, the annualInterscience Conference on Antimicrobial

Agents and Chemotherapy failed tointroduce a new antibiotic. The

consequences of limited antibioticavailability directly affects the

management of skin-related infections insporting activities where CA-MRSA(community-associated methicillin

resistant staphylococcus aureus) hasreached epidemic proportions.

See InfectionsInfectionsInfectionsInfectionsInfections on Page 31

Hygienic principles for all sports


Athletic Activities

to get first. In fact, we (Northfield) assumed it wasn’t going tobe us. It was so much fun, I will never forget it.”

I love it when our children become our teachers.Congratulations on a great meet. As a coach (tennis) and an

athlete...there is nothing better than watching two teams bringout the best in each other on the playing field and off.

Please share this with all the coaches and your team.

Kristin Stets, Northfield

Camaraderie .............. continued from Page 29

Infections ........................................................................... continued from Page 30

school sports where a recentstudy performed by this authorshowed that nearly 10 percent ofhigh school wrestlers did notshower even at the end ofweekend tournaments!

Certain sports are moreproblematic due to equipment,increased skin-to-skin contact,and the environments in whichthe athletes compete andperform.

Football and ice hockey arehigh-impact, contact sports thatare equipment-intense activities.Bacteria can be transmitted viadirect contact with opponentsand can be harbored on theequipment. Several articles havebeen written about equipment inthese sports serving as a sourcefor bacterial spread from oneathlete to another. Abrasions orcuts can regularly occur duringthe course of a season. Once theskin is open, infectious agentscan easily seed the wound and

develop into an infection.Wrestling has more direct

skin-to-skin contact than othersports. The constant rubbing ofthe skin can lead to increasedrisk for skin infections to develop.Sports with lower risk includebaseball, basketball, swimmingand golf. These sports have lessdirect skin-to-skin contact, butinfections do occur fromenvironmental contacts. Plantarwarts and tinea pedis have beendocumented from floors

surrounding pools.With the progression of

antibiotic resistance andincreased year-round single-sportparticipation, it is important tofocus on basic principles to helpprevent and reduce the risk ofskin infections and theircomplications. Good hygienicprinciples are a must, and withthe development of drugresistance, these rules serve asthe first line of defense to preventskin infections from developing.

If followed, these guidelineswill reduce the athlete’s risk ofcontracting and spreading skininfections. As medical treatmentschange, it is important thatschools adapt accordingly toensure the safety of theseathletes for now and generationsto come.

B.J. Anderson, MD., is a familypractitioner at Boynton HealthServices at the University ofMinnesota in Minneapolis. Hecurrently serves on the League’sSports Medicine AdvisoryCommittee and is a formermember of the NFHS SportsMedicine Advisory committee. Dr.Anderson is the team physicianfor the Augsburg College wrestlingteam, and is medical advisor forMinnesota/USA wrestling.Reprinted with permission fromthe January 2011 edition of HighSchool Today published by theNFHS.

RachelBootsmaRecognizedfor SettingNational100-YardBackstrokeRecord

51.53(Above) Associate Director and StateMeet Director Lisa Lissimore briefs theBoard of Directors on Eden Prairiejunior Rachel Bootsma’s record-setting swim. (Right) Bootsma withher father, Robert, and mother, Jan.(Far Right) Carol Bomben, a memberof both the Eden Prairie School Boardand League Board of Directors,presented Bootsma with a framedenlargement of the Winter 2011Bulletin cover that featured her.

Photos by John Millea / MSHSL


Officials

Front (L-R): Laura Berg Olsen of the Judges Association ofMinnesota, Harry Kitts of the Minneapolis OfficialsAssociation, Ed Homan of the Gold Country Wrestling OfficialsAssociation, and DiEtte Marx of the Southern Minny OfficialsAssociation. Back (L-R): Kevin Merkle, League associatedirector in charge of registered officials, Bruce Wojack of theMinneapolis Officials Association, Darrel “Bozo” Wincek ofGopher State Officials, Bill Olson of the Southern MinnesotaWrestling Officials Association, and Jeff Phillipich, vicepresident-store manager for Wells Fargo.

By Kevin MerkleAssociate Director

Game officials play anextremely important role in highschool sports. Without them wecannot have games. For manyyears the League has recognizedofficials for years of service. Lastyear a more extensive awardsprogram, sponsored by WellsFargo, was introduced. At thisyear’s boys’ basketballtournament two officialsassociations and six individualswere recognized for their specialefforts and accomplishments.

Two association awards werepresented. The Citation Award isgiven annually to recognize andreward associations for a specificprogram that has made asignificant impact on theassociation or the schools andathletes that they serve. Thewinner of the 2011 CitationAward was the JudgesAssociation of Minnesota (JAM).

JAM was recognized for itsWeb site and scheduling serviceprogram. This program has beendeveloped by members of theassociation and provides onesource for schools and officials torequest and receive meetassignments and information fordance team. JAM has made itssuperior judges the contactpersons for the schools so thatinformation needs to bepresented only once to oneindividual. The schedulingprogram also provides an easyplace for members to acceptassignments and keep track ofprevious and upcomingassignments.

Congratulations to the JudgesAssociation of Minnesota forreceiving the 2011 CitationAward.

The most prestigiousassociation award is theAssociation Award of Excellence.This award recognizes andrewards one association for theoverall quality and the service itprovides to member schools. Thewinner of the 2011 AssociationAward of Excellence was theMinneapolis Officials Association.

For 90 years the MinneapolisOfficials Association has servedofficials, schools and athletes inthe sports of football andbasketball. This organization hasextensive and well organizedprograms in recruiting, training

and mentoring officials. Thisassociation has a 10-memberboard, assignors and associateassignors for each sport,committees to run trainingclinics, mentoring, and its Website, and approximately 30members who observe andevaluate officials.

The association works hard toretain members by providingpositive feedback, training, andmentoring, on-court evaluations,and the opportunity to work withexperienced officials. It hasconsistently provided top qualityofficials in both sports at theyouth, high school and collegelevels. Congratulations to the

Minneapolis Officials Association,the 2011 Association Award ofExcellence.

Congratulations and sincerethanks also to the followingindividuals who receiveddistinguished service awards.This award recognizes andrewards those individuals who go“Above and Beyond” in theirservice to their local officialsassociation. The individualsreceiving this award have madean impact on their association,member schools, and thestudent-athletes of Minnesotathrough their leadership, long-term service and commitment.The following quotes are from

letters of recommendation filedwith each individual’s application.

Ed Homan, HutchinsonGold Country WrestlingOfficials Association

Ed has been a wrestlingofficial for 40 years. He has helda number of leadership positionswith Gold Country and has had atremendous impact as a trainerand mentor for officials at alllevels. “Ed officiates because it’shis way of contributing to a sporthe loves. Ed has always strived tobe honest, fair and professionalin his dealings with coaches andwrestlers.”

Harry Kitts, St. PaulMinneapolis OfficialsAssociation

In addition to officiating for 41years, Harry has been theassignor for basketball for theMinneapolis Officials Associationfor the past 30 years, and hasbeen a significant contributor tothe growth and advancement ofthe association. He has mentoredand trained countless officials.“Harry’s work has beenexemplary in that he is alwayslooking for opportunities toimprove and advance the cause ofthe officiating profession. He hasbeen instrumental in efforts topartner and collaborate withofficials throughout the state inefforts to improve, train andrecruit new officials.”

DiEtte Marx, AustinSouthern Minny OfficialsAssociation

DeeDee has been a volleyballofficial for 27 years. She was theco-founder of the Southern MinnyOfficials Association in 1987 andhas served as the president sincethat time. She has initiatedmentoring, training andevaluation programs for theassociation and has heldnumerous leadership positions inthe Austin community. “DeeDee isknown throughout the Austincommunity, rural schools and thestate of Minnesota for herdedication as a teacher, coach,volleyball official and numerousvolunteer efforts. She hasreceived numerous awards for

2011 officials awards presented at boys’ basketball tournament2011 officials awards presented at boys’ basketball tournament2011 officials awards presented at boys’ basketball tournament2011 officials awards presented at boys’ basketball tournament2011 officials awards presented at boys’ basketball tournamentThe winner of the 2011 Citation Award

was the Judges Association of Minnesota.

The winner of the 2011 AssociationAward of Excellence was the Minneapolis

Officials Association.

See AAAAAwardswardswardswardswards on Page 34

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Awards ............................................................................... continued from Page 33

her service to area schools, youthprograms, and the AustinCommunity.”

Bill Olson, ByronSouthern MinnesotaWrestling OfficialsAssociation

Bill has been an official and amember of the SouthernMinnesota Wrestling OfficialsAssociation for 23 years. For thepast eight years Bill has been thehead official for The Clash, anational high school wrestlingtournament held in Rochester,and also volunteers ascoordinator of officials for thestate youth wrestling tournament

held in Rochester. “Bill has beentireless in giving his time toimprove as well as promotewrestling in Minnesota. Hispresence and efforts have greatlyenhanced the growth ofMinnesota wrestling.”

Darrel “Bozo” Wincek, CrystalGopher State Officials

Bozo has been a high schoolofficial for over 50 years and co-founded Gopher State Officials in1963. He has assigned officialsfor more than 30,000 events infootball, basketball, softball andbaseball games over the past 45years. He is a Hall of Famesoftball official and was recently

inducted into the MinnesotaFootball Coaches Hall of Fame forhis contributions as an official.“What he started 50 years agohas changed. But his passionremains. Countless hours ofscheduling, calling officials andthen watching them work onlyshows that the ‘tradition ofexcellence’ that he started longago continues today.”

Bruce Wojack, Brooklyn ParkMinneapolis OfficialsAssociation

Bruce has been an official andmember of his association for 53years. During that time he servedin numerous leadership positions

and has been particularly activein recruiting, mentoring andtraining officials. “The real storyon Bruce, however, is his love forofficiating and officialseverywhere. His desire to helpothers and to have a lot of fundoing this is legendary andcontagious! He is a tribute toeveryone in stripes!”

Congratulations to all of thosewho received awards and thankyou for your many years ofdedication to high schoolathletics and your service to thestudent-athletes of Minnesota!

All charter associations areencouraged to apply for theseawards. Applications will beavailable next November.

Online rules meetings mandatory

The League Board of Directors has endorsed conducting onlyonline meetings beginning next year — 2011-12. The onlyexceptions will be the meetings for adapted sports, Alpine skiingand Nordic skiing.

The League has been moving in this direction for several years.Both coaches and officials have responded enthusiastically to themeetings, as well as to the savings of time and money. This is alsopart of the adjustment as we move toward more in-person trainingmeetings. There are training clinics in seven sports now, and morewill be added during the 2011-12 school year.

2011-12 officials registration begins soon

Officials registration or 2011-12 will open in early May.Registration information will be mailed the first week in May. If youdo not receive information by May 15, be sure to contact the Leagueoffice. The deadline to register without a late fee is July 1.

Ignoring possible lane violation appreciated

The following letter was sent to registered officials Dan Schneibel and Mark Blonigen and sharedwith the League.

Dan and Mark,I want to thank you for a job well done last night....especially with how you handled a certain

situation during a free throw.Late in the game, one of our players was sent to the foul line (#33, senior Brian Haverkamp).

Brian is a special kid. He has been labeled with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). He has lettered infootball and basketball since the ninth grade. He has not missed a day of school or a practice in hisfour years of high school. As you can imagine, Brian doesn’t get a lot of playing time in football orbasketball because of his disability, but shows up every day and works his butt off.

Brian does get a couple minutes of playing time in basketball this year because we just aren’tvery good. Brian has never scored in a varsity basketball game. This year, he had four attempts from the free throw line, and beforehe shoots, our coach tries to get the attention of an official to notify him of what is going to happen because each time Brian shoots afree throw, he jumps over the line.

Late in the game last night, Brian was fouled and sent to the line. I think you realized what was about to happen and our coachgot your attention. Brian stepped up to the line, shot and made the basket. His foot might have crossed the line, but you two ignoredit, and I thank you very much for doing so. That was his first career point!

Yes, Brian was upset our team had lost (which we haven’t won a game this year), but believes we have a shot at the state titleand would like to schedule a game with the Miami Heat, so he can guard Lebron James.

I want to thank you again for a job well done!

Dave Peterson, Activities DirectorWaubun High School


Official noted great role-modeling

The following letter was sent to Associate Director Kevin Merkle, who oversees registered officials, andExecutive Director Dave Stead.

Kevin & Dave,Received this from one of the officials (Ron Wendorf) who worked our girls’ basketball game on Jan. 21.

Good stuff; being passed on to others will affirm behaviors that we want to be in the forefront. It was great tobe able to forward this message to our coach and reinforce his conduct.

Les Zellmann, Activities Director and League Board of Directors PresidentSt. James

Les:Just wanted to let you know how enjoyable it was to work at your school this last Friday evening. My partner and I really enjoyed how the night

went.The supervisor that got us in and out of our room was so friendly and accommodating. Your young coach was also a breath of fresh air. His

team was down in the first half, but instead of finding fault with the officials, he kept coaching his kids. They came back in the second half to win.Many young coaches haven’t figured this out yet.

Thanks again for the great hospitality.

Ron WendorfRegistered Official

Board of Directors Meeting MinutesSummary of the Minutes of the December 2, 2010, Board of Directors MeetingReflection, Pledge of Allegiance

Board Actions1. Approved the Agenda with

the addition of Action Item#9D: Three-day StateWrestling TournamentFormat.

2. Approved the Minutes of theOctober 7, 2010 Board ofDirectors’ meeting.

3. Mark Kuisle, AthleticDirector, Rochester CenturyHigh School, spoke againstthe Football Zero WeekApplication Process statingplayer safety was at risk.

4. Ken Hubert, Athletic Director,Faribault High School, spokeagainst the Football ZeroWeek Application Processand requested that thescheduling of all footballgames be addressed.

5. Received Lobbyist’s reportregarding: (1) changes in thelegislative body and whatthis will mean for education;and (2) an update regardingthe MSHSL Foundationlegislation.

6. Received Legal Counsel’sreport regarding: (1) anupdate on the Amicus Brieffiled on the behalf of WIAA;and (2) there are no claimspending.

7. Received ExecutiveDirector’s report regarding:(1) FORM A Foundationawards have been sent; (2)Region Secretaries meetingon November 23, 2010; (3)

congratulations to CraigPerry who has received hisdoctorate; and (4) MSHSLstaff will volunteer at FeedMy Starving Children onDecember 9, 2010 as aservice project. MSHSL staffspoke regarding fall statetournaments.

8. President Zellmann statedthe Executive Committeediscussed the Board Goalsand currently the followingare being reviewed: (1)Competition Section Policy;(2) stats on the MSHSLwebsite; and (3) academiccompetitions such as mathleague and robotics.

9. Approved a special expenseto include guests at the PastPresidents’ Luncheon onMarch 25, 2011.

10. Approved the Zero WeekPolicy for Football aspresented.

11. Approved changing the StateWrestling Tournament from afour-day format to a three-day format effective with the2011 wrestling tournament.

12. Approved the AdministrativeRegion/Class Competition/Competitive SectionAssignment Policy aspresented with the followingchanges: the request to “opt-up” must be a two-yearcommitment (instead of afour-year commitment) andan appeal to be placed in alower tournamentclassification must be

presented by the designatedschool representative(s) tothe Activity Directors’Advisory Committee whowill, along with League Staff,forward a recommendationto the Board of Directors fortheir final approval. ThePolicy will be in effectstarting with the 2011-2012school year.

13. Approved the findings of theConference PlacementCommittee placement of thefollowing: Grand Rapids wasplaced in the Central LakesConference; and Duluth Eastand Duluth Denfeld wereplaced in the Mississippi 8Conference.

14. Approved League staff tomove forward with the ZeroWeek Concept and to providean application process formembers to consider at theDecember meeting.

15. Approved the proposedstandards for Alpine andNordic Skiing. This tool wasdeveloped by DavidBacharach, member of theMSHSL Sports’ MedicineAdvisory Committee

16. Approved the SpringAdvisory Committee’srecommendation for head-to-head scoring to be theprimary tiebreaker in speech.

17. Approved the SpringAdvisory Committee’srecommendation to nolonger include preliminaryranks in final score with the

three preliminary roundsused to advance competitorsto the final round.

18. Approved the SpringAdvisory Committee’srecommendation that certainrules violations that do notresult in a competitiveadvantage over othercompetitors do not result ina disqualification but alowest score.

19. Approved the December 2,2010 minutes of theEligibility Committee aspresented.

20. Approved the clarifyinglanguage for identifyingintolerable conditions forFair Hearing Procedure 3.A.4as presented.

21. Approved the financialstatements for the monthsending September 30, 2010and October 31, 2010 aspresented.

22. Approved the $30,000request with theunderstanding that Region4A would review theirtournament formats.

Discussion Items1. A survey regarding Programs

and Services of theMinnesota State High SchoolLeague was distributed atthe Fall Area Meetings andattendees were asked torespond. Data from thesurveys was tabulated andpresented to the Board of

See December 2December 2December 2December 2December 2 on Page 39


Board of Directors Meeting Minutes

Brianna Brinkman (right) and Anthony Wegman (left) of St. Charles High Schoolwere mentored in the truck by Brandon McKenzie, a 2003 Bloomington Kennedygraduate and BEC-TV chief engineer. McKenzie is also the brains behind a the Z-Playunit developed at BEC-TV and Tightrope Systems now in use worldwide.

Win ..................................................................................... continued from Page 23

parties join in the creation of an experienceneither of them could have had alone.

The Minnesota State High School League,Channel 45 and 45.GrandStadium.tv havecreated a partnership that fosters synergyamong the students who become involved andbenefits the worldwide extended Leaguecommunity.

Last November, school team Webcasts forfootball, boys’ and girls’ Soccer, girls’volleyball and girls’ tennis had nearly 60,000viewers from more than 330 Minnesota cities,all 50 states and 50 countries. The experienceof live Webcast sporting event production isunique and Gust, tongue in-cheek, suggested,“Keep this opportunity quiet so my kids willbe able to experience it again and again.”

When will your high school opt in for areal-world, hands-on learning experience withlive sports broadcasting your students willremember all their lives? Learn more bycontacting Tom Lapping at45.GrandStadium.tv via e-mail [email protected] or call 612-208-6650 for future training dates and how yourschool can become involved.

Summary of the Minutes of the January 24, 2011, Board of Directors MeetingReflection, Pledge of Allegiance

Board Actions1. Approved the Agenda moving

Discussion Item #10DRobotics and the MSHSL toItem #8 as part of theExecutive Committee Report.

2. Approved the Minutes of theDecember 2, 2010 Board ofDirectors’ meeting.

3. Lisa Lissimore introducedRachel Bootsma, a juniorfrom Eden Prairie HighSchool, who on November20, 2010, broke the nationalhigh school record andnational age-group record inthe 100-yeard backstrokewith a time of 51.53 secondsduring the Class AA statefinals at the University ofMinnesota Aquatic Center.Board member CarolBomben, MSBARepresentative from EdenPrairie, presented Ms.Bootsma with acommemorative print of theWinter 2011 MSHSL Bulletincover celebrating her record-

breaking achievement.4. Received Board of Directors

Members’ commentsincluding: (1) appreciateDave Stead attending RegionCommittee meetings toshare information andrespond to concerns; and (2)Coaches vs. Cancer - theOsseo girls basketball teamis ‘Shooting for a Cure’.Fundraisers will be held athome games throughFebruary 18th that benefit theAmerican Cancer Society andthe Osseo/Maple Grove Relayfor Life event.

5. Received Lobbyist’s reportregarding: (1) LegislativeSession is in its 4th week; (2)teacher licensure proposals;(3) sales tax bill; and (4) thestate budget concerns.

6. Received Legal Counsel’sreport. There are no claimspending.

7. Received ExecutiveDirector’s report regarding:(1) enrollment informationfrom the Department ofEducation relating to

competitive sectionassignments will be receivedby the MSHSL mid to lateFebruary. A Board Workshopmay be held Friday, March11, 2011 during the boys’hockey tournament for theBoard to review theassignments and bring arecommendation to the April7, 2011 Board meeting; (2)Dave Stead attended the midstates meeting in December.The issue of nationalchampionships wasdiscussed with a generalconsensus thatchampionships shouldcontinue to be held atindividual state levels. (3)Minnesota will host the midstates meeting next year; (4)staff attended the 21st

Annual Dr. Martin LutherKing Breakfast. This year’skeynote speaker was theHonorable Cory A. Booker,Mayor of Newark, NewJersey; (5) MSHSL staffconducted “School BoardOlympics” and two

workshops at the MSBAconference; and (6) Triple “A”Banquet will be held March26, 2011.

8. President Zellmann reportedthat Executive Committeemet on Sunday, January 23,2011 and several itemswould need Board ofDirectors action.

9. Approved the Summer NoContact period calendar aspresented.

10. Approved granting anassociate membership to ahome school with only aninth grade student. Schoolscan’t join the League untilthey have a student in gradeten. The ninth grade studentattended New Life Academyas a seventh and eighthgrader and is nowhomeschooled as a ninthgrader. The studentparticipated on the softballteam as an eighth grader,and the family will form acooperative sponsorship

See January 24January 24January 24January 24January 24 on

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December 2 ....................................................................... continued from Page 35Directors at their regularmeeting in October. Staff hasreviewed the findings andidentified programs andservices that could possiblychange and sharedinformation regardingprograms and services thatmay be under a contractualobligation and cannot bealtered at this time.

2. The Ad-Hoc Eligibility ReviewCommittee met on November4, 2010 and continues toreview the Bylaw 100 Series.

3. Implementation for theContinuing Education

Requirement (CER) forcoaches is scheduled for the2011-2012 school year, andthe final plan will bepresented to the Board ofDirectors for action inJanuary of 2011.

4. The current policy regardingcooperative sponsorshiptimelines requires schools tohave any applications ordissolutions submitted to theMSHSL prior to the first dayof practice. Therecommendation to theBoard of Directors is toreestablish the following

deadlines: April 1 for all andwinter activities; andNovember 15 for springactivities (of the same schoolyear). Changing the deadlineprovides greater opportunityto balance the competitivesection assignments;requires schools to worktogether earlier in order toplan for the upcoming sportseason(s); and avoid lastminutes decisions relative toschool-sponsored activities.Changing the deadline of thecooperative sponsorshipswould require action by the

Representative Assembly anddiscussed at Area Meetings.

5. In order to share thepotential changes to thebylaws, staff suggestedmoving the MarchRepresentative Assemblymeeting to May; this willallow time for theinformation to be reviewedby the Rep Assemblydelegates.

The complete, official Minutes maybe obtained from the League officeby the designated schoolrepresentative of member schools.

January 24 .......................................................................... continued from Page 37with New Life Academy as atenth grader; approved thestudent’s participationduring the spring of 2011 onthe softball team for NewLife Academy.

11. Approved forwarding anamendment to theRepresentative Assembly toconsider deleting Bylaw411.2.

12. Approved dissolving ElkRiver/Spectrum High girls’track and field co-op.Spectrum High Schoolcooperatively sponsoredtheir girls’ track and fieldteam with Elk River duringthe 2009-2010 school year.No students from SpectrumHigh school participated intrack and field, andSpectrum has requested thatthe cooperative sponsorshipbe dissolved so they cansponsor their own track andfield team effective with the2010-2011 school year.

13. Approved the 2011-2012Classification Appeals asapproved by the AthleticDirectors AdvisoryCommittee.

14. Approved following theNational Federal Rule Booklimiting the number ofparticipants in individualevents to three per memberschool.

15. Approved the use of non-motorized pull carts in golf.Any motorized cart will beallowed only for thoseparticipants who qualifyunder the Americans withDisabilities Act and whohave received writtenapproval from the LeagueOffice to do so.

16. Approved a softballexperiment that places on-deck hitters in the on-deckcircle located behind thebatter starting with the 2011season.

17. Approved the ExecutiveCommittee recommendationto forward the followingCooperative SponsorshipDeadlines for Additions/Dissolutions amendment tothe Representative Assemblyfor consideration: that May 1of the previous school yearwould be the deadline for fallactivities; October 1 of theschool year in which therequest is made would bethe deadline for winteractivities; and December 1 inthe school year in which therequest is made would bethe deadline for springactivities.

18. Approved Winter ActivityAdvisory Committee’s

recommendation to allow thevisual use of a 25 secondplay clock in football. This isoptional, not mandatory, forschools.

19. Approved the state wrestlingtournament (3-day) formatas presented.

20. Directed the League staff toprovide specific footballtournament format optionsfor consideration at the AprilBoard Meeting.

21. Approved Coaches’Education Requirements aspresented.

22. Approved the January 24,2011 minutes of theEligibility Committee aspresented.

23. Approved the financialstatements for the monthsending November 30, 2010and December 31, 2010 aspresented.

24. First Reading of a draftInvestment Policy. No actionrequired.

25. Approved the 2009-2010audit.

26. Approved the auditManagement letter.

27. Accepted a two-yearcorporate sponsorship(350,000 annually) withWells Fargo to remain thepremier sponsor.

Discussion Items1. At the December 2, 2010

Board meeting, interest wasexpressed during the publiccomments pertaining to theaddition of one week forfootball practice. There wasno interest by BoardMembers to pursue thisissue.

2. The Bylaw 100 Series Ad-HocCommittee met on January10, 2011. League staff iswaiting for feedback andfinal approval fromcommittee members, and afinal DRAFT will bepresented at the April BoardMeeting.

3. Ray Kirch reported that acommittee of fifteen athleticdirectors (from theAdministrative Regions) meton January 10, 2011 anddiscussed membershipresponsibilities regardingsubmitting requiredinformation on time. TheCommittee’srecommendation waspresented and League staffwill implement themeffective with the 2011-2012school year.

The complete, official Minutes maybe obtained from the League officeby the designated schoolrepresentative of member schools.

Board of Directors Meeting Minutes


Calendars

Spring 2011 Calendar of Meetings

April 26 .................... Area Meeting, Best Western Garden Inn, North Mankato, 9:30 a.m.April 27 .................................. Area Meeting, The Marshall Golf Club, Marshall, 9:30 a.m.April 27 .............................................. Speech Advisory Committee, League Office, 9 a.m.April 29 ................................................... Area Meeting, Clarion Inn, Rochester, 9:30 a.m.May 2 .............................................. Area Meeting, Best Western, Fergus Falls, 9:30 a.m.May 3 ........................................ Area Meeting, Best Western, Thief River Falls, 9:30 a.m.May 3 ................................. Adapted Softball Officials Selection, League Office, 3:30 p.m.May 4 ........................................................ Area Meeting, Valentini’s, Chisholm, 9:30 a.m.May 4 .......................................... Minnesota Adapted Athletics, League Office, 3:30 p.m.May 5 ........................................... Lacrosse Officials Selection, League Office, 11:30 a.m.

Spring 2011 Calendar of State Events

Girls’ Tennis .............................................................................. A – ROCHESTER LOURDESAA – EDINA

Boys’ Soccer ............................................... A – PRAIRIE SEEDS ACADEMY, Brooklyn Park............................................................................................................. AA – APPLE VALLEYGirls’ Soccer .................................................................................................... A – ROGERS

AA – EDEN PRAIRIEBoys’ Cross Country Running ......................................................................... A – PERHAM

AA – WAYZATAGirls’ Cross Country Running ........................................................................... A – ADRIAN

AA – EDEN PRAIRIEGirls’ Volleyball ............................................................................ A – WABASHA-KELLOGG

AA – WADENA-DEER CREEKAAA – LAKEVILLE NORTH

Adapted Soccer ........................................................................... CI – *ANOKA-HENNEPINPI – *ROBBINSDALE/HOPKINS/MOUND-WESTONKA

Girls’ Swimming & Diving ....................................................... A – *HUTCHINSON TIGERSAA – EDINA

Football .............................................................................................. 9-Man – CROMWELLA – NEW ULM CATHEDRAL

AA –CALEDONIAAAA – ROCHESTER LOURDES

AAAA – TOTINO-GRACE, FridleyAAAAA – WAYZATA

Policy Debate ................................................................. THE BLAKE SCHOOL, MinneapolisOne Act Play Starred Performances .............. A – PARK RAPIDS AREA; DASSEL-COKATO;

BELLE PLAINE; AA – DULUTH CENTRAL; MINNETONKA; EAGAN;EASTVIEW, Apple Valley; ANOKA

Boys’ Alpine Skiing .......................................... ST. THOMAS ACADEMY, Mendota HeightsGirls’ Alpine Skiing ........................................................................................ MINNETONKA

Fall 2010 & Winter 2011 State Team Champions

Boys’ Nordic Skiing ...................................................................................... DULUTH EASTGirls’ Nordic Skiing ....................................................................................... DULUTH EASTGirls’ Hockey ................................................................................................ A – WARROAD

AA – MINNETONKAGirls’ Dance Team — Jazz .............................................. A – MARSHALL SCHOOL, Duluth

AA – BENILDE-ST. MARGARET’S, St. Louis ParkAAA – MAPLE GROVE

Girls’ Dance Team — High Kick .......................................................... A – CANNON FALLSAA – SARTELL-ST. STEPHEN

AAA – EASTVIEW, Apple ValleyWrestling ............................................. A – JACKSON COUNTY CENTRAL & FRAZEE (tie)

AA – SIMLEY, Inver Grove HeightsAAA – APPLE VALLEY

Girls’ Gymnastics ........................................................................................... A – PERHAMAA – NORTHFIELD

Boys’ Hockey ............................................ A – ST. THOMAS ACADEMY, Mendota HeightsAA – EDEN PRAIRIE

Boys’ Swimming & Diving .................................................................... A – FERGUS FALLSAA – MINNETONKA

Girls’ Basketball ......................... A – MARANATHA CHRISTIAN ACADEMY, Brooklyn ParkAA – BRAHAM

AAA – DELASALLE, MinneapolisAAAA – HOPKINS

Boys’ Basketball ...................................................................................... A – SPRINGFIELDAA – PERHAMAAA – ORONO

AAAA – HOPKINSAdapted Floor Hockey .................................................. C I DIVISION – ANOKA-HENNEPIN

P I DIVISION – ROBBINSDALE/HOPKINS/MOUND-WESTONKA

TBD by each Region ................................................. VISUAL ARTS - TBD by each RegionTBD by each Region ........................ SECTION/STATE MUSIC CONTESTS/FESTIVALS –

various Minnesota sites, dates TBD by each RegionMay 20 .................................................... STATE ADAPTED BOWLING TOURNAMENT –

Brunswick Zone, Eden PrairieMay 21 ............................................................. Final date of GIRLS’ BADMINTON seasonJune 3-4 ................................................. STATE ADAPTED SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT –

Coon Rapids High SchoolJune 7-10 ......................................................... STATE BOYS’ TENNIS TOURNAMENT –

Class AA @ Baseline Tennis Center, U of M;Class A @ Reed-Sweatt Family Tennis Center, Minneapolis

June 7-10 .................................... STATE BOYS’ & GIRLS’ LACROSSE TOURNAMENT –Chanhassen High School - Schedule TBD

June 9-10 ............................... STATE GIRLS’ FAST-PITCH SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT –Caswell Park, North Mankato

June 10-11 ........................ STATE TRACK & FIELD MEET – Hamline University, St. PaulJune 11 ................................ Final date of GIRLS’ SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING seasonJune 14-16 ....................................................................... STATE GOLF TOURNAMENT –

Class AAA (14-15) @ Bunker Hills Golf Course, Coon Rapids;Class AA (15-16) @ Ridges at Sand Creek, Jordan;Class A (15-16) @ Pebble Creek Golf Club, Becker

June 16-17 & 21 ...................................................... STATE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT –Class AAA @ Midway Stadium, St. Paul & Dick Siebert Field, U of M, Minneapolis;

Class AA @ Dick Putz Field, St. Cloud & Joe Faber Field, St. Cloud;Class A @ Athletic Park, Chaska & Mini Met, Jordan;

All Championships @ Target Field, Minneapolis

May 7 ...................................................... SAT National Test Date (www.collegeboard.org)May 10 .......................... Area Meeting, The Lodge at Brainerd Lakes, Brainerd, 9:30 a.m.May 11 .............................. Baseball & Softball Officials Selection, League Office, 10 a.m.May 12 ....................................... Area Meeting, Edinburgh USA, Brooklyn Park, 9:30 a.m.May 16 ......................... Representative Assembly, Edinburgh USA, Brooklyn Park, 9 a.m.May 24 ......................... Athletic Directors Advisory Committee, League Office, 9:30 a.m.June 4 ..................................................... SAT National Test Date (www.collegeboard.org)June 6 ...................................... League Board of Directors Mtg., League Office, 9:30 a.m.June 11 ...................................................... ACT National Test Date (www.actstudent.org)

Prepare your student for success

1 A $100 minimum deposit is required to open a new checking account.2 Loans subject to qualification.

© 2011 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. (132343_00799)

Wells Fargo has the tools and financial solutions they needYou have worked hard to give your child a solid foundation to build on. That includes teaching basic money management skills. At Wells Fargo, we’re ready to help your child continue to build on those skills. From checking accounts to Wells Fargo’s Backstage site (wellsfargo.com/backstage) — a banking site dedicated to the needs of college students — we offer the financial tools and resources your student needs to succeed:

• Checking1 — access and manage money with a free Wells Fargo® Check Card, free access to Wells Fargo Online® and Wells Fargo MobileSM Banking, and more.

• Savings — set and track savings goals with My Savings Plan®.

• Private student loans2 — borrow to cover the cost of college when grants, scholarships, and federal aid aren’t enough.

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Mission StatementThe Minnesota State High School League provides educational opportunities

for students through interscholastic athletic and fine arts programs and provides leadership and support for member schools.

Beliefs◆ Participation in school activity programs is a

privilege and not a right.◆ Sportsmanship needs to have a constant presence

in all school-based activity programs.◆ Students should have an equal opportunity to

participate in all activities offered by their school.◆ Ethical behavior, dignity and respect are non-

negotiable.◆ Student participants who choose to be chemically

free must be supported.◆ Collaborative relationships with parents enhance a

school’s opportunity to positively impact studentsuccess.

◆ Academic priorities must come before participationin athletic or fine arts activities.

◆ Positive role models and an active involvement in astudent’s life by parents and others are critical tostudent success.

◆ High school activity programs are designed forstudent participants, and adults must serve in asupportive role.

◆ The success of the team is more important thanindividual honors.

◆ Compliance with school, community and Leaguerules is essential for all activity participants.

◆ Participation in school-sponsored activities must beinclusive, not exclusive.

◆ Ethical behavior, fairness, and embracing diversitybest serve students and school communities.

spring 2011 mshsl bulletin

Documents

assistant ellen rajkowski

director of information

mshsl bulletin

mshsl logo

spring andis

eden prairiewalter hautala

office manager kristi

media specialist john