The WHS gymnastics team is heading to state for the eighth consecutive time after capturing Saturday’s Section 3A meet. Worthington amassed 145.4 points in outdistancing second-place Jackson County Central and third-place Luverne in the seven-team meet. Several members of the Trojans team also advanced to state on an individual basis.
Hali Bullerman was the sectional meet’s all-around champion with a score of 36.85 points, and teammate Meklya Nystrom was right behind her in second for WHS at 36.475. Bullerman came out on top in the vault, parallel bars and floor exercise competitions with scores of 9.475, 8.85 and 9.55, respectively; she also took second on the balance beam. Nystrom tied for first with teammate Olivia Barber on the beam at 9.1, and Nystrom was also second on the bars and vault and third on the floor.
Additionally, Kelsey Soleta was third on the vault for the Trojans, and Abby Bristow third on the beam. They both qualified individually for the state meet, as did Bullerman, Nystrom, Barber and Kenadie Thiner. The team portion of the state meet is Friday and the individual portion Saturday, all at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul.
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The Worthington High School girls basketball team went 1-1 over the weekend, routing Redwood Valley 60-17 at home Friday and falling 57-55 Saturday at Sioux City West.
Tarren Spartz led WHS Friday night against the Cardinals with 15 points, and Olivia Hayenga – who signed on Friday to continue her basketball career at Minnesota West (hear the story by going to the myradioworks.net homepage, clicking on features and then podcasts) contributed 12 points. The Trojans emptied their bench during the game, and Aisha Zeidi led the reserves with nine points.
Against Sioux City West, Hayenga scored 13 points, and Spartz and Dasia Potter each had 12. Sioux City West made a pair of free throws with 2.8 seconds left to seal the game. The WHS girls are now 13-9.
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The Minnesota West Lady Jays got back in the winning column Saturday, edging Western Technical College 77-76 in LaCrosse, Wisconsin.
Tia Murray led the Lady Jays, now 10-2 in South Division play and 14-11 overall, with 22 points, and Madisyn Huisman added 18, including Minnesota West’s final point on a free throw with 40 seconds to play. Emily Breske contributed 13 points and a team-high nine rebounds; Mackensie Post had a team-best six assists.
The Lady Jays won with a defensive effort that forced the host Cavaliers into 32.5% shooting and 23 turnovers.
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In the men’s game that followed, Western Tech opened up a 22-point halftime lead and went on to top Minnesota West 106-91.
The Bluejays played just six players in the game. London Campbell led the Minnesota West effort with 28 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. Jacob Dorian had 26 points, Bubba Sohn added 15 points and Sam Paulson contributed 13 points and a game-best 14 rebounds. The Bluejays are 1-10 in South Division play and 4-19 overall.
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On Friday night, the Worthington Trojans boys hockey team was defeated in overtime, 3-2, by Winona.
The Winhawks tallied the game’s first goal 4:18 in, but Logan Powers scored for the Trojans a little more than two minutes later on an assist from Ian Bumgarnder. Worthington then took a 2-1 edge at 5:53 of the second period when Caden Van Briesen scored; assists were credited to Levi Kuhl and Jake Ahrenstorff.
Winona, though, tied things up on a power-play goal with 3:13 left in regulation, and then scored just 22 seconds into overtime to end the game. Matthew Becker made 27 saves in net for WHS, which outshot the Winhawks 46-30. The Trojans are 10-12 on the season.
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Also Friday, the WHS boys basketball team was defeated on the road by Redwood Valley, 80-70. The loss dropped the Trojans to 5-14 on the season.
Kaleb Knothe scored 17 points to led Worthington in scoring while also pulling down eight rebounds. Abagotte Opiew has 14 points to go along with 10 rebounds, and Marenono Opiew had 13 points and four assists. Jake Brandner chipped in with nine points and four assists of his own.
In other action over the weekend:
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Lac Qui Parle 60, Murray County Central 18
Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 61, Pipestone Area 51
Yellow Medicine East 57, Westbrook-Walnut Grove 47
Caledonia 90, Jackson County Central 54
Luverne 47, Montevideo 45
Adrian-Ellsworth 52, Westbrook-Walnut Grove 42
Red Rock Central 61, Murray County Central 37
Hills-Beaver Creek 48, Edgerton 38
Southwest Minnesota Christian 55, Mountain Lake Area-Comfrey 51
Jackson County Central 73, Tri-City United 35
Marshall 45, Pipestone Area 36 (OT)
St. Peter 50, Fairmont 41
Hartley-Melvin Sanborn 49, Alta-Aurelia 47
Werst Lyon 61, Sheldon 37
Spirit Lake 60, Okoboji 52
BOYS BASKETBALL
Pipestone Area 66, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 58
Mountain Lake Area-Comfrey 63, Madelia 58
Russell-Tyler Ruthton 81, Red Rock Central 29
Luverne 60, Montevideo 54
Mankato East 90, Marshall 71
Windom 74, Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda 61
Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 68, Yellow Medicine East 46
Westbrook-Walnut Grove 65, Springfield 61
Southwest Minnesota Christian 56, Mountain Lake Area-Comfrey 55
St. Peter 75, Fairmont 50
Jackson County Central 64, Tri-City United 55
Okoboji 63, Sheldon 50
Boyden-Hull 88, Sibley-Ocheyedan 36
Rock Valley 65, Central Lyon 63
GTRA 62, Harris-Lake Park 57
GIRLS HOCKEY
Luverne 2, Marshall 1
New Ulm 5, Fairmont 0
BOYS HOCKEY
Fairmont 11, Cotter 4
Luverne 6, Minnesota River 2
Luverne 2, Minnesota River 0
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