Sports

Kael Steele preparing to face Southland pitcher.

CHAMPS

It didn’t take long before Hayfield Head Baseball Coach Kasey Krekling knew his team had a chance to be successful this season. “I knew this team had a chance to do something special early in the season,” Krekling said. The team had beat no.1 ranked Cherry, and handed Ely its only loss through 11...

From left to right: Sandy, Tyler, Kasey, and Jeff Krekling after a game when the brothers played for the Dodge County Diamondbacks.

Krekling family builds a legacy on and off the field

In the Krekling family of Hayfield, sports and education are more than passions — they’re a legacy. Hayfield baseball coach Kasey Krekling and his younger brother, Tyler, both led their teams to high school baseball tournaments this spring. Kasey’s Vikings returned to the state tournament after...

Carly Bronson is preparing to play in her fifth golf state tournament.

Family leads to Hayfield golfer’s passion for golf

om a family of golfers and it’s their success which led her to want to play. “Watching my family all enjoy the sport and watching my older brothers who I look up to, grow into the sport and get better and better made me [want] to get involved in the sport,” Bronson, a junior at Hayfield High School...

Tallie Behrens helped lead Byron to the state tournament last week pitching a complete game against Winona in the Section 1AAA title game.

ONE FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS

Byron Softball Head Coach Jacob Harmon had a feeling this team could be special. “After day one of practice I went home and told my wife, I think we’re going to be a really good team,” said Harmon. Really good, may have been an understatement, as Byron went onto advance to the state tournament for...

Axel Meek squaring up to bunt for the Vikings against Lyle/Pacelli.

Hayfield advances to next round of tourney

The Hayfield baseball team is one step closer from playing in the Class 1A state tournament, after upsetting the top seeded Lyle/Pacelli 8-6 in the Section 1A semifinal game on Monday. With the win the fourth ranked Vikings will face off against third ranked Southland in the 1A winner bracket final...

The Triton boys track and field team won the subsection championship last week.

Triton boys win Sub-Section meet

The boys Triton Track and Field team won the Section 1A — Sub-Section 2 meet last week. In the 100 meter Triton’s Pierce Petersohn ran a 11.48 to win the race, with Garet Jensen 11.87 to come in second. Hayfield’s Easton Johnson finished third in the 100 meter with a time of 12.10, and Triton’s...

Junior Ben Nelson pitching for the Vikings against the Blossoms

Krekling picks up win number 200

Hayfield Head Coach Kasey Krekling picked up its 200 win, after defeating Blooming Prairie last week 3-2. Charlie Walker had a run, Rylan Nelsen had a double and a run, Kael Steele had two RBIs, Hunter Simonson had a double,Axel Meek had a run, and Layne Nelson had a RBI. Ben Nelson picked up...

Triton BPA members secure National Runner-Up and Finalist spots

Triton High School’s Business Professionals of Amera (BPA) chapter continued to shine at the 2025 National Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida from May 7-11, where six of the 13 students who won trips claimed the title of National Finalist, and Abigail Wirkus walked away as a National Runner-...

Ashton Beckman finished fifth in the long jump for Hayfield at the Gopher Conference Championship last weekend.

Triton boys finishes second at Gopher Conference Championship

The Triton boys track and field team finished second overall as a team at the Gopher Conference championship meet last week. Pierce Petersohn once again saw the podium multiple times winning the 100 meter dash with a time of 11.03, and won the 400 meter race with a time of 49.32. Garet Jensen...

After winning the conference championship, Byron girls track and fi eld athletes who made the all conference team posed for a photo. Front left to right: Carly Halder, Madison Ohm, Taylor Matter, Sophia Richardson, Ruby Rowland, Olivia O'Brien, and Dayna Baune. Back left to right: Raegan Kelm, Taylor Meyer, Cambria Daley, Claire Krook, Ava Mertesdaof, Madi Hamilton, Ella Ott, Lilah Kurke, Ashlynn Mitchell, and Avery Warndahl. Missing: Ashlyn Steinke and Peyton Steele.

Byron girls track wins HVL Conference Championship

For the 13th straight year, the Byron girls track and field team has won the HVL Conference Championship. This year the team also won the True Team Section Championship. “It was a great week for the Byron Girls Track Team,” Head Coach Charro Coleman said. “ I ask a lot of the girls during this...