Three Blossoms named All-Stars

Each year for the past 33, the Minnesota Boys Basketball Coaches Association has held an all-star basketball game, including 40 of the best senior players around the state. The GBCA has also held a game for 40 of the best senior girls around the state.
It represents quite an honor for a player to be named to the roster. To have three given that honor is extraordinary, but this year three Blooming Prairie athletes will be part of the contest. Senior John Rumpza will play for the green team in games, the first on Friday, March 27, at St. Cloud State University and the second at Macalester College in St. Paul on Saturday, March 28.
Meanwhile, two Awesome Blossom girls, Taylor Hagen and Madison Worke, also were selected to play in the girls All-Star contest game, which will be held Saturday, April 11, at Carleton College in Northfield.  Unlike the boys’ format, the girls will play back-to back games at 1 and 3 p.m. Because the girls’ state tournament just concluded last week, the roster for the girls has not been set.
Rumpza is the all-time career-scoring leader for the Blossom boys with more than 2,000 points to his credit. He also is the leading rebounder and shot blocker.  Rumpza plays on a 10-team roster against three other teams of 10 players each.   Cole Kingsley of the state champion Rushford-Peterson team, and Dan Jech (Rochester) and Gach Gach (Austin) are two other area players on the rosters. 
The two Blossom girls don’t know which team they will be assigned to yet, as the rosters still haven’t been announced. Both girls scored over 1,000 career points, with Hagen counting over 1,500. Hagen also is the school leader in rebounds and blocked shots, and Worke set the school assist record in the last season. All three BPHS players feel honored to be selected for the team, and game details on tickets and times will be in future news releases.