Category Archives: Sports

Basketball

Biography of Klay Thompson

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By: Nagad Omar

4 time NBA Champion Klay Alexander Thompson was born on February 8th, 1990, in
Los Angeles, California. Born to parents Julie and Mychal Thompson.

Thompson didn’t have the “normal upbringing.” When he was just 2, his father was the first pick in the 1978 NBA draft.

He moved around the country until he was 14 where he was brought back to California where he later graduated from Rancho Santa Margarita High School. Klay had scout attention, all of high school, and played for many different club teams along with winning many awards.

Klay attended Washington State University where he led in 3-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage. Washington State University later retired his jersey number 1.

In 2011 Klay declared for the NBA draft and was drafted 11th overall by the Golden State Warriors. Shortly after, Thompson’s career took off and he scored 32 points in 2013 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Thompson was also voted to the NBA All-Rookie first team.

That same year, Klay Thompson and Steph Curry would earn the title “Splash Bros” after setting the NBA record for 484 combined threes in a single season.

In 2017 Thompson also became the 11th player in franchise history to hit 9,000 career points, which he has well surpassed now.

After many trips to the NBA playoffs in 2015 Thompson finally won his first ring against the Cleveland Cavaliers in a tight 108-100 overtime win. The Warriors would end up being back-to-back champions in 2017 and 2018 to bring Klay his 2nd and third ring, before also winning in 2022, to make Klay a 4-time NBA champion.

Klay has now made 2,190 3-point field goals in his career (at the time of this writing), is a 5x NBA All Star and 2x all NBA Third Team.

Thompson also holds the NBA record for most points scored in a quarter, most three pointers scored in a single playoffs, and most three pointers scored in a game.

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Baseball

MLB rankings and expectations going into the 2023 season

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By: Abby Altman

It has been 146 days since the last pitch of the 2022 MLB season was thrown. Nick Castellanos of the Phillies flew out to right fielder Kyle Tucker of the Astros to give Houston the 2022 World Series title.

A lot has happened in the off season since the last game was played, with teams gaining and losing star players left and right. The offseason was chaos for many teams and athletes, and that will most likely show in the start of the 2023 season.

One of the best examples for the chaos seen this offseason is through Carlos Correa.

After the 2022 season, Correa announced he would be opting out of his 3-year contract with the Minnesota Twins. On December 14th, Correa reached an agreement with the San Francisco Giants, for 13 years/$350 million.

This appeared to be a done deal, and Correa was going to be a Giant. On December 20th, however, San Francisco canceled Correas introductory press conference, mere hours before it was scheduled to begin. Fans were given no explanation.

On December 21st, while most fans were asleep, Correa reached an agreement with the New York Mets, for 12 years/ $315 million. Again, this seemed like a done deal, and Correa was going to become a Met.

On December 24th, Correa’s introductory press conference was postponed, due to reported concerns with his physical. Correa showed few issues physically last season.

When the Giants and the Mets both passed on Correa, Minnesota took this time to step up, and bring him back home.

On January 10th, Correa and the Minnesota Twins reached an agreement for 6 years/ $200 million.

If that timeline of a star shortstop essentially joining 3 different teams all to end up with the same team as last season doesn’t give you a good idea of what this season will look like, I’m not sure what will.

At the end of last years regular season, the top 10 teams in the power rankings were:

  1. Dodgers
  2. Astros
  3. Braves
  4. Yankees
  5. Mets
  6. Cardinals
  7. Blue Jays
  8. Guardians
  9. Mariners
  10. Padres

The Philadelphia Phillies were ranked 12th, and still managed to play in the World Series, beating the Cardinals, Padres, and Braves to get there.

Since then, more than 150 free agents have signed new contracts, nearly 70 trades have been made, and 5 teams have hired new managers.

Opening day for the 2023 season took place on March 30th, and was an excellent look into what the upcoming season has in store for fans.

Here are my predictions for the top 10 teams this season, and the World Series matchup to end the season:

  1. Toronto Blue Jays

2022 record: 92-70

2023 predicted record: 103-59

  1.  New York Yankees

2022 record: 99-63

2023 predicted record: 100-62

  1.  Houston Astros

2022 record: 106-56

2023 predicted record: 100-62

  1.  Los Angeles Dodgers

2022 record: 111-51

2023 predicted record: 98-64

  1.  New York Mets

2022 record: 101-61

2023 predicted record: 96-66

  1. Atlanta Braves

2022 record: 101-61

2023 predicted record: 95-67

  1.  San Diego Padres

2022 record: 89-73

2023 predicted record: 92-70

  1.   Philadelphia Phillies

2022 record: 87-75

2023 predicted record: 90-72

  1.  Cleveland Guardians

2022 record: 92-70

2023 predicted record: 90-72

  1.  Baltimore Orioles

2022 record: 83-79

2023 predicted record: 88-74

The Houston Astros will come very close to back-to-back World Series titles. Uncomfortably close for many fans, who have had a strong disliking for the team since 2019, when the cheating scandal was uncovered.

However, I believe the New York Mets will make it through the playoffs, and beat the Astros in 6 for the 2023 World Series title.

Badminton, Baseball, Golf, Scoreboard/Schedule, Softball, Tennis, Track & Field

Sports schedule for: Apr 10-15

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  ATHLETIC EVENTS SCHEDULE: APRIL 10 – APRIL 15  
MONDAYAPRIL 10 
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
    
TUESDAYAPRIL 11
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
3:30pm Tennis vs. Cretin-Derham HallHOME
5:30pm Badminton vs. HumboldtHOME
WEDNESDAYAPRIL 12
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
2:00pm Girls Golf Friendship TournamentCedarholm Golf Course
4:00pm Tennis vs. JohnsonHOME
4:00pm Badminton vs. Eden PrairieHOME
4:30pm Softball vs. RichfieldRichfield Middle School
THURSDAYAPRIL 13
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
3:30pm Boys Golf Conference MeetHighland National Golf Course
4:00pm Track and Field Meet vs. Central / Como Park / HumboldtHOME
4:15pm / 4:15pm Varsity/JV Baseball vs. Minnehaha AcademyFort Snelling
5:30pm / 5:30pm4:45pm | 6:00pmBadminton vs. JohnsonJohnson High School
FRIDAYAPRIL 14
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
4:00pm Softball vs. Two RiversTwo Rivers High School
4:00pm / 4:00pm Tennis vs. RosevilleVarsity: Roseville High School JV: HOME
SATURDAYAPRIL 15
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
    
Advice/How To, Sports

Running shoes

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By: Ellie Moore

As the sport of running is growing, the technology of the shoes is getting better and better. What was top of the line 10 years ago aren’t even sold anymore.

The first running shoe invented was in 1865, and the first running spikes weren’t invented until 25 years later in 1890.

Some of the best shoes to train in are the Brooks Ghost 15, Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 39, Asics Gel-Kayano 29, Mizuno Wave Rider 26, or Saucony Triumph 20.

The shoes can get expensive, and they only last for 200-500 miles, which is about 3 months, so a lot of people buy the less expensive shoes that aren’t as good. The Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 39 are only $92 but they are said to lead to a ton of injuries.

To race well, you need spikes. Nowadays, if you tried to run a race without spikes you wouldn’t be able to place well. Spikes are lightweight shoes that have spikes on the bottom to help you push into the ground.

Some of the best cross country spikes are the Nike Zoom Rival XC 5, Nike Zoom Rival Waffle 5, or the Nike ZoomX Dragonflies. These are all the most light and supportive shoes to race in.

Many distance runners use the same spikes for track as cross country, but if you do sprints or distance, you probably want a pair of sprint spikes.

The best sprint spikes are more supportive and have more spikes than distance spikes. The top of the line sprint spikes at the moment are the Nike Zoom Maxfly Spike, New Balance FuelCell PWR-X Spikes, and Saucony Spitfire 5 Spikes (which are great for beginners).

The best shoes for recovery are any kind of Hokas. They have a soft base and help you have less impact on the ground. If you’re going for an easy recovery run, the Hokas are the way to go.

The better shoe you have will determine how well you race and how well your workouts will go. It is worth the extra money to make sure you don’t get injured and have great workouts and races.

Badminton, Scoreboard/Schedule, Tennis, Track & Field

Sports schedule for: Mar 27-Apr 1

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  ATHLETIC EVENTS SCHEDULE: MARCH 27 – APRIL 1  
MONDAYMARCH 27 
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
3:15pm Boys Tennis BeginsTennis Courts
TUESDAYMARCH 28
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
4:45pm / 5:30pm4:00pm | 6:15pmBadminton Triangular vs. Harding and North St. PaulHarding High School
WEDNESDAYMARCH 29
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
    
THURSDAYMARCH 30
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
4:00pm3:15pm | 4:45pmBadminton vs. WashingtonWashington Technology Magnet
FRIDAYMARCH 31
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
4:00pm2:20pm / 8:00pmBoys/Girls Track and Field Griak Indoor ClassicUniversity of Minnesota
SATURDAYAPRIL 1
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
    
Football

Releases, re-signings, and requirements for the Minnesota Vikings

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By: Abby Altman

At the beginning of free agency, it appeared as though the Minnesota Vikings were looking to rebuild, which is more than rare for a team coming off of a 13-4 season. 

The Vikings have released several key veteran players, including Adam Thielen, Eric Kendricks, and Cam Dantzler in the last few weeks, and have 11 free agents they have not yet re-signed. Free agents Patrick Peterson and Dalvin Tomlinson have joined the AFC North with the Steelers and Browns. 

Minnesota has re-signed 7 free agents, including first-team all pro long snapper Andrew DePoala and kicker Greg Joseph on special teams. The Vikings also re-signed backup QB Nick Mullens and RB Alexander Mattison for offensive skill positions, and Austin Schlottmann and Garrett Bradbury on the offensive line. Jonathan Bullard is the only re-signed defensive player so far. 

Second round draft pick TE Irv-Smith Jr is one free agent the Vikings will likely not resign. After the week 7 trade for TJ Hockenson, the Vikings filled in the gaps Smith Jr was leaving at the TE position. Even with a top 5 TE, Minnesota signed TE Josh Oliver from Baltimore. 

Oliver is best known for his blocking abilities, so combined with Hockenson’s routes and hands, the TE position should flourish without the need for Irv Smith Jr. 

Free agency is far from over, and General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings should be looking at signing some more players before the draft. Here are some of Minnesota’s biggest needs this offseason. 

Positional Needs

Cornerback: One of the most important additions the Vikings need to find is cornerbacks. Minnesota released CB Cameron Dantzler Sr, after he failed repeatedly in coverage. The Vikings signed Byron Murphy Jr from Arizona on a 2 year deal. Murphy is a top man-to-man coverage defender. 

Chandon Sullivan and Duke Shelley are both unsigned free agents as of now. Duke Shelley started 5 games at the end of the season, and exceeded expectations. Shelley is currently asking for more money than the Vikings are currently able to offer him. 

Center: The 2022 season showed lots of issues for Minnesota at center. Starter Garrett Bradbury had struggled in past years, but showed real potential last season, before a car accident re-aggravated a back injury and took him out for the end of the season. Backup Austin Schlottmann started behind Bradbury, but suffered a season ending fibula fracture in week 17. Guard Chris Reed was forced to start at center, causing many issues and several delay of game calls. 

Minnesota has re-signed both Bradbury and Schlottmann, but finding a new center to ensure stability is key for the Vikings offensive line. 

Linebacker: The Linebacker position for Minnesota is appearing to look like a waiting game. Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter held down the position very well this past year, recording 20.5 total sacks between the 2 of them, however, Za’Darius Smith has recently requested to be released. It seems unlikely that the Vikings organization will release him, but a trade may be an option for the veteran outside linebacker. Danielle Hunter is injury prone, after undergoing multiple shoulder surgeries in recent years. Brian Asamoah III, coming off of his rookie season, shows ample potential to be the future for Minnesota’s linebackers, but that is yet to be known for certain. 

Minnesota and LB Jordan Hicks agreed to a restructured contract, allowing him to avoid joining Eric Kendricks on the list of released MN linebackers. 

Safety: Veteran Harrison Smith is still very active as a safety, tied for 1st in the league in interceptions among active players. Smith is 34 years old, and is no longer in his prime, although he’s still an asset to Minnesota’s defense. 

Smith restructured his contract this past week, taking over a $10 million pay cut in order to stay in Minnesota. One of the most beloved players in Minnesota history has earned himself even more respect by taking such a massive pay cut, but one does have to question whether a player of his age will be enough on the field. 

Defensive tackle: Minnesota’s most recent re-signing is DT Jonathan Bullard. Bullard was big at stopping the run game in 2022, but he will most likely not be enough for Minnesota to succeed at DT. Harrison Phillips has been the starter for Minnesota as DT, but drafting a new defensive tackle late in the draft may be necessary for the Vikings. 

Wide Receiver: The Vikings main goal should be to build this franchise surrounding Justin Jefferson. The elite WR needs a wide receiver 2, after Adam Thielen aged out of his position on the MN Vikings. KJ Osborn is a solid WR3, but trading for, or even drafting, a WR2 should be a high priority. Jaxon Smith-Njigba out of Ohio State is a good fit for the Vikings offensive scheme, but it is unlikely he will still be available when the Vikings draft at pick 24. 

Quarterback: It’s no secret that QB Kirk Cousins is getting old. Cousins has been the Vikings quarterback since 2018, and finished the 2022 season 4th in yards and T-5th in touchdowns with the Lions’ Pro Bowl QB Jared Goff. Cousins led the team to a 13-4 season, and was hindered by his defense in the first round of the playoffs. Cousins is 34 years old, and expensive. 

The Vikings announced a cap conversion on Kirk Cousins’ contract that will allow them about $16 million in cap space. Cousins’ contract was going to cost the Vikings $36.25 million in 2023. With the conversion, that number goes down to just over $20.25 million, pushing dead cap money into 2026 and 2027, which are added void years in his contract.

It seems likely that Minnesota will allow Cousins’ contract to expire at the end of the upcoming season. 

The NFC North is expected to turn a new page in NFL history next season. The Green Bay Packers are likely without a franchise QB for the first time in decades, and the Chicago Bears appear to continue their rebuild attempts. 

The Detroit Lions, however, are the favorites take the NFC North for the first time in years. Minnesota and Detroit will likely go head to head for the NFC North title, but Detroit’s offseason has been far more successful than Minnesota’s, thus far. 

Badminton, Golf, Scoreboard/Schedule, Track & Field

Sports schedule for: Mar 20-25

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  ATHLETIC EVENTS SCHEDULE: MARCH 20-MARCH 25  
MONDAYMARCH 20 
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
3:15pm Boys Golf BeginsGymnastics Area
4:00pm Badminton vs. MPLS SouthwestHOME
TUESDAYMARCH 21
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
3:15pm Girls Golf BeginsGymnastics Area
WEDNESDAYMARCH 22
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
    
THURSDAYMARCH 23
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
4:00pm Badminton vs. Como ParkHOME
FRIDAYMARCH 24
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
    
SATURDAYMARCH 25
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
9:00am7:30am / 12:30pmBoys/Girls Track and Field Gopher Classic Indoor Time TrialUniversity of Minnesota Fieldhouse
Soccer

Loons and New York Red Bulls battle in the snow and literally slip to get a point

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By Aeden Evenson-McDermott

On the evening of the home opener at Allianz Field, the Loons and Red Bulls would duel it out in the snowy conditions Saturday night. With the field having a good covering of snow, and the snow coming down during pregame and into the first half, the field became slippery and slick in many places. The grounds crew were using leaf blowers to dust away the snow in the goal keeper boxes while the rest of the field was nearly covered.

With the MLS season in full force, and already in its third week for most clubs, the Loons would be coming off a bye week. It allowed for players to rest up and recover from a couple early knocks and injuries. Players like Luis Amarilla would also finalize his paperwork for his green card as he is a Paraguayan International. With an open training session last week, which brought much enjoyment to an excited fan base, players did different ball drills and worked out to get the final preparations ready.

The previous week, which kicked off the MLS season for most clubs (not LAFC or LA Galaxy due to the inclement weather), had the Loons take on FC Dallas on the road. The Loons were successful and accomplished the task of picking up all 3 points after an early goal in the second half from Mender Garcia, which led to the final score of 1-0 for the Loons.

With the Loons turning the next page in the past two weeks, Snowy Allianz Field would captivate the attention of many as it would bring back memories of the snowy homeopeners in the early years of Minnesota United FC a few years back.

Both sides would kick off when the referee blew the whistle. It was primarily a test of how the sides would adapt to the pitch being covered with snow and how this would transfer to how they would play. The wintry conditions also made the usual matchball get a change as they used the orange winter variant of the Upcoming Women’s World Cup Ball, so it would be easier to see in the snow.

Red Bulls would wear their traditional red and white kits and the Loons would finally debut their long awaited Northern Lights kit which is stunning.

Striker Bongokuhle Hlongwane would get a nice shot and would retrieve the rebound to power his big shot into the back of the net. An early 1-0 lead to the Loons but would they be able to sustain it?

With both sides exchanging a few chances, and with many poor calls by the officials, it was a slow first half despite Hlongwane’s goal.

With a lot of the snow still on the pitch, groundskeepers were actively working at halftime to clear away the snow as it had still been piled up. As the second half moved on, the snow would stop coming down and also the fields melted off, but it was still slippery in places with slush being an issue. It was nice to see the green field at least!

The second half would start out in flying fashion with the Red Bulls getting a quick equalizer to put it back to 1-1! The ball from the corner kick, taken by Red Bulls John Tolkin, meandered its way to the jumping head of Andres Reyes which required a split second snap of the head to guide the ball into the back of the net, which even MNUFC goalkeeper Dayne St.Clair’s fast reflexes stood no chance.

New York would show more dominance and create some decent chances and United would as well, but both sides could not get the breakthrough for the win and +3 points.

A hard worked game by both sides saw New York get their second draw of the season and the Loons now with a win and a tie.

New York will face the Columbus Crew in Red Bull Stadium while the Loons will travel to face Colorado. Both games are on this coming Saturday and are available along with every other MLS game to stream on Apple TV+.

It will be a big week for teams as they train and work on getting the chemistry better. It’s also important to note, from a Minnesota United perspective, that the club is in active negotiations and are progressing in talks to sign young South Korean player Jeong Sang-bin as a U-22 Initiative signing. He was developed in the Korean league and then went to Wolverhampton and they sent him on loan in the 21/22 season to Grasshoppers in the Swiss top flight league.

We are in desperate need of another striker, as getting goals will be hard this year, as we don’t have the striking force needed to be a top mainstream team. Hopefully, the addition of Jeong Sang-bin will be vital in getting more goals and provide an extra depth piece to the existing roster!

Basketball

March Madness rooting guide

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By: Caden Kipfmueller

Note: This article was written before round 1 started

Mid March means the beginning of tournament season, which means several weeks of upsets, buzzer beaters, and busted brackets. Every year, so-called “experts” make big claims about knowing the outcome of games, but the reality is nobody really knows what they’re talking about and it’s useless to try to predict the future. The best way to have an enjoyable time watching during the tournament is to not care and root for teams with good vibes. Here are a few that best embody that ideal.

Oral Roberts and Colgate are two teams that are known for their dental themed names. They are also Cinderella’s in the making, although they both drew tough first round matchups in the form of Duke and Texas. That shouldn’t stop you from rooting for them however, as they are both incredibly exciting teams. Oral Roberts is led by Max Abmas, a dynamic and talented scorer who was present on the team’s last Cinderella run. Averaging 22.2 points per game, Abmas is unquestionably one of the best players in the tourney and could bust many brackets soon.

Colgate, on the other hand, is another double digit seed with lofty aspirations. Going 26-8 and winning the Patriot League for the third straight year and the fourth in the past five years. The raiders are viewed favorably by analytics, so perhaps the stars align and this turns out to be their year to finally make it out of the first round after coming close several times recently.

Iowa State entered this year’s tourney as a 6 seed, but many view that as an underseeding. In the 2023 season, the Cyclones logged quality wins against teams like Baylor and Kansas, proving they can beat tough opponents. The team’s X-Factor is Robert “Bobby” Jones, a 6’10’’ senior forward from Prior Lake, MN. Jones is one of the best players on the entire team, with a versatile defensive skill set and one of the best basketball IQs the sport has ever seen. Jones is getting a significant level of buzz from professional teams.

The seventh seeded Missouri Tigers boast the nation’s 10th best offense and a rather impressive resume. Unfortunately, they are not strong defensively, which typically does not bode well for a team’s tournament success. Their saving grace is their turnover margin. Missouri forces turnovers at one of the best rates in the country, playing safe offensively and opportunistic defensively. This strategy has led to some of the biggest upsets of the season and a narrow loss to Alabama in the SEC tournament.

The final team of note is the thirteen seeded Furman Paladins, fresh off of a six game win streak. Furman flies under the radar and has been all but written off by tournament “experts”, but the Paladins are exactly the type of unsuspecting team that can turn heads come March. They’re led by an elite guard who can score in bursts and lead the team on runs. They also have four players averaging at least 10 points per game. Furman’s high powered offense may surprise the casual March Madness watcher.

Badminton, Baseball, Scoreboard/Schedule, Softball, Track & Field

Sports schedule for: Mar 13-18

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  ATHLETIC EVENTS SCHEDULE: MARCH 13- MARCH 18  
MONDAYMARCH 13 
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
3:15pm Softball Practice Begins 
3:15pm Track and Field Practice Begins 
5:00pm Baseball Optional Conditioning 
TUESDAYMARCH 14
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
    
WEDNESDAYMARCH 15
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
4:00pm Badminton vs. KennedyHOME
THURSDAYMARCH 16
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
4:00pm Badminton vs. CentralHOME
FRIDAYMARCH 17
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
    
SATURDAYMARCH 18
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION