Robert Palmer, a science teacher at the high school and an assistant track coach, wants to pump up Willmar's summer track program.
He's working with the Winged Foot Running Club and community education to get it up and going. In the short range, regular summer workouts would be a boost to both track and cross country.
Overall, the organized practices and competitions for "all ages" are designed "to promote personal health and fitness."
"Our practices are scheduled early evenings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, starting June 3," stated Palmer. "We'll emphasize skills and appropriate training methods geared to the needs of the participant."
A number of meets around the state will be available to those interested in traveling. The running club will host two Wednesday evening all-comers meets on July 2 and July 9.
ADVERTISEMENT
Home base is Hodapp Field. The registration fee is $75. Contact WCER at 320-231-8490 if interested.
The Heart and Sole running club, based at Roosevelt Elementary, has 45 boys and girls with Tracy Erickson in charge.
Their season culminates at the Foot Lake 4, this year on June 28.
Willmar Early Bird
The Eagle Creek Golf Club Early Bird golf tournament comes up on Sunday. It won't be coupled with the Little Crow Country Club Shortstop which usually runs on the same weekend, but this year is June 7.
The 78th Lakeland Tournament at Eagle Creek runs June 28-29 this year.
Three former Cardinals -- Chase Thonvold, Wade Thonvold and Danny Anderson -- teamed up to finish second in the championship flight May 18 at the Koronis Hills' 3-Person Scramble.
Good numers
ADVERTISEMENT
Numbers remain strong in sports at the high school, according to first-year activities director Jamie Thompson.
Numbers were so high in junior varsity II girls soccer a second coach was added and an additional coach was also needed in gymnastics.
"You must add coaches to assure adequate supervision," said Thompson.
Boys soccer numbers were also at an all-time high.
Willmar's participation fee will stay the same for next year: $200 for the first sport, $100 for the second and the third is free.
Willmar was one of the first conference schools to levy fees. But now many of the CLC schools have caught up and passed Willmar and most don't offer the multi-sport discount, Thompson said.
Brainerd, which has the highest fee in the conference and perhaps the state (see below), will pair with Little Falls in girls hockey starting next season. Neither team had a JV last season, but now will be able to schedule preliminary games.
There are no head coaching changes in store for next year, except Katie Simenson will become head coach of the Cardettes. Former coach Amber Damhof is moving to Brainerd, Thompson said. Simenson was an assistant coach in both freshman girls soccer and gymnastics the past school year.
ADVERTISEMENT
On the fly
n Brainerd upped its athletic participation fees to $380 per student per sport this year -- among the highest in the state -- to help deal with a huge budget deficit, a hangover from a defeated referendum. The fees are among the very highest in the state. Concerned citizens raised $220,000 has a scholarship fund for hardship cases.
n Peter Grahn, an All-Area basketball player at Willmar who suffered paralysis in a diving accident in Aug. 2006, has finished up his second full year at Southwest Minnesota State with a 3.5 grade-point-average with an emphasis on the sciences, including biology and physics. He's taking a four-credit course in thermodynamics during an extra June session.
n Sarah Willis, who won the women's 5k at the Law Day race on Saturday, plans to continue her education at Montana State in Bozeman for an advanced degree in exercise physiology. She graduates from Gustavus Adolphus Sunday after earning letters in cross-country, Nordic skiing and fastpitch softball. She was All-Region in skiing.
n Rails coach Rick Schwantes says the Rails should have Alex Marcus, who just completed four years of college baseball, for the post-season. Marcus will be studying in Europe this summer, but should be home in time to get in the required four regular season games to qualify. The Rails lineup has been strengthened with the addition of Tyler Horning, who recently returned from the junior college World Series in Tyler, Texas.
