Memories: Looking back on a year of New Ulm sports

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- The year 2004 was another great sports year here in New Ulm.

Not so much because of the wins or losses but because of the memories that sports fans here in New Ulm have.

Here, then, are some of the sports moments, in no particular order, of sports events the past year here in New Ulm.

The Minnesota Valley Lutheran boys basketball team beat defending state Class A champion Mankato Loyola 66-63.

The New Ulm High School girls basketball team beat Madelia 53-37 to win their second straight game.

Not to be outdone, the Eagle boys basketball team beat St. Peter 71-61 to end an eight-game losing streak.

Speaking about streaks, Waseca did what seemed impossible in boys hockey when they beat New Ulm High School to break a 47-game South Central Conference winning streak held by the Eagles.

MVL's Craig Morgan wins his 100th game as the Chargers coach.

And MVL's girls coach, Dave Biedenbender, also earned his 100th career coaching win with the Chargers.

Matthew LeCroy and eventual 2004 Cy Young winner Johan Santana were in New Ulm on the Twins Winter Caravan Tour.

In football, three New Ulm High School players, Kevin Neidecker, Travis Aufderheide and Spencer Dickinson, signed tenders to continue to play football together at Minnesota State-Mankato.

Bailey Blethen resigned as head boys basketball coach at New Ulm Cathedral, with Paul Hazuka later named as his replacement.

The Eagle girls hockey team tallied 17 goals in a 17-0 win over Dodge County in the section lA playoffs.

Vogel Field House, which had been the home of hockey here in New Ulm, was redesigned as a family recreation facility. It held its first basketball tournament with 47 teams from Minnesota and Iowa participating with rave reviews about the facility that features three basketball courts.

With hockey moving from Vogel Field House, the New Ulm Civic Center held its first game.

Allie Betsch earned a trip to the State Gymnastics Tournament.

Travis Aufderheide, Dan Mielke, Chris Koob and Adam Hoffmann of New Ulm High School earned trips to the Minnesota State Wrestling Tournament.

The New Ulm Club celebrated its 50th anniversary.

The New Ulm Civic Center was awarded the 2005 Minnesota State Bantam Hockey Tournament from March 11-13. The Bantam Tournament is the second largest hockey tournament next to the Minnesota Boys High School Hockey Tournament.

Dave Curry began his first year as head baseball coach at New Ulm High School.

Ali Bernard, the first female wrestler at New Ulm High School, selected Regina University as her college choice.

Dick Wellmann took over as manager of the New Ulm Kaiserhoff and saw his young team earn a trip to the Minnesota State Amateur Class B Baseball Tournament and finish with an impressive 21-10 mark.

Ilene Fahle, a foreign exchange student from Norway attending New Ulm Cathedral, earned a spot in Sports Illustrated "Faces In The Crowd." She became the third athlete from New Ulm behind Steph Klaviter of Cathedral and New Ulm High School Baseball coach Jim Senske to be so honored.

Carl Wyczawski, the unofficial sports historian of New Ulm, was featured in the baseball book "A Season Up North," which is story of the 1950 Northern League.

LeRoy Flor's hitting facility was used by New Ulm baseball players at no charge thanks to Flor's generosity.

Omaha beat Mankato for the Upper Midwest Classic Championship.

The "Power Trip" morning show on KFAN Radio was in New Ulm and the August Schell Brewing Co. for a live broadcast.

These were just a few of the moments from the year's sporting events in New Ulm. I know that 2005 holds more for this fair city and her fans.