Lakes Area Review

05/12/2025

We apologize to anyone that has tried to email us their garage sale ad. There was a typo in our email address. See the corrected form below. New deadline is Wednesday, May 14 at noon. Email us at [email protected]

04/23/2025

04/23/2025

Go Toolcats!

04/23/2025

04/03/2025

This week's Lakes Area Review articles include: Barbara Carr named economic development director; property tax valuation appeal dates set; spring sports teams previewed and much more. For more information, see the April 5, 2025, Lakes Area Review.

04/02/2025

11/11/2024

🏐 VOLLEYBALL: Wildcats give No. 1 Albany a scare in loss at state 🏐

By Bruce Strand, sports writer

In their school’s first state volleyball tournament match in 15 years, New London-Spicer was a longshot underdog, a No. 8 seed against a No. 1, on Thursday at the Xcel Energy Center.

And that’s the way it looked like it would play out as top-ranked Albany smoked the Wildcats 25-12 in the first set and took a six-point lead in the second. However, NLS put enormous pressure on the Huskies the rest of the way. Albany squeaked it out 3-1 with the last three sets going overtime.

“We started out a little bit slow and kind of crept back, and then it was back-and-forth,” said Tina Peterson, NLS coach. “And, wow, if we would have gotten just one or two more points go our way, it would have been a different story, and we’d still be playing in the fifth set.”

The Wildcats found their bearings midway through the second set and chipped away to stun the Huskies 26-24, capped Hannah Nieland’s perfectly-placed ace.

Albany never could regain the dominance they enjoyed in the first set, but prevailed 29-27 in the third, after NLS had set point three times, and 26-24 in the fourth, after the Wildcats had set point once.

The Huskies finally nailed it down when Hannah Klein unleashed her final kill of the match. The soaring six-footer signed by South Dakota State rallied off 33 kills in 70 attempts with just five errors.

Albany had routed the Wildcats 25-15, 25-9, 25-19 at NLS on Sept. 17, but, as Peterson said prior to the state tournament, “We’ll be ready for them. We are a different team now.”

Agreed Albany coach Brian Hines: “I felt like we really controlled them (in September) but give credit to New London, they brought a really good game today. They have made some adjustments.”

The Wildcats (18-8-1), in its first state tourney since 2009, now face conference rival Annandale (24-7) in the consolation round Friday, 5 p.m. Annandale beat the Cats in a close five-game match Sept. 26.

Albany, which had been absent from the state tournament even longer, since 2003, came in as the coaches’ pick for No. 1 seed. The Huskies (29-2) face Southwest Christian (20-12) in the semifinals while No. 2 Chatfield (29-4) takes on No. 3 Hawley (27-5).

For NLS, Katelyn Delzer logged 11 kills, Ava Carlson 10, Emma Madison 10, Piper Barney eight, Ayla Caskey five, Ezri Boelter four, Hannah Nieland two, and libero Grayce Reigstad one — from the set of her pants, more on that later.

Nieland made 23 assists and Boelter 15. Barney aced four serves and Nieland three. Reigstad made 16 digs and Caskey 13.

Albany enjoyed strong hitting around the dial with Kelsey Lobito adding 15 kills, Brynn Panek 10 and Kiley Lange nine. They totaled 72 to NLS’ 51, fueled by Ellery Ehresmann’s 63 assists.

In that set two rally, the Cats caught up at 22-22 when Barney made a highlight-reel block, sending the ball floating just inside the back line while all six Huskies were bunched near the net.

“I and my teammates just figured out what we needed to get done,” Barney said, “and we had to put everything on the court — passing, blocking, and setting.”

An ace by Nieland gave NLS a 24-23 lead and another Barney stuff block (her only two of the match) made it 25-24. Nieland then dropped a perfect sinker to the middle of the court that nobody touched, and NLS was even at a set each.

“They (NLS) changed the momentum and started playing their game and getting some good swings,” Hines assessed. "They really stole it from us. I thought we controlled three-fourths of that set, but give them credit because they really stepped up at the end. But I’m happy with the way our girls responded in sets three and four.”

NLS trailed again in the third 18-12 but again refused to buckle and made it another close battle. One of the points was supplied by Reigstad, who was knocked on her duff by a blistering Albany spike but not only made the save but got the ball across the net where it landed between the startled Huskies for an unlikely kill.

Peterson praised Reigstad as a versatile, gritty athlete who “has played every position for us” except middle blocker, on JV and varsity, before finding her niche as librero.

NLS was one point away from taking the match lead three times, at 24-23, 25-24, and 26-25. The Cats had Albany rattled late in that set but the Huskies regained their composure, fought off all three set points, and pushed ahead 27-26. NLS fought one off, too, with a kill by Nieland, before Albany mustered the final two points to win 29-27.

In the fourth set, Albany went from a 10-10 tie to a 15-10 lead but NLS charged back again to catch up 17-17. The Cats went ahead 21-20 on a Delzer kill and 23-21 on a Delzer block. NLS was up 24-23 after a Huskies error. However, Klein took charge with three straight kills, the final one a long tip just inside the back line.

“I always want to step up,” Klein said, “and I think that’s a mentality that a lot of players on our team have.”

About NLS’s slow start, Peterson said, “I think a couple of them felt a little bit down, but we just kept reminding them that this is what we prepared for and to just keep relaxing and take deep breaths and make better passes to our setter.”

Once NLS started making better passes, she said, the pace of their offense quickened and they started making kills.

Barney, Knudsen and Carlson attended the post-match press conference. The girls seemed happy with their performance and thrilled to be at the X.

“We’ve all been in state tournaments in other sports so being able to bring one home for volleyball lis such a fun experience,” said Carlson.

“I’ve been to state in gymnastics the last few years,” said Knudsen, “but this is a way different atmosphere … this is super team-based and it’s been really fun.”

10/23/2024

🏈 Wildcats advance with 56-21 win over Montevideo 🏈

A 96-yard punt return highlighted New London-Spicer’s first-round section win, over a winless Montevideo squad, 56-21 on Tuesday evening at home.

The No. 3 seeded Wildcats (5-4) now face No. 2 Minnewaska Area (5-3) in the Section 6AAA semifinals on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Montevideo enjoyed a good start as Griffin Epema picked off a pass and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown. But NLS then reeled off six straight touchdowns before halftime for a 43-7 lead.

Brock Buffington snagged a 24-yard touchdown pass from Nolan Johnson to knot the score, then dramatically gave NLS the lead after fielding a punt at the four-yard line. He darted to the sideline, eluded three tacklers to reach an open field and sped down the sideline 96 yards. It was 14-7 at the first stop.

In NLS’s 28-point second quarter, Johnson threw TD passes to Brecken Westby from 10 and 21 yards while Griffin Mayhew bolted 38 yards and Braden Long 21 yards for touchdowns.

The Wildcats eased up in the second half, adding points on Johnson’s two-yard run and, with the subs in the game, Weston Steele’s 47-yard run.

It was a run, run, runaway as NLS racked up 343 yards on the ground. Jack Thein gained 94 yards, Long 86, Steele 63 and Mayhew 51. Johnson was 4-for-7 passing for 64 yards.

02/28/2024

NLS gymnasts place 5th at state
Anderson, Knudsen get on podium individually

By Bruce Strand

Competing in their fourth state meet in a row, the New London-Spicer gymnasts placed fifth in Class A team on Friday, then picked up four medals individually on Saturday.

“I was okay with fifth place. It was a better placing than last year,” said coach Cindy Jacobson. “We had a few hiccups, but that is okay. Competing at the state meet is a lot of pressure.”

On Saturday, Ciera Anderson placed third in bars, fifth on vault and eighth all-around, and Abby Knudsen also got on the podium with seventh place on floor exercise.

“On individuals day, all the girls did well,” Jacobson said.

NLS placed eighth last year with an off-day at state, after placing fifth in 2021 and fourth in 2022. This year, the Wildcats went into state with their highest ranking, fourth, and had placed fourth in the coaches association true-team state meet late in the season.

“We were hoping to finish higher, but we’re happy with fifth considering how the day went,” said Knudsen, referring to miscues on beam and bars.

Becker was champion with 143.575 points, followed by Watertown-Mayer/Mound-Westonka with 142.250, Mankato West 142.150, Melrose 141.900, NLS 140.850, Breck 140.125, Worthington 138.125 and Byron 138.025.

NLS scored 36.875 on floor, 35.950 on vault, 34.70 on balance beam and 33.325 on uneven bars. After bars and beam, they finished strong on vault and floor.

Wildcat scores were:

Vault — Abby Knudsen 9.30, Ciera Anderson 9.175, Myah Johnson 9.00, Maddie Brey 8.475, Rylie Harrier 8.375.

Uneven bars — Anderson 9.300, Johnson 8.175, Kaitlyn Preheim 8.125, Kaisa Williams 7.725, Knudsen 7.625

Balance beam — Preheim 9.200, Johnson 9.100, Harrier 8.300, Anderson 8.100, Knudsen 7.475

Floor exercise — Anderson 9.325, Knudsen 9.300, Preheim 9.150, Delaney Barber 9.100, Williams 7.550

“We were not far off,” said Jacobson, “even with the girls having a little mishap on beam during the team competition.”

About competing at state again, Knudsen reflected, “Each year, it’s just as exciting. It’s always our goal. It’s always fun to be there to see what you can do.”

The team’s two leaders had falls on beam: Knudsen (three) and Anderson. That was “a very unlikely” occurrence, said the coach, “but anyone can have an off day,” the coach said. Knudsen had a fall on bars, too, then finished strong. Her vault and beam went well.

“I am very proud of Abby for shaking it off and having a great last two events,” Jacobson said.

Myah Johnson, a senior who’s had an injury-riddled career, closed it out with “the best meet of her career,” the coach said. Johnson boosted the Cats with personal bests on beam with 9.10 and vault with 9.00.

Kaitlyn Preheim, a junior, the team’s third-leading scorer, was her usual steady self on beam, bars and floor. (She doesn’t vault due to a previous injury).

On Saturday, Knudsen was the last performer of the individuals meet, on floor exercise in the eighth rotation, and turned in an “amazing” routine, earning a 9.3125 mark to place seventh for a medal, even though there were many high-scoring floor routines to compete with.

“It went well. I’ve had higher scores, but the judges are tougher at state, too.”

One of two all-around NLS state qualifiers along with Anderson, Knudsen placed 13th all-around (35.3875), 24th on bars (8.625), 26th on beam (8.5875), and 45th on vault (8.8625), among 48 entrants in each event.

Preheim, a qualifier in three events, was 17th on balance beam (9.00), 22nd on floor exercise (9.100) and 37th on bars (8.05)

Williams, state qualifier on bars, wanted to try some new skills at state — "we said that she could try anything she wanted” — and wound up falling on her second giant swing so she didn’t get a good score.