Jul. 21—The Willmar 9-and-under baseball team came home with a second-place trophy at the State Metro Baseball Tournament over the weekend in Rosemount and Eagan.
The team, in its first year of travel, qualified for the Class AA tournament and was one of 28 teams competing.
On Friday in pool play, Willmar beat Glen Lake 13-3 and Minnetonka 2-0. On Saturday, Willmar wrapped a 3-0 record in pool play with a 14-2 victory over Shakopee.
In the championship bracket, Willmar beat Stillwater 3-1 in the quarterfinals to advance to Sunday’s semifinals. There, Willmar beat River Falls (Wis.) 10-0 to advance to the final, where it lost 17-16 to Hastings.
“It was a good time,” Willmar 9U coach Mike Fagerlie said.
Team members are Drew Christianson, Ashton Fagerlie, James Gadient, Brecken Laumer, Henry Negen, Mason Norsten, Zachary Oviatt, Keltyn Quist, Elijah Schieck, Easton Sorenson and Russell Strand.
Coaches are Mike Fagerlie, Mike Negen, Adam Schieck and Darin Strand.
Willmar 10U takes fourth
The Wilmar 10-and-under baseball team finished fourth at the Gopher State Tournament of Champions on July 9-11 in Brooklyn Park. The Willmar team qualified to get into the tournament and were one of 26 squads competing.
Team members are Maddoux Allinder, Hunter Butterfield, Ian Cooley, Jake DeBoer, Nathan Duininck, Jude Huselid, Gus Klaassen, Cam Lager, Quinten Peppin, Zane Schroeder, Owen Sjoberg and Eli Stark.
Coaches are Tom DeBoer, Allen Huselid, Gabe Klaassen and Dustin Schroeder.
Smart Johnnies
Three members of the St. John’s University tennis team with area ties were recognized for their academics by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
Sophomores Hunter Fischer, Peyton Fischer and Will Fischer of Willmar all are student-athletes with a grade-point average of 3.50 or better for the current academic year. Hunter Fischer is a biology major with a pre-medicine emphasis. Peyton Fischer is a biology major. Will Fischer is a computer science major. They were three of 11 Johnnies on the tennis team recognized.
Water Days winners
The annual Water Days tennis tournament in New London concluded with the following individuals playing for titles: Luke Rutten won the boys 14U title by beating Wyatt Hanson 6-0, 6-2 in the final. Hunter LeClair captured the boys 18U championship by beating Elijah Fjerkenstad 6-1, 6-2.
The men’s open champion was Erik Porter. Porter beat Parker Sell 6-0, 6-2 in the final.
The girls 14U winner was Alia Randt, who defeated Autumn Kron 6-3, 6-2 in the final. The girls 16U champ is Leah Maddock. Maddock beat Brooke Boland 6-3, 6-2 in the final. Anna Luksik won the girls’ 18U championship with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Addie Sell.
Jacque Doll won the women’s open final, beating Lauren Rutten, 6-1, 6-1.
There also were doubles tournaments in mixed, men’s and women’s divisions.