Alex Folzof Spring Grove had to settle for second place this year.
Folz competed in the national finals of the Punt, Pass and Kick Championship for the second straight year. He was in the boys 14-15 age division on Saturday in Seattle.
Folz had won the national championship in the boys 12-13 division by a mere foot a year ago in Denver. This year Folz placed second to Tyler Evansof Slinger, Wis.
Evans had a combined total of 401 feet, 2 inches with a punt, a pass and a kick. Folz's totaled measured in at 373 feet, 5 inches. The third-place finisher in the boys 14-15 division had a 352-3 total and fourth place was 327-4.
All the competitors in the Punt, Pass and Kick Championship got to attend the Carolina at Seattle NFC Divisional playoff game on Saturday. The winners were shown on television during the game.
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Folz, a 14-year-old eighth-grader at Spring Grove, won the 14-15 age division of the Minnesota Vikings four-state regional competition to earn a berth in the national finals. He plays football, basketball and baseball at Spring Grove.
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Blooming Prairie senior John Rumpzahas announced his intention to play football at Winona State University.
Rumpza is a 6-foot-6 quarterback who is also a standout for the Blooming Prairie boys basketball team.
He was named third-team All-State in football during the 2014 season. Rumpza threw for 3,133 yards and 44 touchdowns, with just three interceptions, while leading Blooming Prairie to a state berth.
Rumpza decided to play football in college. He also had scholarship offers to play basketball. He entered his senior basketball season with more than 1,500 career points and 1,000 rebounds.
Byron's Jack Nelsonis currently the starting quarterback at Winona State. Nelson is a sophomore and is off to a stellar start in his college career, which has included starting just a couple of games into his freshman season.
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Red Wing's Isaac Sevliehas been named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division Player of the Week in men's basketball.
Sevlie is a 6-9 junior power forward for Minnesota State University Moorhead, which is currently 17-1 and ranked No. 13 in the nation in Division II. He set career highs in points, rebounds, offensive rebounds, field goals and free throws made in helping Moorhead post a pair of victories last week.
He scored 18 points, on a career-high seven field goals, in a 106-81 victory over Upper Iowa while grabbing six rebounds and blocking two shots.
Then in a 71-65 win over Winona State, Sevlie set career highs for points (21), rebounds (eight), offensive rebounds (five), minutes (28), field goal attempts (12), free throws made (11) and free throw attempts (13).
For the season, Sevlie is averaging 11.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. He ranks eighth in the NSIC in field goal percentage (57.9) and third in blocked shots per game (1.5).
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Tailor Raymond, a freshman forward on the Rochester Community and Technical College women's basketball team, has added a second award for her stellar play a week ago. Raymond previously had been named the Southern Division Player of the Week in the MCAC.
Raymond, a St. Peter native, has also been named the NJCAA Division-III National Player of the Week. Raymond averaged 23.0 points and 9.9 rebounds during four games for RCTC and had three double-doubles.
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The Minnesota Twins will make a Winter Caravan stop in Red Wing on Thursday. The event will be from 6-8 p.m. at the Parlay Lounge at Treasure Island Resort and Casino and is open to the public.
Twins on hand will be closer Glen Perkins, new manager Paul Molitor, coach Gene Glynn, pre-game a post-game radio personality Kris Atteberryand general manager Terry Ryan.
The Twins Caravan comes to Rochester on Jan. 21.
