Albert Lea

Readers’ Choice: Wrestling Rivalries

One of my favorite things about athletics is the rivalries. The Vikings against the Packers, enormous in my baseball-crazed house, the Twins vs. the White Sox, the Gophers against Iowa – in any sport but for my money, football and wrestling, and some personal favorites from my youth that still gets my blood boiling: Minnesota-Duluth and Minnesota in hockey (go Bulldogs), Milaca against Foley in anything, but especially wrestling, and Milaca against Princeton regardless of the sport.

As noted a few times, wrestling is saturated with great rivalries. A few months ago, I thought it would be fun to ask you – the reader – who you thought were the best high school wrestling rivalries in Minnesota. I decided to post a question on my Twitter page. What is the best high school wrestling rivalry in Minnesota? The rivalry that got the most votes would be the subject of my next story for The Guillotine. I got a great response from across the state. Here are the results:

1 Simley vs. Kasson-Mantorville
2 Albert Lea vs. Owatonna (tie)
2 Minneota vs. Canby (tie)

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Peter Veldman 1933-2020

Hall of Famer Pete Veldman passed away on January 14th. He was 86 years old.

A native of Hollandale, Minn., Veldman was a 1951 state champion for Albert Lea. He went on to wrestle for the Minnesota Gophers in college placing third and fourth at the Big 10 Championships and was a member of The Gophers’ l957 and l959 Big 10 Championship teams.

Veldman contributed greatly to the sport of wrestling in Minnesota as a wrestler, coach, athletic director, official, scholarship coordinator, and as part of the MSHSL management team at the State Tournament.

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On the road to redemption

After coming up just short of a state championship last season, Albert Lea junior Zach Glazier is aiming for nothing less than to return to that stage this year.

“I want to leave no doubt this year that I want a state title,” Glazier said. “I was pretty devastated after coming that close last year. I expected to win a state title, so now it’s just pushing me that much more this year.”

Glazier has already racked up more than a handful of impressive wins this season. He has major decision victories over the No. 7, No. 4 and No. 3-ranked wrestlers in his 170-pound weight class. He also has two overtime wins over the No. 2-ranked Kenny O’Neil. His most recent tournament victory was at the Christmas Tournament in Rochester.

“(My confidence) is extremely high right now,” he said. “It doesn’t matter really who I go out and wrestle. I go out there with the mindset to win every match. If I can wrestle my best in every match everything else will take care of itself.” Continue reading at www.albertleatribune.com

New Albert Lea wrestling coach out after arrest

The contract for new Albert Lea wrestling coach Andy Hackenmueller was rescinded after he was arrested for public intoxication earlier this month at Diamond Jo Casino.

“As the result of a recent investigation, Albert Lea Area (Schools) has withdrawn its offer to Andy Hackenmueller to be Albert Lea High School’s head wrestling coach,” said Superintendent Mike Funk Wednesday afternoon in an email. “Mr. Hackenmueller will not be associated with the program in any manner.”

The district has offered the position to math teacher and baseball coach Paul Durbahn. Continue reading at albertleatribune.com