Alex Vanden Houten

1 week ago | postbulletin.com | Alex Vanden Houten |Alex Vandenhouten

AUSTIN — With Byron High School off from school on Thursday, Byron softball coach Jacob Harmon decided to get the team together before that evening's Section 1, Class 3A championship. The 9 a.m. meeting was brief, lasting only about 10 minutes. It involved a quick pep talk, a light jog and some mindfulness activities. It wasn't long, but it turned out to be exactly what a team on the brink of history needed.

1 week ago | postbulletin.com | Alex Vanden Houten |Alex Vandenhouten

(Editor's Note: This story will be updated with quotes and further info.)AUSTIN — The Byron High School softball team was confident this year's squad could do something special. Thanks to a complete team effort on Tuesday — one that saw the Bears excel in all three phases of the game and use another solid performance from Tallie Behrens — the Bears are on the brink of doing just that.

2 weeks ago | postbulletin.com | Alex Vanden Houten |Alex Vandenhouten

ROCHESTER — As a youth athlete, Liv Morrissey tried several sports. Soccer and basketball were fun, but didn't quite fill her cup. Then, when she was in the fourth grade, she attended the Rochester Area Lacrosse's "LaxJam," a free lacrosse event for youth in grades K-8. Most of the time at that age, coaches and volunteers are just trying to teach players how to hold the stick. Often, for the elementary students, the stick is just as tall as they are.

2 weeks ago | postbulletin.com | Alex Vanden Houten |Alex Vandenhouten

The softball regular season has come and gone. Now, the true fun begins. The Section 1 tournaments get underway with Section 1, Class 1A and Class 2A first-round games on Monday. The Section 1, Class 3A and 4A tournaments are scheduled to begin Tuesday. Rylee Urban, Chatfield After a solid freshman season, Urban has become one of the best pitchers in the area for a talented Chatfield squad.

4 weeks ago | postbulletin.com | Alex Vanden Houten |Alex Vandenhouten

LA CROSSE, Wis. — Few high school pitchers had a better fastball-changeup combination than Claire Springer. The right-hander proved that throughout her high school career, helping the Chatfield softball team capture the program's first state championship in 2022. She graduated in 2023 with multiple program records: career ERA (1.80), career strikeouts (400), and the single-season record for wins (26). She entered her college career at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse with high expectations.