The Hayfield baseball team beat New Richland-HEG 6-3 in Hayfield Thursday. Jack Thoe struck out nine to get the win for the Vikings. Hayfield pitching: Jack Thoe (W) 7 IP, 4 H, 5 BB, 3 R, 1 ER, 9 K Hayfield hitting: Ryan Nelsen, 1-for-3; Aidan Nelson, 1-for-2, double, RBI, R; Hunter Simonson, 3-for-3, 2 R The post Thoe pitches Vikings to a win over NRHEG appeared first on Austin Daily Herald ..read more

Hayfield’s Nora Bamlet put together another big day at the plate as she led the Viking softball team to a 17-5 win over New Richland-HEG on the road Thursday. Bamlet pounded out two homers, a double and five RBIs in the win for Hayfield (6-5 overall). Hayfield pitching: Elaina Masching (W) 5 IP, 11 H, 1 BB, 5 ER, 4 K Hayfield hitting: Kenna Selk, 3-for-4, 3 RBIs, 2 R, BB; Kenna Rutledge, 3-for-4, RBI, 3 R; Nora Bamlet, 3-for-3, 2 HR, double, 5 RBIs; Natalie Beaver, 1-for-3, 2 RBIs, 2 R, BB; Alexys Swygman, 1-for-3, 2 RBIs, R, BB; Jenna Christopherson, 1-for-3, R, double; Melody Walker, 1-for-4 ..read more

The Austin girls golf team took fourth place in the first of two Big Nine Meets in Rochester Thursday. The Packers finished with a team score of 355. Northfield won the meet with a team score of 341. Austin scoring: Ailani Thiravong, 80; Sydney Lewis, 88; Lucy Annis, 88; Izzy Sellers, 99; Reagan Harty, 102; Gracie Greenman, 109 The post Austin girls golfers finish fourth in Big Nine meet appeared first on Austin Daily Herald ..read more

The Austin baseball team hung on to beat the Spartans 5-4 in Rochester Mayo Thursday. The Packers (4-5 overall) took a 5-1 lead in the top of the fourth inning when they scored three runs. Isaiah Conway capped the rally with an RBI single. The post Packer baseball team edges out Mayo appeared first on Austin Daily Herald ..read more

The Austin softball team continued its early game struggles as it fell behind in the first inning of a 15-5 loss to Rochester Mayo in Todd Park Thursday. The Spartans pounced on the Packers as they scored five runs in the top of the first inning and they led 7-2 after three innings. “A pattern that has emerged this year as we start off and we’re just not quite mentally prepared,” Austin head coach Lisa Lage said. “We really have to figure out what we have to do as a team so that we’re ready to go on that first pitch. A lot of the runs we’ve been allowing have been in that first inning and the ..read more

EAGAN — The Minnesota Vikings took Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night, moving up one spot in a trade with the New York Jets to make sure they didn’t miss out on their most dire need. The departure of Kirk Cousins in free agency to Atlanta left a gaping hole — and an opportunity that Vikings leadership has been strategizing about for two-plus years. McCarthy went 27-1 as a college starter and won last season’s national championship with Michigan, a defense-driven and run-first team that raised questions about the 6-foot-2, 219-pound ..read more

The Austin boys tennis team lost a pair of three-set matches as they lost 6-1 to Winona Cotter in Paulson Courts Thursday. Cole Hebrink came back from a set one loss to win the No. 1 singles match for the Packers (2-7 overall). “Cole continues to play really well and that was probably his best win of the year,” Austin head coach Jeff Anderson said. “I was really proud of the boys as we were really competitive with a really good team.” Singles No. 1 Cole Hebrink (A) def. Pedro Alonso (WC) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4  No. 2 Logan Granseth (WC) def. Nathan Danielson (A) 6-2, 7-6 (5) No. 3 Hamilton Brewer ..read more

As part of an expanded trip to Austin on Thursday, Gov. Tim Walz visited The Hormel Institute to learn more about recent efforts to expand the facility’s bioimaging capabilities as well as its expanded educational efforts. The Institute is hoping to secure $20 million in bonding money from the state legislature, pushed in bills by both Sen. Gene Dornink and Rep. Patricia Mueller, that will go toward its Minnesota Bioimaging Center (MBiC) expansion. The estimated cost of the first phase of this project is around $50 million. This expansion will not only add to its already impressive imaging re ..read more

On Thursday evening, at the SPAM Museum, a special showing was held featuring the art of students at Austin Public Schools. The exhibit, “A Work of Art — Creating Food Security,” opened up the difficult question of food insecurity to students who examined the issue through art. Those pieces of art, along with essays from the students in the AP World Geography class, were displayed throughout the SPAM Museum and often took an intimate look into the issue through the artistic lens of their own observations. “We empowered the youth at Austin Public Schools to talk about what food insecurity or s ..read more

Ronald L. Voigt, 71 Ronald Lynn “Ronnie, Ron” Voigt age 71, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. Ron was born on the family farm just east of Taopi on April 11, 1953, to Raymond Guy Voigt and Evelyn Bly Voigt. He attended school in Taopi through the 8th grade and graduated from Adams High School in 1971. In his youth, he enjoyed farming, football, cars, and boxing. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force from 1971 to 1975 where he was stationed as a medic at the Royal Air Force Base Upper Heyford in England. After the service, Ron attended technical c ..read more