February 2023
St. James Area Selects Swanson as AAA Winner for 2022-23
Sponsored by the Minnesota State High School League, high school seniors with high academic achievement and participation in MSHSL-sponsored athletic and fine arts programs are eligible for the Triple “A” Award. Lunden Swanson’s achievements in the academics, arts, and athletics earned her the 2022-23 distinction for the Saints.
Saint Wrestlers Deliver Tight Win at Home Over Worthington
The St. James Area wrestling team hosted a triangular on February 7th, splitting matches with Springfield and Adrian and winning a thriller over Worthington. Knotted at 36-36, the SJHS gym roared with a Willie Curry pin at heavyweight to pull out the win.
Danceline Kicks It Into High Gear at Section Tournament
The St. James Saintettes took the floor on February 11th at Montevideo to compete in the Section event. Entered into both the High Kick and Jazz divisions for the first time, the danceline put together their best performances of the year to cap off a successful season.
Wrestling Team Sections Place St. James Area at #6 Seed
The 2023 Section 3A Team Tournament begins Thursday, February 16th and St James Area will travel to Adrian for a 7:00 contest. The Saints carry a 11-13 record into the playoffs.
Saints GBB Puts Up Big Score at Home Over GHEC
St. James Area established a new team record with 14 three pointers against Granada-Huntley- East Chain in an 83-52 win on February 13th. With four players in double figures, the Saints proved too much for GHEC to handle.
Wrestlers Grab a Pair of Victories at Fulda
St. James Area closed out a strong second half of their season with a pair of wins at Fulda on February 9th. The Saints defeated Ortonville and Luverne decisively and lost a close match to the host squad, Fulda/Murray County Central.
Waseca Wins League Battle Despite Banner Effort by SJA’s Olson
The Waseca Bluejays used red-hot shooting in the 1st half to post a 75-57 Big South Conference victory at St. James on February 10th. Cooper Olson’s steady performance led to his career- high 20 points to top all Saint scorers.
Saints Girls Drop Pair of Conference Matchups
Big South Conference games were not kind to the St. James Area girls basketball team with losses to Redwood Valley and Waseca on consecutive nights. Taylor Sodeman scored 24 points on February 9th to pace the Saints and Madelyn Malmgren took scoring honors the following night at Waseca.
Zalvidar Recognized for Contributions to School and Community
The ExCEL Award, sponsored by the Minnesota State High School League, recognizes excellence in community, education, and leadership. Each MSHSL school is given an opportunity to nominate a junior boy and girl and Jacob Zalvidar is a representative from St. James Area High School.