Sports
Local Trackster Jumps at Chance to Compete Collegiately
After a top-ten finish in the 2022 State Track Meet, St. James Area triple jumper Gavin Firchau cemented his standing as a top competitor in track and field. On December 12, the senior signed a letter to continue his competition next fall as a member of the track and field program at Buena Vista University.
Winning Ways Continue for GBB With Triumph at Nicollet
After an extended pause to start the season, the St. James Area played three straight games, adding a win over Nicollet on Monday, December 12th, to the victory at Sleepy Eye. Taylor Sodeman and Journey Swanson led the scoring with 24 and 16 points respectively and moved the season record to 2-1.
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
December 15th • High School Band Concert - 7:30 December 16th • Wrestling at Redwood Tournament, varsity and JV December 17th • Wrestling at Redwood Tournament, varsity and JV December 19th • High School Vocal Concert - 7:30 December 20th • Wrestling Triangular at Fairmont • GBB at Comfrey vs Mountain Lake Area - Comfrey
Saints Find Points Hard to Find in Triangular
The St. James Area Saints completed an evening of tough competition on December 6th, matching up with Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted and St. Peter. Talyn Tande, Gadiel Velasco, and Julio Esqueda were Saints who picked up victories.
Packed Start to Season Yields Success for Girls Basketball
A long wait due to weather postponements gave way on Thursday, December 8th, to the home and season opener for the St. James Area girls hoops team. A halftime lead wasn’t enough against a tough Pipestone squad in a 75-58 loss but the team bounced back on December 10th to capture a 70-66 road win at Sleepy Eye. “We really played well early but fatigue and foul trouble really hurt us in the second half,” said Head Coach Steve Witcraft.
Home Tournament Springboards Gymnasts to Season-High Score
One Saturday, December 10th, the St. James Area gymnastics team hosted the Snowflake Invitational and posted their highest point total of the season. Katelyn Ojeda was the leader for the Saints top scorer for several events and the all-around awards.
Big South Conference Tilt is Tale of Two Halves Against Pipestone
A halftime lead over the visiting Pipestone Arrows disappeared in a 77-63 loss on December 8th despite double figure scoring for both Anthony Sletta and Brennan Kern. The Saints hit the road on December 13th to Redwood Falls At the intermission, St. James Area had put together a 30-23 lead but Pipestone used the break to shake off the jet lag and more than doubled their offensive output.
Large Deficit Fails to Daunt Saints in Victory Over Wolverines
Friday nights dimmed for the Saints, down 17 points in the final half, but deadly aim at the charity stripe and a spirited defense pushed St. James Area into the lead with :26 left on the clock in the 63-60 thriller over Mt. Lake Area-Comfrey.
Top Tier Finish Starts Season for Saints Wrestling
The Paul Krueger Classic on December 3rd included eight teams competing in an individual format with St. James Area placing 3rd overall. Kollin Anderson and Julio Esqueda both placed 2nd in their weight divisions to lead the points for the Saints.
Danceline Season Enjoys Busy Start
The St. James Area Saintettes schedule included the opener at home and a trip to Cannon Falls two days later. Six teams competed at the home invite on December 1st and the team traveled to Cannon Falls on Saturday, December 3rd.