212 ATHLETIC CONFERENCE HISTORY

1947 - 1974

YEAR BY YEAR:
1971 - 1972

Football

Wrestling

Basketball

Track

Baseball

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Football        Back To Top

1971 212 Conference Football Co-Champions:  Bird Island Panthers and Danube Hawks

Front Row: K. Christenson, Mgr., B. Manderscheid, V. Meier, G.Mandersceid, R.Buboltz, M.Bauman, M.Sagness, D. Erickson, M.Sing, R.Billemeier, J.Clouse, mgr. 
Second Row: G. Melin, J.Ryan, T.Smith, P.Caspers, J.Holloway, M.Werish, D.Jaeger, K.Buboltz
Third Row: Coach King, CoachHughes, B.Wertish, S.Hammer, W.Weis, J.Norskog, J.Erickson, J.Coil, D.Smith, S. Koehler, Coach Gomarko.

First Row: K. Potter, G. Peterson, F. Schafer, G. Kurtz, T. Westby, S.Tepfer.
Second Row: Coach Satovich, M.Minkle, D.Rennaker, G.Swoboda, D.Bulthuis, M.Kurtz, B.Voelz, J.Ruter.
Third Row: G.Tepfer, J.Slagter, J.Kopel, D.Hotovec, B.Tepfer, J.Breitkruetz, P.Standfuss. 
Fourth Row: B. Voelz, D.DeRuyter, E.Schroeder, J. Bunsness, A.Grosklags, M.Froland, M.Myers, M.Adelman.

     The Bird Island Panthers and Danube Hawks tied for the conference championship with 6-1 records. The Panthers finished the season with a 6-3 record and Danube with a    7-2 record. It was Danube's first championship since 1956 and Bird Island's first since 1964.  Bird Island lost to Renville in the third week of the season and Danube lost the head to head battle against Bird Island, 22-0.  Going into the fourth week of the conference schedule, Renville had a 21 game winning streak and then lost to Hector 14-13.  Bird Island, Renville, Danube and Hector all had a 3-1 record going into the 5^th week.  Danube went on to win over Renville, Brownton and Stewart, while Bird Island had wins over Buffalo Lake, Hector and Sacred Heart.  Bird Island led the league in scoring with 192 points for a 27.4 per game average.  On defense they gave up 97 points for a 13.9 per game average.  Danube scored 149 points on offense for a 21.2 average, and gave up 78 points for a 11.1 average.  Both teams averaged over 200 yards per game rushing.  Dave Loe of Sacred Heart broke the conference record for passing yards with 1050 yards. In the 212 Conference post season meeting it was voted that the 212 Conference would play the Tomahawk Conference in post season play.  It was the first time that the conference would allow any post season play.  Later in the year it was voted by the MSHL to play a tournament format for four classes.  The 212 Conference would play in the Class C Tournament.

Wrestling        Back To Top

1972 212 Conference Wrestling Champion:  Bird Island Panthers

Front Row: Brad Manderscheid, Jeff Erickson, Perry Caspers, Steve Hammer, Keith Buboltz.
Second Row: Lyle Lundstrom, Brent Wertish, Zane Wittman. 3^rd Row: Rick Beckler, Scott Setzephant, Jim Stein, Jeff Beckler.

     About 4,400 fans attended the three sessions of the 212 Conference Wrestling Tournament held at Renville.  Bird Island clinched the championship early when they won four first places in the first five weight classes.  Five defending champions who repeated were Scott Setzephant of Bird Island, Rick Beckler of Bird Island, Wayne Anderson of Sacred Heart, Paul Olson of Renville and Bill Schmidt of Renville.  Seven of the champions lost only one match throughout the conference tournament.  One wrestler, Wayne Anderson of Sacred Heart, remained undefeated with a 15-0 record heading into the District 12 Meet.

212 Conference Meet Place Winners
95-1st-Jim Stein, Bird Island dec. Jim Walter, Hector 10-7
    3rd-Paul Windschitl, Stewart dec. Randy Frieborg, Hector 6-0
105-1st-Scott Setzephant, Bird Island dec. Scott Katzenmeyer, Brownton 8-2
    3rd-Mike Radloff, Hector dec. Tom Sindelir, Danube 12-3
112-1st-Rick Beckler, Bird Island dec. Gary Carnes, Renville 5-1
    3rd-Keith Holien, Sacred Heart dec. Sid Alsleben, Brownton, 10-2
119-1st-Chuck Spiering, Brownton dec. Bob Windschitl, Stewart 6-2
    3rd-Lyle Lindstrum, Bird Island dec. Jerry Skalbeck, Sacred Heart 1-0
126-1st-Keith Buboltz, Bird Island dec. Curt Johnson, Renville 3-0 OT
    3rd-Paul Dokken, Buffalo Lake dec. Gary Sindelir, Danube
132-1st-Wayne Anderson, Sacred Heart pinned Mike Katzenmeyer, Brownton 5.21
    3rd-Jeff Beckler, Bird Island dec. Arlen Freiborg, Renville 11-1
138-1st-Paul Olson, Renville, dec. Dick Penk, Stewart 5-1
    3rd-Zane Wittman Bird Island pinned Brad Myers, Danube 1.443
145-1st-Tim Decker, Brownton dec. Dennis Robinson, Renville 7-4
    3rd-Rick Karl, Buffalo Lake pinned Paul Anderson, Sacred Heart 2.53
155-1st-Joel Lietz, Brownton, dec. Jerry Frieborg, Renville 4-2
    3rd-Lon Holien, Sacred Heart pinned Scott Scharmer, Buffalo Lake 3.15
167-1st-Bill Schmidt, Renville pinned Perry Caspers, Bird Island 1.17
    3rd-Doug Schwiess, Hector dec. Paul Moritz, Buffalo Lake 1-0
180-1st-Jeff Erickson, Bird Island dec. Kevin Fluegal, Sacred Heart 12-0
    3rd-Greg Markgraf, Buffalo Lake pinned Joe Borchardt, Brownton 1.26
Hwt.1st-Dale Hotevec, Danube, dec. Rich Roste, Sacred Heart 4-2
    3rd-Charles Melberg, Hector pinned Dean Schriener, Stewart 2.47
 

Basketball        Back To Top

1972 212 Conference Champions:  Renville Indians

Front Row: Mgr. J.Bulthuis, D.VandenEinde, D.Dolan, L.Bratsch, G.Eekhoff, C.Raske, T.Eekhoff.
Second Row: Asst. Coach Rob Anderson, J.Peterson, G.Mulder, L.Mulder, D.Grussing, K.Mulder, Head Coach Jerry Vanek.

     The Renville Indians won their second straight 212 Conference Championship by going 14-0 in league play.  Coach Jerry Vanek completed his third at RHS with a record of 60-8 going into the District 12 Tournaments.  The returning district and region champions had only one loss during the season to give them a 19-1 record heading into the tournaments.  Their loss came to eventual State Champion and 28-0, St. James.  6’7 center, Larry Mulder, went over the 1000 point mark on the 20^th game of the season.  Mulder missed 3 games during the season with an ankle injury.  He was the fifth Renville basketball player to join the One Grand Club.  Others are Jerome Jacobs (61), Curt Munsh (63), Rob Anderson (67), and Doug Wertish (71).  Larry Mulder would finish his career with 1,202 points.

     Renville and Olivia were the top two seeds in District 12, and both teams made it to the final game.  Renville would beat Danube, 51-44 in the semi-finals, and Olivia upended Lester Prairie, 57-44 to reach the finals.  In a very intense game in Willmar, Renville held off the Wildcats from Olivia, 55-50.  In the first round of the Region 3 tournament, the Indians got by Marshall, 48-47 in overtime.  In the finals they had an easier time by beating Redwood Falls, 79-55.  The Indians lost the first game of the Class A State Tournament to Howard Lake, 64-71.

Track             Back To Top

1972 212 Conference Track Champions:  Renville Indians

First Row: T.Smith, D.Licklider, S.Dietz, K.Rosaasen, B.Peterson, K.Prodeho, D.Mulder.
Second Row: F.Vasques, S.Kleinhuizen, A.Rosaasen, L.Mulder, G.Eekhoff, S.Link, D.VandenEinde, M.Waller.
Third Row: J.Feldman, T.Hemingsen, J.Freiborg, D.Wolter, J.Strootman, P.Olson, C.Raske, M.Rosaasen, G.Carnes, T.Roschild.
Fourth Row: K.Branick, C.Raske, R.Mulder, K.Mulder, G.Mulder, T.Berger, R.Berger, P.Branick, Coach Sorenson.

     The Renville Indians won their 5^th straight Track Championship.  Coach Dave Sorenson's team scored 98 ½ points to completely dominate the meet by winning 10 of the 16 events.  6’7 senior, football, basketball, baseball and track star, Larry Mulder, led the team in scoring with first places in the shot put, discus and a record setting performance in the high jump.  Mulder went over the 5’10 mark in the High Jump to break the 5’9 ¼ record set by Dennis Peterson of Buffalo Lake set in 1963. The Indians also broke the recod in the Mile Relay that they set the year before with a time of 3.39.5.  They also tied the mark of 1.37.8 in the 880 yard relay set by Stewart in 1961.

Baseball        Back To Top

1972 212 Conference Baseball Champions:  Bird Island Panthers, Hector Bulldogs, Sacred Heart Vikings, Stewart Gophers

First Row: Mgr. D. Moore, K. Hallquist, R.Estenson, M.Serbus, K.Nelson, G.Gabriel, G.Hauer, R.Sampson,
Second Row: S.Waldner, T.Moore, K.Johnson, C.Ahl, R.Gunderson, M.Anderson, P.Sampson.
Third Row: Coach Hage, K.Klawitter, S.Gabriel, S.Hage, L.Hable, T.Nelson, Coach Roisum.

     The Bird Panthers, Hector Bulldogs, Sacred Heart Vikings and Stewart Gophers all tied for the 1972 Baseball Championship with 5 and 2 records.  All of the teams had several chances to clinch the title, but could not win the final game of the season.  Renville started the season off with a 3-0 record, but lost three games in a row to fall out of contention. The Bulldogs emerged as District 12 champion.  In the first round of district play, Hector beat Brownton 3-2 in 8 innings. The Bulldogs upset the number one seed, Norwood, in the quarter final round, 2-0.  In the semi-final round, they upset the fourth seed, Olivia, 1-0.  The Bulldogs only got 2 hits against Olivia ace Doug Dobmeier.  Dobmeier was one of the outstanding four sport athletes in District 12 history. In the finals, the Bulldogs blasted favored Hutchinson, 9-1.  It was their third District 12 championship with the others coming in 1951 and 1958.  Hutchinson's only district championship came in 1960 when they finished third in the state. Hector was led by several outstanding baseball athletes.  Pitcher/2^nd baseman, Steve Hage, pitched left handed and played 2^nd base right handed.  Catcher/Pitcher, Rick Gunderson was one of the best baseball players in the conference and batted fourth in the line up.  Lefty, Mike Anderson, Pitcher/1^st base, was a key figure in their outstanding pitching rotation.  Other outstanding players for the Bulldogs were SS, Chuck Ahl, CF, Paul Sampson, LF, Terry Moore, RF, Tony Nelson, 3B, and 2B, Lane Hable.  Hage, Gunderson and Nelson had the best batting averages on the team. The Bulldogs lost their first game in Region 3 to Marshall, 4-2.  Marshall scored three unearned runs in the game.  Hector finished their season with a 11-4 record.  Their losses were to Hutchinson, Sacred Heart, Renville, and  Marshall in the Region 3 game.