Both the New Ulm Cathedral Greyhounds softball team and Springfield Tigers baseball team were able to achieve the prep pinacle that is a state championship last spring.

First up was the Greyhounds, who defeated Clinton-Graceville-Beardsly 10-4 on June 7, 2024, in the Class A State Softball Tournament Championship. The win gave the Greyhounds their eighth state softball title, a state record. The state tournament appearance was also the Greyhounds’ 19th in softball, also a state record.

Cathedral, who finished the season with a 26-2 record, defeated United South Central 4-0 in the second of a two-game Section 2A tournament finals to advance to state. USC forced the second winner-take-all game with a 3-0 win over Cathedral after battling back from the elimination bracket. After Cathedral beat USC, they beat Kelliher/Northome 8-1 in the first round at state and then beat Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 4-2 in the state semifinals, which ended up being the Greyhounds’ closest game of the state tournament. In the championship, Cathedral topped Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley 10-4 to win the state championship, led by Jenna Hotovec’s 4-for-5 day at the plate. Also in that title game, Ava Brennan was 3 for 5 with a run scored, while Alexa Hornick was 2 for 5 with three RBIs, and Abbey Hillesheim was 1 for 3 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Ava Schmid was 2 for 5 with two RBIs and two runs scored, and Jaylin Hartness was 2 for 4 with an RBI. The winning pitcher from that state title game was then seventh-grader Jayde Altermatt, who struck out four and allowed four earned runs on five hits and four walks.

The Springfield baseball team, who finished the season 25-2, was next to join the title-winning fun after defeating New Ulm Cathedral 10-2 in the Section 2A championship to punch their state ticket. The Tigers then went on to state and got solid pitching each game with wins over New York Mills (4-0) and Cherry (4-2) to earn a state championship matchup with Parkers Prairie on June 22, 2024.

Abbey Hillesheim smiles and celebrates while running to third after her solo homer in a Class A State Softball Tournament semifinals game against Russell-Tyler-Ruthton on June 6, 2024, at Caswell Park in North Mankato.

That state championship game had its own hiccups with just being played, however, as frequent rain in the middle of June pushed it back from June 17. Rain even began to fall during the June 22 game, but it thankfully came in the seventh inning as Tigers senior starting pitcher Jakob Nachreiner took the mound. With two outs and a runner on second, Nachreiner’s 11th strikeout gave him the complete-game win and more importantly lifted his fourth-seeded Tigers to a 5-1 win over the second-seeded Parkers Prairie Panthers.

That also gave Springfield its second state title in baseball, their first coming in 2016. Nachreiner also went 3 for 4 during the game, while Russell Beers went 2 for 3 with a pair of RBIs and Aiden Moriarty was 2 for 3 with an RBI.

Springfield had a busy year later in the fall also after reaching the Class A state football title game for the third year in a row against the same school, Minneota. That was also the first time in state history that two programs played each other three consecutive times in the state championship game for football. Minneota went on to win the 2024 state title, going 3-0 against Springfield over the past three seasons, but that didn’t sour the fun Springfield fans had in the spring with their second state baseball title.

The year of 2024 in school sports was eventful in many ways, but no season highlighted the year quite the spring which saw two area schools take home state championships.

Both the New Ulm Cathedral Greyhounds softball team and Springfield Tigers baseball team were able to achieve the prep pinacle that is a state championship last spring.

File photo by Ari Selvey Springfield’s Aiden Moriarty reaches to catch a pass during the opening round of the Class A Football State Tournament against Goodhue on Nov. 7, 2024, at Mayo Rochester High School. Springfield went on to the Class A state title game for the third year in a row against Minneota, finishing second on Nov. 22, 2024.

First up was the Greyhounds, who defeated Clinton-Graceville-Beardsly 10-4 on June 7, 2024, in the Class A State Softball Tournament Championship. The win gave the Greyhounds their eighth state softball title, a state record. The state tournament appearance was also the Greyhounds’ 19th in softball, also a state record.

Cathedral, who finished the season with a 26-2 record, defeated United South Central 4-0 in the second of a two-game Section 2A tournament finals to advance to state. USC forced the second winner-take-all game with a 3-0 win over Cathedral after battling back from the elimination bracket. After Cathedral beat USC, they beat Kelliher/Northome 8-1 in the first round at state and then beat Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 4-2 in the state semifinals, which ended up being the Greyhounds’ closest game of the state tournament. In the championship, Cathedral topped Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley 10-4 to win the state championship, led by Jenna Hotovec’s 4-for-5 day at the plate. Also in that title game, Ava Brennan was 3 for 5 with a run scored, while Alexa Hornick was 2 for 5 with three RBIs, and Abbey Hillesheim was 1 for 3 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Ava Schmid was 2 for 5 with two RBIs and two runs scored, and Jaylin Hartness was 2 for 4 with an RBI. The winning pitcher from that state title game was then seventh-grader Jayde Altermatt, who struck out four and allowed four earned runs on five hits and four walks.

The Springfield baseball team, who finished the season 25-2, was next to join the title-winning fun after defeating New Ulm Cathedral 10-2 in the Section 2A championship to punch their state ticket. The Tigers then went on to state and got solid pitching each game with wins over New York Mills (4-0) and Cherry (4-2) to earn a state championship matchup with Parkers Prairie on June 22, 2024.

That state championship game had its own hiccups with just being played, however, as frequent rain in the middle of June pushed it back from June 17. Rain even began to fall during the June 22 game, but it thankfully came in the seventh inning as Tigers senior starting pitcher Jakob Nachreiner took the mound. With two outs and a runner on second, Nachreiner’s 11th strikeout gave him the complete-game win and more importantly lifted his fourth-seeded Tigers to a 5-1 win over the second-seeded Parkers Prairie Panthers.

That also gave Springfield its second state title in baseball, their first coming in 2016. Nachreiner also went 3 for 4 during the game, while Russell Beers went 2 for 3 with a pair of RBIs and Aiden Moriarty was 2 for 3 with an RBI.

New Ulm Area’s Winsten Nienhaus works against Roseau’s Seth Cossentine during the opening round of the State Individual Wrestling Tournament at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on March 1, 2024. Nienhaus ended up taking fourth at 145 pounds in Class AA. NUA also saw heavyweight Evan Thompson finish with a fifth-place Class AA state medal.

Springfield had a busy year later in the fall also after reaching the Class A state football title game for the third year in a row against the same school, Minneota. That was also the first time in state history that two programs played each other three consecutive times in the state championship game for football. Minneota went on to win the 2024 state title, going 3-0 against Springfield over the past three seasons, but that didn’t sour the fun Springfield fans had in the spring with their second state baseball title.

For more notable events and photos, see below and page 2B.

Travis Rosenau Sleepy Eye St. Marys’ Amelia Schwartz (10) and Reese Hoffmann (18) go up for a block on an attack from Mayer Lutheran’s Marley Martin (3) during a Section 2A Volleyball Tournament semifinal match on Oct. 29, 2024, at St. Peter High School. St. Mary’s was swept by Mayer Lutheran, the team that went on to win the Class A state volleyball title over Minneota.

Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart’s Rachel Kottke drives to the basket while guarded by Springfield’s Emma Hauger during the Section 2A Girls Basketball Tournament Finals game on March 8, 2024, at Minnesota State University, Mankato. The Mustangs ended up finishing fifth at state.