Monthly Archives: April 2021

April 19, 2021

Editor's note:This story is part of a series of profiles ofnotable spring 2021 graduates.

Natalee Lauro is no stranger to difficult times. She was diagnosed with brain cancer at the young age of 8. Photo courtesy of Natalee Lauro Download Full Image

The entire process was very depressing, painful and sometimes just completely soul-crushing," she said. "My social worker helped me through these difficult times and that is when I realized when I grew up, I wanted to be a social worker and help others just like those who helped me throughout my cancer and recovery experience.

A first-generation graduate, Lauro is well on her way to make those dreams come true. She is graduating this spring with a major in sociology and a minor in communication.

Besides having a passion for helping others, she is also an avid animal lover. She is a firm believer that having a therapy dog during her recovery from brain surgery truly saved her life.

I remember being stuck in the NICU and I couldnt even open my eyes or pick up my head. One day, they brought a therapy dog in and she climbed into my bed. As soon as I felt that warm, furry body, I knew exactly what it was and I really think that was the turning point in my life because after that I started to progress. That is a big reason why Im so passionate about animals.

Lauro says she has really enjoyed her time at ASU and appreciates all the help and guidance given to her. She plans to continue to get her masters degree through ASU in order to give back to the community, help others and strive to make a difference in the world. She shared a bit more of her experience by answering a few questions.

Question: Whats something you learned while at ASU in the classroom or otherwise that surprised you or changed your perspective?

Answer: I will say that during my time at ASU, I have learned a lot about myself and what I am capable of. It has always been my habit to underestimate and doubt myself. Throughout my many accomplishments at ASU, Ive realized that I am capable of so much more than I give myself credit for.

Q: Why did you choose ASU?

A: I chose ASU for its outstanding reputation and for all the great things I have heard through my friends, teachers and members of the family.

Q: As an ASU Online student, what ASU resources did you take advantage of and find most helpful on your journey to completing your degree?

A: I personally found having a success coach, along with an academic adviser, Lisa Barth, the most helpful. As an incoming online student I was worried that I wouldnt have a support system; I was nervous and fearful that I would be seen as just another number on the board. But I was pleasantly surprised to find how strong of a connection I was able to form with my success coach and how supportive and helpful my academic adviser was, together they both guided and steered me through my journey at ASU.

Q: Which professor taught you the most important lesson while at ASU?

A: Each one of my professors taught me unique and individual lessons that collectively all ring true and overall contribute into my work ethic, and that is to ask for help when needed, dont sit there in silence because fear or shame hinders you. You must be brave and bold enough to ask for yourself, because no one else will.

Q: Whats the best piece of advice youd give to those still in school?

A: There is a quote I refer to: Mistakes are proof that I am trying." No one is perfect; we all make mistakes, but that is part of the educational journey thats part of life.

Q: What was your favorite spot for power studying?

A: My bedroom or the office is where I spent my time studying; secluded and quiet places are what helps me the most when studying.

Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle?

A: I would tackle an issue that I am very passionate about and that is animal abuse. I love animals with all my heart and the thought of an animal being mistreated or neglected is enough to make me sick to my stomach. If someone gave me $40 million to solve this problem, all the money would go towards protecting animals, both domestic and wild.

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ASU grad inspired by fatherhood to research child development - ASU Now

Once, Richard Thomass Jerry Springer the Opera, to which I contributed unpopular elements, held the TV hate record, with 62,000 complaints. But last week it was out-hated by the BBCs saturation coverage of Prince Philips death, which didnt even win four Olivier awards and had no singing coprophiles. BBC appeasements of unappeasable bad faith actors backfire reliably. More than 110,000 people, missing EastEnders under lockdown, protested the all-channel mourning. That said, the complaints of our day were proper complaints, etched on to stone tablets and delivered by pigeons, not these e-posts they have now which any idiot can send. Indeed, it turns out that 116 of the people complaining were complaining that it was too easy to complain.

It is sad that an old lady has lost her companion of 73 years, grieving alone. And the supposedly controversial comments made by Prince Philip, that critics foregrounded, arent that bad, given that he was born 100 years ago and left normal life for the ermine cocoon of royalty in 1947. No one would expect Rip Van Winkle to wake up and understand the complex terminology of 21st-century transgender rights. Sadly, the duke was too far ahead of the zeitgeist to be declared a warrior of anti-wokeness and get a lucrative book deal. But only just.

The Daily Mail columnist Sarah Vines agenda-setting tribute last week showed how the most tragic and personal event can be press-ganged into the Conservatives fabricated culture war. Though the duke was forbidden from expressing his own opinions in life, Vine has grafted hers on to him in death, riding his memory towards the hell of her own choosing, a Pale Horsewoman of the Apocalypse astride Bernie Cliftons ostrich.

For Vine, Prince Philips passing represented, more than the end of a single life; it represents the end of an era. Of a set of values and personal qualities that seem to have less and less and less place in the modern world; a kind of joyous, unapologetic masculinity that nowadays would and routinely is described by many as toxic. For Vine, the unwitting Duke of Edinburgh is a symbol of that most oppressed minority of all men! Unwilling to let the Jordan Peterson of carriage-driving rest unmolested, Vine goes on.

The thing that always struck me as so wonderful about Prince Philip was the fact that he was unequivocally and unapologetically a bloke. It wasnt only his tendency to put his foot in it. He lived simply and practically, never happier than when barbecuing sausages in the rain on a hillside in Scotland, and then putting those sausages into his mouth, the mouths of his family, or the mouths of delighted passersby. Or doing something complicated with a sausage. In other words, he knew what it meant to be a man. A real, grown-up man. And that, Im afraid, makes him a rare gem in this day and age, when women are encouraged to consider even the offer of a sausage as an act of patriarchal micro-aggression. But you cant fight nature. Or sausages. Men like him are as rare as genuine imported European sausages these days, because the modern world seems to despise them, and sausages, so much. How many young men growing up today, their minds addled with crazy brain powders, their Fairy Liquid hands as soft as their woke faces, even like sausages? Sausages that society no longer treats as treats but as toxins, that require the sternest eradication at the hands of the Commissars of Woke. But if toxic masculinity is loyalty, duty, courage, wisdom and sausages, so be it. Farewell then, Prince Philip, Prince among men, Duke of Sausage. Aw! Truly, this man was the Wokefinder General!

Vines fixation on the dukes admiration for sausage holds water. His pet name for the Queen was sausage. But Vines assertion that the duke channels the same masculine power that high-school incels claim they are denied is a stretch. If we look closely at the dukes politically incorrect gaffes they suggest instead both a self-aware literary meta-commentary on his own persona, and a tentative embracing of woke values. Taken in isolation, the dukes quip, If you stand here much longer youll go home with slitty eyes, to an English student in China in 1986, seems ill-judged. But two months later, to an English student in the Amazon basin, he said: If you stand here much longer you will come home with a working knowledge of the shamanic properties of the ayahuasca root. And a year earlier, to an English student in the Australian outback, he said: If you stand here much longer you will come home able to make complex topographical mental maps by singing tunes in which microtonal shifts in pitch represent the rising and falling of contours. And chuck spears! The duke displayed both a woke sensitivity to indigenous traditions, and a woke awareness of the obsolescence of his colonialist obligations.

The anti-woke infotainer Andrew Neil had hoped to use the duke as an avatar of anti-wokeness on his new anti-woke GB news show, Woke Watch. Neil denies knowing who I am online, as anti-woke Peter denied the woken Christ, but in reality I know the Weetabix-tonsured Wokefinder well. After the duke passed, Wheat-Head Zoomed me an Olivier award-winning theatre director, remember for artistic advice.

Leapy my old friend, Bisc-hair blabbed, the comedy agency Blue Book Artist Management, who are also working the anti-woke market, reckoned they could get me the duke to mock the woke weekly. I dont want to have to use Laurence Fox, although it would be cheaper. Do you think one could animate a hologram of Prince Philips head, like Patrick Moore on Gamesmaster? Yes Andy, I replied, then you could just make the Duke of Edinburgh say whatever you wanted him to say.

A physical media 12 of the January No 1 hit single Comin Over Here by Asian Dub Foundation (ft Stewart Lee) is now available from Xray Productions. The acclaimed anti-rockumentary King Rocker (ft Stewart Lee) is streaming on Now TV

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How Prince Philip was turned into a pawn in the phoney culture wars - The Guardian

Drew Hayden Taylor. Photo supplied

TORONTO Sam Karney (A Life on the Line) and Andrew Wiens (A Life on the Line) of Ice River Films are pleased to announce that the IndigiGonzo series, Going Native, starring Drew Hayden Taylor (Cottagers & Indians, Searching for Winnetou, Mixed Blessings) will premiere on Canadas national Indigenous network APTN. The half-hour, 13-episode series premieres Saturday, May 8, 2021.

In Going Native, celebrated Anishinaabe humorist and author Drew Hayden Taylor turns his comic gaze on how Indigenous Peoples have changed the world and are re-shaping their culture in the 21st century. Each episode takes on one theme, from pop culture to architecture, as Drew takes viewers on a wild journey of discovery from concert halls to desert ruins and from video game conventions to treacherous cliff pole-fishing expeditions.

Every episode is its own unique adventure and Drews perspective ties it together. When people think about Indigenous buildings, they think about teepees, longhouses and wigwams. But Drew Hayden Taylor is thinking about the revolutionary architects that are creating zero-emission communities on the West Coast. When people think about Indigenous food, they think about pemmican and seal blubber; but Drew is tucking into nouveau cuisine in downtown Toronto and learning how traditional companion planting of crops is revolutionizing todays agriculture. When people think about Indigenous culture, they think about beads and dancing, while Drew is watching zombie movies and checking out graffiti artists.

Written by Drew Hayden Taylor, Kurt Spenrath and Paul Kemp, Going Native is directed by Sam Karney, Paul Kemp (Cottagers & Indians, Searching for Winnetou), Andrew Wiens, and Kurt Spenrath (Queen of the Oil Patch). Produced by Sam Karney, Andrew Wiens, and Kurt Spenrath, and executive produced by Paul Kemp of Paul Kemp Productions and Drew Hayden Taylor.

I have always felt this kind of series was sorely needed in the Indigenous community. If you look at a lot of the literature and media about our communities, the focus always seems to be on the negative, or perhaps more accurately the dark, depressing, sad, bleak, and angry perspective of Indigenous life, says writer/producer/host Drew Hayden Taylor. As somebody whos travelled to over 150 First Nation communities, I know for a fact that there is so much more to us. Just down the road and across the field theres laughter, theres beauty, theres the unexpected, and theres the knowledge nobody knows about. Well, maybe we knew, but not everybody did. And that is where the fun begins.

Going Native has been commissioned and financed by APTN, with financial contributions also coming from The Canada Media Fund, Manitoba Film and Music and Ontario Creates.

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ABOUT DREW HAYDEN TAYLOR

Drew Hayden Taylor is an award-winning playwright, novelist, journalist and filmmaker. Born and living on the Curve Lake First Nation (Anishinaabe) in Ontario, he has done everything from stand-up comedy at the Kennedy Centre in Washington D.C. to serving as artistic director of Native Earth Performing Arts, Canadas leading Indigenous theatre company. The author of 33 books, Drew likes to travel the world, spreading the gospel of Native literature and storytelling.

ABOUT ICE RIVER FILMS

Ice River Films was established in Winnipeg in 2013 by Sam Karney and Andrew Wiens to pursue a passion for storytelling through the lens of documentary filmmaking. Propelled by early work in short film for CBC and Bell MTS, their first hour-long documentary, A Life on the Line (APTN), explored Sams Mtis roots and family tradition of working a trap line. Travelling the world, the duo has since worked on several docuseries including, High Maintenance (Smithsonian Canada), Polar Bear Town (Smithsonian US), Taken (APTN/CBC) and First Contact (S02, APTN). Their latest, Going Native (APTN), is hosted by Drew Hayden Taylor.

ABOUT PAUL KEMP PRODUCTIONS

Paul Kemp Productions is a multiple award-winning TV series and feature documentary film company based in Toronto. With over 50 films and series produced over the years, and with sales in over 140 countries, some of the companys notable productions include: Searching for Winnetou (CBC), Transformer (CBC, Netflix USA), The Rise of Jordan Peterson (CBC, SKY UK, Amazon), Village of the Missing (CBC, Sundance Now), Cottagers & Indians (CBC), The Science of Sin (Discovery International), Rise of the Trolls (Amazon + 80 countries) and Infestation (UKTV, ZDF-GERMANY).

ABOUT APTN

APTN launched in 1999 as the worlds first national Indigenous broadcaster, creating a window into the remarkably diverse mosaic of Indigenous Peoples. A respected non-profit and charitable broadcaster, its the only one of its kind in North America. The network is Sharing Our Stories of authenticity in English, French and a variety of Indigenous languages to over 10 million Canadian subscribers. With over 80% Canadian content, APTN connects with its audiences through genuine, inspiring and engaging entertainment on multiple platforms.

Media Contact:Cynthia AmsdenRoundstone CommunicationTelephone: 416.910.7740cynthia@roundstonepr.com

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Drew Hayden Taylor explores everything from the weird and wacky to the deep and profound ways Indigenous Peoples impact the world in - Anishinabek...

A new poll shows that actor Matthew McConaughey, who has mentioned a potential jump into politics, has far more support in his state to run for governor than the currently-elected Republican.

In a poll released Sunday by The Dallas Morning News and University of Texas at Tyler, 45% of registered Texan voters wouldnt mind the guy most well known for saying, alright, alright, alright as their next governor.

Republican Governor Greg Abbott, on the other hand, received only 33% support in the poll. Broken down by party lines, it becomes clearer that McConaugheys popularity on the screen also likely recent interviews touching on cultural subjects like political correctness outshines any experience Abbott or others bring to the job.

Among Republicans, 56% said they would support a McConaughey run to lead the Lone Star state, while just 30% threw their weight behind Abbott.

For Democrats, 66% support the Dazed and Confused star, while a mere 8% would want Abbott in for another round.

The poll is good news for McConaughey, who recently mentioned a potential future in politics as he appears to be slowing down in his acting career to pursue other opportunities he released a memoir last year.

Its a true consideration, he said of the potential run for governor, saying hes balancing what his leadership role is in the future to his home state.

The little that is known about McConaughey politically has mainly earned him ire from the left, as hes targeted both political parties and called out condescending Hollywood liberals in recent chats. His non-PC friendliness combined with his relationship to folks like Jordan Peterson (aka Red Skull, apparently) has already inspired waves of social justice warriors to warn the Austin resident to check his white privilege as they attempt to tie him to the most extreme version of conservatives painted by the mainstream media.

If McConaughey does choose to run and he continues his push as a self-described moderate, he will find quickly there is no grey area in modern American politics. Youre on one side or the other, and if you refuse to cancel someone like Peterson, your side has already been decided for you.

For now, however, McConaughey has the same wild card celebrity appeal that many public figures have when they jump into politics, Donald Trump included. Not knowing the mans specific positions, but admiring his more broad, straightforward approach to subjects is something voters are craving more and more as approval ratings for lawmakers in Congress continue to be abysmal.

Trump may have lost in 2020, but he also received more votes than any incumbent president ever. Like it or not, the mans brash style and penchant for theater mastered over decades in television and in front of cameras gave him an appeal against the same-old, same-old, well-groomed politicians were so used to seeing slide in and out of office.

Like Trump, McConaughey is a political grenade. Success or failure, hes different and sure to shake up a system that, quite frankly, needs some shaking up, especially when you consider the current president is staring down the barrel of 80 and already served as vice president in the very administration that arguably created the void Trump capitalized on to win the presidency in 2016.

McConaughey is not the only celebrity who has mentioned politics as a serious consideration in the post-Trump era. Former Trump supporter Caitlyn Jenner is reportedly looking at challenging Governor Gavin Newsom in California, and others have mentioned interests in representing their home states, like the Trump-supporting Kid Rock (Michigan).

It may sound crazy to hand the keys of the castle to a bunch of reality television stars and entertainers, but this is how out of touch politicians have become. People identify more with a frustrated celebrity bucking woke trends than anyone who can bring vague experience to the job.

One can argue this is a bad thing and just further chaos, but only a few months of the Biden administration has already shown us the reliability career politicians have. The current president has spent his first weeks racking up massive bills, completely fumbling on the immigration crisis at the border, and he even pushed the deadline for US troops to leave Afghanistan (something that likely is only even being considered by this administration because Trump pushed them into a corner with his peace deal).

The role of politician is not some sacred role to be worshipped, but thats the place weve reached with many modern representatives, who act as celebrities in their own right, cashing big government checks, spending half their time on cable news, and promising the same things over and over, and not delivering.

Its this disappointment that led to Trump, and its this disappointment that will likely lead to a Gov. McConaughey, if we ever see the day he decides to run. That disappointment, however, is not a bad thing. Either PC-hating figures like McConaughey can bring some positive changes to politics, or they can at least remind those sitting comfortably in their offices to not get too comfortable because their jobs can be done by anybody, even the ex-star of Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation.

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The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.

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Texans would rather have a celeb grenade like McConaughey as gov than the same old politics and thats alright, alright, alright - RT

The players were masked up as a precaution for the COVID-19 pandemic. Fans were limited in numbers and many sat back from the comfort of their own homes as teams used live streaming to show their games. Sections and state quarterfinals were scattered across the state with the goal of pulling off a full season as safely as possible.

No matter where, when or how you saw the games, there was plenty of strong talent on the hardcourt across west central Minnesota. Whether you were watching the ultra-competitive Camden Conference North Divsiion or games scattered across the Central Lakes, Wright County, Central Minnesota or West Central conferences, you were in for a fun night of hoops.

With 15 spots on the West Central Tribunes All-Area Boys Basketball Team, 14 schools are represented, showing the array of talent scattered across the area. Litchfield is the only school with more than one selection.

The West Central Tribunes All-Area Boys Basketball Team was selected by the sports department based on nominations provided by area coaches.

Here is the All-Area Boys Basketball Team, presented in alphabetical order:

In the ultra-competitive Camden Conference, Riley Ashburn was voted the North divisions Most Valuable Player after pushing the Jaguars to a 13-6 record.

In 19 games this season, the 6-foot-4 forward averaged 23.3 points per game on 59% shooting. He also averaged 10.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 3.2 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.

An All-Area third teamer in 2020, Ashburn will resume his basketball career at Division III Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato.

Riley is a do everything type of player, said RCW head coach Matt Huhnerkoch. Not too many players can say they excelled at both offense and defense, but that was the type of player Riley is. Riley would be asked every game to guard the other teams best player for the entire game and would also find time to put up 23 points a game. But Rileys talents didnt stop there. He was also the point guard and would set up the teams offense. And then to top everything off, Riley was, no questions, the leader of the team. Riley made his teammates better.

Also making the jump from third team All-Area was Lac qui Parle Valley senior guard/forward Maverick Conn, the focal point of the Camden North champions.

Helping the Eagles to a 17-4 record and a top 10 ranking for much of the season, Conn averaged 18.7 points (61% field goals, 42% 3-pointers), 8.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.8 steals per game.

A three-time All-Camden selection, Conn is committed to play basketball at Division III Minnesota-Morris.

MACCRAY senior guard Brady Kienitz dribbles into the frontcourt during a Camden Conference game from against Lac qui Parle Valley on Monday, Feb. 8, 2021 from Lac qui Parle Valley High School in Madison. Patrick Bernadeau / West Central Tribune

A second team All-Area pick in 2020, MACCRAY senior Brady Kienitz wraps up one of the most prolific careers in school history. In 2021, Kienitz averaged 21.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.8 steals per game while being named All-Camden as MACCRAY went 8-11. Kienitz owns school records for: 3-pointers in a game (8); career 3-pointers (214); 3-pointers attempts in a season (197); career 3-point attempts (559); 3-point percentage in a season (43%); free throws made in a season (130); and career free throws made (293). Kienitz will play college basketball at Division III Gustavus Adolphus in St. Peter.

Brady is the best player I have ever coached in 13 seasons working with boys varsity basketball, said Wolverines head coach Lucas Post. He has increased every critical stat line every season from his freshman year on, which is a testament to how hard he works on his game in the offseason. He was the focal point of every defense the last two seasons and still was able to average over 20 points per game in each season while shooting 45% from the field. Brady accounted for 50 percent of our teams scoring this season between his scoring and assist average. He would have set the all-time MACCRAY career scoring mark if the season hadnt been shortened due to the pandemic. Brady has done all these things offensively while guarding the opposing teams best player almost regardless of position every single game and almost always hold them under their averages.

Litchfield senior Avery Liestman (5) puts up a layup attempt during the first half of a Wright County Conference game against Rockford on Friday, Feb. 5, 2021 at Litchfield High School. Joe Brown / West Central Tribune

Making his first appearance on the All-Area squad, Litchfield senior wing Avery Liestman was a model of efficiency for the 15-6 Dragons.

A two-time unanimous Wright County Conference selection, Liestman averaged a team-high 19.4 points on 51% shooting 59% from inside the arc and 41% from 3-point range. He also averaged 5.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game as Litchfield reached the Section 5AA semifinals.

Liestman also came up clutch in the biggest games of the year, with 29 points against Melrose and 24 points against Glencoe-Silver Lake. In the playoffs, he hit eight 3-pointers in a 28-point effort against Dassel-Cokato, and finished with 32 points against Maranatha Christian Academy in the second round.

Avery has become an elite and efficient scorer at the high-school level, said Dragons head coach Matt Draeger. He averaged almost 20 points per game while only averaging 14 shot attempts per game. Every year we coached Avery he added something else to his game to improve his scoring efficiency. He is one of the best players Ive coached at getting open off the ball. He also improved his rebounding and defense during the year to make him a very valuable player to us on both ends of the floor. In my opinion, he is the best scorer in the area and its not close. His best games are when it mattered most. Our team will miss the leadership and encouragement he brought to our team.

BOLD senior guard Drew Sagedahl scores on an uncontested look at the basket during a West Central Conference game against Minnewaska On Jan. 19 from Bird Island. Patrick Bernadeau / West Central Tribune

The lone returning member of the All-Area first team from 2020, every opposing team was trying to slow down BOLD senior Drew Sagedahl.

That was much easier said than done. After losing All-Area teammates Gavin Vosika and Jordan Sagedahl, Drew led the area with 30.7 points per game to go with 7.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game as the Warriors went 5-8.

Among Drews accolades this season were an All-West Central Conference selection, a McDonald Award semifinal and a spot on the Mr. Basketball watchlist. Drew also holds school records for: points scored in a game (43); field goals made in a game (16); career 3-pointers 274; points per game in a season (30.7); free throw percentage in a season (88.1%); career free-throw percentage (42.1%); and career 3-point percentage (42.1%). He is second all time in BOLD history for career points (1,634).

Sagedahl will continue his basketball career at Division III St. Johns University.

Drew has been a scoring threat for us since his freshman year and really took on the scoring load as a senior, said Warriors head coach Jake Brustuen. He drew our opponents full attention every night and was still able to find ways to score the ball. Drew was also our leading rebounder and leader in steals. Drew was a leader by example and worked hard before, during and after practice. Drew is also a big part of our youth program and was always willing to take time to help our youth and be a leader within our program. Drew still is tied for the state record for consecutive 3-point shots made, a record he set his freshman year.

Coming back from an ACL injury that cost him his sophomore season, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa junior forward Ashton Dingmann bounced back in a big way. The Jaguars went 16-5 as Dingmann earned first team All-Central Minnesota Conference honors with 14.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

From Jaguars head coach Chris Anderson: Ashton did a great job of triggering our fast breaks and making others around him better. Ashton has a great basketball IQ and understanding of how to adjust to different situations in the flow of the game. He is a great leader and is very coachable on and off the floor.

Corbin Froelich capped off his prep career by leading Paynesville (11-9) to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in over 25 years. A second team All-Area selection as a junior, Froelich averaged 25.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.8 steals per game while earning All-Central Minnesota Conference first team honors. He was also on the Mr. Basketball watch list. He will resume his playing career at NAIA Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa.

From Bulldogs head coach Rick Hendrickson: Corbin has a tremendous passion for basketball and he put a lot of time into improving his game. He has always been able to score in a variety of ways and presented a tough matchup for opponents with his size and quickness for a guard. He came into this season much stronger physically and shot just under 50% from the field and made 148 free throws, which was 84 more made free throws than the next closest player in the Central Minnesota Conference. If it werent for the shortened season, he would have shattered the school scoring record. Corbin helped lead the Bulldogs program to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in over 25 years.

Making the All-Area team for the first time, Johnsrud averaged 15.1 points (44% field goal, 34% 3-pointers, 73% free throws), 2.5 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals per game for Minnewaska (7-11). Named team MVP, Johnsrud was named All-West Central Conference and Academic All-West Central while also earning Minnesota Boys Basketball Coaches Association Academic All-State honors.

From Lakers head coach Phil Johnsrud: Solid athlete with excellent athleticism. Extremely driven to help his team be successful. A very quiet leader by example; never wanted to outshine his teammates.

Making his first All-Area appearance, junior guard Case Mulder was a catalyst for Central Minnesota Christians first state appearance since 2017. A two-time All-Camden Conference pick, Mulder averaged 20.3 points while hitting 56% of his 2-pointers, 38% of his 3-pointers and 73% of his free throws. Mulder also averaged 4.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game as the Bluejays finished the winter with an 18-5 record.

From Bluejays head coach Ted Taatjes: Case impacted the game on both ends of the floor. Most nights he guarded the opposing teams best player and led our team in scoring and assists. He also provided the team with consistent leadership through his intensity in practice every day.

Rounding out the All-Area second team is another first timer in Benson senior guard Ben Peterson. Named the Braves team MVP and an All-West Central Conference pick, Peterson averaged 19.6 points (43.8% field goals, 34.5% 3-pointers, 81.4% free throws), 6.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.5 steals per game. Helping Benson to an 8-11 record, Peterson will play college basketball at Division III Concordia College in Moorhead.

From Braves head coach Adam Jensen: Ben is everything a coach could want in a player. He puts in a ton of time and has a deep passion for basketball. He eclipsed the 1,000-point scoring mark in a 40-point game against Morris and finished with 1,051 career points. He has an incredible ability to score in a variety of ways despite being double- and triple-teamed many games. His value to the basketball program extends beyond his performance on the court. He is very involved with our youth basketball program and is a top-notch student with a 3.7 GPA.

12.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.8 apg, 3.2 spg. All-Camden Conference. Will attend Bethel University to play college baseball.

From Fighting Saints head coach Matt Fragodt: Isaac is the player that does everything for your team. He is very good defensively and a very good rebounder. He took 24 charges this season; one game he had six charges. Offensively, he was a leader for us while we had some injuries to other players. He had to guard the best player from the other team and also score for us. His effort and heart every game will be missed.

13 ppg, 7 rpg, 2 apg, 2 bpg, 54% 2-pt, 37% 3-pt. All-Wright County. Led NLS in scoring, rebounding, assists and blocks.

From Wildcats head coach Skip Wright: Brycen had an outstanding year and established himself as one of the top players in the Wright County Conference. Hes an unselfish player who can take over a game when his team needs him to.

11.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 4.0 apg, 2.0 spg. Unanimous All-Wright County, Academic All-State.

From Dragons head coach Matt Draeger: Tyson does a lot for our basketball team. He has many responsibilities. He is the most important player to a team Ive ever coached at the college or high-school level. He led our team in every category you can lead a team except for scoring. He played the point guard position and led us in rebounds, assists, steals, deflections, and while turning the ball over less than one turnover per game. He is also one of the best defenders in the state, holding a number of all-state performers to single digits during the season. Ive never had a kid do more for a team than he did. Tyson is a winner and he has left his impact on our program for years to come.

16.7 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.5 spg, 44.5% FG, 34.5 3-pt, 80.6% FT.

From Eagles head coach Aaron Reid: Daniel would have easily cruised to the school scoring title had COVID not restricted the number of games available in 2021. He ends his high-school career as a proficient scorer and leading rebounder as one of only two seniors on the Eagles 2021 roster. He is currently uncertain if he will pursue a basketball career in college as he wants to study pre-med this fall (at Northwestern University). Daniel was a leader and example on and off the court and will be missed in the CAL conference next year.

11.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1 spg. All-Central Lakes Conference. Team Offensive MVP. Will attend NAIA Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa to play college football.

From Cardinals head coach Matt Williams: Jacob did everything for the Cardinals this season. He handled the ball, guarded the opponents best player and almost never came out of the game. He was our unquestioned leader in the locker room and in every practice. Jacobs gifts go well beyond the basketball floor. Other players may end up with better numbers, but no player meant more to his team.

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Here's the 2021 West Central Tribune All-Area Team - West Central Tribune