Practice Begins for Owatonna Gymnastics, Girls Basketball and Boys Hockey

More signs of winter keep popping up. The forecast has a chance of snow by the weekend. More high school winter sports teams opened practice Monday.

Owatonna gymnastics is coming off a historic season where they qualified for the state meet as a team for the first time in school history, finishing in sixth place. The team graduates Steph Kretlow, who finished second individually in the vault at state. The Huskies open their season December 8 at home against Red Wing.

OHS girls basketball has a change at the helm where Lyndsey Hugstad-Va takes over as head coach after being an assistant under Tricia Hoffman. Hugstad-Va is a former head coach in Albert Lea and spent two seasons as an assistant with the Huskies. Top scorer Sydney Schultz returns for an Owatonna team that finished the 2015-16 season at 14-13. Owatonna opens its season December 1 at Rosemount and is scheduled to play their home opener two nights later against Mankato East. Work continues on the gym floor at OHS after heavy rain flooded the facility in early August.

The Huskies boys hockey team is coming off a 15-10-1 season and a third-place finish in the Big Nine. They graduated eight seniors off the team, including four-year letter-winners Sam Hylle and Kade Friedrichs. OHS opens its season December 1 at Apple Valley with their home opener the next night against St. Francis.

The Owatonna Blue Line Club is hosting the Windsor Chop fundraising dinner on Saturday, December 3, at the Knights of Columbus Hall. Social time starts at 5:30PM. Dinner will begin at 6:30PM. An introduction of players will occur at 7:30PM with a live auction to follow. Tickets are available at Kottke Jewelers in Owatonna.