Huskies Season Opener Delayed

It's been five-and-a-half months since an Owatonna varsity sports team has competed. What's a couple of more days? Officials postponed the season-opening girls' tennis match between Owatonna and Rochester Century Tuesday, August 25. It was not a microscopic menace, but rather the largest body in the solar system that was to blame.

OHS activities director Marc Achterkirch tweeted, "Due to excessive heat, the varsity and JV girls' tennis...at Rochester Century, have been rescheduled to this coming Friday, August 28, 9am at Century."

With that schedule change, the Huskies girls' team will now open their season at home Thursday, August 27 versus Mankato West at 4:30 pm at the OHS courts. Fans should social distance themselves if they would like to watch the action.

Thursday is also the opening date for the Huskies cross country teams and girls' swimming and diving. The runners will be at Mankato East. The boys are scheduled to run at 3:30 pm and the girls at 5 pm. This meet was originally scheduled in Owatonna but got switched to East. That leaves Owatonna with just one home date, Thursday, September 17 with Faribault and Mankato West joining the Huskies. Usually Owatonna hosts a big meet each year with the Ev Berg Invitational. Anything more than three teams is not allowed under the COVID-19 protocols.

Owatonna's swimmers and divers, on the other hand, will only compete at home. All of their meets are scheduled as virtual meets. There times will be compared with the times of their opponent that night to determine team scores. The Huskies face Rochester John Marshall on Thursday at 4:30 pm. Under guidelines from the Minnesota Department of Health, fans are not allowed into the middle school to watch. OwatonnaLive.com will provide streaming of the swimming meets.