Tribune Notebook: Two Twins and ex-Stingers coming to Willmar

WILLMAR Two of the Willmar Stingers' alumni currently playing for the Minnesota Twins will make their way back to town for a luncheon.

Infielder Brooks Lee and pitcher Louie Varland are the featured guests for the Willmar Stingers Winter BBQ event at noon Tuesday, Jan.

21 at the Willmar Conference Center.

Lee and Varland are speaking at the luncheon, which costs $25.

Tickets are limited and available by calling the team at 320-222-2010 or visiting the Willmar Stingers' ticket website at northwoodsleague.com/willmar-stingers.

Varland, a hard-throwing right-hander from North St.

Paul and Concordia University in St.

Paul, pitched for Willmar in 2017 and '18 before being drafted by the Twins in 2019.

Lee, who played for the Stingers in 2020, was the Twins' first-round draft pick in 2022.

Lee is from San Luis Obispo, California and played at Cal Poly.

There will be a question-and-answer session conducted by Twins play-by-play radio announcer Kris Atteberry.

The stop in Willmar is part of the Twins' annual winter caravan, which includes two groups making stops across the upper midwest.

Lee, Varland, Atteberry and former Twin and current TV analyst Glen Perkins also make a stop at 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan.

21 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The group then appears Wednesday, Jan.

22 in Owatonna and Mankato.

There's another leg featuring TV play-by-play announcer Cory Provus, ex-Twin and current TV analyst Justin Morneau and current players Austin Martin and Zebby Matthews also making appearances Jan.

21-22 with stops in Rochester, La Crosse, Wisconsin, Welch, St.

Cloud and Fargo, North Dakota.

Figure skating show The 17th Annual Lakes Area Classic figure skating competition is set to begin at 9 a.m.

Saturday at the Willmar Civic Center Arena.

the competition, put on by Willmar's Diamond Edge Figure Skating Club, includes competitors from across the state, including Alexandria, Bemidji, Brainerd, Breezy Point, Burnsville, Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Grand Rapids, Little Falls, Marshall, Park Rapids, St.

Cloud, Sartell and Watertown, South Dakota.

Competition continues throughout the day is expected to wrap up about 6-6:30 p.m.

View DiamondEdgeSkating.Com for more information.

CLC performers Willmar boys basketball player Avery Christensen and Cardinal boys Nordic skier Timothy Halverson have been honored as Central Lakes Conference performers of the week.

Christensen, a junior guard, scored 108 points in four games, also picking up 20 rebounds and 12 steals.

He was 7-for-17 on 3-pointers.

Halverson placed ninth at the Detroit Lakes Invitational with a time of 14 minutes, 7.1 seconds.

College updates * Former MACCRAY star Brady Kienitz is averaging 11.9 points and 2.3 rebounds per game for the Gustavus Adolphis University men's basketball team.

Kienitz, a 6-foot-2 senior, is shooting 46.3% from the field, including 45% from 3-point range, having made 36 of 80 3-point attempts.

He's also making 82.6% of his free throws.

The Gusties are 4-0 in the MIAC and 10-3 overall heading into the weekend.

* Former BOLD star Drew Sagedahl is averaging 20.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg and 2.2 assists per game for the Bethany Lutheran College men's basketball team in Mankato.

The 6-1 senior guard is shooting 43.9% from the field, including 39.7% from 3-point range and 89.1% from the free-throw line.

The Vikings are 3-9 this season.

Sagedahl is a physical and health education major.

* Former Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa star Kaden Pieper is coming off the bench for the Concordia University in Moorhead men's basketball team.

He's averaging 6.2 ppg, shooting 33% from the field and making 35.7% of his 3-point attempts.

He also averages 2.7 rpg.

The Cobbers are 0-3 in the MIAC and 4-8 overall.

* Former Montevideo star Avery Koenen has started in all 15 games for the 10-5 North Dakota State women's basketball team.

The 6-foot-2 sophomore forward is averaging 10.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg and 2.1 apg for the Bison.

She's shooting 46.2% from the field and 71.9% from the foul line.

* Former BBE star Abby Berge is a 5-11 sophomore guard/forward on the Minnesota State-Moorhead women's basketball team.

Berge has started all 14 games for 6-8 Dragons, averaging 10.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg and 0.9 apg.

She's shooting 42.3% from the field and 79.4% from the free-throw line.

* Former Willmar star Kenzie Jones is a 5-10 senior forward on the Southwest Minnesota State University women's basketball team.

Jones is averaging 6.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg and 1.6 apg for the Mustangs, shooting 44.3% from the field and 65.0% from the free-throw line.

The Mustangs are 6-2 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and 12-2 overall.

Jones is an elementary education major.

* One of Jones' teammates is Maddie Thorfinnson.

The former Minnewaska star is a 6-0 junior forward for SMSU.

She has started in all 14 games and is averaging 4.4 ppg and 2.9 rpg.

She's shooting 35.8% from the field and 35.3% from 3-point range, having made 12 of 34 attempts.

She's shooting 52.4% from the foul line.

She's a business/marketing major..

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