Tribune Notebook: Willmar Stingrays honors their team members

Apr. 14—WILLMAR — The Willmar Aquatic Racing Stingrays celebrated their 2025-26 season Saturday, handing out a large number of awards.

The youth swimming and diving club team handed out honors for the Outstanding Ambassador Award, The Sportsmanship Award, Senior Scholarship Awards and recognition for state qualifiers.

Also honored were athletes who recorded mile certificates for participation.

Noelle Becker received the Outstanding Ambassador Award. Soren Newberg and Samantha Arends received Senior Scholarship Awards.

Individual record-breakers also were honored, including: Lila Arcilla, Arends, Dominick Devine, Manny Heinen, Laila Marker, Chloe Miedema, Rachel Morkrid, Levi Nelson, Britta Newberg, Jorgen Newberg, Isaac Sheets, Samuel Sheets and Marin Wallestad.

Coaches awards also were awarded to Macy Anderson, Alec Lorenz, Eve Madsen, Morkrid, Miles Nelson, Jorgen Newberg, Leah Quale and Elias Saint.

High Point winner awards went to Arcilla, Logan Devine, Hailey Fernelius, Ryder Fernelius, Cici Groshen, Cora Martinka, Ben Miedema, Chloe Miedema, Levi Nelson and Griffin Steffensen.

"We're so proud of everything our swimmers accomplished this year," Stingrays assistant coach Jodi Fernelius said in a statement. "Their hard work really shows."

The team, which started training in September, competes in meets beginning in October and running through March.

The Stingrays are members of USA Swimming. Members attend schools in Willmar, New London-Spicer, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City, Litchfield, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg, Community Christian School and the area home school co-op.

For more information on the Stingrays, visit the website

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Christian Wiggins of Wayzata has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association McDonald Award.

Initially, there were 38 semifinalists announced in February and 15 finalists announced in March.

The award is named after legendary Chisholm basketball coach Bob McDonald, who retired with 1,012 victories.

Ms. Basketball went to Maddyn Greenway of Providence Academy. The five-time state Class AA champion is headed to the University of Kentucky.

Finalists were: Kate Amelotte of Wayzata, Kate Holmquist of Maple Grove, Mya Moore or Orono, Tori Oehrlein of Crosby-Ironton and Audrey Shindelar of Stewartville. The winner was announced Friday night in Northfield at the site of the All-Star Series banquet.

Former Minnewaska star Arivia DeBoer has been named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women's Golf Athlete of the Week. DeBoer, a first-year student at St. Catherine University, tied for third on the leaderboard with teammate Caylin Cantwell at the Upper Iowa Invitational on April 4. Both shot 7-over-par 79s to help St. Catherine finish second in the 10-team event.