Recent content from Rachel Blount
Canterbury Park opens 28th season to summery success
Two stakes races welcomed back fans to the track in Shakopee, so many that more programs had to be printed. A total of $139,300 was wagered on track.
Canterbury Park opens season Wednesday with two stakes races
Among the changes this season will be the return of Saturday racing, with first post at 5 p.m.
Gophers club gymnastics team finishes fourth at nationals
Yaroslav Owens-Pochinka won the GymACT national title on still rings, while Kellen Ryan was sixth in the all-around. Both earned All-America honors.
One year after the Gophers cut men's gymnastics, 'We're not going away'
Longtime coach Mike Burns now runs the program as a club, and it's heading into a new national meet Saturday.
Minnesota horse Zandon won't race in the Preakness or Belmont
Zandon's owner, Jeff Drown of St. Cloud, has the horse pointed toward the Travers Stakes. Derby winner Rich Strike won't race in the Preakness, either.
Minnesota to Churchill Downs: A horse owner's Derby dream trip
Barry and Joni Butzow of Eden Prairie had made the annual pilgrimage to Kentucky Derby for 20 years. But this time was different: They finally had a horse in the race. This is the up-close story of their Derby Week
Long shot Rich Strike, at 81-1, wins Kentucky Derby; Zandon places third
The 148th running of the Kentucky Derby went off Saturday on a cool day at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Rich Strike, an 81-1 long shot who was an alternate until Friday morning, pulled off a monumental upset over the field of 20.
Prat, aboard Zandon, surprised as anyone to be overtaken in Kentucky Derby
Four undercard wins may have stoked his confidence with third-place colt Zandon, but no one saw Rich Strike's closing kick coming.
This Kentucky Derby sets up as a Minnesota spectacle with Zandon and Zozos
Race day could be emotional for St. Cloud's Jeff Drown, owner of Zandon, and Eden Prairie's Joni and Barry Butzow, owner of Zozos.
Kentucky Derby: TV, facts about the race, Minnesota connections and more
Kentucky Derby week is here, and two Minnesota-owned horses will be in the running. Here's a primer on everything you need to know.
From Kentucky to Canterbury Park, horse racing faces its reckoning
A new federal law will take go into effect in July with the goal of reducing cheating, such as the episode during last year's Kentucky Derby involving a horse who died after a workout months later.
American Pharoah wakes up, meets Minnesotans on Derby barn tour
Friends of Barry and Joni Butzow of Eden Prairie, whose colt Zozos will run in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, have spent time visiting horse farms in the Lexington area.
Minnesota gets a third horse in the mix for Saturday's Kentucky Derby
Pete Mattson, a thoroughbred owner and breeder from Prior Lake, now owns a small share of Mo Donegal — a deal made through a connection from his college years in St. Paul.
Minnesota-owned Zandon gets respect, set as early Derby favorite
Zandon's post position, No. 10, has sent off nine winners — second most in the race's history. His owners, who are from St. Cloud, were thrilled with the draw.
Kentucky Derby has Minnesota twist this year: 2 horses with state ties
Looking for a local angle to boost your interest in this year's race? Look to the end of the alphabet. Zandon and Zozos have Minnesota connections and are being taken seriously by race fans.
Hobey Baker-winning goalie McKay gets six-month doping suspension
Dryden McKay led Minnesota State to a second-place finish in the NCAA men's hockey tournament earlier this month, including a semifinal victory over the Gophers.
Oklahoma wins NCAA women's gymnastics championship; Lee helps Auburn to 4th
Though Saturday's team final featured two medalists from the Tokyo Summer Games — Auburn's Suni Lee of St. Paul and Utah's Grace McCallum, of Isanti — the meet was decided by upperclassmen well-schooled in NCAA level demands.
Suni Lee wins beam in NCAA meet, Gophers' Ramler second on bars
Led by the Olympic gold medalist from St. Paul, Lee's Auburn team advanced to the finals; the Gophers did not but had the best finish in team history.
Suni Lee leads high-end Minnesota group to NCAA gymnastics meet
To get to the NCAA championships, Minnesotans just need to drive south on I-35 to Texas. Not everyone is taking such a direct route to the meet, which starts today.
Two Minnesota-owned horses could be ticketed for Kentucky Derby
Jeff Drown-owned Zandon won the Blue Grass Stakes, one of three major Derby prep races held on Saturday.
Gable Steveson makes WWE debut at WrestleMania 38
The two-time NCAA heavyweight champion with the Gophers began his professional entertainment career.
South Carolina's Henderson steals the show in NCAA title game
Destanni Henderson, South Carolina's 5-7 point guard, stepped up to the biggest stage in college basketball and made her last NCAA game the best of her career.
Sights and sounds: Bird and Taurasi are must-see Final Four TV
The former UConn stars have their own show from Target Center during the that has the feel of watching from a friend's house.
South Carolina strides into NCAA title game after topping Louisville
Aliyah Boston and a balanced attack put the Gamecocks in Sunday's championship game in Minneapolis.
Final Four report: Coaches say transfer portal may not be all that it seems
The NCAA transfer portal became a hot subject Thursday in Minnesota and several of the Final Four coaches weighed in with their thoughts.
Women's Final Four offers plenty of activities for fans in Twin Cities
And many of the events are free leading up to Sunday's championship game at Target Center.
Paige Bueckers speeds past injury timeline in UConn's OT thriller
Women's Final Four notes: Geno Auriemma said, two weeks ago, he wouldn't have believed it. Louisville coach has Minnesota ties.
Minnesotans making big impacts so far in NCAA women's tournament
There were Minnesota players who led the way to upsets, kept tournament favorites on course or saw their championship bids end earlier than expected during the first two rounds of play.
Gophers heavyweight Steveson repeats as NCAA champion
Wrestling his last college match on Saturday night, Gable Steveson completed his undefeated season. He brought the crowd to its feet with his signature backflip, then left his shoes on the mat.
Four other Gophers athletes, besides Gable Steveson, who keep conquering the competition
Gymnast Lexy Ramler, diver Sarah Bacon, swimmer Max McHugh and distance runner Bethany Hasz have each had extraordinary Gophers careers.
Meet the Minnesotans who competed in the 2022 Beijing Paralympics
The five Minnesotans in Beijing won four medals, including three for cross-country skier Sydney Peterson of Lake Elmo.
Walker's third-period goal lifts U into Big Ten men's hockey final
Sammy Walker's tally at 17 minutes, 21 seconds of the third gave the Gophers a 3-2 victory over Penn State, their ninth consecutive win and their fourth appearance in the Big Ten title game.
Diggins gets bronze medal in final World Cup race of the season
Jessie Diggins, the cross-country skier from Afton, finished second in the women's overall standings, 180 points behind overall champion Natalia Nepryaeva of Russia.
Lake Elmo's Peterson follows up silver with Paralympics bronze
Another Minnesotan helped wheelchair curling team remain in contention at Paralympics
Minnesotans Schultz and Peterson win silver medals at Paralympics
Snowboarder Mike Schultz of St. Cloud and cross-country skier Sydney Peterson of Lake Elmo became the first Minnesotans to win medals at the Beijing Paralympics.
A page turner: St. Cloud snowboard racer Schultz keeps competitive fire
Preparation is no deterrent for the defending Paralympic champion. He has the best tools of the trade, some of which he designed and are used by other athletes.
Burnsville woman proud to represent country where she was 'reborn' in Paralympics
Oyuna Uranchimeg thought her life was over in 2000, when she was in a car accident while visiting Minnesota. "I basically died that day. And then, I came back."
Rested Diggins returning to competition, less than a week after Olympics
Afton's Jessie Diggins, who capped the Beijing Games with a silver medal, says she is recharged and ready for the World Cup circuit. First up: Finland.
Olympics contrasted success, safety, shortcomings, controversy
As the athletes took part in the Closing Ceremony, they were just grateful the Winter Games made it over the finish line.
Conquering illness, Diggins ends her Olympics with historic silver medal
On the final day of the Olympics, Jessie Diggins of Afton seized her last shot to make more history, despite being sick with food poisoning just hours before the race in the mountains outside Beijing.
How'd they do? Meet the 30 U.S. Olympians with Minnesota ties
The contingent with Minnesota connections on Team USA was the largest since Turin in 2006 and included nine gold medalists from four years ago.
How Team USA made Beijing Olympics as fun as possible
Athletes cheering for athletes will be one of the joyful memories from an Olympics otherwise tied down tightly by COVID-19 restrictions.
White Bear Lake speedskater Giorgia Birkeland reaches Olympic finals
The 19-year-old finished 12th in her first mass start race at the senior international level.
After loss to Canada for bronze, Shuster already has eye on 2026 Games
John Shuster, 39, won't be bringing home a medal from the Olympics this time. But he still has the fire for curling and is looking at a sixth Olympic appearance at the 2026 games in Italy.
Loss to Canada brings stinging end to Olympics for Team USA women
Four years after they experienced the unabashed joy of dethroning Canada as Olympic champions, the Americans stood glumly on the ice in Beijing to accept silver medals.
Strategy backfires on Shuster, ending chance for another golden curl
Curling is often called chess on ice. It was more like a math problem for USA curling skipper John Shuster and his teammates in their Olympic semifinal loss to Great Britain.
Despite medal expectations, Diggins happy with fifth place in sprint relay
Four years after the crowning moment of her cross-country skiing career, Jessie Diggins of Afton said knowing she did her best in the classic team sprint relay was good enough.
For St. Paul biathlete, Olympics are long way from Mora Vasaloppet
Former St. Olaf runner and skier Jake Brown, who went to Minnehaha Academy, posted the best individual results of the four-man U.S. team at the Beijing Olympics.
It's USA-Canada again, but college players fuel global growth of women's hockey
More than 100 former college players made rosters for these Olympics, including 48 from the WCHA, half of whom are playing for China and teams from Europe.
Diggins heads to her gold medal event with fresh changes, challenges
Jessie Diggins' teammate in the team sprint event is expected to be Rosie Brennan, not Kikkan Randall, and the skiing technique is classic, not her preferred freestyle.
Schommer gets off the mat, develops into an Olympian in biathlon
Former wrestler Paul Schommer answers his calling to the Nordic sport at St. Scholastica under coach Chad Salmela.
From Mexico to Richfield to China, Soto Moreno went around the world on two skis
Jonathan Soto Moreno arrived at Richfield High School not knowing a thing about cross-country skiing. Friday, he arrived at the finish line of an Olympics race.
Team Peterson goes quiet on the curling ice and on the scoreboard
A 10-5 loss to Great Britain dropped the U.S. women's curling team to 3-1 in round-round play.
U.S. men's hockey does not have long to savor win over Canada
The young American team faces Germany on Sunday with a chance to win Group A and earn a bye and high seeding in the quarterfinals.
Team USA men's hockey turns away Canada 4-2 in Olympics pool play
Ben Meyers of the Gophers scored USA's second goal, helping the team to a second win at the Winter Olympics.
In her weakest event, Diggins finds joy finishing 8th in 10-kilometer race
Though she wasn't among the favorites, Jessie Diggins of Afton proved she's in razor-sharp form at the halfway point of her schedule. She called it her 'day to go out there and enjoy racing at the Olympics.'
Gold-medal performers: The Olympic robots of Beijing
They're doing everything from sweeping floors to delivering food to shaking cocktails to reduce human contact because of COVID. Olympic writer Rachel Blount writes — and has photos and video of them on the job.
Olympics 'the kind of thing you dream about' for Eagan's Peterson sisters
The Peterson rink, representing the U.S. in women's curling in Beijing, opened with a 9-3 victory over Russia, and the journey has only brought them closer together.
John Shuster rink tops Russian curlers to open gold medal defense
The U.S. champions needed an extra end in their debut at the Beijing Games.
How to watch Olympic curling (and actually know what's going on)
We'll help you talk smart to your friends as the U.S. men's and women's teams look to medal.
Diggins makes more U.S. Olympic history by skiing to freestyle sprint bronze
Jessie Diggins has a habit of making history, and Tuesday's bronze medal just added to the Afton native's list of breakthrough performances.
Joy across the globe: It's a girl for Olympic biathlete Leif Nordgren
While Minnesota biathlete Leif Nordgren is in China to compete in the Beijing Olympics, his wife, Caitlin, gave birth to the couple's first child in Vermont.
More disappointment for Duluth curler Plys in mixed-doubles result
Chris Plys has dealt with letdowns before. In fact, before he joined John Shuster's 2018 gold-medal team, they were a fairly frequent occurrence.
Olympic diary: planes, trains and many, many buses
Getting to Beijing was tough enough. Getting around once we arrived hasn't been any easier. Going to watch Jessie Diggins ski was quite a trip.
Why the Olympic sprint course Jessie Diggins will face is such a challenge
On a course few cross-country skiers have ever seen, Jessie Diggins of Afton has her work cut out for her as she tries to bring home more gold for the United States.
U.S. Olympian dilemma: Protest China rights abuses or play?
American athletes have been warned, and they certainly will be watched. Many have been put in an uncomfortable position.
Diggins finishes sixth in skiathlon, first race of loaded Beijing Games
Jessie Diggins rallied during the final kilometers of the women's skiathlon but came up short of the medal stand. She has potentially five more races in the coming days.
Diggins goes for first medal: What you should know about skiathlon
Jessie Diggins of Afton finished fifth in the 15-kilometer skiathlon four years ago. Can she make it to the medal stand? And what exactly is skiathlon?
China turns up volume in own defense in an otherwise quiet Opening Ceremony
The Olympic cauldron was lit by an athlete of Uyghur Muslim heritage, a group the country is accused of oppressing. Vladimir Putin was there; U.S. officials were not.
Inside the 'closed loop' of Beijing Games: solitude, gratitude and ... bagpipes?
This is no Olympics party. Beijing is enforcing rules set to keep COVID-19 away from the Winter Olympics, making for a hermetically sealed experience.
Jessie Diggins, John Shuster and 7 other Minnesotans going back for more gold
Curlers John Shuster and John Landsteiner, skier Jessie Diggins and six women's hockey players aim to return from the Beijing Olympics with a 2022 medal to match 2018's.
Olympic Diary: Welcome to three weeks of the daily throat swab
Every 24 hours, anyone inside the Olympic bubble in Beijing is tested for COVID-19. Try to skip it, and the high-tech scarlet letter will find you.
Minnesota's Shuster named to carry U.S. flag in Opening Ceremony
Curling skip John Shuster will bring the flag into the Beijing stadium four years after Jessie Diggins — an Afton native who won 2018 Olympic gold in cross-country skiing — carried it in the Closing Ceremony in South Korea.
Duluth's Plys opens mixed curling with comeback win over Australia
In the first event of the Beijing Olympics, Chris Plys and Alaskan Vicky Persinger delivered a victory to kick off the round-robin portion of the tournament.
Olympic Diary: In Beijing, internet access (or censorship) is variable
In her first diary post from the Winter Games, Rachel Blount writes that reporters can find unrestricted internet access, but the realities of censorship are just as easy to see.
