South notebook: Shakopee softball coach finalist for national honor

Shakopee softball coach Neil Johnson is in elite company.

Johnson is one of eight finalists for the National High School Athletic Coaches Association mentor of the year in the sport. The winner will be announced at the group's national convention at the Kahler Grand Hotel in Rochester on June 20.

"I am very honored to be up for this award and it means a lot to me," Johnson said. "But it is an award that I feel can be shared with my coaching staff, who have made the Shakopee program what it is today, and also the many coaches in Minnesota who I have had the opportunity to work with to improve softball in the state."

Johnson was selected for the honor by the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association. It was based on longevity, service to high school athletics, honors, championship years and winning percentage.

"I just finished my 40th year of coaching softball at Shakopee, and my assistant coach Craig Kocon has been with me for 36 years," Johnson said. "I can't imagine a coaching combination that has been at it that long in Minnesota. We have seen many changes to the game over our careers."

Shakopee sophomore Jackson Allen won the Class 2A, Section 2 boys' singles tennis championship, defeating Jonah Salita of Minnetonka 6-0, 6-0 in the finals. Allen became the first player in the history of the program to qualify for the singles state tournament.

He didn't lose a game in his four singles matches. A year ago, Allen had to withdraw from the section singles field due to an injury.

Allen teamed up with junior Rajadurai Arul to qualify for the doubles state tournament two years ago. They lost in the opening round.

The individual state tournament will be held Thursday and Friday at the Baseline Tennis Center on the University of Minnesota campus.

• Apple Valley entered the Class 3A, Section 3 baseball tournament as the No. 8 seed. Three solid pitching performances later — two by sophomore Zach Parks and another by senior Cole Johnson — and the Eagles were one of the two unbeaten teams remaining in the field. Parks defeated Simley 7-2 in the opening round and then tossed a two-hit shutout against Burnsville in the semifinals. In between Parks' starts, Johnson outdueled Bloomington Jefferson ace and Oklahoma recruit Jake Irvin 3-2 in the quarterfinals. Johnson also drove in the deciding run with a sacrifice fly.

• Farmington senior Justin Hyytinen won the 800- and 1,600-meter runs in the Class 2A, Section 1 boys' track meet. He won the 800 with a time of 1 minute, 53.49 seconds and captured the 1,600 in 4 minutes, 25.37 seconds. Hyytinen also ran the anchor leg on the Tigers' victorious 4x400 relay team.

Ron Haggstrom • 612-673-4498