West metro notes: Richfield girls' basketball coach resigns

LeeAnn Wise, who coached Richfield to the Class 3A girls' basketball championship game in March, has resigned after six seasons.

With a veteran team coming back, including All-State guard Jessica January, there was speculation that health concerns were behind the decision. Those rumors, Wise said, were false.

"I've heard all of the things people are saying, but the rumors are not true," she said. "I'm not sick. I'm not taking a coaching job at another level. It's just the right time."

Scott Stadem, who has coached the Richfield JV for the past five years, will take over as head coach.

"This way, I leave Scott with a good nucleus and give him a chance to transition the program into his style," Wise said.

White Hawks making wavesThe Mound-Westonka/Holy Family girls' swimming team pulled off a pair of upsets last week. The Class 1A White Hawks defeated Class 2A Buffalo 94-92 and then defeated Hutchinson by the same score. It was the first Wright County Conference loss for Hutchinson since it joined the league in 2010.

Mackenzie Braden was the White Hawks' standout, winning four individual races and swimming the anchor leg on two winning 400 freestyle relay teams. Those victories clinched both meets.

Worth noting• Senior quarterback Alex Heigl of Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity figured in eight touchdowns in the Bulldogs' 61-32 victory Friday over No. 3, Class 1A Blooming Prairie. Heigl rushed 19 times for 332 yards and seven touchdowns and completed five of 11 passes for 57 yards and a touchdown. He also intercepted two passes.

• Minnehaha Academy's 4-0 victory over Rochester Lourdes Saturday was the 400th girls' soccer victory in school history.

• Josh Thurow, Minnehaha Academy girls' basketball coach and co-baseball coach, was among the NFL replacement officials at last Wednesday's game between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants. Thurow, who has been a NCAA Division II and III official, was the line judge.

• St. Michael-Albertville's Dallas Freeman made Duluth East's inaugural Mississippi 8 Conference football game a memorable one for himself, at least. Freeman, a senior defensive back, returned a punt 63 yards for a touchdown, a kickoff 87 yard for another touchdown and intercepted a pass. His team won 43-6.