Sports
Catch up with Some Lake Minnetonka Athletes Shining in College
Lake Minnetonka Patch will regularly check on some former Wayzata, Orono and Westonka stars to see how they are faring. If you have a former player you want to know about, please e-mail cmonter@aol.com or jay.corn@patch.com.
Several local winter teams are ranked among the top in the state. But several former hometown standouts are proving that success does not end in high school.
North Dakota State University offensive tackle Paul Cornick, a 6-foot-6, 309-pound senior from Orono, was named to the Walter Camp Football Foundation 2011 Football Championship Subdivision All-America team. Cornick graded out 95.6 percent this season with 93 knockdown blocks and allowed just one sack in pass protection and no quarterback hurries. He had a season-high 10 knockdown blocks in the season opener against Lafayette.
The offensive line, known as the "Rams," blocked for quarterback Brock Jensen, who ranked 20th nationally in passing efficiency. Cornick and company helped opened holes for the Bison running backs, who had a 1,000-yard runner for the ninth season in a row.
North Dakota State, ranked No. 2 in the country, will face top ranked Sam Houston State in the NCAA FCS Championship Game Jan. 7.
A.J. Tarpley, a 6-foot-2, 221-pound sophomore linebacker from Wayzata, finished third on the Stanford defense. He had 53 tackles (26 solo tackles), four tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Tarpley forced two fumbles, recovered one fumble and intercepted a pass. He was the 2009 Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year. Stanford, ranked No. 4 in the country, will face the nation's No. 3 team, Oklahoma State, in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2.
Kellen Taylor, a 6-foot-7, 205-pound sophomore, has helped lead the Winona State basketball team to a 10-1 start. The Warriors are currently 11th in the NABC Division II rankings. The Wayzata standout is averaging 5.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. Winona State faces University of Mary on the road next Tuesday.
Taylor Kuehl is fifth on the Ohio State women’s hockey team in scoring as a freshman. The former Westonka standout was named WCHA Rookie of the Week last month. She has ten assists for the Buckeyes, who are 9-7-2. Kuehl led the Mississippi 8 Section in scoring for four years and was a Ms. Hockey finalist as a senior. Ohio State faces Princeton Friday and Saturday at home.
