With the book on 2008 officially closed and 2009 just beginning, we thought we would take a look back at the sports year that was here in Altoona. It was a busy and exciting year, to be sure, with multiple high school teams advancing to state, new records being set, and all sorts of events and activities going on throughout the community.

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April 17, 1972: Kim Sturz picks up the victory as the Railroader baseball team tops Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran 9-1. Eighteen Lancers struck out on the afternoon.

April 14, 1987: The Altoona boys’ track team places first at the Mondovi Triangular, with Noland Anderson placing first in the 200-meter dash, Jeff Fleig winning the 1600-meter, Curt Raether finishing first in the 110-meter high hurdles, Troy Tschan claiming the triple jump title, Russell Welke winning the discus, and the 4-by-400 relay team placing first as well.
April 14, 1988: Miki Hagen and Trista Bauer combine on the first no-hitter in Altoona softball history, with Hagen pitching the first four innings and Bauer pitching the fifth of a 15-0 win over Cornell. Five days later, the same two pitchers would combine on a one-hitter against Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran.

April 17, 1999: Emilee Planert hits two home runs and has seven runs batted in as the Railroader softball team blows out Elk Mound 24-3 in five innings in the first game of a two-game tournament in Pepin. Altoona went on to defeat Pepin 4-0 in the title game. 

December 30, 1986: Four Railroaders score in double-figures as the Altoona boys’ basketball team tops Alma, 57-40. Tony Watt and Greg Boettcher lead the Railroaders with 14 points each. Read the rest of this entry »

When compiling this week’s “Backtracks” segment, we came across an interesting pattern of the Altoona football team performing well in games played on October 23. If only the Railroaders could play all their games on that date. Read on…

October 23, 1964: John Ryan carries 12 times for 153 yards against Cornell. His record average of 12.75 yards per carry would not be broken until McCorison averaged 13.62 in the 1998 season opener.

October 23, 1987: It takes overtime to do it, but the Altoona football team knocks off Osseo-Fairchild 18-12. Quinn Fitch accounts for all of the Railroaders’ scoring in the win.

October 23, 1997: Records fall left and right as the Altoona football team blows out Mosinee, 54-20. The Railroaders set school records for most points in a game, most total yards (455) and most rushing yards (441) in the victory. Not all the records were good, however, as Mosinee’s 286 passing yards were the most ever allowed by an Altoona defense. Kyle McCorison rushes 18 times for 174 yards and three touchdowns, Joe Harris adds two touchdowns, and Ben Hemphill concludes the game with a 66-yard scoring run for the Railroaders.

October 23, 2003: The Railroaders’ luckiest date works its magic one more time as Altoona halts a seven-game losing streak by defeating Osseo-Fairchild 30-16.

Altoona has not played on October 23 since.

September 23, 2006: Altoona’s #3 doubles team of Grace Kressin and Kirsten Pieterick improved to 18-0 with two wins as the Railroader girls’ tennis team captured the Chippewa Valley Tennis Conference title.

September 27, 2002: The Altoona football team knocks off Neillsville/Granton 23-14 to improve to 2-1 in Large Cloverbelt Conference play.

September 23, 1997: Four of Altoona’s five scoring runners finished in the top 15 as the Railroaders placed second in the girls’ cross country meet at Mondovi. Karin Diestelmeier finished second overall with a time of 15:56 on the 4,000-meter course, while Angie Hong took seventh, Megan Ryan ninth, and Kaela Wold 14th in a field of 89 runners.

September 22, 1992: The Altoona girls’ tennis team defeated New Richmond 7-2, losing only in the top singles and doubles matches while getting wins everywhere else, including a 6-0, 6-0 win by Kim Brown.

September 24, 1987: Coach Lori Petersen’s volleyball team defeats Cornell 15-8, 15-3 to improve to 4-2 in Western Cloverbelt Conference play.

September 23, 1982: Rick Speckien placed first out of 91 runners in a boys’ cross country meet at Colby. The Railroaders finished sixth out of 14 teams overall, with Richard Schummer coming in 30th and Thomas Mohr 36th for Altoona.

September 27, 1974: James Lopour, Timothy Stene, and Scott Johnson score touchdowns as the Altoona football team tops Gilman, 22-8.

September 27, 1963: Michael Rafferty scores two touchdowns as the Altoona football team defeats Fall Creek, 12-2.