By Bill Morgan, 

Staff Writer

 

Becker tennis star Jacob Lukkarila was named spring athlete of the year Thursday by the St. Cloud Times in boys tennis.

 

At the end of the spring prep sports season, three Central Minnesota athletes in each spring sport were nominated for their sport's  all-area athlete of the year.

 

Over the last few weeks, the Times has been announcing these finalists as well as honorable mention players. Several Becker Bulldog athletes made the lists.

 

Lukkarila won the South Sub-Section 8AA singles title and took third in the Section 8AA meet, coming up one spot short of qualifying for his second straight state tournament.

 

Lukkarila picked up two wins in the Section 8AA singles tournament and was an area-best, 26-3 for the Bulldogs, who finished 14-7.

 

Lukkarila is 58-5 in the last two seasons in singles. He is an All-Granite Ridge Conference selection and has been on the varsity squad for four years.

 

Junior Brady Gruenhagen joined Lukkarila on the team as an honorable mention.

 

Girls Golf

Becker’s Hannah Garcia, a junior, was the Granite Ridge Conference regular-season champion, earning all-conference honors. She competed in the second round of the Section 8-3A tournament, finishing 32nd.

 

Garcia was an honorable-mention selection to the all-area team last year as a sophomore.

 

Boys Golf

 

No Bulldog golfers made the Times’ all-area squad or honorable mention.

 

Boys Track

 

No Bulldog runners made the Times’ all-area team but three athletes made honorable mention: Junior Kevin Andres, senior Sidney Boros and senior Austin Hemmelgarn. 

 

Girls Track

 

No female Bulldog runners made the Times’ all-area team but a couple made honorable mention: Sophomore Lexi Dehmer, senior Alli Hendrickson and freshman Cassidy Pleoger.

 

Softball

Twelve girls were named to the Times’ all-area team including Corrie Weise, a sophomore. Two other Bulldog players made honorable mention:

 

Weise is a Minnesota Fastpitch Coaches' Association Class 3A All-State second team selection after leading the Bulldogs to their sixth straight Granite Ridge Conference championship. She was the Co-MVP of the Granite Ridge and is already getting recruiting interest from Division II NSIC schools.

 

In 24 games as a pitcher and third baseman, she hit .453 with a .539 on-base percentage, 10 doubles, four homers, 18 RBI and scored 31 runs. As a freshman, she hit .449 with eight homers and 33 RBI and hit .373 as an eighth-grader.

 

Pitching, Weise was 11-5 with a 2.28 ERA. In 101⅓ innings, she struck out 106 with 25 walks. She is 22-8 with a 2.26 ERA and 233 strikeouts in 203⅔ innings in her career.

 

Two Bulldog softball players made honorable mention including: Freshman Krista Paulson and senior Ellie Schwartz.

 

Baseball

 

No Becker baseball players were named to the Times’ all-area team as well as honorable mention.

 

Girls Lacrosse

 

No Becker girls lacrosse players were named to the Times’ all-area team as well as honorable mention.

 

Boys Lacrosse

 

No Becker boys lacrosse players were named to the Times’ all-area team as well as honorable mention.

 

Saturday, the Times will announce the female athlete of the year and Sunday the male athlete. Monday, the coach of the year will be announced.