Former Sleepy Eye Indians basketball player Matt Lendt will be bringing his team, the North Metro Blazers, to Sleepy Eye Monday night for a contest against his former team.
Lendt was a 1,000 point scorer for the Indians. He also was the 1989 KNUJ Player of the Year.
North Metro has a unique situation. They are a team made up completely of homeschooled kids from northern Twin Cities communities. The team was founded in 2001 and ranges in age from eighth grade to seniors. The group is centered out of Roseville.
The Blazers play charter schools, private schools, other home schools and a few public schools including Sleepy Eye Monday night. They have an 18-6 record on the year.
This metro team does not participate in the MSHSL post season but will have their regional homeschool tournament the first week in March at Grace University in Omaha with the opportunity to move onto Nationals.
Lendt, who has coached the team for the past five years, currently lives in Nowthen (Elk River area) with his wife and four children (ages 10, 12, 15, 17.) His 15-year old son is a member of the North Metro junior varsity team. The two youngest are water boy and water girl for the team. His oldest plays for the girls North Metro team.
When Lendt’s not parenting or coaching, he is busy with his construction company called Common Sense Projects.
It should be a fun evening as the night has been designated as Elementary Basketball Fun Night and will include a half time performance by the K-1st grade team.
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Three local girls are members of the New Ulm Girls hockey team which has moved onto the state tournament. St. Mary’s Lexi Weiss and Alexa Fischer along with Sleepy Eye’s Miranda McMullen faced off against Breck Wednesday in the opening round. Results were not available when the Herald-Dispatch went to press.
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Sleepy Eye will be hopping this weekend with the district squirt hockey tournament being played at the Sleepy Eye Arena Thursday through Sunday. Fourteen teams are participating. The Sleepy Eye Basketball Boosters will also be putting on a fourth grade tournament that includes 17 teams.
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The Essig baseball and softball signup night will take place March 6, 12:30-3:30 p.m. at Carl’s Corner. For more information contact Ron Domeier 354-8424, Konnie Kuck 359-9511 for softball and Scott Hogan 354-4198 for baseball.
Sleepy Eye, Minn. —
