The Shakopee High School volleyball team, the two-time defending Class AAA champions, play Chaska at 6 p.m. today for the Section 2 championship at Chanhassen High School.

Read updates on the progress of the match on this web site tonight.

By Todd Abeln, Sports Editor

NORTHFIELD -- Shakopee High School ninth-grader Maria Hauger won the Class AA girls state cross country championship this morning in Northfield.

Hauger's winning time was 14:40.8, and she topped the second-place finisher by about a second.

As a team, the Saber girls finished eighth in the state.

In the boys' state race, Trent Lusignan finished in 13th place. 

Shakopee High School invites fans to wear red as it takes on Chaska High School in the Section 2A final Saturday.

The undefeated Shakopee volleyball team competes against Chaska at 6 p.m. Saturday at Chanhassen High School, 2200 Lyman Blvd., Chanhassen.

Nearly 500,000 Minnesotans will venture into field and forest when the firearms deer season opens Saturday.

Standing corn is a safety concern this firearms deer hunting season, according to Capt. Mike Hammer of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

“The cool summer and wet fall has delayed the corn harvest in many parts of the state,” noted Hammer, the DNR Enforcement Division’s Education Program coordinator. “That harvest delay could create hunter safety issues during deer drives when the firearms deer season kicks off on Nov. 7.”

It was the Shakopee show at the Class 2A, Section 2 cross country meet on Thursday afternoon.

Running at Eagle Golf Club in Willmar, the Saber girls qualified as a team for the state meet and two boys qualified for state as individuals.

The girls dominated the race by putting five runners in the top-30 and finishing with 80 points. Chanhassen was second with 105 points.

The Shakopee football team made great strides in the 2009 season, but they were unable to take another step forward when they lost their first playoff game of the season.

Edina topped the Sabers in a back-and-forth battle 46-43 in overtime when the Hornets hit a 25-yard field goal in Class 5A, Section 6 action.

Edina kicked the winning field goal on second down after they stopped the Sabers on a fourth and goal from the one yard line.

Canterbury Park in Shakopee has asked the Minnesota Racing Commission for permission to hold a 62-day live racing meet next year, the same as this year.

The season would run from May 14 through Aug. 29.

Shakopee High School has a new boys swim coach.

Ryan Rich was announced as the team’s second coach in its two-year history.

Rich swam for the Hopkins Swim Club from 1999-2005. From 2005-2009, he served as assistant senior coach for the Hopkins swim Club and from 2007-2009, he was the lead age group coach for Hopkins Swim Club.  

Rich also was an assistant girls coach for Osseo High School in 2008 and an assistant girls coach for Minneapolis Southwest High in 2009.  

Rich replaces Luke Weyandt who resigned after one year.