Transferring closer to home turned out to be exactly the right move for Chi-Hi graduate Tyson Kalien.
Kalien, who transferred to UW-Eau Claire from St. Cloud State, leads the Blugolds men’s basketball team averaging 14.2 points per game and 28.6 minutes per game.
He’s one of five players who have played all 10 games for UW-Eau Claire (3-7, 0-3 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference), making three starts. The junior has been hot in the month of December, scoring 22 points on Dec. 6 against River Falls, 16 on Dec. 10 against UW-Superior and a season-high 23 points on Dec. 13 against St. Norbert.
The Blugolds play at a holiday tournament in Tampa that concludes today before jumping back into conference play against UW-La Crosse on Jan. 3.
Nate Kalien continues family tradition
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While Tyson Kalien has been a regular for UW-Eau Claire, younger brother Nate Kalien has seen limited time as a freshman with the UW-Superior men’s basketball team.
Kalien has two points, two assists, three rebounds and a steal to his credit through six games this season. The oldest brother, Dustin Kalien, recently ended his career at UW-Eau Claire, making all three brothers a part of WIAC basketball.
UW-Superior (5-5, 1-2 WIAC) wraps up a tournament at Wisconsin Dells today and returns to conference action on Jan. 3 against UW-Oshkosh.
Passint consistent for Winona State
Chi-Hi graduate Emily Passint been a consistent contributor off the bench for the Winona State women’s basketball team.
Passint has played in all 10 games for the Warriors (9-1, 5-1 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) and is averaging 2.5 points per game, three rebounds per game and 13.2 minutes per game.
Passint, a junior, scored a season-high five points on back-to-back nights against Crown College on Nov. 14 and Trinity Christian on Nov. 15. She grabbed a season-high five rebounds three different times, most recently against Southwest Minnesota State on Dec. 5.
Winona State’s next game is at Northern State on Jan. 2.
Vodacek among program greats
Bloomer graduate John Vodacek took 45th place the NCAA Division I South Central Regional on No. 14, finishing the 10k race in 31 minutes, 34.5 seconds for the eighth-fastest time in school history for Arkansas-Little Rock.
Vodacek took 12th at the Sun Belt Conference Championships on Nov. 2, finishing in 25:14.4 (8k race). UALR finished fifth as a team.
A junior for the Trojans, Vodacek has transitioned from cross country to indoor track season. He took second place in the 3k in 8:43.51 at the A-State Kickoff Klassic on Dec. 7.
Arkansas-Little Rock returns to competition on Jan. 24 at the Arkansas State Scarlet and Black Invitational.