By Daniel Huss

They parked in the Eden Prairie Center parking lot, strutted across Prairie Center Drive and then buzzed the The Colony of Eden Prairie lobby like a swarm of bees.

The Colony’s residents got out of their way, but not without smiling.
The buzz?

Eden Prairie’s World Series run culminates with runner-up finish

By Daniel Huss

The Eden Prairie American Legion baseball team finished its storybook season late Tuesday night, early Wednesday morning actually, by living a dream, playing in the American Legion World Series Championship game.

In truth, Eden Prairie played in two American Legion World Series Championship games, one in the heat of a Spokane, Wash., afternoon
and one in a muggy nightcap.

By Daniel Huss

Matt Hamada remembers when he and buddies used to ride their BMX bikes at Eden Prairie’s skate park and then get an earful from the Eden Prairie police.

“They banned us from all EP parks,” he said, “but we kept on riding. Once, we even ran from the police.”

Eventually, Hamada worked up the nerve to show up at a city meeting.
“I figured it was my one chance to be heard,” he said.

Reluctantly, the city acquiesced.

By Daniel Huss

Three weekends ago, the Eden Prairie American Legion baseball team won a District 10 title. Two weekends ago, this same legion team won a state championship. Monday, and after playing through another long weekend, Eden Prairie won the Central Plains Regional Tournament. And did you know they boast a 40-7 record?

Next, they hop a plane and fly to Spokane, Wash., for the American Legion World Series.

What do you do with your weekends?

How do you get eight high school students to go really fast backwards?

Put them in a racing shell and have them compete in the sport of rowing, also known as crew. Crew is a popular collegiate and Olympic sport that is growing rapidly among high-school students here in Minnesota.

In fact, some 150 high school rowers and 30 boats will be at Bryant Lake in Eden Prairie for a rowing competition on Sunday. Twin Cities Youth Rowing, a program that draws high school athletes from over 20 area high schools, is hosting the competition.

Eden Prairie’s Jason Clark is third round pick in NHL draft

By Daniel Huss

As an invited guest/player to the 2010 NHL Draft (June 25-26 in Los Angeles, Calif.), Eden Prairie’s Jason Clark knew he’d be drafted. What he didn’t know was who would be doing the drafting or when it would happen.

“Points wise,” said Clark, “I didn’t have the greatest season last year, so I was thinking fifth round.

“But my family adviser told me something different,” he adds, “He thought I’d go in the third round, maybe even late second.”

By Daniel Huss

Sometimes, big ideas are hatched in little places.

“Ryan (Ryan Ward, head coach of the Eden Prairie High School boys lacrosse team) and I were talking during lunch break at one of his camps,” said Todd Baxter, star of Ward’s 2007 team. “He said I should play for Team England in this year’s World Championships.”

Surely, Baxter thought Ward was crazy, but not too crazy (Ward himself had played for Team Canada in the 2006 World Cup).
“I researched,” said Baxter; “threw out a lot of e-mails and made a lot of phone calls.”

Dean Rudrud, head coach of the Eden Prairie High School tennis team,  must be a good poker player.

If he knew he had the best tennis team in the state, he never let on.

Wednesday, Rudrud's Eagles won Eden Prairie High School's first State Tennis Tournament team title, winning 6-1 over Wayzata in the semifinals and then 6-1 over Eagan in the championship match.

In beating Eagan, the Eagles showed how much their program has improved.

Dean Rudrud, head coach of the Eden Prairie High School tennis team,  must be a good poker player.

If he knew he had the best tennis team in the state, he never let on.

Wednesday, Rudrud's Eagles won Eden Prairie High School's first State Tennis Tournament team title, winning 6-1 over Wayzata in the semifinals and then 6-1 over Eagan in the championship match.

In beating Eagan, the Eagles showed how much their program has improved.

By Daniel Huss

Last June, the Minnesota State High School League ruled that high school teams would only be allowed to travel to states and provinces bordering Minnesota, with round trips of no more than 600 miles strictly prohibited.

Their justification was that it was going to save money, while at the same time, level the playing field.

Coaches accustomed to taking their teams out of state cried foul, particularly coaches leading teams on spring break trips.
For the current school year, exemptions were issued to teams that had plans in place.