CENTURY HIGH SCHOOL

Rochester high school student killed in crash over homecoming weekend

Mark Wasson — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 15:25:14 GMT

CASCADE TOWNSHIP, Minn. — A 16-year-old Century High �� student was killed in a three-vehicle crash in Cascade Township just outside Rochester on Saturday, Oct. 7, according to Olmsted County Sheriff's Capt. Tim Parkin.

According to Parkin:

Deputies responded to a crash at the intersection of Broadway Avenue North near Woodridge Lane Northeast around 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

One of the drivers, Davin Tukua, was trapped inside his vehicle. He was eventually extracted by deputies with the help of good samaritans. While first responders attempted life-saving measures, Tukua, a Century High �� student, was pronounced dead at the scene.

While the cause of the crash is under investigation, Parkin said preliminary reports show that Tukua was headed southbound on Broadway when his vehicle crossed the center line and crashed into another vehicle going northbound. A third vehicle rear-ended the other vehicle going northbound.

Minor injuries were reported from at least one of the drivers from the other two vehicles, a 64-year-old Wabasha man and a 32-year-old Rochester man.

Contradicting some social media reports about the crash, Parkin said preliminary information shows this crash was not a hit-and-run, as all the vehicles involved were disabled following the crash.

A GoFundMe has been started by the family to help cover funeral expenses. As of Monday morning, more than $12,000 has been raised.

"Davin was an incredible young man: an amazing son and brother, an adventurous cousin, kind, gentle & fun with his younger cousins and a wonderful friend to so many people. His bright smile and energy always lit up a room," part of the GoFundMe reads. "Davin will forever be in our hearts and everyone else's heart that he touched with his bright light. His memory will forever be cherished as a bright light extinguished far too soon."

The crash happened over Century's homecoming weekend. In an email to families and staff, Rochester Public ��s Superintendent Kent Pekel said the district learned about the crash on Saturday evening, shortly before the homecoming dance. The school opted to have the dance to give students the chance to "be together at what may be a difficult time."

"We are thinking of the family and friends of the Century student who lost their life this evening, and we will provide additional information and assistance in the days ahead," Pekel said in the email.

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Rochester native Bennett Zmolek to continue college hockey career at North Dakota

Brad Elliott Schlossman — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 02:34:25 GMT

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — UND has filled a major need on its defensive core.

Rochester native Bennett Zmolek, who played one season at Minnesota State-Mankato, committed to UND after making a visit Tuesday.

"Obviously, everyone knows about North Dakota and the program it is, the atmosphere it brings and how the community comes to support us," Zmolek said. "I'm very excited to step on the ice for the first time.

"(The visit) was the first time I ever saw the rink and everything. Just seeing it, my jaw hit the floor."

Zmolek, who played two seasons at Century before leaving for the USHL, played 28 games on Minnesota State's 2022 NCAA Frozen Four runner-up team. He scored two goals and seven points, earning all-rookie team honors in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association.

He sat out last season recovering from hip surgery, which was completed Nov. 3.

"Everything is going well," said Zmolek, who started skating again in February. "So far, so good with everything on the ice."

Zmolek will have three years of college eligibility remaining at UND.

He brings a number of attributes UND needs on its back end, which will have eight new members in 2023-24.

Size? Yes. He's 6-foot-3, 195 pounds.

Defensive reliability? Yes. He was a plus-12 at Minnesota State.

"He takes pride in defending and that part of the game first," said his father Doug, who played 467 NHL games with the Dallas Stars, San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks. "Then, he works toward the offensive side."

Physicality? Yes.

"I want to be hard on the forwards every night," Zmolek said. "I want to make sure whatever they get, they have to work super hard for. "

Right-handed shot? Yes.

Of the five potential incoming freshmen and one previously committed transfer, only one is right-handed.

The Fighting Hawks appear to have six of eight spots solidified on the defense.

Alaska captain Garrett Pyke, a senior, and Zmolek are coming in as transfers.

Four rookies are expected to come — Vegas Golden Knights draft pick Abram Wiebe of the Chilliwack Chiefs, Minnesota Wild draft pick Nate Benoit of the Waterloo Black Hawks, draft-eligible Jake Livanavage of the Chicago Steel and right-handed Tanner Komzak of the Whitecourt Wolverines.

Draft-eligible Andrew Strathmann of the Youngstown Phantoms is a possibility.

The Fighting Hawks will target one more veteran defenseman in the transfer portal, too.

Zmolek's hockey background

Zmolek grew up in a hockey-playing family.

His dad played for the University of Minnesota before embarking on an eight-year NHL career.

His oldest brother, Riese, played four years at Minnesota State from 2017-21. He's now with the Iowa Wild, the top minor-league affiliate of the Minnesota Wild.

The middle brother, Will, just completed a four-year career at Bemidji State. Will ranked No. 3 in all of college hockey in average minutes per game last season with 26:16. He signed an NHL deal with the Philadelphia Flyers last month.

"I would say he's very, very similar to his brothers," Doug said.

Bennett, who will turn 21 next week, played in the USHL for Cedar Rapids and Youngstown before beginning college.

After a solid first season with the Mavericks, last season was difficult because of the surgery.

"It was mentally draining," he said. "Figuring out I had to have surgery and being out of the lineup the whole year after going to the Frozen Four, it was pretty tough. I've been motivated to push and push and not get in that situation again."

Zmolek entered the NCAA transfer portal April 4 after Mavericks head coach Mike Hastings left for Wisconsin.

"I got contacted by a couple other teams," Zmolek said. "But with North Dakota, it's hard to pass up on them with all the great players they've produced."

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Man who shot, killed teen won't referee any more games for Rochester schools

John Molseed — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 15:16:39 GMT

ROCHESTER, Minn. — A referee who was tried twice but never convicted in the shooting death of a Rochester, Minn., teen has been removed from the list of officiants used by Rochester Public ��s.

Parents and family of basketball players recognized Alexander Weiss refereeing a Century High �� girls ninth-grade basketball game Friday, Feb. 12, at Century.

Monique Shanice, who attended the game to watch her sister play, said she recognized Weiss from the high-profile murder case.

Weiss was charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of 17-year-old Muhammed Rahim. Weiss shot and killed Rahim after a crash involving Weiss’ Subaru and a Chevrolet Cavalier Rahim was driving on 31st Street Northeast near East River Road in Rochester on Jan. 14, 2018.

Weiss was tried twice. Both trials concluded with hung juries, meaning the panels of 12 were unable to come to a consensus on Weiss’ guilt or innocence.

Weiss didn’t dispute the fact that he shot and killed Rahim, but maintained he did so in self-defense. The Olmsted County Attorney’s Office dismissed the charges against Weiss on Nov. 25, 2019. The dismissal does not establish Weiss’ guilt or innocence.

Weiss asked that the charge be removed from his record and no longer be available to the public. A hearing for that motion was delayed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but was ultimately granted.

Shanice said a parent of another player asked if that was Weiss who was refereeing the game. Shanice confirmed it appeared to be him.

“My stomach was in knots,” she said.

Shanice said she understands that Weiss no longer faces charges in the shooting death.

“It’s still a fact of knowing that he shot to death a teen in this community,” she said. “And now he’s acting as an official over students in this community — that didn’t sit right with me.”

Shanice’s mom, Amy Caine, watched as Weiss officiated over the game in which her daughter, an eighth-grade student at Kellogg Middle ��, was playing.

“My reaction was I wanted to get (her) off the court,” Caine said.

However, she didn’t want to cause a scene or embarrass her younger daughter.

“It felt like a no-win situation,” she said.

Shanice wanted to give other parents a warning that they might find themselves in the same situation and posted a message on social media about Weiss officiating the game, along with images of him that showed he wasn’t wearing a mask, which is required of all the players and spectators at the event to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

During Weiss’ trial, he contended that he was unable to leave the scene of the confrontation with Rahim due to severe asthma.

“This about the kids’ safety,” Caine said.

Shanice’s post garnered a lot of public reaction — in support and against. However, several people agreed to contact the district and ask Rochester Public ��s not to use Weiss as a referee.

Weiss was brought in to officiate the game through the Rochester Area Officials Association.

However, Mark Kuisle, activities director at Century High ��, responded that Weiss has been removed from the school district's list of officiants. Kuisle’s response did not specify a reason Weiss was dropped from the list.

Shanice said her goal was to warn parents, but she was glad he won’t officiate games at Rochester school sites. However, she added, she doesn’t believe he should officiate games where Rochester students might be playing.

“Some of these students might have known (Rahim),” Shanice said. “I just feel he shouldn’t be in that position.”

Weiss could not be immediately reached for comment.

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The Recruiting Trail: Aney a different kind of two-sport college athlete

Pat Ruff — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 14:00:00 GMT

ROCHESTER, Minn. — The Sports Illustrated SportsKid of the Year award in 2010 gave things away.

Yes, Jessie Aney was going to have some choices when it came time to pick a college sport. The Rochester native’s supreme abilities in two sports — tennis and hockey — brought her the national award. Her 4.0 grade-point average, community service and ability to play the piano also factored in.

Aney graduated from high school one year early after taking classes online. But that wasn’t before winning a state singles tennis championship for Rochester Century as an eighth-grader, a state doubles crown with older sister Katie as a freshmen, then switching to boys tennis at Century as a sophomore, helping lead that team to the state tournament.

In 2015, Aney was ranked as high as No. 4 nationally among girls tennis players 18 and younger. She was 16 at the time and in her final year of high school.

In hockey, Aney twice led the state in scoring and was an All-State player. Some regarded her as a potential future Olympian, and big-time college women’s hockey programs Wisconsin and Harvard showed early interest in her.

In tennis, it was the same thing. Top-level college tennis programs became aware of her as early as her freshman year. Georgia, a national power, once sent recruiters to Rochester simply to watch her practice. That was her sophomore year. Per NCAA rules, that was all they could do then, the initiating of conversations and written back-and-forths with athletes off limits until the summer after their sophomore year.

“I was shocked that (Georgia) did that,” Aney said. “I was a very good recruit, but they had had higher recruits before. It wasn’t like I was on the verge of maybe turning pro or anything. They told me later that they’d never done this before.”

In control

As many experiences as Aney took on in sports, including playing in a pack of national tennis and hockey events, she made another experience — being recruited — relatively easy on herself.

That came in good part because Aney didn’t wait long before deciding which athletic endeavor she’d prioritize. Big tennis success as a 15-year-old in the Memphis Clay Court Championships clinched things. Entered in the 18-under division, Aney made her mark by knocking off the top seed in the tournament.

That went a long way toward making up her mind. She’d keep playing hockey, but tennis would become her only year-round sport.

It was a decision that spread quickly among prospective college hockey recruiters. That mostly ended whatever they’d started with her, though a handful of coaches pitched the idea of her playing tennis and hockey at their college.

But Aney dismissed that.

“It became well known that Jessie was going to play tennis in college,” said her father, Tom Aney. “Jessie had come to the conclusion that she wanted to pursue tennis in large part because she loved the self-destiny of tennis. She loved the fact that she could be on the court by herself and problem-solve. Tennis is not like other sports, where you can get substituted out at a crucial point of a match.”

Tom Aney described Jessie’s college recruitment as “fun and easy.”

That’s because she was able to do it on her terms, initiating contact with colleges as a freshman and sophomore. Again, that was per NCAA rules. She could contact recruiters, but they couldn’t contact her. That limitation goes away as an athlete heads into their junior year. Then, recruiters are able to initiate calls, texts, emails and Instagrams.

Crucial trip

But by then, Aney had already committed to her future college, North Carolina. The fall of 2013, Jessie and Tom took a trip to visit colleges Georgia and North Carolina, the top two schools on her list.

Jessie was academically a sophomore at the time.

Both made strong impressions on her, the Georgia visit first, followed the next day by a trip to North Carolina.

“Honestly, when I was on campus, Georgia was the more impressive of the two schools,” Jessie said. “Their facilities were amazing. But I loved the coaches at North Carolina, and I thought the academics there were a little bit better. My visit to a North Carolina tennis practice was impressive. Every part of it was very high energy. And when I visited with the coaches, everything seemed to be about the team, which I liked.”

Aney verbally committed to North Carolina and its head coach Brian Kalbas in January of 2014. A decision was later made by Jessie and her parents to speed up her high school graduation, with her finishing high school the next year online and heading to North Carolina the fall of 2015.

Aney competed for four years with the Tar Heels, but never did put her skates away. She played hockey on North Carolina’s men’s club team throughout her time at Chapel Hill. And once her college tennis eligibility closed in late spring of 2019, she sought to take advantage of another opportunity.

College athletes who’ve used up their eligibility in one sport are then allowed a year of competing in a different one. Aney wanted in on that, women’s hockey in mind.

It was time for her to be recruited all over again.

And just like the last time, the Rochester native did the initiating. Now, though, things were different. College hockey coaches had lost track of her and were only now becoming aware of her renewed interest in the college game.

Aney made a tough immediate discovery. It was that few were interested in her anymore, in part part due to most rosters already being set.

She did pique the interest of one college coach, however. That was the University of Connecticut’s Chris MacKenzie. He’d been contacted about Aney’s interest in college hockey by the parents of UConn player Natalie Snodgrass, an Eagan native and former high school club teammate of Aney’s. MacKenzie was intrigued and flew to North Carolina to watch her play on her college club team.

He liked what he saw, and offered Aney a roster spot.

She didn’t take long to accept.

After spending much of the first half the season mostly on the bench, the former All-State player became a prominent piece for UConn, climbing all the way to its second line.

“To have a few more years with those girls, I would have loved it,” Aney said.

But it’s over. Aney’s college eligibility has completely dried up.

Still, another adventure looms. Aney has switched back to tennis. It’s time to give the professional game a try.

The Recruiting Trail: Aney a different kind of two-sport college athlete

Jessie Aney played college tennis at the University of North Carolina, one of the top programs in the country. (Photo courtesy of University of North Carolina)

Jessie Aney

The Recruiting Trail: Aney a different kind of two-sport college athlete

Jessie Aney played college tennis at the University of North Carolina, one of the top programs in the country. (Photo courtesy of University of North Carolina)

Jessie Aney

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2 Fargo schools ranked among best in ND by U.S. News

Helmut Schmidt — Wed, 09 May 2018 04:01:11 GMT

WASHINGTON - Two Fargo high schools are among five North Dakota schools that made U.S. News and World Report's 2018 rankings of the best high schools in the nation.

Davies High �� tops the list of North Dakota schools and North High came in fifth place, earning silver and bronze ratings, respectively.

Bismarck's Century and Grand Forks' Red River and Central high schools placed second, third and fourth in North Dakota, respectively, all earning silver ratings in the new rankings reported by U.S. News on Wednesday, May 9.

Twin Cities area schools dominated the rankings for 72 Minnesota high schools that were listed.

Nova Classical Academy Upper �� in St. Paul topped Minnesota's rankings, followed by Orono Senior High ��, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle Secondary ��, Math and Science Academy in Woodbury and Great River �� in St. Paul, which all earned gold ratings.

Locally, Detroit Lakes Senior High �� was ranked 49th among the Minnesota schools, and Hawley High �� was 64th, earning silver and bronze ratings, respectively.

Arizona's public schools made a strong showing, with six high schools - all of them charter schools - ranked among the top 10 nationally.

The rankings are determined by whether the schools exceeded expectations on state reading and mathematics proficiency tests as well as graduation rates (which must be 80 percent or higher). A College Readiness Index, based on the percentages of each school's students who took and passed Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exams, also factors into the rankings.

More than 20,500 high schools were evaluated by U.S. News, with 5,948 of them receiving national recognition.

To learn more, visit www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools.

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