A collection of highs and lows in the sports world from the year 2020.
Read the full story in the Stevens County Times e-edition here.
January 2020
The No. 16 Minnesota Golden Gophers beat the No. 9 Auburn Tigers 31-24 to win the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1, 2020, in Tampa, Florida. The win was Minnesota’s 11th victory of the season, which is something the Gophers last accomplished in 1904. Coupled with Minnesota’s victory against No. 5 Penn State earlier in the year, the Gophers beat two teams ranked in the AP Top 10 for the first time in a season since 1956 (beat No. 3 Michigan State and No. 5 Michigan).
LSU, led by Heisman-winning quarterback Joe Burrow, beat Clemson 42-25 to win the NCAA national football championship Jan. 13.
The University of Minnesota Morris dropped the interim title and officially announced Matt Johnson as the new Director of Athletics for the UMN Morris Cougars.
Five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant, 41, and his daughter Gianna, 13, and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash on a foggy morning outside of Los Angeles on Jan. 26.
Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl LIV 31-20 over San Francisco 49ers. It was the Chiefs’ first title in 50 years.
The Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta boys basketball team strung together a 7-1 record against competition in January.
The MAHACA gymnastics team posted a year-best 123.1 team score against Marshall Jan. 30.