Local Notebook: Byron's Nelson joins Truman State staff as full-time coach
Jul. 27—Byron native Jack Nelson has been added as a full-time assistant coach for wide receivers for the Truman State University football program.
Nelson was a part-time coach at Division II Truman State a year ago. Prior to that he was an offensive graduate assistant for wide receivers at his alma mater at Winona State.
Truman State is located in Kirksville, Mo., approximately 160 miles northeast of Kansas City.
"I'm very honored to join coach Gregg Nesbitt's staff and help contribute to the Bulldog tradition," Nelson said in a release. "I'm appreciative to continue my coaching career at such a respected university and football program."
Nelson was a standout quarterback at Winona State and set numerous school records, including most career touchdown passes (102) and passing yards (12,007). He was a four-year starter and played in 43 consecutive games at quarterback. He was the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Newcomer of the Year in 2013.
Following his collegiate career, Nelson was invited to NFL rookie minicamps with the Minnesota Vikings and Indianapolis Colts. He also attended the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos spring minicamp in Las Vegas in 2017.
In his three seasons helping coach the Winona State team, the Warriors posted a 26-8 record.
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Lisa Quednow, the activities at Austin High School, has been selected to serve on the Board of Directors of the National Federation of State High School Associations.
Quednow will be on the board for the next four years and represent Sections 5 and 8.
"I am honored to represent Sections 5 and 8 as an at-large member on the NFHS Board of Directors," Quednow said in a statement. "I look forward to doing intentional work as we continue to support opportunities for all students, coaches, schools and officials to participate in education-based athletics and activities."
Quednow, a native of Austin, has been the activities director at Austin High since 2009. She is an Austin Pacelli graduate. She has also served on the Minnesota State High School League's Activities Directors Advisory Committee, the Education Committee and the Representative Assembly. She has also served on the Region 1AA Executive Committee, Finance Committee and facilitates section volleyball and softball.
"I enjoy all of the opportunities that I have been provided while the activities director (at Austin)," she said.
Before working at the high-school level, Quednow worked for a pair of community colleges.
At Riverland Community College in Austin, she was the was women's athletic director, the head softball coach and assistant women's basketball coach. In 2009, she served as the director of athletics at Clark College, a community college in Vancouver, Wash.
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Rochester's Travis Rittenhouse has committed to Division II Northern State in Aberdeen, S.D., to continue his college baseball career.
Rittenhouse is a 2019 Century grad who spent the last two seasons at Iowa Central in Fort Dodge.
Iowa Central, a Division II junior college, finished 35-23 in 2021. Rittenhouse was a reserve outfielder who appeared in 18 games. He batted .286 (8-for-28) with three doubles, five RBIs and 10 runs scored while posting a .771 OPS.
Even though Rittenhouse has spent two seasons at Iowa Central, he will still be a freshman in terms of eligibility at Northern State. Iowa Central played just nine games in 2020 due to COVID-19 and Rittenhouse appeared in four of those games.
Guy N. Limbeck is a sports writer for the Post Bulletin. His Local Notebook appears each Tuesday. He can be reached at glimbeck@postbulletin.com.
