Photo by Samantha Davis: Drew Kindseth (left) looks over photo memories with Jay Ziemann (middle) and Wayne Cook (right) at a luncheon Friday afternoon before being inducted into the Pride in the Tiger Foundation Hall of Honor. Kindseth was on the 1970 Marshall boys basketball team that went to state, while Ziemann is the son of the late Lowell Ziemann who was the head coach of the team, and Cook is a sports writer in Redwood Falls and was formely with The Marshall Independent.

MARSHALL — Sporting a Marshall Tigers’ orange shirt with “Tigers 1970” embroidered on the corner, Marshall High School alum Drew Kindseth gathered former teammates and close ones for a luncheon Friday afternoon prior to being inducted into the 2025 Pride in the Tiger Foundation Hall of Honor later in the evening.

Kindseth was on the 1970 Marshall boys basketball team that broke through to the state tournament, eventually falling to the champion and undefeated Sherburn squad in the semifinals.

“The 1970 state tournament was special. It was the very last time Minnesota held a single class state tournament. Back then, over 400 schools played in 32 district tournaments, then eight region tournaments to determine which eight teams went to the state tournament,” Kindseth said in a speech he wrote for the induction. “We began dreaming of someday playing in that state tournament in grade school, and seeing Marshall win the 1963 state championship fueled our fire.”

Kindseth was a three-year starter for the basketball team, and was a co-captain when the Tigers made the 1970 tournament. He also played football, another three-year varsity starter, and was on the baseball team where he was a four-year letterman.

Going on to play at Southwest Minnesota State University, known at the time as Southwest State University, Kindseth was named the team’s Most Inspirational Player for the 1971-72 team.

Over his high school and collegiate career, he gathered a plethora of records, awards and accolades, but Kindseth made it a point to honor his 1970 team as a whole in his induction, where him and his teammates, along with a few guys from the Sherburn team that defeated Marshall, still keep in touch today.

“Our 1970 team was a very special group. A deep team of talented basketball players who were even better people,” Kindseth said. “We had a ‘team-first mentality,’ so it didn’t matter who scored. We won as a team, we lost as a team.”

The 1970 team was coached by Lowell Ziemann, who passed away last year. Kindseth made a note to mention his legacy and their close relationship, along with a few other tributes.

“Teammates have been very important throughout my life,” Kindseth said. “Much of what I accomplished in sports resulted from team efforts.”

Kindseth paid regards to his other “teammates” of life, including his late wife, Sarah, former coaches Jim Muchlinski and Glenn Mattke, and his late best friend, Clark Wigley.

Wigley, who also was on the 1970 team and died unexpectedly in 2015, inspired the 1970 Best Teammate Scholarship, which is presented annually to a player on the Marshall boys basketball team today.

“Our scholarship doesn’t necessarily go to the highest scorer, or the leading rebounder, or the best all-around player,” Kindseth said. “He’s the guy you want as your teammate. A hard worker every day in practice who digs deep when it gets tough, someone who encourages other guys … That was Clark.”

The scholarship recipients are selected by current boy’s basketball coach, Travis Carroll, and his coaching staff. The scholarship has been active now for 10 years, and is funded primarily with donations from the 1970 team.

Kindseth, along with his friends and former teammates, spent the afternoon talking over memories and looking over photos. Laughter often filled the room, as the guys reflected and caught up.

“I think we’ve left our mark,” Kindseth said. “Our scholarship is a testament to what our 1970 team has valued most in basketball and in life — Teammates.”