Staff Directory 6370675

Kenneth Chia

Copy Editor | Sports
Phone: 612-673-4406
Ken Chia has worked in the Star Tribune sports department since 2002 after five years at the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison.
Recent content from Kenneth Chia
Twins center fielder Byron Buxton has hit four home runs in 10 games since the All-Star break.

With a few notable exceptions, it's been a rough year for the Twins' Bomba Squad members

Max Kepler hasn't homered in more than a month, Miguel Sanó is looking for work, Eddie Rosario has been released and Mitch Garver is hitting under .200. But it hasn't been all bad for the remaining members of the team that set the single-season run record.
Military jets fly over as the national anthem is sung by Idina Menzel before the 2014 All-Star Game at Target Field.

Ten years ago, the All-Star Game was at Target Field. Here's a look back at the unique game.

Derek Jeter was honored, there were Minnesota ties and finally ... who are these guys?
Fans — many of them wearing Anthony Edwards jerseys — wandered around Target Center before Game 1 of the NBA's Western Conference finals between t

Wolves backs: What did fans wear to the Western Conference finals?

There were a lot of Anthony Edwards jerseys, yes. But there were also some deep cuts from 35 mostly inept years of basketball.
Some of the many Twins jerseys spotted at Target Field this month.

New jerseys and old friends: What Twins fans wore to the playoffs

Pick any significant Twins player, old or new, and odds are there was a fan wearing his jersey during the playoffs. Here's a look at dozens of those jerseys. Anyone remember Boof Bonser?

Friday's prep sports results

Scores and results from around the metro
Shaquille O'Neal, from left, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley speak at the NBA Awards on Monday, June 25, 2018, at the Barker Hangar in

Angry with Wolves late start? Charles Barkley shares your pain

Late starts are nothing new in the postseason, but Hall of Famer Barkley voiced his disdain and noted that the NBA needs to do better at considering its fans.
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Hastings High School wide receiver Stephen Reifenberger (11) catches a touchdown in the first quarter while being defended by Bloomington Kennedy High

Strong start powers Hastings past Bloomington Kennedy

The Raiders scored on their first four possessions and now will face St. Thomas Academy for the section crown.
Chaska shuts out Waconia in section semifinal

Chaska shuts out Waconia in section semifinal

The Hawks used a mix of runs and passes to win and advance to the section final against top-seeded Mankato West.
Elk River’s Jack Sumstad stiff arms a Duluth East defender. Sumstad scored on a 63 yard run in the second quarter to give the Elks a 36-12 lead. Pho

Elk River running game unstoppable against Duluth East in section semifinal

The Elks scored eight touchdowns, six of 32 yards or more, offsetting six touchdowns by East's Austan Overdahl.
Tampa Bay Rays' Nelson Cruz gets hive fives in the dugout after hitting a home run against the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of a baseball American League

Ex-Twins are everywhere (and in large numbers) in MLB playoffs

If you're going to pick a team to cheer for in the baseball postseason based on it having an ex-Twins on the roster, we have news: There's at least one on every team.
Kansas City Royals' Nicky Lopez bunts into a triple play during the third inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins Sunday, June 6, 2021,

Triple play, flawless relief give Twins split in Kansas City with 2-1 victory

Five relievers combined for the final 15 outs, and the Twins — helped by turning a popped-up bunt into a triple play — held off the Royals.
Minnesota Twins' Miguel Sano celebrates after hitting a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Sat

Twins launch three home runs, edge Kansas City 5-4 to end losing streak

Jose Berrios was good enough before Hansel Robles escaped another ninth-inning jam.
Patrick Burns (4) of Benilde-St. Margaret’s had two goals and three assists in the Red Knights’ 14-6 victory over the Hornets Friday night in Edin

Benilde-St. Margaret's boys drop Edina in heavyweight bout

The second-ranked Red Knights got three goals apiece from Matthew Dowden and Carsen Brandt in their defeat of top-ranked Edina.
Eden Prairie eighth-grader Tori Schlagel (15) drives to the basket as Rochester Mayo’s Hannah Hanson (1) looks on. Schlagel scored a career-high 14

Eden Prairie knocks off Rochester Mayo to wind down regular season

Four Eagles players, including eighth-grader Tori Schlagel, scored 14 or more points against the Spartans.
Centennial girls’ hockey assistant coach Maddie Rooney talked to goalie Anna Peterson during practice at Centennial Sports Arena. ] LEILA NAVIDI •

Olympians lending expertise on staffs of girls' hockey programs

When 2018 Olympic gold medalist Maddie Rooney went to work as an assistant coach at Centennial High School, ninth-grader Kaitlin Groess was star-struck. Gold medalists Hannah Brandt, Kelly Pannek and Rooney are bringing awe to top high school teams.
Swimmers compete in the state meet.

Star Tribune boys' swimming honor roll through March 6

Top performers based on times and scores through March 6.
Jake Ratzlaff (21) of Rosemount, Rosemount vs Champlin Park 10/30/20 Photo by Korey McDermott, SportsEngine

Rosemount's Jake Ratzlaff is selected Mr. Football

Strong on both sides of the line of scrimmage, he has committed to Wisconsin.

Capturing the good: Great sports photographs from 2020

We celebrate the mood-lifting sporting moments of a difficult year.

Lynx survive one-game playoff with Phoenix, advance to WNBA semis

The Lynx held on to beat the Mercury 80-79 in Bradenton, Fla.

Photos: Lynx open season with victory over Sun

The Lynx began their shortened season with a second-half rally in Bradenton, Fla.

Photos: Twins rout White Sox in series finale

The Twins returned home from their season-opening series after socking the White Sox in Game 3.

Thompson wins 3M Open for second career victory

The 35-year-old will get a PGA Tour exemption for two years.

C.J. and Lisa Ham, fighters on two fronts

Faith fuels C.J. Ham's NFL jou.rney, and his mother's cancer struggle

Winter wildlife photos by Bill Marchel

Deep snow often concentrates wildlife because traveling through snow requires more energy.
Minnesota Twins' Nelson Cruz, second from right, and Miguel Sano, right, hold the Bomba (Spanish for bomb) award presented to them by members of the M

Best of the bombas: Ranking the Twins' Top 10 home runs of 2019

The Twins hit a record 307 home runs this season. Here's our look at the Top 10, knowing full well that opinions -- like exit velocity, distance traveled and launch angle -- can differ from one homer enthusiast to another.
Four guys who pitched for the Twins at some point in 2019, and Jason Castro.

Dearly discarded: Can you identify these departed 2019 pitchers?

Here are eight pitchers who you might or might not recall wearing a Twins uniform at some point during this 101-victory season. How many can you identify?
Four guys who pitched for the Twins at some point in 2019, and Jason Castro.

Who are those Twins pitchers? Answers to our quiz

Eight pitchers who you might or might not recall wearing a Twins uniform at some point during this 101-victory season.

Sunisa Lee, St. Paul standout gymnast

The 16-year-old is a contender for the six-woman U.S. team for next month's world championships in Germany.

Biles, Minnesotans shine at U.S. gymnastics championships

Simone Biles won for the sixth year in a row; Sunisa Lee (St. Paul) and Grace McCallum (Isanti) finished second and third, respectively.

Wolves lose to Memphis, finish second best in Summer League

The Wolves lost to Memphis for the NBA Summer League championship in Las Vegas on Monday night.

Minnesota United scores a road victory over Impact

The Loons gave up a goal in the first 29 seconds but came back to beat Montreal.
Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs throws to the Oakland Athletics during a baseball game Saturday, June 29, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (A

Vikings honor late Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs, one of their biggest fans

The lefthander, who was found dead at 27, grew up in the Los Angeles area but became a Vikings fan because of Randy Moss.

Photos: Badgers shut down Gophers for women's hockey title

The Badgers shut out the rival Gophers to win the NCAA women's hockey championship in Hamden, Conn.

Chicago 5, Wild 2

The Wild's winless streak hit five despite putting up 48 shots on goal at Chicago.

San Antonio 124, Wolves 98

The Wolves fell to 0-12 on the road against Western Conference opponents this season.

Winnipeg 2, Wild 1 (exhib.)

The Wild played the team's first game of the 2018-19 preseason north of the border in Manitoba.

Connecticut 96, Lynx 79

The Lynx lost for the fifth time in seven games in Lindsay Whalen's return to her original WNBA home.

L.A. Angels 7, Twins 4

The Twins saw their five-game winning streak end with a loss to the Angels in their series opener in Anaheim, Calif.

Winnipeg 7, Wild 2

The Wild's 2-0 lead didn't last very long against the Jets, who rolled to a blowout victory.

Randy Moss, media superstar

Randy Moss, who as a player could often show his surly side to the media, has embraced his current role at ESPN, as he showed last month before a "Monday Night Football" game at Kansas City.

Seattle 2, Loons 1

A late penalty sent the defending MLS champions to a 2-1 victory over the expansion Loons.

Vikings players' custom cleats

Some of the colorful cleats custom-designed for Vikings players by Dan Gamache.

Class 3A baseball semifinals

Waconia and Hibbing escaped with one-run victories to move on to Monday's Class 3A final.

Class 4A baseball semifinals

Eden Prairie and Forest Lake will play for the Class 4A baseball championship Monday night.

Wolves 129, Brooklyn 109

The Wolves eventually pulled away from the league-worst Nets.

Oklahoma City 112, Wolves 100

The Wolves' first Christmas game was a loss at Oklahoma City.

Past Star Tribune Sportsperson of the Year winners

The Star Tribune has named a Sportsperson of the Year since 1998.

Oakland 3, Twins 1

With both teams wearing special Fourth of July uniforms, the Twins lost to the Athletics for the sixth time in a row.
Winona State wins game after opposing team's fans storm the court

Winona State wins game after opposing team's fans storm the court

Sioux Falls thought it had beaten Winona State on a long three-pointer at the buzzer. But time hadn't run out and officials called a technical foul on the fans and players.

Thrice the thrills: A look back at the Lynx's third championship

The Lynx are WNBA champions for the third time in five seasons. On Wednesday night they became the first pro sports team from Minnesota to win a league title on its home court / ice / field since the 1991 Twins. It was worth one more look …
Los Angeles Angels' David Murphy, center, is doused with liquid by teammates Taylor Featherston, left, and Matt Joyce after Murphy hit a walk-off sing

Daily Wild Card Watch: No one wants to lose anymore

Pulling for the Twins to make the playoffs? Here's what you need to know today.

Gophers pro day

University of Minnesota football players worked out for scouts from 23 NFL teams, including the Vikings.

Gophers 89, Rutgers 80

The Gophers, on their sixth try, got their first Big Ten victory of the season.

Phoenix 110, Wolves 99

The Wolves continued their road trip with a loss to the Suns.

Chicago 4, Wild 1

The Wild's losing streak reached five with a loss to the Blackhawks.

Wild 3, Winnipeg 2

The Wild ended a five-game winless streak by rallying against the Jets in Winnipeg.

L.A. Clippers 127, Wolves 101

The Wolves lost the final game of their three-game road trip.

Arizona 6, Twins 2

The Diamondbacks opened the final series of the season at Target Field with a 6-2 victory over the Twins.

Detroit 4, Twins 3

Detroit took advantage of Oswaldo Arcia's miscues to beat the Twins 4-3 on Sunday in the rubber game of a three-game series.

Twins 5, San Diego 3

The Twins opened a five-game West Coast road trip against NL teams with a 5-3 victory at San Diego on Tuesday.

Dallas 4, Wild 3

Former North Stars/Stars great Mike Modano was honored before Dallas rallied to hand the Wild a costly defeat.

Tampa Bay 6, Twins 3

The Twins lost for the first time this spring.

Gophers women 74, Ohio State 57

The Gophers beat the Buckeyes to clinch a .500 Big Ten record and the No. 6 seed in the conference tournament.
A file photo of top-seeded Bob Bryan, left, and Mike Bryan, made their earliest exit from the Australian Open in 11 years, losing to American Eric But

Rochester's Butorac advances to Australian Open doubles semis

The 32-year-old, paired with South African Raven Klaasen, survived a three-set quarterfinal.

Vikings uniforms: Purple through the years

Take a look back at some of the Minnesota Vikings' uniform styles in this interactive timeline.
FORT MYERS, FL - FEBRUARY 19: Anthony Swarzak (51) of the Minnesota Twins poses during Photo Day on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at Hammond Stadium in F

Twins' Swarzak just misses rare four-inning save

The reliever was two outs away from a four-inning save.
Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28)scored on a two point conversion in the fourth quarter during NFL action between the Detroit Lions

A rare two-point run for Vikings

Two-point plays are unusual. Having a running back run it in even more so.
Trainer Steve Donohue, second from left, and New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi, second from right, help Derek Jeter off the field after he injured

Baseball's amazing postseason

For those who haven't been paying attention, the first week and a half of the MLB playoffs has been an entertaining affair.

What they might be doing ...

10.15.12 The game plan

Anthony Carter's No. 81 jersey on a young Vikings fan before Friday night's game.

Vikings fans and their jerseys: Deep purple

As Friday's game again showed, fans will wear their jerseys en masse when the Vikings are in town.

03.05.12: The game plan

02.27.12: The game plan

09.19.11: The game plan