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Article by StarTribune
With Serena and Venus Williams playing for the Australian Open championship on Saturday morning – 2:30 a.m. Twin Cities time, to be precise – it got us thinking about the best sports siblings to come from Minnesota.
Between asking around the office and putting out a request on Twitter, we quickly realized that there’d be some high profile names that wouldn’t make our cut. Sorry Mauers, McNamaras and many more. We fully expect some of you to take issue with the list (and we hope that others will be happy with the inclusions.) We’re happy to hear your own suggestions and evaluations in the comments. We’re not apologizing in advance, but we do know there will be quibbles with who got left off , or even the order of those who made the list.
Here goes:
Tyus Jones: From Apple Valley to Duke to the Wolves
10. Tyus and Tre Jones: As much as anyone, Tyus is the poster child for the rise of high school basketball in Minnesota. Going to Duke, winning the Final Four Most Outstanding Player award and ending up with the Timberwolves is a bonus – as well as the fact that his younger brother may be an even better player at Apple Valley.
9. The Shudlick sisters. Carol Ann Shudlick was a basketball standout at the University of Minnesota in the early 1990s. Linda Shudlick, like Carol Ann, was a high school Miss Basketball during her career at Apple Valley and played volleyball for UCLA and the Gophers. Nancy Shudlick played basketball and Susan Shudlick played volleyball for the U, too.
The Carlsons in 1977 with the Minnesota Fighting Saints
8. The Carlson brothers. Yes, those Carlson brothers.They were inspiration for the Hanson Brothers from the movie Slap Shot. Those Carlsons. Jack, Steve and Jeff of Virginia all played in the World Hockey Association for the Minnesota Fighting Saints. Jack spent time with the North Stars and Steve also saw time in the NHL with several teams. The web site Vintage Minnesota Hockey describes Jeff as being quite willing to “drop the gloves.”
7. Marcus and Mike Sherels. After a career as a cornerback at the U, Marcus has become a top NFL punt returner with the Vikings. Older brother Mike went from Rochester John Marshall to a walk-on at linebacker to becoming a two-time Gophers captain. He was a member of the coaching staff until the hiring of P.J. Fleck earlier this month.
Joe Micheletti (left) at the 1973 state hockey tournament.
6. The Micheletti brothers: Hockey players come in threes, in seems. All of them went from Hibbing High School to the U. Joe had the most successful NHL career, Pat played in 12 games with the North Stars in 1987-88 and Don scored 64 goals in four seasons for the Gophers.
5. Coco and Kelly Miller: The basketball-playing twins starred at guard in the mid-1990s for Rochester Mayo and the University of Georgia before going on to careers in the WNBA.
Nia Coffey
4. Nia and Amir Coffey: Nia Coffey is a star at Northwestern and is thought to be a mid to high first-round pick in the upcoming WNBA draft. Her young brother Amir is starting as a freshman for Minnesota. Both played at Hopkins.
The Steinbachs in 1983
3. The Steinbach brothers: Terry Steinbach, who played and coached for the Twins, is the best known of the threesome. But brothers Tim and Tom also were standouts at New Ulm High School in the 1980s, and they moved up the list because all three of them played together for the U.
2. The McDonalds: The brothers and sisters were a basketball dynasty at Chisholm High School, where their father Bob was the boys’ coach for 59 seasons. All six of the children – Joel, Judy, Mike, Paul, Tom and Sue – became coaches, and two grandchildren are currently coaching in the metro area. The McDonald children combined for 11,905 points during their careers.
Neal and Aaron Broten celebrate a state tournament goal for Roseau in 1978 with teammate Butzy Erickson.
1. Neal, Aaron and Paul Broten: It’s hard to argue against putting the hockey-playing brothers from Roseau at the top of the list. After playing for the U, all three went on to the NHL. Neal played for 16 years in the NHL, most of them with the North Stars. Aaron played briefly for the North Stars (nine games) and spent most of his 12-year career with New Jersey. Paul played for four seasons at the U and then scored 46 goals during a seven-year career with three NHL team.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]