HAYFIELD – Hayfield High School basketball coach Chris Pack and senior basketball player Aaron Tempel have a lot more in common then winning second place in the state basketball championship.

Saturday, April 07, 2001

HAYFIELD – Hayfield High School basketball coach Chris Pack and senior basketball player Aaron Tempel have a lot more in common then winning second place in the state basketball championship.

Pack and Tempel grew up together in the small town of Lamberton, which is on Highway 14 near Walnut Grove. Tempel was in sixth grade when Pack graduated from Lamberton High School. Pack was friends with Tempel’s brothers and Tempel was friends with Pack’s brothers. The two have much in common in where they fall in their respective families.

"One of Aaron’s brothers is a year older than me and one is a year younger," Pack said. "Lamberton is such a small place; even smaller then Hayfield. Everyone knew each other. I was sandwiched between Aaron’s brothers and he is sandwiched between mine. Our parents are good friends, too."

Pack’s dad was the B Squad basketball coach at Lamberton and Pack coached B Squad at Wabasso, 10 miles down the road. Pack’s dad was Tempel’s coach. When Lamberton and Wabasso played each other, Pack said, "Lamberton whipped my team at Wabasso."

Tempel came to Hayfield two years ago when his father retired from his carpentry business. His parents, Dennis and Joleen Tempel, moved to the Hayfield area as three of their sons work in Rochester as nurses. At first Tempel balked about moving away from Lamberton. He was just starting his sophomore year. Pack’s parents offered Tempel to move in with them to finish off his high school year.

"At first, my parents were looking for a house in Stewartville," Tempel said. "I met the coach of the Hayfield boy’s basketball team, Tom Kramer, when I was at a basketball tournament in St. Olaf. He was really friendly to me and said my family would be happier at Hayfield than Stewartville. When we did move to Hayfield, the first night in town, I was at the Kramer house shooting baskets with his son, Tommy. I was adopted by the basketball team right from the start and made to feel comfortable."

Meanwhile, Pack was finishing up college at Minnesota State University. He and his wife Linda were looking for jobs. Linda is a registered nurse. Five schools interviewed Pack and Hayfield gave him the best offer.

"It was nice for my wife and I to move to Hayfield and have old friends," Pack said. "I met Coach Kramer through the Tempels. After talking to me is when he decided to give up coaching."

It seems as if destiny paved the way for these two. Growing up side by side in Lamberton, moving to Hayfield and winning second place in the state basketball championships, Tempel and Pack are friends for life. Tempel is following in his brothers’ footsteps and going to Rochester to study nursing next fall.

Call Sheila Donnelly at 434-2234 or e-mail her at sports@austindailyherald.com.