Rachel Blount
Reporter/Columnist
SportsAn Iowa native, Blount is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and holds a master's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. She has won numerous state and national writing awards. Her favorite stories to tell are those that convey the emotion and humanity of sports. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband, Pat Borzi, who also is a sportswriter.
Latest from Rachel Blount
Olympics
Regan Smith vs. Kaylee McKeown: A backstroke rivalry peaks at the Paris Olympics
Minnesota’s Regan Smith and Australia’s Kaylee McKeown have dominated the backstroke events in recent years. Who will come out on top during the Paris Games?
July 20, 2024
Olympics
Regan Smith, swimming without fear at last, takes aim at another Olympics
Lakeville swimmer Regan Smith was a prisoner to pressure ahead of the Tokyo Games. With Paris in her sights, she heads to U.S. Olympic trials this weekend remade, confident and enjoying the fight.
June 16, 2024
Olympics
How to watch Regan Smith at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials
A three-time medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, Lakeville’s Regan Smith will swim four events in her quest to qualify for the Paris Games: the 100 and 200 butterfly and the 100 and 200 backstroke.
June 14, 2024
Sports
PWHL draft hits St. Paul, where there’s anger over Natalie Darwitz’s ouster as GM
PWHL Minnesota coach Ken Klee made the team’s draft selections, taking Canadian defender Claire Thompson with the No. 3 overall pick.
June 11, 2024
Sports
PWHL: Natalie Darwitz’s removal as Minnesota GM came after monthslong evaluation
Jayna Hefford, the PWHL’s senior vice president of hockey operations, said it was clear “there wasn’t a path forward” without a change.
June 8, 2024
Sports
Natalie Darwitz out as PWHL Minnesota’s GM after championship run, clash with head coach
Natalie Darwitz, a Minnesota hockey icon, is the architect who built Minnesota’s championship team from scratch. A league source said she clashed with head coach Ken Klee before her departure.
June 8, 2024
Sports
First PWHL season enters the books as an even bigger success than anyone expected
PWHL executives Stan Kasten and Jayna Hefford said they were wowed by the fan response, with almost half a million people attending 85 games over the full season.
June 2, 2024
Sports
For PWHL Minnesota, bringing Walter Cup home lets team appreciate the journey
Celebrating with hometown fans at Xcel Energy Center was one of the last few days the championship team will have together before the offseason brings bittersweet changes.
June 1, 2024
Sports
PWHL: Natalie Darwitz’s removal as Minnesota GM came after monthslong evaluation
Jayna Hefford, the PWHL’s senior vice president of hockey operations, said it was clear “there wasn’t a path forward” without a change.
June 8, 2024
Sports
Natalie Darwitz out as PWHL Minnesota’s GM after championship run, clash with head coach
Natalie Darwitz, a Minnesota hockey icon, is the architect who built Minnesota’s championship team from scratch. A league source said she clashed with head coach Ken Klee before her departure.
June 8, 2024
Sports
First PWHL season enters the books as an even bigger success than anyone expected
PWHL executives Stan Kasten and Jayna Hefford said they were wowed by the fan response, with almost half a million people attending 85 games over the full season.
June 2, 2024
Sports
For PWHL Minnesota, bringing Walter Cup home lets team appreciate the journey
Celebrating with hometown fans at Xcel Energy Center was one of the last few days the championship team will have together before the offseason brings bittersweet changes.
June 1, 2024