John’s Journal:

John's Journal: Four Schools, One Track And A Dominant Relay Team

April 16, 2023 |

John's Journal

The GMLOKS Bulldogs girls 4x200 relay teams have won state titles at the four MSHSL state meets.

John’s Journal: After Gym Collapse, Browerville Looks To The Future

April 12, 2023 |

John's Journal

When the Tigers return to their school in Browerville, a long-term, hometown reality for their students, teams and communities is striking. On April 1, a heavy load of snow and ice caused the roof on the Browerville gymnasium to start sagging, and the gym was demolished.

John’s Journal: Spring Sports Held Outdoors? Yes, In Southeast Minnesota

April 3, 2023 |

John's Journal

Assuming that the roads would be clear (which they were), I decided to visit all three Monday events -- softball game, track meet, baseball game – as a memorable way to observe my first day of 2023 spring outdoor competitions.

John's Journal: Special Moments Make For Special Tournaments

March 25, 2023 |

John's Journal

There are always lots of special moments and scenes when state championships are decided. And there are quieter moments that can be just as special and even more meaningful.

John's Journal: The New Kid On The Block Vs. The Seasoned Veterans

March 24, 2023 |

John's Journal

It would be easy to forgive New Life Academy boys basketball coach Robbie Whitney if he felt just a little bit intimidated when he looked at the coaching staff from Spring Grove before Friday’s Class 1A state semifinals at Target Center.

John's Journal: Small-Town Backgrounds, Big-Time Basketball

March 23, 2023 |

John's Journal

If there was a postgame theme to the Class 3A boys basketball semifinals, it centered around teammates and families.

John's Journal: 102 Years Later, Border West Makes Basketball History

March 22, 2023 |

John's Journal

Border West is a cooperative team that draws students from three schools near the South Dakota border: Wheaton, Herman-Norcross and Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley. The only appearances at state for any of those schools was Wheaton in 1919, 1920 and 1921.

John’s Journal: The Curse Is Gone As MIB Wins Class 1A Championship

March 18, 2023 |

John's Journal

Maybe the 13th consecutive trip to state was the magic number for Mountain Iron-Buhl. Because they climbed the last mountain on Saturday, defeating BOLD 52-21 at Williams Arena to finally, finally, finally have gold medals on blue ribbons placed around their championship necks.

John's Journal: The Toughest Player In The State Tournament

March 17, 2023 |

John's Journal

Harley Roering suffered a torn ACL more than a month ago and didn't play until Friday's state semifinals. “She’s one of the toughest kids I've ever coached," said her coach. "Did you see that today? It was pretty cool.”

John’s Journal: Mountain Iron-Buhl Hoping To Make More History

March 16, 2023 |

John's Journal

This school year has already been historic at Mountain Iron-Buhl, with the Rangers winning their first football state championship by taking the Nine-Man title last December at U.S. Bank Stadium. Two miles away, at the University of Minnesota, the MIB girls basketball team is hoping to bring home another state championship, which would be their first in that sport.

John’s Journal: The Two-Sport Coach Who Never Takes A Vacation

March 15, 2023 |

John's Journal

Coaches are busy people. Especially head coaches. And those who are head coaches in multiple sports are extremely busy. Dan Westby of Marshall High School takes it to another level.

John’s Journal: National Honor For Mountain Lake’s Luke Klassen

March 14, 2023 |

John's Journal

The NFHS announced that Luke Klassen has been named the Spirit of Sport winner for Section 5, which consists of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri.

John’s Journal: State Champ Zephyrs ‘Like Being The Underdog’

March 11, 2023 |

John's Journal

When the team that’s seeded third in the boys state hockey tournament looks at the bracket, the path seems pretty clear: Beat an unseeded opponent in the quarterfinals, get past the No. 2 seed in the semifinals and knock off the top seed for the championship.

John’s Journal: A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Memories

March 10, 2023 |

John's Journal

The photo of two people shaking hands, an 88-yard-old man and a teenage boy, encompasses both the history of high school hockey in Minnesota and the reverence for the game’s stars.

John’s Journal: St. Paul’s Hometown Team Gets The Job Done

March 9, 2023 |

John's Journal

There are no home games at the boys state hockey tournament, but the team from Cretin-Derham Hall treated Thursday’s Class 2A state quarterfinal as just that.

John’s Journal: Two Sports, Two Big Games For Mahtomedi’s Bohmert

March 8, 2023 |

John's Journal

Mahtomedi senior Corey Bohmert is a strong example of a multi-sport athlete, with the latest testament coming via the hat trick he scored in Mahtomedi’s 6-3 win over Alexandria in the Class A boys hockey state quarterfinals.

John’s Journal: From Rodeo To Wrestling, Faith Koning Has Been Busy

March 4, 2023 |

John's Journal

Multi-sport athletes are nothing new, but Faith Koning took that phrase to another level this week, in two very different activities. One is wrestling and the other involves horses. Frenzied air and highway travel are also part of the story.

John’s Journal: Female Wrestling Officials Are Making Their Mark

March 3, 2023 |

John's Journal

Wrestling is now a girls sport, with female coaches. The next logical step is seeing female wrestling officials. That may not be far off, based on the experiences of the only two women certified as wrestling officials by the MSHSL.

John’s Journal: Female Wrestling Coaches Fill Important Positions

February 27, 2023 |

John's Journal

“Ten years from now, I feel like girls wrestling will be just as big as boys wrestling, if not bigger. Especially with how many girls wrestle now compared to just five years ago."

John’s Journal: Dave Palmquist Is The Dean Of Girls Hockey Coaches

February 25, 2023 |

John's Journal

Dave Palmquist was hired when South St. Paul started playing girls hockey in 1994-95, the year when it became an official MSHSL sport. He’s the only original head coach to still be on the job, and he has no plans to stop.