News

Carlie Wagner was back at the girls state basketball tournament on Wednesday and she walked around with the biggest smile in town. Anybody who saw her play at state a decade ago remembers the small-town superstar from New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva for her smile as well as her tremendous basketball skills.

Among the great traditions at the Minnesota state high school hockey tournaments are the televised pregame introductions. One by one, players skate from the end line to the blue line as a TV camera documents their arrival. It’s very common to hear those kids look into the lens and say things like “Hi Mom” or “Hi Grandma.”

High school bands from Section 2A Subsection 8 gathered in Jordan for the annual Large Group Contest. Yes, the MSHSL is involved in athletics, but it also proudly oversees all kinds of fine arts activities, ranging from theater to speech to debate to visual arts to choir and band.

Northfield sophomore Caley Graber, who won the 100-pound state title at the girls state wrestling tournament in 2023, chose to compete exclusively with boys this season, and the results are more than impressive.

Tommaso Costantini, a foreign-exchange student from Italy who attends Bloomington Kennedy, qualified for state in his first year as a wrestler.

Dodge County made history with its first appearance at the girls state hockey tournament, and the Wildcats hope to return.

When Melrose High School ninth-grader Jodie Eveslage competed in the Class A state gymnastics meet this weekend at Roy Wilkins Auditorium, it was the continuation of a family tradition.

Roseau sophomore Jasmine Hovda is a rare hockey player. The Roseau sophomore center’s game includes a combination of skill, strength, speed … and a cast on a broken left wrist.

Jessica Chipman has been named a recipient of the Outstanding Theater Educator Award by the National Federation of State High School Associations.

Students from St. Michael-Albertville had a busy Friday, singing with a school choir in the morning in Omaha, Nebraska, and performing in the MSHSL One-Act Play state festival in St. Paul in the afternoon.

Zach Goring, who coached three Apple Valley boys basketball teams to state championships before stepping down in 2018, is back in the game an an official.

Juniper Kelly-Swing from Duluth East High School is a veteran debate team member who has accomplished much, to the betterment of others. To honor commitment to school, fellow students and the community, Juniper has been named this year’s recipient of the MSHSL Heart of the Arts award.