It's all in the kick

Anoka junior Michael Talbot readied for the biggest shot of his soccer career, knowing a goal would bring a Class 2A state championship, while a miss would prolong the shootout with Wayzata. No pressure, Tornadoes coach Pete Hayes tried telling Talbot. The youngster told Hayes, "I'm going to be the hero." Talbot delivered. His goal capped a 5-4 shootout victory and Anoka's second state title since defeating Wayzata in 2007. The victory capped an improbable tournament run for unseeded Anoka, which dispatched previously undefeated Minnetonka and Maple Grove.

Winning the hard way

Perfection did not come easy this spring for Anoka-Hennepin, adapted softball's newest state tournament champions in the physically impaired division.

A home-plate collision knocked sophomore pitcher Kai France to the ground, but he hung onto the ball. His tag clinched the Mustangs' 11-8 victory over Rochester, an undefeated season (14-0) and the first state title in program history. Strong offense fueled the victory. The Mustangs scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning and added three more in the second. The France siblings — Hana, Kai and Stevey — were the first three hitters in the lineup, and they combined to score eight runs.

Park Center doubles up

Ann Simonet wasn't hitting her shots in the first half. But, like all good basketball shooters, she didn't hang her head. When the time came, Park Center's 5-5 sophomore guard didn't hesitate, letting fly with a pair of long three-pointers that turned out to be deadly. Simonet's bombs, both in the final minutes of the second half, stemmed Marshall rallies and lifted Park Center to its second consecutive Class 3A championship with a 52-45 victory. "I told her that shooters shoot," Park Center coach Chris Vanderhyde said. "We have confidence in her. Those ended up being the biggest shots of the game." The game was a rematch of the 2014 final, which Park Center won in triple overtime.

Raihle reaches summit

A pursuit of excellence is why Spring Lake Park junior Mitch Raihle returned to diving, a sport that runs deep in his family, after switching to basketball as a second-grader. His father, Lee, opened ABC Diving club more than 30 years ago. Older sister Tori won a Class 1A state championship and dived at St. Cloud State. Raihle made his own mark this season, breaking the school record and winning the Class 1A state championship. "He's the most talented diver I've had in 20 years of coaching," coach John Karpe said.

She can go on snow

Osseo senior Sarah Bezdicek concluded her prep career by winning the girls' Nordic individual ski titles at Giants Ridge in Biwabik. Her freestyle time of 17:23 established a 28-second interval in front of Eastview junior Margie Freed. She didn't let up in the classical event, clocking in at 16:53.5 for an overall time of 34:16.5. She looked completely different from the person who finished 19th a year ago. "I wanted to end my high school career really strong," Bezdicek said. "I didn't want to have any regrets."

Anoka’s Michael Talbot celebrated the biggest shot of his career, which capped a 5-4 shootout over Wayzata and gave the Tornadoes the Class 2A boys’ championship.

From Crete to champs

Two years ago, brothers Abraham and Petro Alexopoulos — Alex, for short — were living on the Greek island of Crete, enjoying the sunshine and the warmth and the outdoor tennis. Mounds View was the furthest thing from their minds. Playing an aggressive, hard-hitting style, Petro Alex, an eighth-grader, provided the clinching point at No. 4 singles for the Mustangs in a 4-3 victory over Elk River in the Class 2A boys' tennis championship match. Earlier, Abraham and fellow senior Carter Jones had won their match at No. 1 doubles. Mounds View captured its first state title since 2005.

Run silent, run deep

The letter "J" in Matt Njos' last name is silent. So, too, was the Anoka senior's celebration after winning the Class 3A state wrestling championship at 160 pounds. "There was one hell of a smile on his face," Anoka coach Todd Springer said. "He's a humble, quiet kid." Njos "completely dominated" the title match, Springer said, winning 7-3 and sharing the moment with his father, Matt Sr., an Anoka alum. Springer allowed the elder Njos to sit matside for his son's match. Njos became the 51st Anoka wrestler to win a state championship.

All-around joy

A season-long maturation in both the mental and physical aspects of gymnastics produced a special state meet performance from St. Francis junior Natalie Wasche. She placed eighth in Class 2A all-around with a score of 37.4, less than one-tenth of a point from finishing in the top six and making all-state. The score hardly was a letdown for Wasche, who said she "started crying out of just joy because I was so close to getting into the top six and I still have another year left. It was super exciting."

Guzy aces two tests

Allie Guzy approached the No. 17 hole earlier this spring at Blaine's Victory Links Golf Course looking for two birdies to end her round strong. She got something much more memorable. Guzy, a senior at Spring Lake Park, carded a hole-in-one. Using a pitching wedge, Guzy found the mark from 107 yards away. The fun continued as she later helped the Panthers reach the Class 3A state tournament.

Champion, just like mom

Park Center senior Terrance Howard realized his dreams and added to his family's elite throwing legacy at the Class 2A state track and field championships at Hamline University in St. Paul. Howard won the discus throw with a distance of 176 feet, 5 inches. He added a fourth-place finish in the shot put (53-8¼) after not qualifying for state as a junior. Earlier this season, Howard unleashed a discus throw of 191-11, good for fourth in state annals. He joins his mother, Vickey Willis, as a Park Center school record-holder. Willis recorded a shot put mark of 41-10 in 1988. Howard signed to compete in track and field at Marquette University.

David La Vaque • 612-673-7574