Recent content from Jim Paulsen
Hopkins? Minnetonka? We know, Coach. Change can be difficult.
A superstar's gentle reminder got Brian Cosgriff back on track about which team he's coaching these days. A look back at state reveals certainty on other matters.
Minnetonka holds off Hopkins' frantic comeback to win 4A title
A tidy Tonka victory seemed to be shaping up until it pivoted to a stress-inducing exercise in uncertainty that left the outcome in doubt until the final minute.
Girls basketball reaches the peak: Among the best, who's better?
Moments of March: It's a high-powered day at state. The four championship games Saturday all involve the top two seeds, and three teams will play for consecutive titles.
Girls basketball finals schedule is mostly set and fully loaded
Moments of March: The top two seeds in Class 4A, 3A and 1A all qualified for championship games, and Providence Academy got 2A halfway there.
Rivals to battle it out for Class 4A title in girls basketball; 3A championship also set
The finals are solidified in the top two classes while the top four seeds in Class 1A advanced to the semifinals. Tap here for coverage on all of Thursday's games.
Iron Range family starred for one basketball team; next generation stars for another
Moments of March: The Lamppa family was the foundation of a small school that no longer exists. This year, the Lamppas were key to another school's state tournament run.
Big day for a first-time tournament team -- despite the final score
Moments of March: Roosevelt fans showed up in numbers for the Teddies' first state tournament game. Plus this from a coach with a unique angle: 'Caitlin [Clark] is good, but I still think Paige [Bueckers] is better.'
Girls basketball state quarterfinals: Wednesday's news and notes
The day began with top seeds Hopkins and Benilde-St. Margaret's rolling, and it wound down with Providence Academy's Maddyn Greenway scoring 49 points. Tap here for stories, tournament details and more from Minneapolis.
Introducing the 'matured' girls basketball Metro Player of the Year
Hopkins' Liv McGill cast aside that "really bad attitude" — her words — but she's still L.A. Liv. When it's showtime, she shows the way.
STMA's Bergeron is honored as the first Miss Minnesota Gymnastics
The Class 2A all-around champion, Jackie Bergeron won the award created for the 50th season of high school girls competition in the state.
State Tourney Insiders: Sights and sounds from the hockey semifinals
Edina and Grand Rapids revived a rivalry late in the day, giving credence to the notion that Friday is always the hottest spot in state tournament week.
Qualifiers for girls basketball state tournament come with a tale or two
Hopkins is back again, as are all of the top section seeds in Class 4A. Coaches Wendy Kohler and Mike Dreier carry special marks to state, and Jim Lien's there for the first time in his 45 years of coaching.
Minnesota boys hockey state tournament: Class 1A quarterfinals roundup
There were three one-sided games and a thriller in the nightcap of Class 1A. Tap here for all of our coverage from the X.
Behind the scenes at the boys hockey state tournament
Sights and sounds from the Xcel Energy Center include Warroad honoring Henry Boucha and a player tip on how you can use pickles to keep the energy up in overtime.
Maple Grove football coach leaving, takes job at another metro school
Matt Lombardi went 102-37 leading the Crimson and his team won a state 6A title. He said he's leaving Maple Grove because "a lot of little things that added up."
A reporter pins down five gripping memories from state wrestling
Jim Paulsen saw more than competition when he spent most of three days at an event he recommends all sports fans see someday.
Champ packs up one more wrestling title, heads to the Ivy League
Eden Prairie heavyweight Will Sather will play football and wrestle at Princeton, and he'll need to study, too. "I'm going to be really busy," he said.
One wrestler becomes a four-time champ, another is stopped at three
Becker's Kaden Nicolas defeated Mound Westonka's Jack Nelson, but Jackson County Central's Nolan Ambrose knocked off No. 1 Gavin Johnson of Kenyon-Wanamingo.
Wrestlers seeking fourth state titles arrive at semifinals unsullied
Jackson County Central's Nolan Ambrose and Mound Westonka's Jack Nelson both indicated a high comfort level at the championship meet.
History made, remade: Northfield girl wins twice at boys wrestling state meet
Caley Graber became the first girl to win a match in the boys bracket, and then she won again. She'll wrestle in Saturday's semifinals.
Totino-Grace wrestler breaks state record for pins and runs it up
Senior Cy Kruse surged past the mark that Stillwater's Ryder Rogotzke set last season.
Simley lands its sixth consecutive wrestling state championship
The Class 2A title was the 16th overall for Simley. Chatfield took the Class 1A crown.
St. Michael-Albertville wrestlers keep their grip at state this time
The Knights rolled over Mounds View for the Class 3A team championship, a year after a lead vanished in the final.
Grappling for goals: Meet the athletes, teams seeking state titles
The wrestling championship meet is always a family affair, especially at Mounds View this season. You'll find girls wrestling girls and some taking on boys. And you'll learn the numbers behind the dreams.
How to follow the wrestling state meet, from the stands or the couch
It's one of those events sports fans should attend at least once, to rock in the "Cradle of Chaos." But we'll help you keep up from home, too.
All around, St. Michael-Albertville's Bergeron is a Class 2A champion
The senior won every event but the uneven bars at the state championships.
North Branch girl reigns at Class 1A gymnastics state meet
Junior Dakota Esget won the all-around title and repeated as No. 1 on the uneven bars.
Long a contender, Lakeville South breaks through for gymnastics title
The Cougars have competed well in the section for a decade, and once they won there they didn't stop.
Class 1A gymnastics state meet produces a surprise champion
Becker, fifth in the final rankings, won the title, the first for Hall of Fame coach Jen Harmoning.
Totino-Grace wrestler Kruse aims to turn losses into gains
The state record for pins and a team state championship are goals for Cy Kruse, and he has already learned his lessons.
Cretin-Derham Hall found a coach — and gymnastics success — in a hurry
After just one win in the two previous years, the program is headed to state with a staff and team pieced together as the season's start was bearing down.
Gymnastics state tournament: What you need to know
A Roseville connection revived Breck, Lakeville South found its way back to state, plus team qualifiers and final state rankings.
Mounds View wrestlers get past Stillwater
The Mustangs broke a seven-year losing streak in the section finals to the Ponies, making the state tournament for the first time since 2007.
Video gaming calls national attention to Twin Cities high school
Apple Valley, winner of four Minnesota championships in a row, is honored as one of the nation's most successful programs.
Wrestler headed to Gophers, but first he wants that 4th state title
Jack Nelson of Mound Westonka had reasons to choose basketball (Mom's suggestion) and hockey (Dad's background). He decided on a different path.
Benilde-St. Margaret's finds a proven winner to take over football program
Brad Anderson, coach of three state champion teams at Wayzata, is replacing Sean McMenomy.
Redemption is on wrestling minds as teams grapple for state berths
Mounds View and St. Michael-Albertville have memories of last season to excise. Also presented: the state rankings and final honor roll.
Rankings, final honor roll set scene as gymnasts compete for state spots
There's a new No. 1 in Class 2A, and you'll find more than 150 of the best individual scores in the metro.
What changed? Wrestler links his Christian baptism to his state title
STMA's Jed Wester, a Gophers recruit, finished second twice, then won as a junior after he was baptized at 16.
Gymnastics fact pack: The metro honor roll and state rankings
More than 150 of the top scores by Twin Cities athletes made the list.
200 big winners get their due on latest wrestling honor roll
Wrestlers with at least 28 reported victories made the cut this week, including a dozen who have already reached 40 wins. There are 39 girls on the latest list.
Farmington wrestling champ's strategy: Think a good game
Cole Han-Lindemyer's approach shows in his interest in technique and in his grade-point average.
MSHSL tinkers with seeding for state volleyball and football
The league also approved the addition of a class in girls tennis at its regular meeting.
Wrestling coaches say suffering to reduce weight is a thing of the past
Out: Starvation. Dehydration. Weakness. In: Nutrition. Water. Strength. The problem: "We didn't know what we were doing," one high school coach admitted.
The top athletes, the best teams: Gymnastics honor roll and rankings
The No. 1 team in each class resides outside the metro, and the honor roll runs nearly 150 names deep.
Wrestling with the details: honor roll, state rankings and big moments
A new team resides atop Class 3A, and don't miss the 160-plus records of wrestlers from all over the metro.
Schooled in humility as a youngster, wrestler is a humble champ now
Marco Christiansen of Minnetonka, headed to Nebraska for college, still calls his championship day "surreal."
Providence Academy mourns death of assistant football coach
Brad LaCombe, who played for St. Cloud State and in two pro leagues, died during heart surgery. He was 53.
Check out the gymnastics honor roll, more than 150 of the metro's best scores
The state rankings, with Owatonna atop the big class and Melrose first in 1A, are also included.
East side balance of wrestling power shifts, plus 200 wrestlers' records
Mounds View took out section rival Stillwater in a dual. Read on for the honor roll.
Retribution is one driving force for wrestler who last lost nearly two years ago
Alex Braun, headed to Oklahoma for college, is ranked No. 1 in Class 3A at 145 pounds.
The usual crushing loss? Mounds View wrestlers plan an unusual conclusion
The Mustangs, kept out of state annually by Stillwater, are undefeated and determined to stay that way.
Presenting the best marks by Twin Cities gymnasts this season
The honor roll shows the top reported scores by metro athletes, and read on for the state team rankings.
State's best wrestlers: Metro honor roll and latest team rankings
The honor roll shows the best reported records of athletes from metro-area teams.
Three twists and turns in gymnastics: a big weekend, rankings, honor roll
Class 2A's No. 1 team shows prominently in every one of the gatherings.
Three packs of wrestling facts: Numbers, rankings and honor roll
The successes range from an athlete's school record for wins to a coach's 900th victory.
Rogers sending three linemen off to play Division I football
With tousled hair and sleepy grins, a low-key signing ceremony started the school day at Rogers High School, even though one of the players wasn't part of the scene.
The tush push, the NFL play that sunk Vikings, is illegal in prep games
The play, in which a teammate pushes a runner ahead, cost one team a Prep Bowl TD when a player lifted a teammate who broke away for a score that was called back.
Why Wisconsin? Minnesota's No. 1-ranked offensive lineman explains.
Irondale's Emerson Mandell said the Wisconsin coaches were more concerned about him as a person than as a football player. "They never pressured me."
Coach of the Year loses football job at suburban private school
Benilde-St. Margaret's made the Class 4A state playoffs despite a 5-7 record. But coach Sean McMenomy has been told the school won't renew his coaching contract for 2024.
Top Gophers recruit Perich visits Ohio St., says 'nothing is a done deal'
Safety Koi Perich of Esko has an offer from Ohio State that he didn't have when he chose the Gophers. He also said that a visit to another top-tier college football team has been canceled.
Wrestling 2023-24: Class 3A powers are positioned for another big finish
Hastings and St. Michael-Albertville, teams that contributed to a dramatic conclusion to the 2022-23 season, are strong again.
Chanhassen two-way standout Maxwell Woods is Mr. Football
A running back and cornerback who also twice scored on kick returns is selected Minnesota's top senior.
Tennis champion became a winner even on the only day she ever lost
From her one high school loss, Metro Girls Player of the Year Isabelle Einess of Breck learned to deal with anxiety. Then she went on a 47-match winning streak and won two state titles.
Eight young QBs, including Edina's, already getting attention from colleges
Edina's Mason West nearly won a state championship, and several other sophomores are standouts. There's also a ninth-grader with family history at the position.
'The sadness' at Edina tops seven classes of Prep Bowl moments
Thrilling victories for Centennial and Chanhassen in the state's largest classes and an 87-yard touchdown run nullified by a penalty that helped decide the smallest class are among our Prep Bowl memories.
With a no-doubt rout, Stewartville cruises to a Class 3A Prep Bowl title
Annandale had the score tied after one quarter, then gave up five touchdowns in a row.
One final defensive stand makes Centennial the Class 6A Prep Bowl champion
The Cougars stopped Edina's two-point conversion attempt in the last seconds.
Centennial stands strong, overcomes Edina in Class 6A Prep Bowl
The Cougars stopped Edina's two-point conversion attempt in the last seconds.
Eden Valley-Watkins pulls away from Barnesville in Class 2A Prep Bowl
The Eagles had four interceptions, and the three by senior Nolan Haag tied the Prep Bowl record.
Three more games, three more guesses: Prep Bowl and prognosticators hit final day
David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen have made predictions all season, and they'll take it to the end.
Eden Valley-Watkins pulls away from Barnesville in Class 2A Prep Bowl
The Eagles had four interceptions, and the three by senior Nolan Haag tied the Prep Bowl record.
Edina or Centennial? Prep Bowl pickers clash over who wins 6A title
David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen are in a tight competition to be the Star Tribune's top high school football predictor. Could Edina vs. Centennial decide more than just the 6A title?
Centennial rejects flash, embraces force for its football identity
The Cougars bring a hard-hat persona into their Class 6A Prep Bowl title game with Edina. The Cougars also believe they're playing for more than just their school.
Edina's football run hearkens to 1978, when Edina West became a champion
The district had two high schools for eight years, and this year's Prep Bowl is reviving memories.