Recent content from Jim Paulsen

Season's fleeting for what's left of state high school spring sports
After last weekend's storm, hundreds of games have been scrapped. One local official says it could be May before outdoor fields are ready for play.

Boys' volleyball gets a foothold among Minnesota high schools
Backed by two Minnesota volleyball stalwarts, 21 schools around the metro have formed teams to play this spring.

Raena Suggs' grades are on the rise, as is her enthusiasm
Raena Suggs learned what was wrong and how to beat it.

Spring high school sports on ice, weather postponing start of competition
Baseball and softball teams have yet to play a game, forcing scramble.

Gable Steveson, Star Tribune Metro Wrestler of the Year
The Apple Valley heavyweight ended his high school career with his fourth consecutive state title.

Chaney Neu, Star Tribune Metro Gymnast of the Year
Reticence turns to repeat for the young champion from Champlin Park.

Who rose to the top of high school teams, athletes in Twin Cities' west metro area?
A St. Michael-Albertville wrestler and a Hopkins girls' basketball player stood out the most in staff writer Jim Paulsen's west metro slice of the recently completed prep seasons.

Breuer, other Minnesota prep hoops legends, inducted into inaugural Hall
Others selected included Minneapolis North guard Khalid El-Amin, New York Mills standout Janet Karvonen-Montgomery and legendary Chisholm coach Bob McDonald.

Finals losses don't dishearten Hopkins girls' basketball coach Brian Cosgriff
Longtime Royals coach is as determined as ever.

Caledonia beats Brooklyn Center in Class 2A boys' basketball semifinals
Owen King is accustomed to leading Caledonia to state football championships. Now he's got the Warriors within one victory of a basketball state title.King, a…

Minnehaha Academy routs St. Cloud Cathedral in Class 2A boys' basketball semifinals
Minnehaha Academy made nine three-pointers.

Class 4A championship preview: Cretin-Derham Hall vs. Apple Valley
Two talented teams will tussle. Apple Valley will go for its fourth championship since 2013, but it must overcome the size of the top-seeded Raiders.

Apple Valley shuts down Lakeville North in second half, advances to title game
It’s become Apple Valley’s M.O. over the past half-dozen years, three of which have ended in state championships. Have a superstar as a foundation. Play…

Daniel Oturu scores 19 points in second half to help Cretin-Derham Hall turn back Eden Prairie
Star center, stymied in the first half, lifts Raiders past Eden Prairie in semifinals.

Apple Valley falters, recovers to rally past Forest Lake
Rangers take lead into second half before rally.

Cretin-Derham Hall embraces 'showtime' basketball
Top seed Cretin-Derham Hall coming into Class 4A tourney with flamboyance

Apple Valley's Tre Jones is the Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year
Bigger stardom can wait for 'normal kid' Tre Jones of Apple Valley.

Eastview wins the biggest prize, tops Hopkins for Class 4A girls' basketball title
Eastview withstands burst by Hopkins' Bueckers to capture Class 4A championship

Sauk Centre beats Roseau for first Class 2A girls' basketball title
That final step was a doozy, but Sauk Centre finally climbed it, holding off a late charge by Roseau to defeat the Rams 63-52 in…

Armstrong boys' basketball coach retires with few regrets
Greg Miller coached basketball for 33 years, piling up many memories.

Size no matter for Osseo
On paper, the Class 4A, Section 5 boys' basketball final looked like a mismatch: Top-seeded Park Center — long and athletic and talented — against…

Hopkins crushed Roseville in Class 4A girls' basketball
The Royals beat Roseville to reach title game again.

Eastview beats Lakeville North for third time in girls' basketball
Megan Walstad scored six in a key 12-0 Eastview run.

Lakeville North edges Maple Grove in overtime in girls' basketball
This year, the call went Lakeville North's way.With three seconds left in overtime and the score tied 66-66, sophomore guard Lauren Jensen corralled a defensive…

Eastview surprised everyone but itself en route to dominant season
Eastview (29-0) is an unselfish Class 4A team with a ferocious defense

Paige Bueckers, the Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year, still has one goal in mind: winning state
As honors are heaped on sophomore Paige Bueckers of Hopkins, she remains relentless in trying to find ways to improve her game.
Basketball tournaments take over high school schedule
The girls' basketball state tournament runs Wednesday through Sunday; the boys' tournament is the following week.

Hopkins routs Minneapolis South in girls' basketball
The Royals jumped to a 15-0 lead in beating South.
Upsets knock out contenders for girls' basketball section finals
Saturday was a day of surprises at the highest class of girls' basketball.

Shakopee's Alex Lloyd claims third state crown; Gable Stevens goes out in style
Some big-time final performances were on display Saturday at Xcel Energy Center.
Orono senior completes perfect run at 195
Bobby Striggow beat Saylor Schmit of Foley 9-2 in the Class 2A 195-pound championship
Bloomington Kennedy senior wrestler not ready to give up the sport he loves
Jake Leicht continues to wrestle despite a rare heart disorder.

Apple Valley makes big splash in 3A individual wrestling
After missing the state tournament as a team for the first time since 1982, the Eagles had five wrestlers still alive after Friday's first two rounds.
Two-time runner-up Jake Svihel adds relaxation to routine
When he's fully warmed up, Jake Svihel finds a place to sit and immerse himself in … nothing.
Minnesota wrestling coaches seek fewer weight classes to stem dual-meet forfeits
The number of weight classes would drop from 14 to 12 according to plan formed after a coaches survey found widespread support for the idea.

Kasson-Mantorville rolls to third state team wrestling title
Kasson-Mantorville rolls to third title in a row.

St. Michael-Albertville beats Shakopee for Class 3A title in wrestling
The Knights, co-champions in 2013, beat Shakopee for their first outright Class 3A title

Simley junior Daniel Kerkvliet has inner drive to keep winning
Simley junior Daniel Kerkvliet, one of the nation's top high school juniors, is ranked No. 3 overall in the class of 2019 by Flowrestling.com.

Q&A with new high school league boss: Club sports, eligibility and more
Erich Martens stakes over an organization still in the process of instituting a series of recommendations to improve transparency in the way it does things.

Champlin Park's Neu turns heads with Class 2A all-around victory
Chaney Neu's all-around win may spark quite a run.

Chisago Lakes' Williams wins Class 1A All Around title
Aliah Williams won the all-around but didn't win an individual event.
Stillwater drives to a gymnastics title
Ponies score season-best 150.25 to beat Lakeville North after a year of hurdles
Detroit Lakes wins fourth straight 1A gymnastics team title
Lakers repeat by a comfortable margin despite a few "goofy" moments.

For defending state champion gymnast Chaney Neu, there's more fun to be had
Champlin Park's Chaney Neu is back to defend all-around title she won as a 13-year-old.
Girls' hockey, gymnastics next high school sports to crown state champions
The girls are in the spotlight, with the girls' hockey state tournament set from Wednesday to Saturday at Xcel Energy Center. The gymnastics state meet will be held Friday and Saturday at the University of Minnesota's Maturi Sports Pavilion.

Apple Valley's 35-year wrestling state meet streak halted by Shakopee
The Sabers edged the Eagles to end a 35-year state wrestling streak.
Grand Rapids skier Garrett Beckrich pulls off unexpected classic feat to win Nordic state title
Grand Rapids skier's focus on biathlon doesn't hinder him from winning Nordic title.

Hermantown's Danelski, Eden Prairie's Divine win Alpine titles
Austin Danelski and Becca Divine were crowned champions Wednesday in Biwabik

Brooklyn Center football signings leave legacy to build on
Seven football players, the most in Brooklyn Center history, signed Wednesday.
Minnesota prep football players set to commit on version two of signing day
Eden Prairie running back/linebacker Antonio Montero will sign with Rice.
Minnesota's best girls' wrestler just wants to be a wrestler
For now, Centennial wrestler Emily Shilson is driving toward becoming the first girl to win a match at the state meet. But she has much bigger dreams than that.
Beginning a diet of state high school tournaments
Starting with skiing, it's a crowded six-week stretch.

Respect between world champion prep wrestlers obvious to standing-room only crowd
Apple Valley senior heavyweight Gable Steveson outlasted Simley junior Daniel Kerkvliet 3-2 on Friday. Both won world championships last summer.
McHale, Whalen, El-Amin among first in state basketball HOF class
Fourteen inductees -- including a team, a dynasty and individual players and coaches -- were named to the first class of the Minnesota High School Basketball Hall of Fame, a project seven years in the making by a group of state basketball supporters.

Unique phys ed class at Wayzata High School breaks down barriers
It's called unified physical education, and it pairs students with special needs with those of the general population. By all accounts, it's been wildly successful.
Defending girls' hockey champs to clash this week
Blake plays host to Edina in a battle of defending state champions Saturday at 4 p.m.

Junior-led Wayzata surprisingly 16-0 in girls' basketball
Juniors Mimi Schrader and Kallie Theisen are veterans Trojans rely on.

Wayzata edges Hopkins in matchup of Class 4A powers in girls' basketball
Mimi Schrader led the Trojans with 20 points.
Skiing, swimming, gymnastics ruled Saturday prep schedule
Saturday was a day of striding, splashing and soaring, with some of the biggest meets of season taking place in Nordic ski racing, boys' swimming and gymnastics.

Sophomore-led Eden Prairie boys' basketball having big-time success
Eagles are off to an 8-1 start, with several big wins already.
Eden Prairie boys' basketball passes another test, this time at Minneapolis North
The balanced Eagles pulled away from Minneapolis North at the end.

Late surge of interest causes Elk River lineman Ronald Audette to rethink commitment
Ronald Audette was set to sign with North Dakota State but now he will wait until Feb. 7.

Woodbury's David Alston, Nebraska a perfect fit despite coaching change
The Royals' 6-5, 225-pound linebacker had 13½ sacks the past two seasons.

Gable Stevenson amazes even his wrestling coach with his skills
Apple Valley's Gable Stevenson could excel in any sport, but chose to dominate wrestling.

Sophomore guard Paige Bueckers drives high expectations for Hopkins
Hopkins sophomore Paige Bueckers is drawing accolades and attention, but is driven to win a title

West metro boys' basketball: Holes to fill, scads of talent
A look at teams and players in the west metro, which also includes most of Minneapolis.

Owatonna's ground game runs wild, helping Huskies avenge 2016 loss to Elk River
Its ground game provided all the offense it needed, getting Elk River back for 2016

Minneota's ground game leads it past Wabasso 28-13 for Class 1A football crown
Led by Isaac Hennen, the ground game dominated.

Eden Prairie wins 6A title at Prep Bowl, 38-17 over Minnetonka
Eden Prairie recaptures momentum after halftime and cruises to 6A championship

Class 2A: Caledonia QB Owen King's six TDs lead rout of Pipestone
Caledonia's leader ties record with six TDs.
Who's got the ball? Elk River's deceptive offense provides challenge
Confusion reigns when Elk River is on offense, even if you've seen it before

Two families deeply tied to Minneota's football success
There are three Hennens and two Buysses on Minneota's current Prep Bowl team.
(No) surprise: Hopkins leads west-metro girls' basketball
Royals have reached the past two Class 4A title games, compiling a 60-4 mark.

Class 6A semifinal: Minnetonka jumps to lead, fights off late charge by Cretin-Derham Hall
Cretin-Derham Hall was left to second-guess after falling short.
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