BAILEY DUPAY
Northfield gymnastics
When she's competing, DuPay is so stolid, expressionless and focused that it's impossible to gauge just how well she's doing.
But DuPay, who won her second consecutive Class 2A all-around championship, is far from robotic. She smiles easily and often, which would be expected after another crowd-pleasing effort in Saturday's individual finals.
DuPay led off the meet with a vault that scored 9.725, placing her second. She won the next three events — uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise — to finish with an all-around score of 39.075, the best meet-winning mark since Eagan's Stephanie Benson set the state record of 39.325 in 1999.
"There's nerves there," said DuPay, smiling broadly in the minutes following the meet. "I've just become especially good at hiding them and going out and having fun."
So far, DuPay has won 11 state titles in her high school career — eight in gymnastics, three in diving — and has one more year to go.
"There are a lot of things I still want to do," DuPay said. "I want to try for perfection."
COLE BIRKLID
Anoka • Swimming
The North Dakota-bound senior led the Tornadoes to the Class 2A, Section 7 team championship. He won the 100- and 200-yard freestyles and swam the anchor leg on the winning 400 freestyle relay team. He added a second-place finish in the 200 freestyle relay.
JESS BONFE
Hill-Murray Hockey
The junior forward had a hand in half of the Pioneers' goals in the Class 2A tournament. She a goal and an assist in a 4-1 victory over Burnsville, assisted on the only goal in a 1-0 defeat of Eden Prairie and scored the first two goals in a 5-3 victory over Benilde-St. Margaret's in the title game.
ELI BROMAN
Eagan • Swimming
Broman was the only four-event winner for the Wildcats, helping them to the team title at the Class 2A, Section 2 meet. The junior swam on the winning 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams and won individual championships in the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly.
MITCHELL MCKEE
St. Michael-Albertville Wrestling
If not for a loss to an Illinois wrestler in early January, the 120-pound sophomore would have finished the regular season undefeated after pinning Blaine's Malik Stewart in the Class 3A, Section 7 title match. McKee enters the state meet with a 41-1 record.
JASON TELIN
Tartan • Wrestling
The senior needed barely more than one complete match to win the heavyweight class at the Class 3A, Section 4 meet. He pinned all three of his opponents in a total time of 6 minutes, 12 seconds, running his record to 28-4.
SYLVIE WALLIN
Blake • Hockey
After scoring only one goal during the regular season, the sophomore was moved from defense to forward during the postseason. It paid off as Wallin scored six goals in four games, including the game-winner in the Class 1A title game.
JIM PAULSEN
