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Jim Paulsen

Reporter | Sports
Phone: 612-673-7737
Recent content from Jim Paulsen
Brent Lundell took over the Minnetonka girls tennis program in 2021. He also has been a boys tennis coach at Eden Prairie for seven years, the past th

Girls tennis coach trying to save his job after back-to-back state titles

Minnetonka decided not to renew girls tennis coach Brent Lundell's contract after he won state titles in his first two seasons — he is also the boys coach at Eden Prairie, which he believes may have played a role in the decision.
Stillwater catcher Sarah Dollerschell was greeted by teammates after she hit a home run May 10 against Park of Cottage Grove.

Three things to know (and 32 predictions) about high school softball sections

A challenge is ahead for Stillwater, one is overcome at St. Anthony, and hope is high at Rockford.
Tegan Livesay, a mid-school year arrival from Newton, Kan., is 12-2 this season for Fairmont.

25 whiffs, 2 perfect games: Kansas transfer brings heat to Minnesota

After the surprise of her father getting a new job in Minnesota and the shock of her first Minnesota winter, senior Tegan Livesay has pitched her Fairmont team to being among the best in the state.
St. Michael-Albertville players Anika Rogers (3), Taylor Tschida (16) and Khendal Johnson enjoyed a moment during the eighth-ranked Knights’ 4-1 vic

Softball Metro Top 10 driven by conference races, playoff preparation

Unbeaten Rosemount remains atop the rankings but is still in pursuit of the South Suburban title. Meanwhile, the defending 4A state champs have recovered from a slow start and a couple conference leaders stumbled.
Sara Moulton, co-owner of Strike Zone Sports and a former All-America pitcher for the Gophers, worked with Josie Bjergo, 9, on pitching drills.

Sold on softball: Why more people are watching — and playing the game

Softball participation numbers and viewership have surged at the same time the sport has seen changes in rules and equipment to create more action and quicken the game's pace.
An Andover player readied himself during a game against Chaska this season.

State prep baseball coaches worry about sport — and offer solutions

In the aftermath of Major League Baseball making an array of changes, we asked the state's high school coaches whether their version of the game needs changes. Their answers cited problems — and opportunities.
Boys volleyball will have a place in sanctioned high school sports in 2024-25.

On third try, boys volleyball to become varsity sport in Minnesota

Tuesday was the third time the proposal had gone in front of the MSHSL assembly, which came one vote short of the two-thirds majority needed to approve it last year. Boys volleyball will become a full-fledged sport in 2024-25.
Rosemount’s Jessa Snippes has all those pitches — and now one more.

Rosemount, its firepower building, stands strong atop softball Metro Top 10

Slugger Paige Zender is up to nine home runs, and pitcher Jessa Snippes has a new tool.
The archers and coaches of Lakes International Language Academy.

Straight shooters: Metro charter school wins national archery title

The archery team at Lakes International Language Academy, a 20-year-old charter school in Forest Lake, includes a member who won two individual titles at the meet that included more than 8,000 competitors.
Forest Lake players savored a moment during their 5-2 victory over White Bear Lake on Monday. Forest Lake is ranked fourth in the new Metro Top 10. Wh

Metro softball Top 10 has a clear No. 1 — and then the rest gets murky

While Rosemount is clearly the top softball team in the state — it's impossible to argue with the numbers — teams are getting bunched up vying for the next nine spots.
Collin Beduhn of Wayzata celebrated a point with a grin and eventually claimed a victory over Matthew Fullerton of Edina.

Wayzata's Beduhn avenges marathon loss to Edina's Fullerton

Matthew Fullerton won the 2022 Class 2A title in a four-hour match against Collin Beduhn, but a tiebreaker sank him Tuesday.
Rosemount’s Paige Zender made solid contact against Hopkins last week and has hit five home runs already this season.

Early guesses match early returns: Rosemount's No. 1 in the softball Metro Top 10

The Irish are 7-0 and, led by Paige Zender's five homers, averaging more than a dozen runs per game.
Irondale offensive lineman Emerson Mandell has 13 Division I scholarship offers, including one from the Gophers.

Meet Minnesota's top 2024 football recruits and learn their plans

Esko's Koi Perich and four others in the top 10 have picked the Gophers. The other five? That's still to be determined. Tap here for who they are and where they're from.
Collin Beduhn (left) of Wayzata and Matthew Fullerton of Edina return for their senior seasons after settling the Class 2A singles championship over f

Still playing: Tennis standouts who needed 4 hours in 2022 title match rank 1-2 this season

Matthew Fullerton of Edina and Collin Beduhn of Wayzata are friends and rivals — and will be teammates at Wisconsin when they start college in the fall.
Jessa Snippes of Rosemount will play for the Gophers in college.

High school softball: 16 prominent pitchers, a dozen hitters, 10 teams and five takes

The discussion begins with Rosemount and Jessa Snippes, a Gophers recruit who stands out on the mound and at bat. And this is a better year than most for dominant pitchers.
New Prague wrestler Lawson Eller grabbed the leg of Simley wrestler Austin Grzywinski during the 2023 Class 2A state tournament. Next season New Pragu

New Prague, Totino-Grace stand out among schools changing classes

New Prague will join the big classes, and Totino-Grace's football team will drop from 6A to 4A.
Dave Stead was a pioneer as leader of the MSHSL.

Two state men, including ex-MSHSL head, named to national prep hall

Minnesota State High School League pioneer Dave Stead and Edina band director Bill Webb will bring the number of Minnesotans to enter the National High School Hall of Fame to 16 — and the first since distance runner Carrie Tollefson was inducted in 2018.
The MSHSL logo, on display at the hockey state tournaments at Xcel Energy Center.

MSHSL section assignments to be released by board Friday

Also discussed: Special doubleheader rules for spring, the basketball shot clock and tournament seeding.
McKenna Melville, an All-America hitter last season for Central Florida, will replace her mother as Eagan’s volleyball coach.

McKenna Melville, from NCAA All-America to Eagan volleyball coach

She's excited to replace her mother, Hall of Famer Kathy Gillen, as leader of the program.
Reagan Kelley of Watertown-Mayer/Mound Westonka backed up her first state title with a second.

No distractions, hard work made Kelley the Metro Gymnast of the Year

Reagan Kelley dealt with a new stressor — alone time — as the senior repeated as Class 1A all-around champ for Watertown-Mayer/Mound Westonka.
Waconia wrestler Max McEnelly celebrated after defeating Stillwater’s Ryder Rogotzke in the Class 3A 195-pound final.

Gophers-bound McEnelly is Star Tribune Metro Wrestler of the Year

For his fourth state title, Waconia senior Max McEnelly won a match that drew the attention of the wrestling world — and against a rival he could meet again in college.
Elk River quarterback Cade Osterman will be a preferred walk-on for the Gophers as a wide receiver.

Elk River's quarterback flips commitment to U from Iowa State

Cade Osterman, a state champion as Elk River's quarterback and the 2022 Mr. Football, is expected to play wide receiver for Minnesota.
Ethan Borgerding scored 16 points for Albany in the state championship game.

Albany tops Minnehaha Academy for first boys basketball state title

Several of the Huskies skipped football season to prepare, and it paid off.
Wayzata guard Hayden Tibbits lined up a shot against Lakeville North guard Matt Drake in the first half Thursday.

Shot in final seconds lifts Wayzata over Lakeville North in 4A semifinal

Guard Hayden Tibbits scored the winning points after his team gave up big second-half leads.
Park Center forward Kaden Cook went over Eastview’s Chet Kloss and into the stands during the first half.

Park Center finds timely traction, downs Eastview in 4A semifinal

The Pirates trailed by five in the final four minutes but won with a nine-point run.
Kathy Gillen is turning the Eagan volleyball program over to her daughter.

Winner of seven state volleyball titles to be replaced by daughter

Longtime Eagan volleyball coach Kathy Gillen and her daughter talked many times about a possible succession plan. That plan is happening now.
Nasir Whitlock of DeLaSalle took the high road on a drive against Stewartville in the first half Tuesday.

DeLaSalle overcomes slow start, beats Stewartville to reach 3A semis

The Islanders made 15 of 20 free throws as they overcame a quarterfinal challenge.
Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton’s Owen Leach worked the lane Tuesday against Plainview-Elgin-Millville during their state quarterfinal game.

Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton tops third seed Plainview-Elgin-Millville

Owen Leach's free throws secured the victory that his 28 points made possible.
Albany’s Tysen Gerads (22) scored 19 points in the Huskies’ quarterfinal victory over Pequot Lakes.

Albany makes inside-outside game work against Pequot Lakes

A victory in the 2A quarterfinals featured Sam Hondl in the lane and Tysen Gerads from afar.
Isaiah Hagen worked his way past a defender during his 35-point game against Hermantown.

Orono hangs on vs. Hermantown in Class 3A boys basketball quarterfinals

Orono led by 16 points in the second half but by only three with 13.9 seconds remaining.
Nasir Whitlock of DeLaSalle takes a 27.7-point scoring average into the Class 3A state tournament.

Tenacious, focused: DeLaSalle's Whitlock is boys basketball Metro Player of the Year

Nasir Whitlock put up big numbers on and off the court for DeLaSalle: 27.7 points per game, 52 in a single game and a 3.87 GPA. You can see him play in the state boys basketball tournament this week.
St. Michael-Albertville’s Tessa Johnson, right, and Hopkins’ Kelly Boyle competed for a loose ball Saturday.

Losses to Hopkins drove STMA to ultimate success against the Royals

The 2022 Class 4A final and two regular-season games provided motivation. Read on for award finalists.
Moods differed strongly Saturday, when  St. Michael-Albertville players celebrated their 71-70 victory while Hopkins’ Kelly Boyle showed another emo

St. Michael-Albertville bursts from the gate, gets away with 4A title

Hopkins mounted a challenge in the second half but stopped a point short of making up ground lost at the start.
Kendall McGee (30) of Benilde-St. Margaret’s competed for a loose ball with Jordyn Johnson of DeLaSalle during the quarterfinals.

Benilde-St. Margaret's wins without Kendall McGee and for her

McGee, a sophomore point guard, was injured during the semifinals and on crutches for the final.
Providence Academy’s Grace Counts blocked a shot by Minnehaha Academy’s Angel Hill and also had 20 points and 14 rebounds Friday.

Defending champ Providence Academy returns to Class 2A final

Maddyn Greenway dominated vs. Minnehaha Academy, and Grace Counts provided a perfect dose of help.
Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa guard Harley Roering made a three-pointer against Mountain Iron-Buhl, one of four for her in the game.

Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa's Harley Roering shoots, scores, inspires

She hadn't played or practiced since a February injury, but she made four three-pointers Friday.
Albany forward Alyssa Sand blocked a shot by Goodhue forward Tori Miller in the first half.

Late three-pointer launches Albany into Class 2A title game

Tatum Findley broke a tie with Goodhue when she scored from afar with 1:10 left.
Hopkins’ Taylor Woodson (left) and St. Michael-Albertville’s Tessa Johnson.

Three angles: Breaking down the Class 4A girls basketball championship game

It's perennial finalist Hopkins vs. St. Michael-Albertville and Metro Player of the Year Tessa Johnson.
Hopkins guard Liv McGill made a layup against Stillwater in the first half Thursday.

Hopkins dispatches Stillwater, gets 4A title game against STMA

The defending champion Royals reached the title game for the sixth time in eight years and will play St. Michael-Albertville for the third time this season. The teams combined for 198 points in their last game.
St. Michael-Albertville guard Tessa Johnson hit a fadeaway jumper in the second half.

St. Michael-Albertville wins chance to play for 4A girls basketball title

Propelled by standout Tessa Johnson, the Knights defeated Eden Prairie in a Class 4A semifinal.
Maddyn Greenway of Providence Academy scored past Kendall Anderson of Lake Crystal-Wellcome on Wednesday.

Providence Academy rolls over Lake Crystal-Wellcome in 2A quarterfinal

Maddyn Greenway scored 41 points for Providence, which won its 27th game in a row.
Elisabeth Gadient went up for a layup in Goodhue’s 67-59 win over Crosby-Ironton.

Goodhue advances to 2A semifinals with victory over Crosby-Ironton

The Wildcats pulled away by causing six turnovers and making a 15-8 run in the last 6:47.
Eden Prairie’s Ashley Fritz broke free from a pack of Centennial defenders to score in the second half of the Eagles’ 78-57 quarterfinal victory a

Eden Prairie defeats Centennial, gives Lake Conference three semifinalists

Fellow conference members Hopkins and St. Michael-Albertville also won quarterfinals.
Eagan defenders came at JaKahla Craft from all directions, but Kraft managed to lead St. Michael-Albertville in scoring with 24 points.

After a lull, St. Michael-Albertville fires up in 4A victory over Eagan

Eagan's first trip to the state tournament included an early lead that didn't last.
Tessa Johnson of St. Michael-Albertville is averaging  23.6 points per game this season, with a high of 51.

Take-charge Tessa Johnson is girls basketball Metro Player of the Year

Johnson's admirers come in a wide range, but youth players in her St. Michael-Albertville community are especially prominent among her supporters.
Eden Prairie coach Ellen Wiese turned her attention to the student section in the final minute of her team’s upset in the section final.

Eden Prairie upsets top-ranked Chaska in girls basketball section final

Chaska's 22-game winning streak, and its season, came to a sudden halt.
St. Michael-Albertville’s Ja’Kahla Craft (50) scored 16 first-half points.

St. Michael-Albertville rolls past Elk River into girls hoops tournament

Long-range shooting got the Knights started, and a run at the start of the second half settled it.
St. Thomas Academy students, in uniform, cheered their football team.

St. Thomas Academy hires college assistant Walch to lead football team

Walch coached and played at Winona State and also coached at Carleton, Macalester and St. Thomas.
Princeton’s Tyler Wells went 162-1 in his high school years, a state-record success rate.

162-1: Princeton wrestler Wells goes out as a four-time state champ

Other Tyler Wells numbers: 162 wins, state-record .994 winning percentage, 976 takedowns. And his fans won;t have to travel far to see him wrestle in college.
Waconia wrestler Max McEnelly celebrates after defeating Stillwater wrestler Ryder Rogotzke in the Class 3A 195lb weight class to win his fourth state

Waconia's McEnelly wins state grudge match vs. Stillwater's Rogotzke

Ryder Rogotzke moved up in weight class to take on Max McEnelly, pitting two of the nation's best.
Charli Raymond of Simley indicated she’d won her second state championship in two tries.

Simley eighth-grader Raymond wins second girls wrestling state title

Charli Raymond is believed to be the first girl to win team points in the boys wrestling state meet.
Stillwater wrestler Ryder Rogotzke (top) looked for an angle against Anoka’s Logan Raj-Malikowski on Friday.

Stillwater's Ryder Rogotzke hits one goal at wrestling state meet and chases another

Rogotzke set a state record with his 45th pin. Next he wants a rematch with Waconia's Max McEnelly.
Jericho Cooper of Hastings, left, dealt with Bryon Sauvy of St. Michael-Albertville on his way to a 14-8 victory in their 182-pound match.

Hastings' stunning rally takes 3A title; Simley, Jackson Co. Central repeat

Hastings trailed defending champion St. Michael-Albertville 32-9 and then won the final five matches, including the last three by pins to win by one point.
Lewis Yang (top wrestler in left photo) is qualified for the wrestling state meet, boosted by the coaching of his brother Peter (right photo).

Repping the city, Minneapolis wrestlers train together for state

The 10 boys who qualified for the wrestling state tournament from Minneapolis public schools know what they're doing is big for the sport in the city. That's why they're practicing together to prepare.
Max McEnelly (left) and Ryder Rogotzke are likely opponents in the Class 3A 195-pound final.

Two champions will pursue one title at the wrestling state meet

Stillwater's Ryder Rogotzke stepped up a weight class, aiming at Waconia's Max McEnelly.
Reagan Kelley of Watertown-Mayer/Mound Westonka performed in the floor exercise Saturday at the Class 1A gymnastics state meet.

Watertown-Mayer/Mound Westonka's Reagan Kelley wins 1A gymnastics title again

Kelley repeated as champion, overcoming the effort of Big Lake's Britney Krumrei.
Taylar Schaefer of St. Cloud Tech (left) finished first and and Jackie Bergeron of St. Michael-Albertville second in the all-around.

St. Cloud gymnast Schaefer repeats as Class 2A all-around champion

St. Michael-Albertville's Jackie Bergeron finished second at the state meet.
Gymnasts from New Prague celebrate after winning first place in the Minnesota State High School League Class 2A gymnastics championships Friday, Feb.

It's no secret now: New Prague wins Class 2A gymnastics title

Captain Ella Barsness knew it all along but made her teammates wait for the news.
Katie Goracke of Big Lake competed on bars at the state meet Friday.

Big Lake pushes aside pressure, wins Class 1A gymnastics state title

The Hornets came up big on balance beam and turned back Detroit Lakes.
Big Lake gymnast Britney Krumrei watched for her landing point.

Love of flips come with twists and turns for Big Lake gymnast

Broken vertebrae in seventh grade stopped her only momentarily, and now she's after a state title at this week's state gymnastics tournament.
Twenty-four teams qualified to experience the scene at the wrestling state meet in Xcel Energy Center.

Wrestling teams claim their spots in the state tournament

The individual qualifiers will be determined in section tournaments this week.
The statue of famed hockey coach Herb Brooks that stands outside Xcel Energy Center caught some snow in 2010 and is in the way of a large snowstorm th

Snow? What snow? High school state championships plan to proceed

Forecasts say 20 inches of snow could fall on the days the girls hockey state tournament is scheduled. There are also section games in a number of other sports that could be scrambled by the storm.
Coach Joe Hyser, with his team and coaches, kept an eye on the progress of the Minneapolis South boys basketball team. Eight players transferred from

A step-by-step look at how Minnesota high school transfers work

It's a process that "comes down to the accuracy of the information provided and honesty of the person providing the information," a league official said.
Audrey Rogotzke (left) and Ryder Rogotzke are siblings with state championships and high rankings to their name.

10 for 10: These wrestling siblings ranked among best at their weights

In the latest Minnesota high school wrestling rankings, you'll find pairs of brothers; brother/sister combos, and a set of Minnesota twins.
Aspen Blasko (top) competed against Fridley’s Olivia Sackor during the 2022 state championships and will return to state this year to defense her ti

Girls wrestling champions go 8-for-8 in winning their way back to state

Every 2022 winner who returned this season won a section title Saturday.
Shakopee’s Joel Makem, shown when she won a state title at 126 pounds in 2022, was among winners at the 59-team Pine Island tournament.

From the wrestling room: Girls gather, cities clash, scores settled

Girls went big in Pine Island as the postseason beckoned, and Minneapolis got the best of St. Paul.
Skylar Little Soldier is a Hastings wrestler and proud member of the Three Affiliated Tribes who bears an Olympic dream.

Little Soldier: Minnesota's highest-regarded wrestler has big goal

A 16-year-old junior at Hastings, Skylar Little Soldier is ranked No. 1 in Minnesota at 145 pounds and No. 9 among the nation's girls wrestlers regardless of weight class. She's looking to turn her childhood dream into reality.
A change that affects tennis seeding was made Thursday by the Minnesota State High School League.

MSHSL board changes tennis seeding, rejects football proposal

The smaller-class football tournaments will continue to go unseeded.
Maple Grove’s Jacob Kilzer (left) and Elk River’s Cade Osterman both led their teams to state championships.

Two Prep Bowl-winning QBs makes Division I college commitments

Cade Osterman of Elk River and Jacob Kilzer of Maple Grove led their schools to state titles at the 2022 Prep Bowl.
The top three winners in Minnesota high school wrestling history, clockwise from left: No. 3 Mark Hall, No. 2 Brady Berge and No. 1 Destin McCauley.

Top 10 prep wrestlers in state history — and three seniors aiming at them

One of the high school sports dramas playing out over the next couple of months is whether three metro-area seniors can break into the list. One of them needs only two more wins to get there.
Ryder Rogotzke left Connor Mirasola of West Bend, Wis., flat on the mat during the Christmas Tournament in Rochester.

Stillwater wrestler and pinning machine picks a new weight class

Ryder Rogotzke won the Class 3A championship last season, this year he'll wrestle in a higher weight class on a mission to avenge a loss to Waconia's Max McEnelly.
Max Vossen, Miles Dripps and Jasper Priest of Minneapolis South’s Dos Tigres team claimed their trophy for winning the Minecraft Bed Wars state cham

Into the action: High school video gamers cast aside anonymity

E-sports competition positions them to compete and win for their school.
Skylar Little Soldier of Hastings, right, is a national champion wrestler as well as a Minnesota state champion.

By the dozen: 12 Minnesota high school wrestlers with big deeds

Eight have already won national championships, and four recently set school records.
Waconia’s Max McEnelly (left) stopped at 132, eighth in the top 10 longest winning streaks in Minnesota history. Mitch Bengtson (top right) and Gabl

132 in a row? Yes, and it gets better: State's top 10 prep wrestling streaks

The longest active wrestling streak in Minnesota ended over the weekend when Max McEnelly lost. How does it compare with the other top winning streaks in state history?
Notes and numbers: Big meets are just ahead in gymnastics, swimming

Notes and numbers: Big meets are just ahead in gymnastics, swimming

One event will gather 53 swimming and diving teams, and two others will account for 32 gymnastics squads.