Recent content from Jim Paulsen
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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, 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.
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.
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, 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.
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.
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'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.
Albany tops Minnehaha Academy for first boys basketball state title
Several of the Huskies skipped football season to prepare, and it paid off.
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 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.
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.
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 tops third seed Plainview-Elgin-Millville
Owen Leach's free throws secured the victory that his 28 points made possible.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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's Harley Roering shoots, scores, inspires
She hadn't played or practiced since a February injury, but she made four three-pointers Friday.
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.
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 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 wins chance to play for 4A girls basketball title
Propelled by standout Tessa Johnson, the Knights defeated Eden Prairie in a Class 4A semifinal.
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.
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 defeats Centennial, gives Lake Conference three semifinalists
Fellow conference members Hopkins and St. Michael-Albertville also won quarterfinals.
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.
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 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 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 hires college assistant Walch to lead football team
Walch coached and played at Winona State and also coached at Carleton, Macalester and St. Thomas.
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'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.
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'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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
St. Cloud gymnast Schaefer repeats as Class 2A all-around champion
St. Michael-Albertville's Jackie Bergeron finished second at the state meet.
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.
Big Lake pushes aside pressure, wins Class 1A gymnastics state title
The Hornets came up big on balance beam and turned back Detroit Lakes.
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.
Wrestling teams claim their spots in the state tournament
The individual qualifiers will be determined in section tournaments this week.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
MSHSL board changes tennis seeding, rejects football proposal
The smaller-class football tournaments will continue to go unseeded.
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.
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.
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.
Into the action: High school video gamers cast aside anonymity
E-sports competition positions them to compete and win for their school.
By the dozen: 12 Minnesota high school wrestlers with big deeds
Eight have already won national championships, and four recently set school records.
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
One event will gather 53 swimming and diving teams, and two others will account for 32 gymnastics squads.
