Sports

Minnesota Scene: Caledonia quarterback Owen King named Associated Press Player of the Year in high school football

December 21, 2017 at 3:50AM

Caledonia quarterback Owen King was named the Minnesota Associated Press Player of the Year for high school football in 2017.

The award, as voted on by a statewide panel of preps writers and broadcasters, was announced Wednesday along with the AP's all-state team.

King helped lead the Warriors to the Class 2A state championship, tying a Prep Bowl record with six total touchdowns in a 57-6 victory over Pipestone on Nov. 24.

For his career, King passed for 8,158 yards and 137 touchdowns.

He edged Eden Prairie linebacker/running back Antonio Montero for the honor.

For the rest of the all-state team, see prep scoreboard on this page.

Gymnastics honors

Five new members will be inducted to the University of Minnesota's Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2018 on Jan 5 at the Courtyard by Marriott in Minneapolis for advancing the sport in the state.

They are Clay Strother, Jenny Deiley Vargas, Mike Flatten, Mark Curley and Maddison Mertz.

Strother was a four-year letter winner (1999-2003) and four-time NCAA champion. Deiley Vargas was a 10-time All-America gymnast at Michigan who coaches Rogers High School. Flatten and Curley will receive the lifetime achievement award; they have coached Roseville High School's team for 30 years. Mertz will receive the Abby Szot Courage Award posthumously; she was a Level 3 gymnast who died of brain cancer in May at the age of 8.