Minnesota Scene: Longtime wrestling coach Jim Jackson stepping down at Shakopee

Jim Jackson, the uber-successful wrestling coach at Apple Valley and Shakopee, announced Monday that he was stepping down as head coach at Shakopee effective immediately.

Jackson, 63, coached at Apple Valley for 32 years and was head coach for 17, from 1995-96 through 2011-12. He led the Eagles to 14 state championships over that span. He took over at Shakopee in 2016 and guided the Sabers to back-to-back Class 3A team titles in 2019 and 2020.

His career record is 868-64-4, a 92.73 winning percentage.

Jackson took a job outside of wrestling this fall and found it difficult to do that and coach simultaneously.

"I thought I could manage my new position and being head wrestling coach at [Shakopee]," he said in an e-mail. "After seven weeks at my new job, it is requiring more of my time than I initially thought it would. Trying to juggle both is not fair to our student athletes or our entire program. Nor is it fair to the company I work for."

Assistant coach Marcus LeVesseur, a well-known name in Minnesota wrestling circles, will take over for Jackson at Shakopee. LeVesseur won four individual state championships at Minneapolis Roosevelt and went on to an undefeated college wrestling career (155-0) at Augsburg, winning four Division III national championships.

JIM PAULSEN

The 2A girls' finalists are Chloe Olson of Minneapolis South, Kenzie Jacobsen of Rosemount, Khyah Harper of Centennial, Lexi Huber of Stillwater and Olivia Watson of Moorhead.

2A boys' finalists: Assem Elsayad of St. Paul Central, Dylan Olson of Minnetonka, Ramzi Ouro-Akondo of Minneapolis Southwest, Will Heinen of Champlin Park and Zachary Susee of Shakopee.

The five finalists for Class 1A boys are Henry Tolbert of Austin, Keegan Chastey of Duluth Denfeld, Keegan James of Blake, Miguel Leon Alvarado of Richfield and Nolan Pratumwon of Mahtomedi. The 1A girls' finalists: Allison Voss of Benilde-St. Margaret's, Cate Moe of Blake, Chanda Breeggemann of Waconia, Mia Van der Heide of Holy Angels and Maren Friday of Duluth Marshall.