ALEKSA TATARYN
Benilde-St. Margaret's • soccer
The sophomore forward came up big in the Red Knights' run to their second consecutive Class 1A championship.
She scored a goal and assisted on three others in a 5-1 rout of Mankato West in the semifinals and scored the lone goal of the game — a 25-yard sniper shot to the upper right corner of the net with less than 10 minutes to go — in a 1-0 victory over Blake in the final.
The goal was so stunning that it even shocked Tataryn.
"Normally my goals are inside the [penalty] box. I hardly ever get shots off outside the box," she said. "Our coach tells us to visualize a lot. That's one of the shots I would visualize scoring."
The goal was the difference in the tight battle many expected, considering it was the third state championship-game meeting between the two teams.
"When there was about 15 minutes left, I remember thinking, 'It's going to go into overtime, just like last year,' " Tataryn said. "Getting that goal was unreal. Like our team would say, it's epic."
OBSA ALI
Richfield • cross-country
Putting the finishing touches on a dominant season, the senior pulled away in the final 800 meters to defeat Wayzata's Connor Olson and win the Class 2A individual championship. He covered the St. Olaf College course in a time of 15 minutes, 15.2 seconds.
ELIZABETH ENDY
Minnetonka • soccer
The Metro Player of the Year showed off her versatility in the Class 2A tournament. She scored a goal and assisted on another in a 3-2 semifinal victory over Eden Prairie, then split time between forward and defense as the Skippers beat Lakeville North 1-0 in the championship game.