South metro prep highlights from 2016

Staff writer Ellis L. Williams recalls five team and individual championship highlights from the 2016 prep landscape.

By Ellis L. Williams, Star Tribune

December 28, 2016 at 6:38PM
Mark Hall 170 lb from Apple Valley celebrates after winning his sixth state title at the 2016 MSHSL Wrestling finals on Feb. 27 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. ] Special to Star Tribune MATT BLEWETT ï matt@mattebphoto.com - February 27, 2016, St. Paul, MN, MSHSL Wrestling, 655774 PREP022816
Apple Valley’s Mark Hall celebrated after winning his sixth state title at the Xcel Energy Center. He competed at 170 pounds and lost only four times in his high school career. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Apple Valley's decade of dominance

Mark Hall capped off his prep wrestling career with his sixth individual state title, helping Apple Valley capture its 11th consecutive Class 3A state championship with a 31-26 victory over St. Michael-Albertville. Hall did not lose a match in his final three seasons and graduated with the best career winning percentage of 98.5 (277-4) in state history.

Outswimming her competition

Visitation's 200 medley relay team was disqualified in the preliminaries of the Class 1A state meet, costing the Blazers a potential 40 points. It turned out those points did not matter. Visitation scored 261 points and won 13 medals in 12 events to capture its fourth consecutive girls' swimming state championship.

Lakers win in lacrosse state debut

Having lost to Lakeville North in the regular season, the Prior Lake boys' lacrosse team found redemption in its 12-5 victory over the Panthers in the state championship game. Led by Evan Bush's hat trick, the Lakers won the first lacrosse state title in program history after losing in their section final the previous two seasons.

Eastview dance team doubles up again

For the second time in three years, the Eastview dance team won both the jazz and high kick state championships in Class 3A. With a performance titled "Spelling Bee," the Lightning dance team won the high kick title on Feb. 13. It was the program's fifth high kick championship since 2011. Throughout that stretch, Eastview has not finished outside the top six.

Dramatic finish to win first soccer state title

Under first-year coach Noel Quinn, the St. Thomas Academy boys' soccer team won its first state championship in program history in dramatic fashion. Senior Devin Kennedy scored on a penalty shot in the second overtime of the Class 1A title game against Northfield. The 1-0 victory gave Quinn, who coached the Eden Prairie girls to back-to-back second-place finishes before moving to St. Thomas Academy, his first career state championship.

St. Thomas Academy players Chris Martin (16) and Devin Kennedy (7) celebrate Kennedy's winning penalty kick. ] (Leila Navidi/Star Tribune) leila.navidi@startribune.com BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Class 1A boys soccer championships between Northfield and St. Thomas Academy at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Thursday, November 3, 2016. St. Thomas Academy won 1-0 in overtime on a penalty kick that was awarded after a foul.
St. Thomas Academy players Chris Martin, left, and Devin Kennedy celebrated Kennedy’s winning penalty kick in overtime in the Class 1A boys’ soccer title match. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Eastview High School took first place in the Dance Team State Tournament, Jazz finals Friday evening at the Target Center. ] Elizabeth Brumley special to the Star Tribune
Eastview took first place in jazz in the Class 3A dance team state tournament at Target Center. And the next day, the Lightning won the high kick competition. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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about the writer

Ellis L. Williams, Star Tribune

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