Recent content from Alyce Brown

Girls basketball state tournament: Pairings are set for four championship games
Providence Academy and Crosby-Ironton, both unbeaten, reached the Class 2A final. West Central and MACCRAY upset their way into the 1A title game.
West Central Area, MACCRAY upset higher seeds, will play for Class 1A state title
MACCRAY, seeded seventh, will face fourth seed West Central Area at noon Saturday to crown a new girls basketball champion.

Hopkins reaches Class 4A girls basketball state final and will go for a record against Maple Grove
The Royals will play Saturday for their ninth state championship, which would break the record shared with Rochester Lourdes.

Girls basketball state tournament: Championship pairings are set in the three biggest classes
In Class 4A, Hopkins will play Maple Grove for the title. In Class 3A, Benilde-St. Margaret's will take on Marshall.

Presenting the boys hockey state tournament champions: Moorhead in Class 2A and East Grand Forks in 1A
Moorhead won its first title, outracing Stillwater 7-6 on four goals in the first period by Mason Kraft. East Grand Forks triumphed after bringing a .500 record to state.

How a small Minnesota community rallied around its championship-winning boys hockey team
Several students, alumni and family members made the five-hour trip from East Grand Forks to cheer on the team in the Class 1A state title game.

Boys hockey state tournament: Saturday's championship matchups are set
It'll be Moorhead vs. Stillwater in Class 2A and St. Cloud Cathedral vs. East Grand Forks in Class 1A.

The match is set: East Grand Forks vs. St. Cloud Cathedral for 1A boys hockey title
Defending champion St. Cloud Cathedral will face East Grand Forks in the state title game at noon Saturday.

Boys hockey state tournament: The Class 2A semifinal matchups are set
Edina, after an overtime victory over Rogers, will play Moorhead in one Friday game, and Stillwater will take on St. Thomas Academy in the other.

Fifteen players to watch at the boys hockey state tournament
Every game has one or more, from the first of Wednesday's Class 1A quarterfinals (St. Cloud Cathedral's John Hirschfeld) to the last in Thursday's Class 2A first round (Rogers' Parker Deschene and Nolen Geerdes, Edina's Sam Peckham).

As high school girls wrestling gains popularity, changes are sought and will be considered
The MSHSL will review a proposal to separate sections so more wrestlers will qualify for state.
Northfield wrestler savors one last go — and another title — at Xcel Energy Center
After missing all of last season, Ella Pagel got back to state for her senior season and won at 190 pounds.

St. Michael-Albertville standout builds on history at wrestling state championships
Landon Robideau won his fourth state title and extended his state-record winning streak to 188 matches.

Anoka wrestler, standing alone as a girl competing against boys at state, opens with a loss and a lesson
Gigi Bragg doesn't call it a setback. She calls it a way to get ready to wrestle the world. Here's that and much more from Friday's competition.

St. Michael-Albertville, still driven by the troubles of 2023, repeats as Class 3A wrestling champ
Watertown-Mayer/Mayer Lutheran filled the Class 2A vacuum when six-time winner Simley lost, and Staples-Motley won in Class 1A.
Hockey coach previously listed in critical condition after fall shows signs of improvement
Holy Family assistant hockey coach Jason Jensen was previously listed in critical condition with a brain injury after a player accidentally knocked him to the ice.

Frost lose to Toronto in rare appearance at Xcel Energy Center
The Frost dropped out of second place in the PWHL by losing their only home game of February, falling 2-1 to the Sceptres on Sunday.

In triple OT, freshman keeps four-peat dream alive for Warroad
Warroad defeated Orono on Lindsey Lorenson's goal and kept alive its push to win four Class 1A state championships in a row.

Dance team state champions all have something in common: They've been there before, and recently
Brainerd in Class 3A and Totino-Grace in 2A repeated as champions, and Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd doubled up in 1A after winning jazz Friday.

Eastview in Class 3A, Benilde-St. Margaret's in 2A, Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd in 1A win jazz dance titles
Wayzata's failure to make the 3A finals set up Eastview. Benilde-St. Margaret's repeated, and Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd ended St. Cloud Cathedral's run of titles.
With less than a year until the 2026 Winter Olympics, here are some Minnesotans to watch
The opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics is Feb. 6, 2026. Here's what you need to know about the Games and the Minnesotans who might be there.

Gophers dance team will represent U.S. at cheer world championships in April
The University of Minnesota team, which won a national championship in January, will be Team USA in Orlando, competing against about 70 other countries.

How to watch Minnesota's best high school jazz and high kick dance teams at Target Center
The high school state championships at Target Center this weekend will crown new jazz and high kick champions.

'She just kept going.' Benilde-St. Margaret's girls basketball standout followed a long road back.
Kendall McGee returned to the court 20 months after a knee injury in the state semifinals left her at "the lowest point that you could probably get to."

Signing day: Why three of Minnesota's best swimmers are headed to Missouri
Enrolled at different high schools but teammates on the same swim club, Libby Bakker, Drew Ploof and Annabelle Wentzel often talked about going to college together.

Ready for a repeat? Frost look poised to challenge for another PWHL title
Just past the season's midpoint, the Frost have shown they have the depth to overcome injuries, with rookies playing a big part, right next to the team's stars.

Thompson's memorable birthday lifts Frost over Toronto in shootout
Claire Thompson celebrated in style by scoring twice during regulation, then again in the shootout to spark the Frost to a 4-3 victory over the Sceptres at Xcel Energy Center.

Heise's two goals power Frost past Fleet 5-2 to end three-game skid
Taylor Heise scored twice to double her season goal total, and Minnesota beat Boston on Sunday at Xcel Energy Center to move into a tie for first in the PWHL.

Team USA's annual Rivalry Series with Hockey Canada has a Minnesota feel
Eight Minnesota Frost players and two other Minnesota natives are rostered for the Rivalry Series' conclusion next month.

Minnesota teen wins boys doubles title at Australian Open
For the second year in a row, Max Exsted, a 17-year-old tennis player from Savage, is the junior boys doubles champion in Melbourne, Australia.

After strong Olympic showing, Gophers gymnast Stewart ready for Big Ten
Ava Stewart made the Canadian Olympic team in 2021 and 2024 and already has a Big Ten freshman of the week honor for the Gophers.

Frost fall to Ottawa 1-0 for third consecutive loss
Charge goalie Gwyneth Philips saved all 22 of Minnesota's shots on goal, and Brianne Jenner's first-period goal was enough to end Ottawa's three-game skid.

Minnesota Frost returns home Tuesday to face Ottawa
The Frost had an eventful road trip ahead of this game at Xcel Energy Center.

Minnesota colleges dominate at the Universal Dance Association College Nationals
The Gophers dance team won the pom competition, their 23rd national title, while Minnesota-State Mankato and St. Cloud University took home wins in separate categories.
Gophers gymnastics team welcomes new $15.5 million training facility like 'Christmas morning'
The nationally ranked Gophers are hopeful the new space will make them better and attract recruits. "This is the last thing we needed to really elevate this program," coach Jenny Hansen says.
NCAA shortens St. Thomas' wait; Tommies could be eligible for NCAA postseason play this fall
The NCAA voted Wednesday on a ruling that would shorten the provisional period for schools making the jump from Division III to Division I.
Gophers aiming for a Women's Frozen Four played right in their own backyard
Minnesota will face all WCHA opponents the rest of the season, starting Friday against St. Thomas.

Shorthanded Frost hoping for bounce-back win vs. Boston
The Frost remain without the reigning PWHL rookie of the year, Grace Zumwinkle.