Recent content from Cassidy Hettesheimer
All-Minnesota Girls Nordic Skier of the Year: Linnea Ousdigian of Mounds View
The sophomore repeated as state champ and also as the Star Tribune's award winner.
All-Minnesota Boys Nordic Skier of the Year: Logan Drevlow of Hopkins
Logan Drevlow, a sophomore, repeated as state champion in Nordic skiing, this time winning by 50 seconds, and since has added national championships.
Vikings launch flag football league for high school girls in Minnesota
Games will be played on Sunday, allowing athletes to double-dip and play flag football alongside spring sports such as softball, lacrosse or track.
Meet Caden Burns of St. Paul Academy, the All-Minnesota Boys Alpine Skier of the Year
Burns won the boys Alpine skiing individual state championship in February.
Meet Taylor Voigt of Hill-Murray, the All-Minnesota Girls Alpine Skier of the Year
Voigt won her second girls Alpine skiing state title in February while leading the Pioneers to another team title.
Albany reigns as undefeated Class 2A boys basketball champion after holding off Waseca
Waseca tied the game in the second half, but All-Minnesota standouts Zeke Austin and Sam Hondl pushed back.
Boys basketball live blog: Scores and updates from boys basketball championship games
Earlier Saturday, Alexandria defeated Mankato East 73-64 in the 3A final, Dawson-Boyd beat Cherry 81-74 in 1A, and Albany overcame Waseca 70-63 in 2A.
Albany and Waseca, the top two seeds, will play for the Class 2A boys basketball title
Albany turned away Caledonia and Waseca held off Breck in the semifinals.
Boys basketball state tournament: The matchups are set for a day of championships
Cherry and Dawson-Boyd advanced to the 1A final, and Albany and Waseca reached the 2A semifinal title game.
Boys basketball state tournament: Pairings are in place for Class 4A, 3A championship games
Wayzata will take on Cretin-Derham Hall in 4A, and Alexandria will play Mankato East in 3A.
Boys basketball: Alexandria, Mankato East to play for Class 3A state championship
Alexandria toppled three-time defending champ Totino-Grace in the semifinals, and Mankato East knocked off Orono.
Boys basketball state tournament: Thursday's semifinals are set in the three biggest classes
Class 4A's higher seeds all won, though Wayzata was tested by Moorhead, and Classes 3A and 2A also went according to form.
Hopkins reigns as Minnesota's all-time leader in girls basketball state championships
The Royals, with 28 points from sophomore Erma Walker, won their ninth title, breaking a tie with Rochester Lourdes.
Hopkins closes championship day with a record-setting Class 4A girls basketball victory
West Central Area defeated MACCRAY to win Class 1A, Providence Academy topped Crosby-Ironton in 2A, and Benilde-St. Margaret's beat Marshall in 3A.
Providence Academy and Crosby-Ironton, a perfect pairing, reach Class 2A girls basketball final
Each of the finalists remained undefeated with a comfortable victory in the semifinals.
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.
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.
For Minnesota teen, father's memory lives on through love of basketball
Benilde-St. Margaret's forward Jalen Wilson, a Division I recruit and Mr. Basketball finalist, has dedicated his senior year to his late dad.
Girls basketball state tournament: Three classes' worth of semifinalists are settled
Classes 4A, 3A and 2A played it down to four teams Wednesday, and Class 1A will take that step Thursday.
Wayzata overcomes Hopkins again, moves on to boys basketball state tournament
The Trojans won the annual Class 4A, Section 6 championship matchup for the fifth year in a row.
Dandy Dozen: 12 players to watch at the 2025 girls basketball state tournament
The list of talented players represent individuals most likely to shine in the 2025 state tournament
These 3 new pros are reshaping views on women's soccer in Minnesota
Edina's Maddie Dahlien, Orono's Clare Gagne and Centennial's Khyah Harper turned successful college careers into pro contracts while setting a new standard for Minnesota prep soccer.
Records take a beating in Class 2A boys hockey championship game
The attendance was an all-time high, and Mason Kraft of Moorhead equaled a John Mayasich achievement. Though it lost, even Stillwater made a mark.
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.
Moorhead and Stillwater advance to Class 2A boys hockey championship game
The Spuds pulled off a 4-3 victory over Edina on a goal with 58.1 seconds left. The Ponies won on goaltender Cal Conway's second shutout of the tournament.
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.
Hopkins overcomes Wayzata, snags spot in the girls basketball state tournament
The result was in keeping with the past 10 years, despite the Trojans' victories in the regular season.
Flag football leagues coming to Minnesota, with Vikings investing in high school girls, colleges
The Vikings are powering a new flag football pipeline that will offer new prep and collegiate opportunities for Minnesota's female athletes.
Dodge County wins Class 1A girls hockey title in overtime, ends Warroad's push for four in a row
A review showed the Wildcats had scored with 1:03 left in overtime, after the Warriors surged in the third period to tie it.
Girls hockey: Statistics that define state tournament week
Detailed analysis of the teams at the state tournament ... through a by-the-numbers point of view.
Holy Family wins in overtime, ends Minnetonka's run of girls hockey state tournament appearances
The Fire had lost to the top-ranked Skippers in the past four section championship games.
Unrivaled rivalries: The 10 most electric high school matchups in Minnesota
Star Tribune readers who double as prep sports fans made their cases for the best grudge matches in the state.
Hockey coach's head injury leads to new calls for stronger helmet requirement
No official policy from the MSHSL regarding helmets exists, but that doesn't preclude individual schools from taking action to minimize risk, officials said.
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.
No pins, escapes or falls this time. Prominent wrestling coach is teaching about Instagram reels.
Will Short, leader of Simley's successful wrestling team and also the school's activities director, is guiding a social media experiment that promotes the school's athletics.
Girls hockey: Section tournaments to keep an eye on as postseason kicks off
Many of Minnesota's best teams will meet in the section tournament, with only a few able to skate on to the state tournament.
Benilde-St. Margaret's turns back Orono in boys basketball, soothing a past pain
The Spartans kept the Red Knights from reaching state last season with an improbable, buzzer-beating victory in the Class 3A, Section 6 final.
Hill-Murray's Wilson sisters, a sophomore and a seventh-grader, pursue a big goal
Both Division I prospects, Mya and Ashlee Wilson are working to get their school back to the Class 3A tournament.
High school equestrian and family make sacrifices on path to college scholarship
Minnetonka's Taylor Landstrom spends months in Florida each school year to continue training and competing.
These Minnesota high school skiers thaw themselves after races with dance battles
Tradition began shortly before Ely's girls team won 2017 state title.
Major League Volleyball is coming to Minnesota
On Thursday, Major League Volleyball announced its arrival as the fourth professional volleyball league in the United States, with plans to begin play in January 2026.
Star Tribune reporter wants to know: Which Minnesota high schools have the best sports rivalries?
Writer Cassidy Hettesheimer seeks readers' help in pinpointing the top prep rivals in the state.
Heise scores game-winning goal as Frost defeat Fleet 2-1 in overtime
Minnesota's win vaulted the Frost into first place in the PWHL before Montreal moved one point ahead of them late Wednesday.
Minnesota Aurora hires former assistant Larrick as new head coach
Jen Larrick replaces Colette Montgomery, becoming the Aurora's third head coach as they enter their fourth season.
Among Minnesota's high school Nordic skiers, concern piles up as snow doesn't
Teams might have to deal with extra travel and cost and get more creative if the weather doesn't cooperate.
Knee injury slows Frost star Heise, but not for long
Taylor Heise has one goal and six assists through six Minnesota Frost games and is getting more ice time as her knee heals.
Frost fall to Victoire, hit end of four-game PWHL winning streak
Montreal handed Minnesota its first regulation loss of the season but didn't knock it off the top spot in the standings.
What factors have made the Minnesota Frost so potent to start this season?
The Minnesota Frost are getting production from newcomers and their established vets, with notable improvement on special teams.
Mental health awareness gets the victory as PWHL teams from Minnesota and Ottawa meet
The Frost defeated Ottawa on a night when the Charge's Gabbie Hughes and her Minnesota family made certain a lost teammate and an important cause weren't forgotten.
Minnesota Frost face the Ottawa Charge in first game back from break
The Minnesota Frost are 2-0-1 heading into Thursday night's game against the Ottawa Charge (1-2-1), with the game set to be televised on FanDuel Sports Network.
No mountains nearby? Elite Hopkins athlete makes Minnesota work for him, whether he's skiing or pedaling.
A state champion Nordic skier and national-level cross-country mountain biker, Logan Drevlow gets by quite well with rolling hills.
Minnesota Frost announce 27-game TV deal with FanDuel Sports Network
The network formerly known as Bally Sports North will televise the rest of the Frost's season, the team revealed Monday.
Minnesota Frost rookie Petrie grew up in California, dreaming of a chance like this
Dominique Petrie endured long road trips just to find competitive hockey in California. She eventually landed at Clarkson, scoring a fateful goal against the Gophers and now has three goals in three games with the Minnesota Frost.
High school skiing 2024-25: Meet the skiers and teams likely to get to the finish line first
State champions are back to defend titles in three of the four racing categories.
Prep Athletes of the Week: Senior adds thrill of victory to an emotional day for Champlin Park's boys hockey team
Brent Solomon scored the winner in overtime against Andover in a game that featured a tribute to Max Akerson, a teammate who died of cancer.
Frost get first win of PWHL season in Walter Cup rematch against Boston
Frost rookie Dominique Petrie scored her second goal of the season to clinch a 2-1 road win over the Fleet.
Minnesota Frost build a Czech connection, including third-round draft pick Hymlárová
Frost rookie Klára Hymlárová has joined Czech teammate Denisa Křížová in her "home away from home," heading into her second PWHL game against Boston.
Defending champ Frost open PWHL season with overtime loss to Sirens
Minnesota scored mere seconds into the season, but New York did the same in the extra period.
Minnesota Frost's 26-player roster entering Sunday's season opener
The reigning PWHL champions have 16 returning players, but a host of newcomers have been added to the roster as well.
Gophers' Grote drafted into Pro Volleyball Federation by the Orlando Valkyries
The PVF will begin its second season in January, and that's something Lydia Grote can look forward to after the Gophers' season ends.
Meet seven Prep Bowl players to watch, one from each state title game
We hit the highest points, from Isaiah Wright and his 39 rushing TDs for Nine-Player's Fertile-Beltrami to Dylan Hudgens and his tackling challenge in Minnetonka's Class 6A rematch with Maple Grove.
Minnetonka wins Class 2A girls swimming title; Orono ends Visitation's run in 1A
Minnetonka held off Edina after the teams had a rare tie in the first relay race. Orono ended Visitation's streak of 10 consecutive championships.
Dassel-Cokato 300-pounder lives a lineman's dream: He's a fullback now
Coaches rescued Lars Salmen from a lifetime on the offensive line. "He even caught a touchdown pass this season," his dad said. "He loves it."
Springfield, Minneota will meet again in Class 1A Prep Bowl
A 7-yard rushing touchdown by Springfield running back Gavin Vanderwerf with 1:49 left in the game sealed a win over Mahnomen/Waubun. Minneota rolled over Parkers Prairie 45-0.
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Jackson County Central and Staples-Motley reach Class 2A Prep Bowl
Jackson County Central won without injured QB Roman Voss. Staples-Motley benefitted from turnovers and penalties against Chatfield.
Kimball Area savors a trip to state three decades in the making
"Wouldn't it be cool to get to this spot?" coach Clay Anderson had asked from the U.S. Bank Stadium stands in 2023. The 2024 answer from senior Owen Mortenson: "It was just huge for us."
Burnsville volleyball standout makes her Iowa State choice official
Mesaiya Bettis signed a letter of intent in the gym where she has helped the Burnsville program gain traction since emerging as an eighth-grader.
Why four Minnesota volleyball recruits are flocking to the same Division I college, nearly 1,000 miles away
Prior Lake's Elli Tufto, Northfield's Teagan Jaynes, Sauk Rapids-Rice's Lauren Schloe and Cambridge-Isanti's Alice Steman have committed to play for Montana State next year, where former Gophers coaches and married couple Matt and Jen Houk lead the program.
10 stars ready to sign: these prep standouts will commit this week
Seniors are set to sign with colleges starting Wednesday across Minnesota, and here are 10 notable commitments to know.
Lakeville South steadies itself in final set, defeats Champlin Park for Class 4A volleyball title
Lakeville South won the first two sets before Champlin Park determinedly evened matters in a matchup of two teams that dominated all season.
On-the-rise Hawley hits the peak, tops Southwest Christian for Class 2A volleyball title
The Nuggets won the championship on their second trip to the tournament, after finishing third in 2021.
Alexandria, Marshall advance to play for Class 3A volleyball championship ... plus other semifinals results
Alexandria sank undefeated Delano in the semifinals. Mayer Lutheran won its 1A semifinal to head to its fourth consecutive state title game. In Class 2A, Hawley and Southwest Christian pulled off upsets.
West Central Area celebrates a Class 1A volleyball state tournament victory and a senior's delayed milestone; Albany returns loudly in Class 2A
Other Class 1A quarterfinal winners were Mayer Lutheran, Minneota and Fillmore Central. In Class 2A, Southwest Christian, Hawley and Chatfield also advanced.
Undersized Roseville advances to volleyball semifinal against top seed Lakeville South
The Raiders, without a 6-footer on the roster, defeated fourth-seeded St. Michael-Albertville. The top three Class 6A seeds all won.
