Recent content from Cassidy Hettesheimer
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.
![Glass and metal siding outside US Bank Stadium create graphic shapes against the summer sky. ] JIM GEHRZïjames.gehrz@startribune.com (JIM GEHRZ/S](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/PI2OUIUAMXQV5Y646EPZ7G2XLA.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
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.
High school volleyball: Seven players to watch at the state tournament
The quarterfinals, semifinals and finals in four classes take place at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul beginning Wednesday, with championship matches Saturday.
Apple Valley girls volleyball goes from rebuilding mode to state-title hopefuls
In their first trip to Xcel Energy Center since 2001, the Eagles are the eighth seed in Class 4A and slated to face No. 1 Lakeville South in Wednesday's state quarterfinals.
All-Minnesota: The Star Tribune's list of the state's best in girls volleyball
From the Twin Cities to greater Minnesota, the Minnesota Star Tribune picks the 25 top volleyball players in the state this year.
Champlin Park's Gilk named Star Tribune's All-Minnesota Girls Volleyball Player of the Year
Carly Gilk, a 6-2 outside hitter and Gophers commit, leads the Rebels in kills and digs and helped secure the team's place in this week's Class 4A tournament at Xcel Energy Center.
Boys Soccer: Holy Angels takes control early, wins 2A title over Totino-Grace
It's the Stars first title since 2019, before soccer expanded from two size classifications to three, moving Holy Angels up from Class 1A to 2A.
St. Paul Academy wins third boys soccer state championship in a row
The Eagles defeated Rochester Lourdes in the Class 1A final. Only Edina, at the turn of the century, won three boys titles in a row.
Boys soccer: Eagan beats Maple Grove in OT to claim 3A state title
After a scoreless first half, each team's three second-half goals — all six scored in a span of twenty minutes — forced overtime, which Eagan won thanks to sophomore forward Zayan Oliyath's game winner.
Boys Soccer: Sondag's overtime goal sends Eagan to 3A title game against Maple Grove
Eagan became the first team to beat undefeated and top-seeded Minneapolis Washburn this year, defeating the Millers 1-0 in the semifinals. Maple Grove beat Andover, 3-1, to complete the matchup for Friday's state championship.
Girls soccer: Wayzata, Edina among teams advancing to state championship game
The Trojans defeated Eagan 5-0 and Edina beat East Ridge 3-1 in the Class 3A semifinals Tuesday at U.S. Bank Stadium to move on to Friday's title game. Holy Angels and Mahtomedi will meet in the 2A final; Southwest Christian and Providence Academy square off in the 1A championship game.
Maple Grove's Frank Miller named Star Tribune's All-Minnesota Boys Soccer Player of the Year
The Northwest Suburban Conference's Player of the Year and standout defender was tasked with defending All-State forwards across the Twin Cities.
St. Cloud's Molly Burkstrand named Star Tribune's All-Minnesota Girls Soccer Player of the Year
Burkstrand scored 62 goals this season, the most in Minnesota history for girls soccer, and cracked 100 career goals, the first player to do so in St. Cloud Tech history.
All-Minnesota: The Star Tribune's list of the state's best in girls soccer
From the Twin Cities to St. Cloud and other parts of Minnesota, we picked our 25 top girls soccer players in the state this year.
All-Minnesota: The Star Tribune's selection of the state's best in boys soccer
From the Twin Cities to Rochester and other parts of Minnesota, we compiled a list of 25 top boys soccer players in the state this year.
High School Soccer: Seven players to keep an eye on at the state final four at U.S. Bank Stadium
The state semifinals and finals in Class 3A, 2A and 1A take place at the downtown stadium Tuesday and Wednesday, with championship matches Friday.
Rochester Lourdes boys soccer blanks unseeded Fridley
Fridley's turnaround season comes to an end as tournament regular Rochester Lourdes makes another trip to the state semifinals.
Minneapolis Washburn shuts out Bemidji in boys soccer state tournament quarterfinal
Millers advance in Class 3A; Edina girls rout Duluth East 5-0 to advance; St. Charles/Lewiston-Altura girls get a measure of revenge over St. Paul Academy in overtime.
Two soccer state quarterfinals are settled in the final seconds
East Ridge reached the Class 3A girls semifinals on a goal with nine seconds left against Maple Grove. Maple Grove's boys team remained undefeated with a victory over Rochester Mayo on a goal with 15 seconds to play.
Back in the state tournament, Southwest Christian girls soccer take a new approach
At the start of the season, each player received a printed card detailing the team's 12 core values. The value that reflects this season most? Details may seem small, but add up to a big effect.
Here are four section tournaments to watch closely as girls volleyball state tournaments draw near
Lakeville South and Lakeville North both compete for the Class 4A, Section 1 title, meaning only one can advance to the state tournament. The crosstown rivals met once already in early October, with South winning 3-1.
High school sports: Mr. Soccer, Ms. Soccer awardees announced
The 2024 Mr. and Ms. Soccer award goes to the top senior in each class as voted upon by coaches.
Is Bridget Carleton the Lynx's Naz Reid?
Carleton made two free throws with two seconds left to lift the Lynx past the Liberty in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals.
Lynx give it all in WNBA Finals Game 4
Center Alanna Smith gave the Lynx the effort they needed to be the Liberty on Friday night in the WNBA Finals, forcing a Game 5.
Minnetonka boys, Edina girls soccer teams qualify for state out of a section final doubleheader
The matchup was Skippers vs. Hornets in both genders. The Minnetonka boys avenged their only loss; the Edina girls looked ready to defend their state title.
Boys soccer: Mankato East advances to Class 2A tournament with overtime goal
Junior forward Carson Stenzel scores three minutes into overtime, giving Mankato East a 1-0 win over Marshall at New Prague in the Section 2 final.
WNBA Finals preview: Schedule, TV information, key players, story lines
The Lynx hit the road looking to become the first team to win five WNBA championships, while the top-seeded New York Liberty chase their first title.
Here's six section tournaments to watch closely as boys and girls soccer state finals draw near
Staff writer Cassidy Hettesheimer breaks down which teams could emerge, or be eliminated, in the section tournament.
Meet the high school sports announcer running gameday productions for all of Elk River
Despite not yet graduating from high school, Lucas Dahlberg has been running the show in Elk River since he was a freshman.
Meet the high-scoring trios — and one quartet — on six Minnesota soccer teams
Many of the state's top-ranked boys and girls soccer teams have a common trait — they each have multiple players that can carry the scoring load.
From London, with deep love for 'football,' to Minneapolis
State soccer title aspirations exist at Blake in part because of Sabina Peterson Rajalingam, once a newcomer and now a leader.
Sun sharpshooter Mabrey poses early problem for Lynx
The Lynx are the league's best three-point shooting team, but now their challenge is stopping Connecticut's answer.
Homecoming games are special for high schools, but what happens when the visiting team wins?
Some schools schedule homecoming as easily-winnable games so that the home side can cheer. That is rarely the case in a competitive 6A class.
'Why not try something new?': More Minnesota girls are playing flag football
A target date for when the sport could be sanctioned in Minnesota has yet to be determined. Minnesota, however, is one of 18 states with pilot programs.
Midseason Report: The most surprising high school football teams and players
Star Tribune sportswriters share which teams and players have had the most unexpected and surprising season so far.
Home-court advantage in the WNBA playoffs? It can shift quickly.
If Phoenix can beat the Lynx in Game 2 at Target Center, suddenly home-court advantage will shift in a major way.
Here's how the state's best girls volleyball teams performed at loaded Eagle Invitational
The invitational, hosted by Apple Valley, included eight of the top ten teams in Class 4A, plus the second and third-ranked teams in Class 3A.
Mankato West sinks Chaska in high school football clash pitting section rivals
Mankato West benefited from six turnovers and still had to hold off Chaska at the end.
New kids on the block: As season heats up, seven volleyball players to watch in Minnesota
The list covers players in Kittson County and East Grand Forks in the northwestern corner of the state, Moorhead, Two Harbors and South St. Paul.
Mahtomedi volleyball keeps clicking, stays undefeated with sweep of South St. Paul
Mahtomedi got 14 kills each from senior outside hitter Kaili Malvey and senior middle blocker Silvie Graetzer, helping the Zephyrs beat visiting South St. Paul 25-17, 25-18, 25-10.
Lakeville North snaps five-year losing streak to Lakeville South
The Panthers defeated the Cougars 35-31 behind a touchdown pass from senior quarterback Riley Grossman to Connor Cade with 16.4 seconds left in the game.
Never mind stopping the Power T. It's challenging enough just to watch.
Elk River's offense, built on misdirection and a well-hidden football, can puzzle spectators — especially camera operators — just as much as it fools defenses.
Elk River's ground game rolls against Brainerd in Class 5A showdown
The Elks held Brainerd scoreless in the second half and didn't punt once, scoring seven touchdowns on seven possessions.
Meet Minnesota's medal winners at the 2024 Paris Olympics
Led by swimmer Regan Smith's five medals, athletes with Minnesota ties on Team USA will come home from Paris with 12 medals, believed to be the most from a Summer Olympics for the state.
Stage is set: U.S. women's soccer wins Olympic gold or Brazil's Marta completes her quest
Saturday's gold medal game between the U.S. and Brazil will be a coronation for one side and motivation for the other entering the 2027 Women's World Cup.
Will Minnesota Aurora go pro? Here's what you need to know.
The pre-professional team, now armed with investors, is waiting to hear this fall whether it will become the 16th team in the NWSL, the nation's top women's league.
A burst to bronze: St. Paul's Lee medals in the all-around
A gold medalist in the Tokyo Games, she overcame illness and other difficulty to return to the Olympics and made it pay off.
Olympics recap: Suni Lee wins bronze, Regan Smith silver
It's one of the busiest days for Minnesota's Olympians in Paris. St. Paul gymnast Suni Lee won bronze in the women's all-around final, and Lakeville swimmer Regan Smith won her fourth silver medal, in the 200-meter butterfly.
BMX champion from St. Cloud pursues elusive Olympic gold medal
Alise Willoughby twice has crashed out of the Games (and once won a silver medal). Now, as the oldest women's BMX racer in the field, she's going for that gleaming goal again.
Suni Lee, U.S. women win team gold at Paris Olympics
Simone Biles, Suni Lee and the U.S. team got their redemption, reclaiming the Olympic gold medal in women's gymnastics on Tuesday in Paris.
Brock Faber gets long-term contract from Wild
The former Gophers defenseman signed an eight-year, $68 million contract extension.
Former British Open champion Stewart Cink in the hunt at 3M Open
The 51-year-old started Friday with back-to-back bogeys, but he got back on track on the next hole and finished the day five strokes back from leader Taylor Pendrith.
Jacob Bridgeman feeling confident again after taking first-round lead at 3M Open
The PGA Tour rookie, who opened with a 63 at TPC Twin Cities, said he felt "like I've been kicked in the face" after missing his previous three cuts.
Vikings' Jefferson spent his summer as a different kind of entertainer
After signing his record-breaking contract in June, star receiver Justin Jefferson walked the runway at Paris Fashion Week and the red carpet at the premiere of his Netflix series.
Former U golfer Ben Warian hopes to kick-start his career at 3M Open
The Stillwater native and Hill-Murray product got a sponsor's exemption to play the PGA Tour event at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine.
Lynx All-Star McBride headed for WNBA three-point shooting contest
With three Olympic teammates, Kayla McBride has fallen under the radar despite a strong first half.
Loons give up two late goals, let D.C. United slip through their fingers
Teemu Pukki put Minnesota United ahead 2-1 with 10 minutes left, but D.C. United turned two set plays into goals in the 90th and 91st minutes to win 3-2.
Lynx look to bounce back against Dream before Olympic break
After losing at home to Caitlin Clark and the Fever, Minnesota aims to hand Atlanta its eighth loss in a row and end the first half of the season with a win.
Clark's first pro game at Target Center was a full-circle moment
Target Center holds plenty of beloved memories for the Fever's Caitlin Clark, a childhood Lynx fan. Now she's the star signing autographs for a new generation.
For Aurora 2 players, UPSL final is a chance to underline club identity
Like the first team, the Aurora 2 went undefeated during the regular season. On Sunday at TCO Stadium, the team could win a United Premier Soccer League conference title.
Edina girls flag football team heads to NFL Championships
The under-18 Edina team will represent the Vikings at the tournament at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The Vikings are putting the spotlight on girls flag football by also hosting the first state high school championship in the sport Sunday.
For Lynx's Juhász, last season's experience fueled this year's dependability
Dorka Juhász, a 6-5 forward from Hungary, played more than most WNBA rookies a year ago, giving her the knowledge and confidence to help the Lynx either off the bench or as a starter.
Wild prospect Heidt aims for a spot with the pros
Forward Riley Heidt, a second-round pick in 2023, was third in WHL scoring this season while honing his defensive skills.
