Recent content from Ron Haggstrom
Maple Grove rolls against St. Michael-Albertville in clash of Class 4A girls basketball powers
The Crimson surged away from the Knights, who were playing a top-five team for the second day in a row.
Boys basketball: These two teams have made significant jumps in Star Tribune's Minnesota Top 25
Meanwhile, the top 10 teams in the rankings appear to be entrenched in their positions, including three unbeatens — Cretin-Derham Hall, Hopkins and Benilde-St. Margaret's.
Girls basketball: For this Minnesota Top 25 team, depth has been vitally important
Four programs make their Star Tribune Minnesota Top 25 debut, including Rochester Mayo and Hill-Murray.
Prep Athletes of the Week: Lakeville South gymnast embraces a new assignment
Piper Keith, a sophomore, is tasked with providing leadership on a team that won a state title last season but lost key athletes.
Boys basketball: Wayzata rises in Star Tribune's Top 25 statewide rankings
Wayzata junior guards Nolen Anderson, Isaac Olmstead and Christian Wiggins, the top-rated player in the state for the class of 2026, are averaging nearly 20 points per game each.
Girls Basketball: Providence Academy remains No. 1 in Star Tribune's Top 25
Led by Maddyn Greenway, the Lions have three games upcoming against opponents also ranked in the Star Tribune's Top 25.
Gophers basketball commit Tori Oehrlein sets state record for assists in a game
The Crosby-Ironton junior set the record in a 113-33 victory over Hinckley-Finlayson on Tuesday, in which she recorded a quadruple double.
Prep Athletes of the Week: Top wrestler Gunderson records 200th career victory
Trey Gunderson, the two-time state champion at Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg, is the state's No. 1-rated wrestler at 139 pounds in Class 1A, according to The Guillotine rankings.
Faribault 6-10 center Ryan Kreager keeps rising to new heights
No. 4-rated prospect in Minnesota in the Class of 2026, Ryan Kreager has the Falcons at 5-1 and ranked ninth in Class 3A by Minnesota Basketball News.
Girls Basketball: These top recruits have yet to decide where they'll play in college
Ranging from seventh-graders to juniors, these prospects are still choosing where to continue their basketball careers.
Boys Basketball: Chunk of Minnesota's Top 25 teams to be tested at holiday tournaments
Most of the state's best teams are scattered around various sites and won't meet head-to-head at holiday basketball tournaments, with the exception of a few schools. Others will play against the top teams from other states.
Girls Basketball: Holiday tournaments could shake up Star Tribune's Top 25 rankings
The Granite City Classic will be the setting for marquee matchups Friday, Dec. 27, and Saturday, Dec. 28, during the holiday break.
Prep Athletes of the Week: Della Bettendorf of Proctor/Hermantown honors family name with Nordic skiing success
Motivated by her sister, Bettendorf won her first race of the season by 30 seconds.
Boys Basketball: Cretin-Derham Hall remains No. 1 in Star Tribune's Top 25
Despite two losses, Alexandria remains in top 10 while Hopkins and Orono move up.
Girls Basketball: Providence Academy takes No. 1 spot in Star Tribune's Top 25 rankings
Seven unbeaten teams remain in the top two classifications in Minnesota after Hopkins suffers first loss to Eastview.
Monticello's Adalynn Biegler named Star Tribune's All-Minnesota Girls Swimmer of the Year
This season, the sophomore set the state record in the 50- and 100-yard freestyles with times of 22.38 and 49.20 seconds, respectively, in the Class 1A state meet.
Boys swimming 2024-25: Record-setting Breck/Blake gathers for run at ninth title in a row
Henry Webb returns for Breck/Blake with his pocketful of medals. Also back for more: Rosemount diver Lucas Gerten and TCRB standout Micah Davis.
Cretin-Derham Hall tops Alexandria in showcase of standout bigs
Chase Thompson had to depart because of a second-half shoulder injury at the Breakdown Tip Off Classic.
Watch Hopkins and Duluth Marshall girls basketball teams tangle in a matchup of Class 4A and 2A powers
A stream of the game, featuring prominent recruits on each team, will be available at startribune.com at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Meet our Dream Team: The best boys basketball players across Minnesota
The group chosen by Ron Haggstrom includes 10 athletes, some from the Twin Cities, some from beyond and even one from another state.
Here's the Minnesota Top 25, the first in a weekly ranking of boys basketball teams
Players new to school likely will make a difference for No. 1 Cretin-Derham Hall, Star Tribune writer Ron Haggstrom notes. Nos. 2 and 3 are regulars atop any such list.
Five boys basketball coaches who are at new high schools in 2024-25
Ahmil Jihad, Troy Bell, Willie Braziel, Bridge Tusler and Jadee Jones, all familiar names, took on fresh assignments.
Orono boys basketball team mourns a teammate as it heads into season opener
The Spartans will honor Lucas Knudson, a senior who died in an auto accident in November. He would be the starting point guard.
Three big-time scorers head into girls basketball season ranked high in Minnesota history
Maddyn Greenway of Providence Academy, Addi Mack of Minnehaha Academy and Tori Oehrlein of Crosby-Ironton are all within reach of the second spot on the state's points list.
Meet the Dream Team: The best girls basketball players across Minnesota
The list produced by the Star Tribune's Ron Haggstrom shows 10 players and extends outside the Twin Cities.
Here's the Minnesota Top 25, the first in a weekly ranking of girls basketball teams
Star Tribune writer Ron Haggstrom lists the best teams in Minnesota, turning to a familiar power and a small-class contender up top.
Prep Athletes of the Week: Senior becomes Minneota's career-leading rusher and scorer
Ryan Meagher ran for a Prep Bowl-record six touchdowns while leading Minneota to a 70-20 victory over Springfield in the Class 1A football championship at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Meet the Star Tribune's All-Prep Bowl Team
A list of the standout players across all classifications competing in the high school football championship games at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Fertile-Beltrami tops Hills-Beaver Creek for program's first Nine-Player championship
Senior running back Isaiah Wright leads Falcons with 185 yards and a touchdown on 33 carries.
Ryan Meagher sets Prep Bowl record as Minneota downs Springfield to win 1A state championship
Meagher's six rushing touchdowns leads Minneota to 70-20 victory over Springfield — the third straight year Minneota took down Springfield in the championship.
Gophers women's basketball lands top in-state recruit for 2027
Amisha Ramlall burst on to the recruiting scene last season as a freshman and colleges, including the Gophers, quickly took notice.
Prep Bowl by the numbers: Digits that detail state championship football
Zero losses is a common starting point, but only two teams, Staples-Motley and Fertile-Beltrami, have no state titles.
Prep Athletes of the Week: Monticello's Adalynn Biegler sets state records at Class 1A swim meet
Also, Yonis Noor and Griedin Corley lead their respective teams to adapted soccer state championships.
Dassel-Cokato makes last-minute push into Prep Bowl, where Stewartville awaits
A touchdown with 51 seconds left settled the first Class 3A semifinal. Stewartville receiver Parker Wangen, whose team won its 27th game in a row, settled the second.
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."
Basketball star Maddyn Greenway, daughter of ex-Vikings linebacker Chad, commits to Kentucky
Greenway, the state's highest-rated recruit and 18th-ranked recruit in the nation for the Class of 2026, picked the Wildcats over Duke, Clemson, Iowa, Stanford, and UCLA — her other five finalists pared down from 40 offers.
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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.
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Hills-Beaver Creek, Fertile-Beltrami set up a perfect Nine-Player Prep Bowl
Hills-Beaver Creek, the less-noticed undefeated team in the first semifinal, knocked off powerful Mountain Iron-Buhl. Isaiah Wright scored seven touchdowns for Fertile-Beltrami against LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle-Pacelli.
Minnehaha Academy standout Mack commits to Maryland women's basketball
Addi Mack was considering several Big Ten offers and announced Tuesday that the Terrapins were the winner.
Swimming and diving: 15 individuals to watch at this weekend's girl's state meet
Several high school programs will be competing for a team trophy, but here are 15 swimmers and divers that will vie for individual medals.
Gophers women's basketball team lands four-star recruit Oehrlein
The Crosby-Ironton junior guard ranked by ESPN as the 43rd-best recruit in the nation for the Class of 2026 decided to stay in Minnesota for college.
Here are this weekend's best matchups in the Minnesota high school football quarterfinals
Head-to-head quarterback battles and sturdy defensive fronts against savvy rushing attacks highlight the playoff action happening Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Prep Athletes of the Week: After weeks of blocking and tackling, Monticello standout is celebrating
The Magic football team is headed to state. "We finally did it," two-way standout Eli Pietig said. "This is so special."
Alexandria turns it around, takes high school football playoff win over No. 1 Moorhead
The Spuds won the matchup during the regular season, and Friday's game was another touchdown-filled event.
Girls basketball: Providence Academy's Greenway narrows college list
The standout basketball recruit pared her list of 40 scholarship down to six schools on Wednesday.
Prep football section semifinal roundup: Apple Valley upsets Two Rivers 35-31
Two Rivers, previously unbeaten and ranked No. 6 in Class 5A by the Associated Press, was stopped by Apple Valley on its final possession.
Football: Blaine wins with last-second field goal; Rochester Mayo defeats Centennial with final minute TD
Senior Jared Killian kicked a 29-yard field goal with two seconds remaining, giving the No. 10 state-ranked Blaine Bengals a wild 38-36 victory over Rosemount in the opening round of the Class 6A football playoffs Friday night.
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.
Chisago Lakes roars past South St. Paul and into the football section semifinals
DeLaSalle and Minneapolis Roosevelt won close ones on the first day of the playoffs, and Mountain Iron-Buhl scored 91 points in a Nine-Player victory.
Prep Athletes of the Week: Erik Aasheim's determination lifts Orono boys soccer
Also, Highland Park runner Grace Lewis-Mosher clocks a personal-best to earn medalist honors and lead the Scots to the St. Paul City Conference championship.
Here's how the best teams performed in one of Minnesota's most loaded high school swim meets
The girls' swimming state meet is still a month away, but there was one last chance to catch most of the state's best at the True Team meet this past weekend.
Last-second TDs, and a field goal to match, highlight final week of regular-season high school football
In another feat, Mankato West senior Frank McAninch tied the state record for longest touchdown run during the Scarlets' 17-6 victory over Rogers.
Maple Grove, Moorhead among No. 1 seeds in high school football playoffs
Tour the brackets revealed Friday and prepare for Classes 5A through Nine-Player to begin the postseason Tuesday and for Class 6A to start Friday.
No. 2 Shakopee gets gritty, works its way past No. 8 Blaine
The Sabers, ranked second in Class 6A, scored on four runs and finished the regular season 7-1. Lakeville North also posted that record, routing Burnsville.
Crosby-Ironton basketball star's daily routine requires toughness, discipline and family
Tori Oehrlein isn't focused solely on basketball, even though she's ranked the 40th-best player in the nation in the Class of 2026. She's a four-sport athlete, also excelling in tennis, track and field and softball.
Wayzata holds on for victory over Anoka in high school football
In other games Wednesday, Class 4A's Princeton tops 3A's Dassel-Cokato 23-13 in matchup of two undefeated teams.
Football weekend recap: Armstrong, wielding both burst and brawn, maintains perfection
QB Dawson Franke and RB Kevon Johnson make good use of the room provided by linemen Luke Pappas and Lucas Nelson.
No. 2 Moorhead gets the best of No. 1 Alexandria in big Class 5A matchup
Touchdowns were the norm in the 36-34 game, but a missed field goal settled it after Moorhead took the lead over Alexandria with 1:13 left.
East Ridge routs No. 1 Lakeville North in high school football, lifted by quarterback Cedric Tomes and kicker Luke Ryerse
Gophers recruit Luke Ryerse kicked a 56-yard field goal, second-longest in state history, and Cedric Tomes scored on two runs and a pass. Chanhassen, Mankato West, Minnetonka and Totino-Grace also took big victories.
Hoops? Football? Or both? Hopkins two-sport star now has two Gophers offers, faces decisions
Jayden Moore now has basketball and football offers from the Gophers after visiting with P.J. Fleck.
Prep Athletes of the Week: Minnetonka's Eli Ryan is irreplaceable on the soccer field
Also, Champlin Park's Kathryn Adler is a big reason the Rebels' volleyball program is on top in Class 4A, while Leah Maddock of Osakis is 22-0 on the season on the tennis court.
A look ahead at a big week in prep football
There's plenty of intrigue in the week ahead with the high school football regular season winding down.
Eden Prairie defeats previously unbeaten Minnetonka in overtime thriller
Senior running back Jeremy Fredericks scores on a 2-yard run in overtime and Zachary Wisemann makes good on the extra point, giving the Eagles the win over Class 6A, No. 3-ranked Minnetonka.
Gophers baseball lands commitments from state's top-ranked players
Dual-sports athlete Luke Ryerse of East Ridge is committed to the Gophers for baseball and football as a punter.
Meet the Star Tribune Prep Athletes of the Week
Elk River tennis star Ava Nelson nears 200th victory; Bloomington's Marlon Seahorn Jr. is on the verge of a record-setting season.
Defense steals the show in multiple games across Minnesota preps
With multiple state-ranked matchups taking place on Friday, it was impressive defensive showings that earned teams some of their biggest wins of the year.
Wayzata football comes from behind to top Eden Prairie; North Branch topples Duluth Denfeld
Best Minnesota Friday football scores include Wayzata over Eden Prairie, North Branch defeats Duluth Denfeld
Here's who's competing at Minnesota's largest girls swim meet this weekend
A total of 46 schools, some of them top-ranked in the state, will participate in the Maroon and Gold Saturday at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.
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.
From Twin Cities to Greater Minnesota, Prep Athletes of the Week include record holders and team leaders
At Moorhead, quarterback Jett Feeney completed 26 of 36 passes for 373 yards and six touchdowns to lead the Spuds over Brainerd on Friday.
Football Recap: Eagan's confidence grows; Stewartville's defense lives up to nickname
Eagan won a nail-biting 35-33 victory over Lakeville South Thursday, sealed by a last-minute interception by Grady Recer.
Rochester Mayo nips Rosemount; Shakopee remains unbeaten
In other games Friday, Edina and Maple Grove rolled, and Hopkins won again a week after ending a long losing streak.
Prep Athletes of the Week: Jenna Maloy drives White Bear Lake girls soccer to the peak
Propelled by Jenna Maloy's 22 goals, White Bear Lake is ranked first in girls soccer for the first time in school history.
Giant comeback and celebration years in the making spice prep football weekend
Minnetonka, trailing by 21, roared past No. 1 Edina, and Hopkins ended a 29-game skid with an overtime two-point conversion.
Becker zeroes in again, shutting out Holy Angels in matchup of top-10 4A teams
Becker has two shutouts already this season. Elsewhere, Hopkins won for the first time since 2020, Armstrong topped Cooper in a school district rivalry and Moorhead routed Bemidji in greater Minnesota.
