After landing back in Minnesota on a flight from Omaha, Nebraska, the heavy lifting was done on a two-day whirlwind of music and theater – 400 miles apart -- that may have seemed all but impossible to some.
The growth of girls wrestling in Minnesota, as well as Iowa, has been an absolute boom. More than 1,500 Minnesota girls in grades 7 through 12 are on wrestling teams this season. That number has almost doubled from a year ago.
Almost a century ago, a student newspaper was created at Proctor High School. It wasn’t an easy thing to write and print stories back in the 1930s, but the first staff of the Proctor Mallet began a tradition that holds firm in 2025.
The first family of Minnesota basketball is well-known. It started with Bob McDonald, the coach who won 1,012 games over 59 years, the last 53 in his hometown of Chisholm. Bob passed away in 2020 and his legacy lives on through his children and grandchildren.
A few days before Christmas, three wise men made history on the basketball court at Duluth Denfeld High School. They brought gifts of wisdom, experience and gratitude, based on their combined 154 years as basketball officials.
Tuesday was a busy evening for the Ramlall family of Rosemount, which includes four talented basketball players; a son in college at St. Cloud State and three daughters playing at Rosemount High School.
There are many ways to give back to local communities. But, for a local trio of female officials who made history Tuesday, they contribute to the functionality of area basketball.
The wrestling crowd was mighty and primed. You know it’s a big night when the place reverberates with screaming during the JV portion of the competition.
Roseau Memorial Arena is one of Minnesota’s most historic sites, and the building that was constructed in 1949 has been recognized with the honor of being named to the National Register of Historic Places.
"You will learn in the years ahead that many lessons from high school sports will be part of you forever. Hard work, supporting each other, never giving up, respecting the game, respecting officials, respecting your opponents."
There are newspaper people, TV people and radio people in the interview room, all striving to tell the story. And the stories, and lessons, can flow like water heading downhill.
Minneota's Ryan Meagher, a 5-foot-10, 200-pound senior bundle of speed and toughness, was the undisputed star on the first day of the Prep Bowl weekend.
Fans at the state football semifinals may have noticed something that was just a little bit different: A ponytail. The umpire for a 4A game was Linda Mills, one of 21 females who are certified to officiate high school football in Minnesota.
Jackson County Central advanced to Class 2A football state championship game. How they survived is a story of persistence, teamwork and using bailing wire and toothpicks to hold everything together.
“These two guys have been to the state wrestling tournament. We love that, and we have tremendous basketball players on our team and lacrosse players.”
The volleyball team from West Central Area wasn’t playing with one hand tied behind its back during the state tournament, but one of its star players has been competing with a broken hand.
Mayer Lutheran came in as the top-seeded team and Minneota is the No. 2 seed. They both won in the quarterfinals by 3-0 scores and in the semifinals by 3-1, and they will decide the state title Saturday.
