2018-19 spring sports and activity roundup
(06/20/19) With the spring sports and activity season wrapping up, here’s a look at who’s heading to state, and how they fared when they performed and played.
Speech
State was held at Wayzata High School April 12-13.
Anoka-Hennepin had two state finishers:
- Andover High School’s Jack Slavik finished third in the state in extemporaneous speaking.
- Anoka High School’s Roman Dodge finished eighth in creative expression.
Qualifiers for state included:
- Creative expression: Roman Dodge, and Anna Svercl Hetzer from Anoka; and Mariam Abdulkareem from Andover.
- Discussion: none.
- Duo interpretation: the teams of Ryan Hagle and Jake Vidervol, and Annika Hall and Kaitlyn Callahan, both from Andover.
- Extemporaneous reading: Jack Guimont from Anoka; and Laima Liulevicius from Blaine High School.
- Extemporaneous speaking: Jack Slavik, Andover.
- Great speeches: Neha Krishnan from Blaine.
- Humorous interpretation: Jesse Akaa from Anoka.
- Informative speaking: none.
- Original oratory: Lucy Anderson from Andover.
- Serious interpretation — drama: Jessica Butler from Blaine.
- Serious interpretation — poetry: Sophia Collins from Anoka; and Grace Hiltner from Coon Rapids High School.
- Serious interpretation — prose: Cassie Norbeck from Andover.
- Storytelling: Lindsey M. Fields from Blaine.
Adapted bowling
The state adapted bowling tournament for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), cognitive impairment (CI) and physical impairment (PI) was held May 17 at the Bowlero in Brooklyn Park.
In the CI division:
- CI boys singles: Nicholas Bauch won first place for the Anoka-Hennepin Mustangs. Brennan Phetdara finished seventh, Ken Bureau finished ninth, and Dylan Kitzmiller finished 17th.
- CI girls singles: Ella Charette finished ninth, Samantha Buxengard finished 24th, and Josie Marshall was 28th.
- CI doubles: Ken Bureau and Brennan Phetdara finished third for the Mustangs, with Nicholas Bauch and Ben Schue earning sixth place. Bradley Woehler and Ella Chaette finished 16th, Samuel McKenzie and Jack Dahlgren finished 23rd, Cassie Winkelmann and Dylan Kitzmiller finished 24th, and Evan Rasmussen and Lena Workman finished 26th.
In the PI division:
- PI boys singles: Samuel Brasgall earned fourth place for the Anoka-Hennepin Mustangs.
- PI girls singles: Kerry Applegate finished 24th for the Mustangs.
- PI doubles: Micah Simbek and Kevin Prenosil finished 13th, and Trevor Carnes and Kerry Applegate finished 23rd.
In the ASD division:
- ASD boys singles: Carter Knutson and Braden Peterson tied to earn fourth place for the Anoka-Hennepin Mustangs. Josiah Bueltel finished 14th, Ethan Yanta and Matthew Johnson tied for 20th, Cameron Knutson finished 25th, Tommy Larson finished 27th, Joshua Bautch finished 34th, Nicholas Stay finished 37th, Naser Mustafa finished 40th, and Nathan St. Hilaire finished 43rd.
- ASD girls singles: Emma Fisher finished sixth, Maddy Oblander finished 7th, and Hannah Naffziger finished 12th.
- ASD doubles: Hannah Naffziger and Maddy Oblander finished 15th for the Mustangs. Tommy Larson and Josiah Bueltel finished 17th, Christian Kennington and Gavin Sigafoos finished 23rd, Nathan St. Hilaire and Nicholas Stay finished 24th, Thomas Ziesmer and Ethan Yanta finished 26th, Cameron Knutson and Alex Purinton finished 28th, and Matthew Johnson and Noah Simonette finished 32nd.
Robotics
The state robotics tournament was held May 18 at Williams Arena and Maturi Pavilion, located at the University of Minnesota.
- Coon Rapids High School finished 22nd in the qualifying stages but didn’t make the championship tournament.
Adapted softball
The state adapted softball tournament for both cognitive impairment (CI) and physical impairment (PI) was held May 31 through June 1 at Chanhassen High School.
- The Anoka-Hennepin Mustangs didn’t qualify for the CI tournament.
In the PI tournament, the Mustangs won the consolation tournament after being defeated in the opening round at state.
Boy’s golf
The state class AAA boy’s golf tournament was held June 11-12 at Bunker Hills Golf Club, located in Coon Rapids.
- Blaine High School senior Caleb VanArragon finished ninth in the state. He was the only Anoka-Hennepin golfer to qualify for state.
Girl’s golf
The state class AAA girl’s golf tournament was held June 11-12 at Bunker Hills Golf Club, located in Coon Rapids.
- Roosevelt Middle School eighth-grader, and defending state champion, Kathryn VanArragon, who plays for Blaine High School, finished fourth in the state, and Anoka High School junior Anna Tollette finished 44th.
Boy’s lacrosse
The state boy’s lacrosse tournament was held June 11-15 at Minnetonka and Chanhassen high schools.
- Anoka-Hennepin didn’t have a team qualify for state.
Girl’s lacrosse
The state girl’s lacrosse tournament was held June 11-15 at Minnetonka and Chanhassen high schools.
- Anoka-Hennepin didn’t have a team qualify for state.
Boy’s tennis
The state class AA boy’s tennis tournament was held June 4-7 at the Baseline Tennis Center, located at the University of Minnesota. The tournament features singles, doubles and team competition.
- No district teams or doubles pairs qualified for the state tennis tournament.
- In singles, Andover High School’s Ryan Fonseca qualified for state, but lost both singles matches.
Girl’s softball
The state class AAAA girl’s softball tournament was held June 6-7 at Caswell Park, located in North Mankato.
- No district teams qualified for the state tournament.
Boy’s track and field
The state class AA boy’s track and field tournament was held June 7-8 at Hamline University, in St. Paul.
- 100-meter dash: Blaine High School’s Brian Obwogi finished ninth in the state.
- 400-meter run: Blaine’s Brett Ringer finished sixth.
- 110-meter hurdles: Andover High School’s Jorge Olivo Cabre finished fifth, and Coon Rapids High School’s Spencer Hoium finished eighth.
- 4 x 100-meter relay: the Champlin Park High School team of Kaden Slepica, Dylan Jones, Jacob Steinbring, and Gaven Ziebarth ran in the finals but didn’t finish due to a dropped baton.
- 4 x 200-meter relay: the Blaine team of Cade Downey, Alex Peters, Brett Ringer, and Brian Obwogi finished sixth.
- 4 x 800-meter relay: the Anoka High School team of Sebastian Fernandez, Aaron Taylor, Blake Fuller, and Bruce Muehlhauser finished eighth.
- High jump: Anoka students Levi Yeebahn finished 11th, and Micah Madyun finished 15th.
- Long jump: Champlin Park’s Edmund Ocansey finished sixth, and Blaine’s DJ Gurley finished 11th.
- Discus: Blaine students Lucas Becker finished fourth, and Isaiah Giles finished eighth.
- Teams: Blaine finished 13th; Champlin Park 24th; Andover 42nd; and Coon Rapids and Anoka tied for 52nd.
Girl’s track and field
The state class AA girl’s track and field tournament was held June 7-8 at Hamline University, in St. Paul.
- 800-meter run: Andover’s Alexa Havon finished second in the state.
- 1600 meter run: Andover’s Alyssa Gerth finished 13th.
- 4 x 100-meter relay: Blaine’s team of Emanda Williams, Jaida Weige, Natalia Valnes, and Davidetta Browne finished third.
- 4 x 400-meter relay: Andover’s team of Claire Beckman, Michelle Dyrdahl, Cedar Jorgenson, and Alexa Havon finished sixth, and Blaine’s team of Stephanie Lewis, Kelsey Huver, Cara Shepard, and Madison Schmidt finished 10th.
- Pole vault: Anoka’s Madison Sieben finished 11th.
- High jump: Blaine’s Madison Schmidt earned a second consecutive state title.
- Teams: Blaine finished 15th and Andover 19th. No other district school earned points in the final team standings.
Boy’s baseball
The state class AAAA boy’s baseball tournament was held June 13-14 at CHS Field, located in St. Paul, and Target Field, located in Minneapolis.
- Blaine High School advanced to state, but lost in the opening round of the tournament.
Clay target
The state clay target tournament was held June 21 at the Minneapolis Gun Club in Prior Lake.
- Blaine High School finished eighth and Champlin Park High School finished 24th.
- Champlin Park High School’s Reed Fox, the only district student to qualify individually for state, tied for 52nd.