Lauren Burnett

North Woods • girls volleyball

The Class 1A, Section 7 volleyball championship on Saturday played down to extra points in the fourth set. North Woods led Floodwood two sets to one and needed just one more kill to secure a state berth.

Burnett delivered, moving North Woods into its first state tournament since 2012.

The winning point brought her match total to 28 kills. The senior added 20 digs and had a 90.9 serving percentage.

“Lauren has been an amazing athlete to coach over the years. Her dedication to the game and eagerness to grow as a player has played a big role in our team’s success,” North Woods coach Kaileen Redmond said.

Maddie Gullickson

Wayzata • girls cross-country

In her final race as a high school cross-country runner, Wayzata’s Maddie Gullickson achieved something she hadn’t done before.

At Les Bolstad Golf Course on Saturday, she claimed her first individual cross-country state championship.

A senior committed to North Carolina State, Gullickson won by 37 seconds with a time of 16 minutes, 54.3 seconds. That time was a personal best by a lot; her previous best on a 5,000-meter course was 17:11.

“Winning state with a large margin and an incredibly speedy time doesn’t happen without belief in yourself, a foundation of solid training (that is at times monotonous or challenging), and trust in the process,” Wayzata coach Kalsey Beach said in an email. “We have talked a lot this season about the building blocks, and this was a big one for Maddie to add to her tower.”

Gullickson is accustomed to winning championships, but she filled a gap with her cross-country title. She is the defending Class 3A champion in the 3,200- and 1,600-meter runs and also won the 3,200 as a freshman and sophomore. But she took second to Forest Lake’s Norah Hushagen in Class 3A cross-country in 2024 and didn’t run at state the year before because of injury. She finished in Class 3A’s top 20 as a freshman.

Her victory Saturday also helped the Trojans win their fourth straight state championship as a team.

“[Maddie] is a true role model for her teammates and exemplifies what it means to be a champion,” Beach said.

Charlie Loth

St. Paul Como Park • boys cross-country

St. Paul Como Park made history on Saturday, and Loth, a junior, played a big part. He won his first individual state championship and helped the Cougars claim the Class 2A state championship, becoming the first St. Paul City Conference program to win the team title.

“I remember I would come to these races and I’d see the people winning, and I’d be like, that’s crazy. I don’t know how they could possibly do that. And now here we are,” Loth told Strib Varsity after his state victory.

Loth won the 5,000-meter race in 15:31.1, 3.5 seconds ahead of the second-place runner.

“[Charlie] loves cross-country and always rises to the occasion with big performances when it counts,” Como Park head coach Tim Kersey said. ”He’s not always on time, but he’s never late to the finish line.”

Haden Smith

Edina • boys soccer

It took only one goal for Edina to win the Class 3A state championship on Friday, and it came courtesy of Haden Smith.

In the second half of the title game at U.S. Bank Stadium, the senior defenseman slipped a shot past Maple Grove’s keeper, scoring what became the game-winning goal. The 1-0 victory gave the Hornets their first state title since 2019.

Smith was an integral asset to Edina all season long.

“[Hayden] provided the assist on our only goal in the regular-season victory over Minnetonka, securing us a share of the conference title and the No. 1 seed in sections,” Edina coach Dave Jenson said. “During the state tournament, we moved him from a defender to an attacking midfielder alongside sophomore Mac Anderson, [and] Haden rose to the occasion.”

Smith also works with the Edina Soccer Association and aided in the launch of its new Unified Soccer Program, an effort to bring together athletes with and without special needs.

Rylee Lawrence

Stillwater • girls soccer

Lawrence scored the winning goal for the Ponies in the Class 3A state semifinals on Wednesday, a 1-0 victory over Eagan, then two days later she did it again in the Class 3A state championship game at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The senior’s goal late in the second half broke a tie and lifted Stillwater past Wayzata 3-2. That secured the program’s fourth state title, its first since 2021.

“Throughout the season [Lawrence] has set up her teammates just as much as she scores herself,” Stillwater coach Mike Huber said. “Her vision of success is not about her, it’s about the team. She was always a player that I could count on, and to play any position, in order to help the team.”

Lawrence has committed to play Division I soccer for North Dakota.

Harlow Berger

Mahtomedi • girls soccer

The Zephyrs held off Blake 1-0 on Friday to win the Class 2A state championship, a feat made possible by goalkeeper Harlow Berger.

Berger, a senior, recorded 14 saves in the final and made certain the Zephyrs captured their 12th state title, a Minnesota girls soccer record.

Throughout the section and state tournaments, Mahtomedi allowed only one goal.

Izaak Johnson

Cretin-Derham Hall • football

Johnson, a senior quarterback, threw seven touchdown passes in Cretin-Derham Hall’s 49-44 win over Mahtomedi in the Class 5A, Section 4 championship game on Friday.

He completed 22 of 31 passes for 425 yards, earning the Raiders a spot in the state tournament for the second straight year.

“A quarterback like Izaak, who leads the way he has this year, doesn’t just throw touchdowns — he changes the game, lifts the whole team and sets a standard. Izaak has done all three,” Cretin-Derham Hall coach Kim Royston said.

Johnson leads the state in passing yards with 3,032 and is second in completions (180) and passing touchdowns (35).

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