Britta Koski

Esko • girls soccer

A senior midfielder, Koski has been an integral part of Esko, earning its fourth consecutive appearance in the state tournament.

Last week, Koski’s goal on a penalty kick late in the first half was the only score in Esko’s 1-0 victory over Proctor in the Class 1A, Section 7 championship game.

“Britta provides possession and distribution within our midfield, creating transition and attacking opportunities,” Esko coach Sharon Lahti said. “Brit has been able to find the back of the net during close games, scoring on a drive or a free kick. As a captain of our team, she leads by example both on and off the field. She is willing to take on any role, responsibility or position needed to help her team win.”

Koski is Esko’s second-leading scorer this season, with eight goals and seven assists.

Esko (13-2-1), which has outscored opponents 62-6 this season, finished third in the Class 1A state tournament last season.

Ela Cantellano

Harding/Como Park • girls tennis

A junior, Cantellano won the Class 3A, Section 4 singles championship last week and became the first player in program history to qualify for the state tournament.

Cantellano won 6-2, 6-1 in the semifinals and 6-2, 6-3 in the championship match. The victories at the section meet made her 19-2 this season.

“Ela captained the team,” assistant coach Kia Yang said, “and she is having a great season.”

Sam Eklund

Duluth Denfeld • boys soccer

Eklund’s first-half goal helped Duluth Denfeld outlast Grand Rapids 1-0 in the Class 2A, Section 7 championship game last week.

The victory sent the Hunters, who started the season 1-5, to the state tournament for the first time since 2018.

Eklund scored eight goals, second most on the team, as the Hunters went 8-1-3 over the last 12 games to reach the state tournament. They will play Blake in the first round of the state tournament Tuesday night.

“Sam is a definite leader and student of the game,” Denfeld coach Scott Anderson said. “He often comes to me and the coaching staff with ideas and suggestions, and they’re all on point. As a leader, he can keep the mood light, and at the same time, he pushes his team to always give their best. He leads by example with it as well, often playing a full 80.”

Jackson Jenniges

Adrian/Ellsworth • football

The sophomore was dazzling for the Dragons in the final two weeks of the regular season.

On Oct. 9, he rushed 31 times for 451 yards — the sixth-best single-game total in state history — and eight touchdowns in the Dragons’ 70-38 victory over Nicollet.

Last week he rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns — in 2½ quarters — as the Dragons improved to 6-2 with a 65-0 victory over Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart.

This season, he has rushed for 1,158 yards, averaging 7.2 yards per carry and 145 yards per game.

Ashley Mouyenga

Wayzata • girls swimming

The junior diver has gone undefeated this season as she strives for her fifth consecutive appearance in the state meet.

Last week, she won the diving event at the Class 2A True Team state meet with a score of 442.60. She finished third at the Class 2A state meet last year with a score of 428.8.

According to Wayzata coach Elizabeth Hansen, Mouyenga averaged around 280 points (for six dives) in Lake Conference meets, about 30 points higher than the second-best diver in the conference. Her highest six-dive score was 293.25 against Hopkins. Her score at the True Team state meet was more than 30 points higher than the second-place finisher’s score.

“She’s working hard on polishing her dives and working on her confidence as we head toward the state meet,” Hansen said. “Her commitment to her team and her sport has shown over the last five seasons.”

Godson Rufus-Okomhanru

Mounds View • football

The senior receiver/outside linebacker has been a stalwart on both sides of the ball for the Mustangs.

Last week, he had nine tackles — two for loss — and caught a TD pass in the Mustangs’ 35-21 victory over White Bear Lake. On Oct. 10, he had five receptions for 107 yards and three touchdowns and had nine tackles and a sack on defense.

This season, he leads the Mustangs with 26 receptions and six receiving TDs and has rushed for two touchdowns. On defense, he has 47 tackles, six for loss.

Annaleigh Schwab

Simley • girls cross-country

A freshman, Schwab has made great strides this year.

On Oct. 14, she ran the 5K course at St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park in 18 minutes, 42.6 seconds to win the Metro East Conference individual title.

“Annaleigh has continually progressed throughout the season,” Simley coach Daniel Gerber said, “being one of the top Minnesotan runners in the championship race at the Roy Griak Invite in September, and [she] really came to compete and have fun at the conference meet, where she convincingly broke her own school record by over 30 seconds. The goal is for her to continue that progress and momentum heading into sections and the state meet.”

Schwab finished 52nd at the Class 2A state meet last season with a time of 19:56.6. Her time at last week’s conference meet would have put her in the top 10 at the state meet.

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