Sarah Johnson

Mounds View • girls hockey

A junior, Johnson has started the season with a flourish. Through Saturday’s games, she was tied for the state lead in goals (14) and led the state with 23 points.

“Sarah is off to a dominant start to her junior year,” Mounds View/Irondale coach Sami Miller said. “Her point production right now is elite on its own, but what has really stood out is how she has elevated the play of everyone around her.

“She’s playing like a true power forward, playing 200 feet, winning battles, utilizing her speed, high hockey IQ to lead our team. She hit 100 career points on Saturday and has been on a roll throughout all of November.”

Johnson, who scored 16 goals last season as a sophomore, had four goals and two assists in three games last week as the Mustangs went 2-0-1 to improve to 6-0-1 this season and surpass last season’s victory total (4-19-3 last season).

Lauryn Ankeny

Minnewaska Area • girls basketball

The 5-8 senior guard had 29 points and 10 steals in the Lakers’ 90-27 season-opening victory over Lac qui Parle Valley. Ankeny, who holds the program record for steals in a game (12) and season (129), became the school’s career leader with 274 steals. Her 29 points were three points shy of the school single-game record. Ankeny averaged 9.5 points and four steals per game last season.

Brooklin Hinze

St. Clair • girls basketball

The 5-8 senior point guard scored 26 points in the Cyclones’ 76-61 season-opening victory over Nicollet on Friday at the Bethany Lutheran Tip-Off Tournament to become the first player in program history to score 2,000 career points. Hinze averaged 20.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game last season for the Cyclones.

Dane Kanwischer

Orono • football

The senior had 16 tackles and rushed for a touchdown to help the Spartans win their first state football title. His 13-yard TD run gave the Spartans a 6-0 lead, and they went on to defeat Kasson-Mantorville 21-14 in the Class 4A championship game.

Brooklyn Mauch

Marshall • girls hockey

The junior forward went into this week tied for the state lead in goals scored (14) after scoring seven in two games last week. She had four goals in a 7-1 victory over Worthington and three goals in a 6-1 victory over Hutchinson. She was second in the state in scoring with 83 points (48 goals, 35 assists) last season.

Colton Purcell

Annandale • football

A junior, Purcell tied a Prep Bowl record with three interceptions and threw a TD pass to help the Cardinals secure their first football state title with a 17-7 victory over Waseca in the Class 3A championship game. His interception in the final minute of the first half helped the Cardinals take a 10-0 lead into halftime. In the third quarter, his 62-yard TD pass to Gabriel Westman gave the Cardinals a 16-7 lead. On the ensuing possession, he made his second interception. His third interception came with 4:13 left in the game.

Marcus Snyder

Spring Lake Park • football

The senior defensive back, who led the state this season with seven interceptions, had nine tackles as the Panthers outlasted Chanhassen 24-21 in the Class 5A championship game to win their first state football title since 1991. Snyder also made big contributions to help the Panthers reach the Prep Bowl. In the Panthers’ 13-12 quarterfinal victory over Alexandria he had a 55-yard interception return and 11 tackles — including the tackle that stopped Alexandria’s two-point attempt in overtime to preserve the victory. In a 39-23 semifinal victory over St. Thomas Academy, he returned an interception 24 yards for a TD, giving the Panthers the lead for good.

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