Ayla Caskey

New London-Spicer • girls basketball

The 5-7 senior guard sparked the Wildcats to a fourth-quarter comeback in a 61-54 victory over Fairmont in the Class 2A, Section 3 championship game.

“Ayla propelled our team in the section final with relentless defense and knowing when to attack when she has the ball in her hands,” Wildcats assistant coach Joey Dreier said. “She had some great finishes at the rim, key assists, and knocked down a huge three with 1:15 left to put us up by four and seal the game.”

Caskey had 15 points, four assists and two steals in the victory.

“Ayla has had a really strong season where she has really embraced her leadership role on the court,” Dreier said. “Her experience has paid off down the stretch where she has been able to make big-time plays in the biggest games of the season.”

Caskey, who is also a standout in track and volleyball for the Wildcats, averaged 13.4 points, 4.2 assists and 3.8 steals per game this season.

Caskey, who plans to compete in basketball and track in college for Hamline, is in the top 20 in program history with 1,167 career points.

Gavin Andersen

Warroad • boys hockey

The junior forward had three multi-point games in the Class 1A state hockey tournament to help Warroad win its first state title since 2005. In Warroad’s 5-4 victory over Hibbing/Chisholm in the championship game, he had two goals and two assists — scoring the tying goal with 46 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime and then assisting on the winning goal. He led Warroad in scoring this season with 35 goals and 34 assists.

Kylee Binkley

Northome/Kelliher • girls basketball

The 5-7 senior helped Northome/Kelliher earn its first state tournament bid by scoring 17 points in the Mustangs’ 66-45 victory over Sacred Heart in the Class 1A, Section 8 championship game. Binkley, who surpassed 2,000 career points in December, is averaging 23.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.

Chloe Johnson

Duluth Marshall • girls basketball

The 6-foot sophomore had 25 points and nine rebounds to lead Duluth Marshall to a 66-57 victory over Pequot Lakes in the Class 2A, Section 7 championship. The victory gave the Hilltoppers their first state tournament berth since 2021. Johnson scored 49 points in the Hilltoppers’ victory over Proctor in the section semifinals. She surpassed 3,000 career points on Feb. 19 in a victory over Aitkin.

Brandon Mickelson

Moorhead • boys hockey

The senior defenseman assisted on three goals in Moorhead’s 5-4 come-from-behind victory over Minnetonka in the Class 2A state championship game. All three assists came in the third period as the Spuds scored three times in the final 10 minutes to force overtime. Mickelson was second on the team in scoring this season with 21 goals and 44 assists.

Trey Parker

Apple Valley • boys basketball

The senior has helped the Eagles advance to the Class 4A, Section 3 championship game. In the quarterfinals on March 3, he scored 33 points in an 89-63 victory over Hastings. Parker, a 6-2 guard averaging 23 points per game, holds the school record for three-pointers in a game (10). His 98 three-pointers this season broke the single-season record for three-pointers he set last year.

Ethan Sonju

Glencoe-Silver Lake • boys basketball

The 6-3 senior point guard, who is averaging 24.8 points per game this season, averaged 38.6 points per game over a five-game span going into this week.

“Ethan is a tremendous team leader as well as a player,” Panthers coach Robert DeCorsey said. “His teammates benefit from his abilities as a three-level scorer. He makes the game easier for everyone he plays with.”

Sonju went 19-for-28 from the field and scored a school-record 51 points in a 97-79 victory over Dassel-Cokato on Feb. 24. He scored 36 and 34 points in the Panthers’ previous two games.

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