Minnesota’s high school wrestling state tournament is a four-day affair this season to accommodate the growth in girls wrestling.

The team state tournament begins Wednesday, with the team championships in all three classes set to begin Thursday at 7 p.m. The individual competition, for boys and girls, also begins Thursday, and concludes Saturday.

Here are some of the wrestlers to watch at this year’s tournament.

If you’re feeling nostalgic, here’s a look at Strib Varsity’s list of 20 Minnesota high school wrestlers to remember from the past 25 years.

Class 2A quarterfinals

Foley 44 defeated Scott West 15. Foley’s reward is a semifinal match against top-seeded Simley.

Simley, a 17-time state team champion, earned the No. 1 seed in Class 2A. The Spartans run of six straight Class 2A title came to an end in 2025 with a loss to Kasson-Mantoville in the semifinals.

—Joe Gunther

Quarterfinal results

Class 3A

Shakopee 55, Northfield 18

St. Michael-Albertville 53, Brainerd 11

Stillwater 50, Apple Valley 15

Class 2A

New Ulm 53, Totino-Grace 17

Simley 66, South St. Paul 3

Class 2A quarterfinals

Simley has jumped out to a quick 18-0 lead over South St. Paul with three pins. The third pin came courtesy of junior Charli Raymond, the four-time girls wrestling state champion. She’s showing that she’s a great wrestler regardless of gender.

Raymond was not the only girl competing for a boys team in the quarterfinals. Northfield’s Caley Graber, girls champion at 118 in 2025, lost to Shakopee’s Kaleb Long 9-1 at 127. Shakopee leads Northfield 7-0.

Graber is remembered for being the first girl to win an individual match while competing in the boys’ tournament in 2024.

— Jim Paulsen

Wrestling team quarterfinal matchups

Class 3A: Apple Valley vs. No. 2-seed Stillwater, Northfield vs. No. 3 seed Shakopee; Brainerd vs. No. 1 seed St. Michael-Albertville; No. 5 seed Elk River vs. No. 4 seed Hastings.

Class 2A: Totino-Grave vs. No. 2 seed New Ulm; Perham vs. No. 3 seed Pierz; South St. Paul vs. No. 1 seed Simley; No. 5 seed Foley vs. No. 4 seed Scott West

Class 1A (6 p.m.): Le Sueur-Henderson vs. No. 2 seed Minneota; West Central/Ashby/Brandon vs. No. 3 seed Chatfield; Kenyon-Wanamingo vs. No. 1 seed Staples-Motley; No. 5 seed Jackson County Central vs. No. 4 seed United North Central

Filling Grand Casino Arena

The lower bowl at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul is filling up for the Day 1 of the first four-day wrestling state tournament since 2010.

The mats are filled with wrestlers warming up, officials are chatting it up, passing tips and what started as low murmur had reached a stream of endless chatter in anticipation of 24 teams taking the mats in the team quarterfinals.

Each class has a team favorite. St. Michael-Albertville is the big dog in Class 3A and is shooting for their third straight state title. Simley is in the familiar role as favorite in Class 2A after not making the tournament in 2025 and Staples-Motley is shooting for its second Class 1A team title in a row.

Quarterfinals begin at 4 p.m., with semifinals set for 8 p.m. Team championships will take place Thursday evening.

— Jim Paulsen