Pengxu Lor

Champlin Park • boys diving

It has been a record-breaking start to Lor’s freshman season.

In the Rebels’ first four meets, he set three pool records — one at Fred Moore Middle School in Anoka and two at Jackson Middle School in Champlin — and he broke the Northwest Suburban Conference six-dive record with a score of 366.25.

“Pengxu is breaking pool and team records left and right so far this year,” Champlin Park co-coach Jake Cardinal said. “His high score in a six-dive list is 65 points higher than the second-highest score in Class AA diving. He has elevated his teammates skill level as well. Pengxu has been a reliable component to Champlin Park starting the season 4-0.”

All four of his record-breaking scores this season have bettered the previous Champlin Park school record previously held by Dan Croaston. Croaston won the diving title at the 1997 state meet — the last single-class state meet — with a record score of 532.70 before becoming a four-time Big Ten diving champion for the Gophers. Croaston’s state meet record stood until 2024, when Rosemount’s Lucas Gerten compiled a record of 539.60.

Competing for Maple Grove last season, Lor finished third at the Class 2A state meet with a score of 405.10.

Joszette Andresen

Minneapolis Southwest • girls basketball

The 5-foot-6 junior guard leads the Lakers in scoring with 21.7 points per game. Andresen scored a season-high 38 points in the Lakers’ 70-42 victory over Minneapolis Roosevelt on Dec. 17. That game was part of a three-game stretch in which Andresen scored 82 points. Andresen leads the Lakers, who are 5-4, in three-point field goals (30) and free throws made (72).

Lauren Elsmore

Pine Island • girls wrestling

Elsmore has opened her senior season with a 9-1 record and earned her 50th career pin in Pine Island’s victory over Rochester Mayo on Dec. 22. Elsmore, who is ranked No. 2 in the state at 130 pounds, is bidding for her fifth consecutive state meet appearance. She was 34-5 last season and the state runner-up at 130 pounds after winning the state title at 112 pounds in 2024.

Lily Hubin

Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart • girls basketball

The 5-9 guard, who has committed to play for Southwest Minnesota State, is averaging 30.8 points and 10.7 rebounds per game this season. Hubin, who surpassed 2,000 points for her career to become the leading scorer in program history Dec. 12, had 26 points, seven steals, five rebounds and five assists in the Mustangs’ 62-55 victory over New Ulm Cathedral on Dec. 23.

Julia Pfingsten

LILA • girls Alpine skiing

The freshman opened the season with a flair by winning a Northwest Suburban Conference race Dec. 16 at Trollhaugen Ski Area. Pfingsten had a two-run combined time of 57.77— tops among 75 skiers — to become the first winner in Alpine skiing in Lakes International Language Academy history. On Dec. 19, she finished eighth at the Wild Mountain Invite. Pfingsten, who qualified for the state meet as a seventh-grader and returned to the state meet last season, is currently the top-ranked 14-year old slalom racer in the Central Region and is ranked No. 8 nationally in her age group.

Toren Piltingsrud

St. Thomas Academy • boys Alpine skiing

The junior won the boys individual event at the Wild Mountain Invite on Dec. 19. Piltingsrud had a combined time of 1 minute, 1.91 seconds for his two runs for the best time among 124 participants. Piltingsrud was fourth at last season’s state meet with a combined time of 1:15.69.

Ethan Robran

Rockford • boys basketball

The 6-5 junior forward has had a double-double in each of the Rockets’ six games this season. He had 15 points and 11 rebounds in Rockford’s 65-41 victory over North Branch on Dec. 27. On the season, he is averaging 16.2 points and 13.2 rebounds per game and has season highs of 25 points and 21 rebounds.

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