Since we’ve done other historical lists of the top high school athletes in the past quarter century, I decided to compile one to recognize wrestlers.

Like all such lists, the names at the top are often easier to determine than those further down. And with the exponential growth of girls wrestling, we couldn’t possibly overlook them.

There will be some disputes and some disagreements. That’s a given in this type of endeavor. That’s expected.

The truth is the primary reason for doing a list like this (wrestlers who graduated and competed between 2000 and 2025) is to encourage the sharing of opinions. And, of course, talk a little rasslin’.

Boys

in alphabetical order

Mitch Bengtson, St. Cloud Apollo: A four-time state titlist (2009-11, 2013), Bengtson at one point owned the state record for consecutive victories with 179. His streak was broken in the Class 3A, 126-pound final in 2012. Bengtson finished his career 265-6 with a state-record-tying 195 pins.

Brady Berge, Kasson-Mantorville: Arguably the better of Kasson-Mantorville’s remarkable wrestling Berge brothers, Brady compiled a career record of 282-5 and won four state championships. He likely would have won five state titles and finished as the winningest wrestler in state history if he had not been sidelined by a broken leg during the 2015-16 season.

Mark Hall, Apple Valley: Hall is the only six-time individual state champion state history. An enviable amalgam of strength, speed and agility, Hall finished with a career record of 277-4, with 189 pins between 2011 and 2016.

Greg Kerkvliet, Simley: A 6-foot-3, 250-pound specimen who was even more menacing than he looks. His length gave him unparalleled leverage and made him difficult to control. He won four Class 2A state heavyweight titles between 2016 and 2019 and compiled a career record of 216-36 with 130 pins.

Marcus LeVesseur, Bloomington Kennedy: More than 20 years ago, LeVesseur was the standard-bearer for wrestling excellence in Minnesota. He won four consecutive state championships from 1998 to 2001 — three times while wrestling for Minneapolis Roosevelt and a fourth in his senior year at Bloomington Kennedy. He was 212-17 in his high school career and at one point won 141 consecutive matches.

Destin McCauley, Apple Valley: He became the fourth wrestler in state history to win five state championships. McCauley, who won his titles from 2006-08 and 2010-11, is the winningest high school wrestler ever in Minnesota, racking up a career mark of 286-7, and is tied for the state record in career falls (pins) with 195.

Max McEnelly, Waconia: A four-time state champion from 2020 to 2023, the muscular, cat-quick McEnelly compiled a 251-31 record and 1,425 career takedowns, which is second in state history. In 2025, he was named Big Ten freshman of the year after his first season at Minnesota and won the World U20 championship at 86 kilograms.

Mitchell McKee, St. Michael-Albertville: McKee was a three-time state champion who finished his high school career with 269 victories, tied for fifth in state history. He was gritty and versatile, adept at Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling in addition to the Folkstyle used in high school.

Matt Nagel, Frazee: Nagel was a five-time state champion from 1997 to 2001, barely qualifying for this list because of the time frame. He finished his high school career with 217 victories, which likely would have been more had he wrestled now.

Gavin Nelson, Simley: Wrestling at 215 pounds, the physically imposing Nelson won three state titles and won considered among the top-five wrestlers at his weight nationally in high school. Nelson was 243-22 in his high school career and is now wrestling for the University of Minnesota.

Landon Robideau, St. Michael-Albertville: Winner of four state championships from 2022 through 2025 at 126, 132, 152 and 160 pounds. He is the second-winningest wrestler in state history with 283 victories and owns the record for consecutive wins with 188.

Ryder Rogotzke, Stillwater: Rogotzke ended his high school career with one state championship — 182 pounds in 2022. The reason he didn’t have more was more about him seeking matches against the state’s best wrestlers at the time, regardless of weight. In his state championship season, he pinned 44 of 47 foes and improved upon that with 45 pins his senior year. He concluded his high school career with a 258-23 overall record.

Gable Steveson, Apple Valley: Named after legendary wrestler Dan Gable, Steveson won four state championships from 2015 to 2018. He achieved a record of 212-3 during his high school career and went on to win two NCAA Division I heavyweight titles and won the gold medal at 125 kg at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Sam Stoll, Kasson-Mantorville: With the possible exception of Steveson, Stoll was Minnesota’s most accomplished heavyweight. Agile and technically sound, Stoll posted a 206-23 career record, won two state championships and finished his high school career with 99 straight victories and a national-record 69 consecutive pins.

Girls

in alphabetical order

Cassandra Gonzales, Apple Valley: A three-time state champion, Gonzales admits that she prefers to wrestle boys over girls, saying it better prepares her for tough matches. She has not lost a high school match in four years and is currently 77-0.

Caley Graber, Northfield: Like many girls wrestlers, her career totals would look more impressive if she had the amount of matches the boys receive. A two-time state champion, she made history in 2024 when she became the first girl to win a match in the MSHSL boys state tournament, eventually taking fifth in her weight class.

Skylar Little Soldier, Hastings: Little Soldier never lost a high school match, finishing her career 41-0. She won two state championships and is now wrestling for the women’s program at Grand Valley State in Michigan.

Ella Pagel, Northfield: Strong and agile from her work with horses on the family farm. Pagel was a three-time state champion who spent much of her high school career ranked nationally. She likely would have won another title or two if not for nagging injuries that impeded her career.

Charli Raymond, Simley: With four state championships in her back pocket, the lanky and athletic Raymond is on pace to become just the second wrestler in state history to win six individual championships.

Emily Shilson, Maple Grove/Centennial/Mounds View: Considered a girls wrestling groundbreaker, Shilson mostly wrestled boys in high school, willingly taking some lumps while she led the charge for girls wresting. She qualified for three state tournaments but never won a match. She had more success in international competition with three world titles. She’s now the girls coach at St. Michael-Albertville.