The week of April 20–26 produced a string of eye-catching performances across Minnesota high school sports, from dominant pitching nights to state-leading field marks. These results not only shaped league standings this week but also created momentum for athletes heading into the spring postseason.
Below are the players selected for this week’s roundup, with concise summaries of what each athlete accomplished on the field or track.
Notable nominees and their performances
| Athlete | School | Sport | Performance (April 20–26) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexi Meis | New London‑Spicer | Softball | Hit a home run and collected two hits, a walk and three RBIs in a 9‑2 victory; added two more hits in a 10‑4 win. |
| Gwendolyn Redmon | St. Paul Washington | Softball | Compiled four hits — including two triples — and finished with eight total bases in a 20‑19 win. |
| Addison Neiss | Eden Prairie | Softball | Threw a complete game shutout in a 1‑0 win over Hopkins, striking out 14 and issuing one walk. |
| Hunter Dolenc | Woodbury | Baseball | Provided two hits, two RBIs and scored a run in a 9‑4 upset of No. 2 Cretin‑Derham Hall. |
| Brodie Gibart | Farmington | Baseball | Pitched a complete‑game shutout (2‑0), allowing three hits, no walks and fanning 12. |
| Edgar Kopel | B O L D | Baseball | Worked seven scoreless innings in a 3‑0 win, striking out nine while surrendering two hits and no walks. |
| Brenden Swartout | Academy of Holy Angels | Baseball | Seven innings of shutout ball in a 4‑0 victory, yielding two hits, no walks and recording 10 strikeouts. |
| Derrick Zackery | Eastview/Apple Valley | Boys’ Lacrosse | Scored five goals and added an assist in a 12‑7 win over Lakeville North. |
| Carson Daggett | Mankato | Boys’ Lacrosse | Registered four goals and three assists in a 9‑5 victory at Rochester. |
| Austin Novotny | Cretin‑Derham Hall | Boys’ Lacrosse | Led the Raiders with five goals and four assists in an 11‑7 win over Forest Lake. |
| Bradley Johnson | East Ridge | Boys’ Lacrosse | Scored seven goals and added one assist in a 17‑8 rout of Moorhead. |
| Iris Hanson | St. Paul/Two Rivers | Girls’ Lacrosse | Netted nine goals in a 15‑7 win against Hastings. |
| Cayla Helmberger | White Bear Lake | Girls’ Lacrosse | Scored five goals in an 8‑7 double‑overtime loss to Stillwater. |
| Kanyon Althoff | Rocori | Girls’ Lacrosse | Posted six goals in an 11‑7 victory over Sartell/Sauk Rapids. |
| Kayla Swartout | Holy Family | Girls’ Lacrosse (Goalie) | Saved 10 of 12 shots on goal in a 9‑2 win over Breck. |
| Bridget O’Brien | Rogers | Girls’ Lacrosse | Scored five times in a tight 10‑9 victory against Elk River/Zimmerman. |
| Margaret Duffy | St. John’s Prep | Track & Field | Improved her 3,200m PR to 10:30.32 at the Hamline Elite Meet (previous best 10:42.70). |
| Shiaflyn Cooper | Elk River | Track & Field | Set a state‑best and personal record in the triple jump at 39‑10 at the Hamline Elite Meet. |
| Jamal Wamah | Roseville | Track & Field | Established a personal and school record in the triple jump (47‑10) at the Roseville Invite — the season’s top mark. |
| Tyler Curnow | Stillwater Area | Track & Field | Threw a personal best of 184‑2 in the discus at the 2026 Pony Classic; that distance leads the state this season. |
The list mixes game‑changing single contests — multiple high school pitchers recorded shutouts or double‑digit strikeouts — with track athletes producing marks that already sit atop statewide leaderboards. Performances like those from Shiaflyn Cooper, Jamal Wamah and Tyler Curnow will be ones to watch as sectional and state meets approach.
- State leaders this week: Wamah (triple jump), Cooper (triple jump — state best at Hamline), Curnow (discus — season leader).
- Pitching highlights: Gibart, Kopel and Swartout each delivered dominant outings that helped preserve low‑scoring wins for their teams.
- Lacrosse firepower: Several attackers posted multi‑goal games that shifted outcomes and standings in their conferences.
Editor’s note: This weekly roundup highlights standout individual performances across Minnesota high school sports; its purpose is to showcase noteworthy achievements and trends rather than to confer formal awards.
Stats via varsity.startribune.com.
