The 50th Annual Winfield Awards honored 20 student athletes from 10 St. Paul high schools on June 1 at the Intercontinental St. Paul-Riverfront Hotel, with Baseball Hall of Famer David Winfield serving as keynote speaker.
Minnesota sports
Posted inLocal & State
Rest in Power: Larry Fitzgerald Sr., MSR Sportswriter and Champion of Black Athletes, Dead at 71
Larry Fitzgerald Sr., beloved Minnesota sportswriter and longtime Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder columnist who spent more than 45 years advocating for Black athletes and coaches, has died at age 71.
Posted inAnother View
Como Park grad has no regrets
Ronnie Porter’s final game at Williams Arena marked a full-circle moment for the St. Paul native, who rose from walk-on to Wisconsin starter and leader.
Posted inAnother View
Big Ten WBB winningest active coach retiring
Joe McKeown reflected on coaching, competition, and legacy during his final visit to Williams Arena as Northwestern’s longtime women’s basketball coach.
Posted inThe Prep Scene
Three reach 1,000 point career mark
Twin Cities high school basketball players Lamont Michaels, Trey Parker, and Ma’Lon McCoy reached the 1,000-point career mark this season.
Posted inSports
At Augsburg, more diversity makes great chemistry
MIAC basketball diversity is increasingly visible at Augsburg University, where inclusive rosters are reshaping the conference.
Posted inAnother View
Abe’s back, Chip resigns
Abe Woldeslassie returned to Minnesota with Denver as MIAC coaching milestones marked leadership changes across the conference.
Posted inOdds and Ends
New MAC assistant coaches help teams rebuild
As Macalester men’s and women’s basketball rebuild this season, first-year assistant coaches Mamadou Diallo and Taylor Pilot share their coaching journeys, philosophies, and goals.
Posted inThe Prep Scene
Best photos of 2025
The Prep Scene’s Significant Six features some of the best prep sports photos captured in 2025.
Posted inSports
Five Sports Stories That Had Minnesota Talking in 2025
These five Minnesota sports stories of 2025 sparked conversation, built pride, and reminded us why sports matter beyond the game.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Soph guard finds Gopher fans “something special’
Minnesota women’s basketball highlights include Tori McKinney’s strong sophomore season, Rachel Banham’s return to professional play, Sylvia Fowles’ coaching move, and a remembrance of Yevette Haskins.
Posted inThe Prep Scene
It’s happening for White
Minnesota basketball highlights feature college athletes, rising high school players, and a veteran coach honored for decades of leadership.
Posted inSports
Rare Black hockey forward started young
Hamline freshman Nina Thorson is making history and scoring goals in her first collegiate hockey season.
Posted inBlacklight On Sports
Blacklight on Sports Featuring Khalid El-Amin
Minneapolis basketball legend Khalid El-Amin reflects on his journey, mindset, and life lessons in a powerful Blacklight on Sports conversation.
Posted inOdds and Ends
This ‘Diva’ can coach
Alabama A and M is the only HBCU on the Gopher women’s basketball schedule this season, and they are bringing a proven winner to The Barn. Head Coach Dawn E. Thornton, a Jackson State alum and accomplished recruiter, led the Bulldogs to a 21 and 11 record and a WNIT berth in her first season. Picked second in the SWAC, Alabama A and M features preseason SWAC Player of the Year Kalia Walker and a core of double digit scorers, giving local fans a rare chance to see a strong HBCU program and a Black woman head coach on the Williams Arena sidelines.
Posted inAnother View
No respect for HBCUs among local media
Minnesota will host two HBCU opponents this month, but local mainstream media are unlikely to give the games meaningful coverage. HBCU advocates say this pattern fits decades of inequitable sports reporting, making Black owned media outlets like the MSR critical for visibility, respect, and fair representation.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Wood leads St. Olaf volleyball to historic season
Alicia Wood guided St. Olaf to one of the school’s best volleyball seasons ever, finishing the MIAC regular season undefeated at 11-0 and earning the league’s top seed in last month’s postseason tournament in her second season on the Hill in Northfield, MN. The Oles captured two of the league’s four major awards: Wood was […]
Posted inThe Prep Scene
Former metro areas star contributing
Fab Five photos This week’s Fab Five photos feature several former metro-area girls’ basketball players who have developed into some of the nation’s top collegiate athletes. University of Minnesota senior guard Amaya Battle (Hopkins), University of Wisconsin senior guard Ronnie Porter, Middle Tennessee State senior guard Alayna Contreras (Hopkins), University of South Carolina junior guard […]
Posted inBlacklight On Sports
A Conversation with Lawrence Ellis on Leadership, Youth Athletics, and the Future of Minnesota Sports
In this episode of MSR Blacklight On Sports, hosts Charles Hallman and Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald talk with Minnesota sports leader Lawrence Ellis about the evolution of youth athletics, policy decisions influencing access and fairness, and the leadership needed to support student-athletes statewide.
Posted inOdds and Ends
St. Thomas hockey transfer likes being closer to home
Before the 1970s, hockey uniform numbers typically ranged from 1 to 31 or so, rarely past number 35. Nowadays they are like a Jackie Wilson song: They’ve gone higher and higher. Charlie Schoen wears No. 82, the highest number on St. Thomas men’s hockey team this season. After the team’s first-ever game at Lee & […]