Prep Athletes of the Week: Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg wrestler Trey Gunderson records 200th career victory

Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg • wrestling

The state’s No. 1-rated wrestler at 139 pounds in Class 1A according to The Guillotine rankings, Gunderson is 14-0 this season and recently picked up his 200th career victory.

A two-time state champion, Gunderson enjoys learning and improving on a daily basis, his coach said.

“Trey is always striving to get better, whether it’s his techniques, strength, conditioning or his mental mindset,” Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg coach Trevor Mahlum said. “He is always watching wrestling … high school, college or Olympics, it doesn’t matter. He is dialed in [and] learning.”

Gunderson’s father, Mark, wrestled collegiately and his older brother, Coy, is currently wrestling at Augustana in Sioux Falls, S.D. Coy was a four-time place winner in the state meet.

“My older brother is the hardest-working person I know,” Gunderson said. “He taught me to work hard and improve every day.”

Trey Gunderson won state titles at 133 pounds last year and 106 pounds as an eighth-grader. He finished third at 120 pounds as a freshman.

“My sights are set pretty high,” Gunderson said.

Gunderson was unbeaten at 53-0 last season. He’s lost only two matches the past two seasons and is currently 204-7.

“The tremendous growth from year to year simply demonstrates his hard work and dedication in the practice room and all the offseason wrestling he does,” Mahlum said. “He has done some great things in the sport and has reached some huge milestones. Trey wants to be the best.”

Gunderson has goals to join elite company.

“I would like to be a four-time state champion,” Gunderson said. Only seven wrestlers have won five or more titles, with Mark Hall of Apple Valley being the career leader with six. “Winning a national championship would be pretty cool, too.”

Glencoe-Silver Lake • basketball

The Panthers have won four of their past five games and the Drake commit is averaging 31.6 points per game during that span. “Mylea makes such a significant impact to our team,” Panthers coach Maddie Petersen said. “She is a threat at multiple levels offensively. She gets to the rim and finishes well with her speed, has deep range from three and sets her teammates up well.” Monahan also leads the team in rebounds and steals. “She has the ability to shut down players, especially with her length and speed,” Petersen said. “Mylea is a fun player to coach.”

Holy Angels • hockey

Lechner, a senior forward, is on the verge of becoming the program’s career leading scorer. He netted his 102nd career goal with the game-winner in overtime in a 3-2 victory over St. Louis Park on Saturday. Lechner also scored the equalizer in the third period. “The bigger the moment, the bigger he shows up,” Stars coach Patrick Griswold said. He is also closing in on the school mark for career points set by Danny Mattson with 252. The St. Thomas recruit has 25 goals and 16 assists this season for the Stars (11-2). “His hockey sense and IQ on the rink is incredible,” Griswold said. “Henry is a very gifted and special player.”

Breck • gymnastics

The sophomore won the Division I all-around competition with a score of 34.9 while leading the Mustangs to the team title in the Minnesota Girls Gymnastics Officials Association meet at Park Center High School. “With her consistency, determination, and passion, Cata continues to elevate both herself and her team,” Mustangs co-coach Dan Foster said. “Cata is a rising star both in the gym and in the classroom. Her positive attitude and composure on every event reflect her dedication and tireless work ethic, making her a standout competitor.”

Edina • swimming

Xue is Edina’s career record-holder in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 1 minute, 48.47 seconds and 500 freestyle with a time of 4:25.19. The Princeton commit ranks in the top 50 in all eight individual swimming events for one of the state’s most prestigious programs. “Jiarui continues his strong contribution to the team,” Edina coach Scott Johnson said. “He often swims events to match up against certain opponents to maximize our team potential.” Xue qualified for the U.S. Olympic swimming trials this past summer in the 1,500-meter freestyle.

Woodbury • hockey

The junior forward is the leading scorer for the Royals (14-0-1), the No. 7-ranked team in Class 2A according to the Let’s Play Hockey rankings. The Minnesota Duluth commit has 12 goals and six assists in the Royals' past six victories and 21 goals and 13 assists this season. Woodbury’s captain had 52 points last season and recently registered her 100th career point. “Alaina had a great tournament over Christmas,” Woodbury coach Scott Waldo said.

Minnetonka • basketball

Bouncing back from an ankle injury, El-Amin is averaging 30.7 points per game in his past three games for the Class 4A defending champions. “Since Isa has been back, he has been scoring the basketball at a high level from all areas on the floor,” Minnetonka coach Bryce Tesdahl said. “He is a threat to score from anywhere on the floor and is the ultimate competitor and teammate. On last year’s state championship team, he was asked to do a little bit of everything. Now he is our leader on both ends of the floor and is having a great start to his senior season.”

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