EMILY HANSEN
Buffalo • softball
There's really no other way to put it: Hansen, a junior shortstop known for her bat, is on fire.
She's been so hot that it's been nearly two weeks since she officially recorded an out. In five games dating to May 10, Hansen, who has committed to the University of Minnesota, is 13-for-13. Over that span, she has hit two home runs, driven in 10 runs and raised her batting average to .685 (37-for-54).
"I knew I was 7-for-7," she said with a laugh. "But I'll take that."
Hansen's big game came Saturday, in her second of the day. She went 5-for-5, hit two home runs, scored three times and had seven RBI in a 17-2 rout over Monticello.
Going back to the start of May, Hansen is hitting .864 (19-of-22). That hot streak coincides with a 10-game winning streak that has put Buffalo, the 2016 Class 4A runners-up, back into consideration as a championship contender.
"We started slow because we felt the pressure to get back there," Hansen said. "Now we're more relaxed and having fun."
OLIVIA KONIGSON
Stillwater • lacrosse
There's some unfinished business Konigson would like to take care of before she leaves to play hockey at Quinnipiac University.
The Ponies have made six consecutive appearances in the state semifinals without reaching a championship game. They've lost to Eden Prairie in four of those semifinals, by just one goal in each of the last two seasons. The high-scoring senior midfielder (42 goals, 53 points) has had it with getting so close with no reward.
"We've had a lot of close semifinals and that's something that's always in the backs of our minds," she said.
Last week Konigson had 12 goals, two assists, nine draw controls and eight ground balls as Stillwater routed Mounds View 20-3 and White Bear Lake 20-4 to win its ninth consecutive Suburban East Conference title.
"It's super important to win our conference because it gives us a lot of confidence," she said. "It's nice to control the east side [of the metro], but we can't get ahead of ourselves. We have to keep working hard."
OLIVIA O'BRIEN
Minnetonka • track and field
The junior won the long jump with a leap of 17-3¼ and the triple jump with a 37-5½ to lead the Skippers to a first-place finish at the Class 3A girls' True Team state meet at Stillwater on Friday. She also finished fifth in the 200-meter dash and ran on the second-place 4x200-meter relay team.
JOEY STILLINGS
Eastview • lacrosse
The top-ranked Lightning survived its toughest week of the season to remain undefeated with a 12-0 record. It defeated No. 7 Prior Lake 10-5 and downed No. 2-ranked Eagan 12-7, handing the Wildcats their first loss. Stillings, a junior midfielder, scored five goals in the two games, becoming the team's third 20-goal scorer.
JIM PAULSEN
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