Apple Valley senior Grace Alagbo had just won her second state title, claiming the 170-pound championship, when moments later, fellow Eagles senior Gloriann Vigniavo won the 190-pound title via pin.
As Alagbo walked into the tunnel at Xcel Energy Center she yelled, “Is that three titles for Apple Valley? Don’t play with us!”
A dominant force in Minnesota high school girls wrestling has arrived.
Apple ValleyÕs Cassandra Gonzales, top, takes control of GMLOSÕs Diann Smith during the Girls 136-pound championship match of the State Wrestling Tournament at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Saturday, March 2, 2024. (Craig Lassig / Special to the Pioneer Press)
Apple Valley did claim three girls titles Saturday at the Xcel Energy Center, with the third going to Cassandra Gonzales, who finished off a perfect season.
Gonzales won a state title at Shakopee last season, but came to Apple Valley this year and has thoroughly enjoyed the team room that is Apple Valley’s girls wrestling team.
“I think this community of girls is so much bigger. I had a bigger family with girls, and it was just so amazing,” Gonzales said. “Everyone is just lifting each other up and working to get each other better. We have girls practices and we would do each other’s favorite moves on each other, so you just learn things from different girls and it was just so much fun doing practices like that. You just learn so much being in a bigger group of girls.”
Apple Valley coach Josh Barlage said the Eagles had 23 wrestlers this season. The Eagles are taking pride in developing and growing their program in the third year of girls wrestling as an MSHSL sport.
“We’ve made an emphasis to try and give our girls the most opportunity and really just kind of put them on a level playing field as the boys,” he said, “and they’ve really just blossomed.”
Alagbo has been the head of the snake. Her state title two years ago seemingly got the ball rolling for Apple Valley, and she’s proud to see what the program has become.
Apple ValleyÕs Grace Alagbo takes on Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale/Parkers PrairieÕ s Abby Ervasti during the Girls 170-pound championship match of the State Wrestling Tournament at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Saturday, March 2, 2024. (Craig Lassig / Special to the Pioneer Press)
“These girls are my children. They’re my little babies,” she said with a laugh. “It’s an honor to be a part of this team. I know Apple Valley was always going to have a great team, and I was just fortunate to be the first. I thank God every day for that opportunity.”
It never hurts to have someone like that be the face of a program.
“I can’t say enough good things about Grace Alagbo. She is an incredible human being. She is the most charismatic, hard-working leader,” Barlage said. “She is going to be the CEO of a company someday.”
There is not yet a girls team state championship. Perhaps, as programs follow Apple Valley’s lead and continue to flush out numbers, that will come soon. But if there was such a competition this season, the Eagles are pretty sure how that would’ve turned out.
“Definitely us. Apple Valley. There’s so much talent on that team. Everyone is amazing,” Gonzales said. “It’s great here, and if there was to be that title, it would have to go to Apple Valley.”
Perfect ending
Hastings senior Skylar Little Soldier ended her high school career by becoming the Raiders’ first three-time state champ, capping an undefeated campaign to win the 148-pound title.
“I’m going to look back on it in 20 years and be like, ‘Wow, I really did that,’” she said.
Much in the same way everyone else around the sport currently looks at her now. She knows all eyes have been on her for years, and has taken that as an honor and a responsibility.
“It’s really helped me, because it just makes me look at the positive side of things all the time,” Little Soldier said. “It just takes me away from all the negative.”
CHASE FOR SIX CONTINUES
EastviewÕs Riley Myers, top, takes on MinnetonkaÕs Phoebe Kunerth during the Girls 130-pound championship match of the State Wrestling Tournament at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Saturday, March 2, 2024. (Craig Lassig / Special to the Pioneer Press)
Simley freshman Charli Raymond won her third straight state title, winning the 118-pound crown to cap an undefeated season.
Raymond still has a shot to win six state titles by the end of her high school career.
MYERS WINS AGAIN
After winning as a sophomore but then taking second last season, Eastview senior Riley Myers capped her high school career as a champion, winning the 130-pound bracket.
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