Prep Postseason Flurry Begins Thursday in Owatonna

Over a three-day span beginning Thursday, teams in three sports will earn trips to the state tournament.

The championship crowning begins Thursday at the Four Seasons Centre in Owatonna with the girls hockey title games in Section 1A and 1AA. Red Wing faces Northfield at 5PM. Lakeville South and Farmington battle at 7:30PM.

Also on Thursday, the section team wrestling tournaments begin. Owatonna is the No. 1 seed in Section 1AAA. The Huskies will watch No. 8 Rochester JM square off against No. 9 Century at 5PM. The winner faces the Huskies around 6PM on KRFO AM 1390. The winner advances to the semifinals Saturday at 3PM at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester. Owatonna's last state appearance came in 2013.

The No. 4 seed Westfield Razorbacks host a quarterfinal match in Section 2A against No. 5 Le Sueur-Henderson at Blooming Prairie High School at 7PM. The winner moves to the semifinals at USC on Saturday at 2PM. No. 8 NRHEG and No. 9 Medford battle at 6PM Thursday in Kenyon, with the winner to take on defending state champion Kenyon-Wanamingo in the quarterfinals.

Triton, the No. 11 seed in Section 1A, wrestles No. 6 Caledonia at Wabasha on Thursday at 6PM with the winner facing No. 3 Wabasha-Kellog at 7PM.

OHS hosts the Section 1AA gymnastics meet Friday. Owatonna is the defending champion and No. 2 ranked in the state. Farmington has risen to No. 8 in the latest poll. Competition begins at 6:30PM.

Overall, 56 teams across the state will qualify for state in wrestling, girls hockey and gymnastics over the next few days. Then on Sunday, the bracket will be announced for Section 1AA boys hockey, with games to begin Thursday, February 23.