Prep Athletes of the Week: A record roll for Rosemount diver Lucas Gerten

Gerten, a sophomore state champ, set a pool mark and a school mark last week.

December 19, 2022 at 4:01PM
Diver Lucas Gerten of Rosemount set two records last week. (Provided/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

LUCAS GERTEN

Rosemount • diving

Gerten joined the Irish swimming and diving program as a seventh-grader with no diving experience. Since making the Irish varsity as an eighth-grader, he has established himself as one of the top divers in the state.

He won the Class 2A diving state title as a freshman with a score of 419.40. He's a sophomore now, and he had two stellar performances last week.

In a dual meet Friday at Apple Valley, he broke the pool record — which had stood since 1979 — with a six-dive score of 320.10. On Saturday, at Bloomington's Olson Middle School, he broke Rosemount's 11-dive school record with a score of 472.

Rosemount coach Jake Kemna said Gerten, who competes in cross-country in the fall and as a pole vaulter on the track and field team in the spring, "understands that it's not about being the best but constantly working to get better and not setting limitations. He wants to be better, not the best."

Kemna said that's something Rosemount diving coach Dan Monaghan, a two-time Class 2A diving state champion, "has worked very hard to instill in him."

COOPER CONWAY

Andover • hockey

A senior forward, he had a pair of three-point games last week. He had a goal and two assists in the Huskies' 3-2 victory Thursday at Champlin Park and a goal and two assists in the Huskies' 3-3 tie Saturday with Wayzata. He leads the Huskies in scoring with 13 points in eight games.

ZACH HANSON

Lakeville North • wrestling

The senior won the 152-pound title at the 33-team Minnesota Christmas Tournament on Saturday in Rochester. Hanson, who is 14-0 and ranked No. 1 at his weight in Class 3A, was the Class 3A state champion at 145 pounds last season.

TESSA JOHNSON

St. Michael-Albertville • basketball

The senior guard scored 51 points for the Knights, ranked No. 2 in Class 4A, in their 97-70 victory Friday over No. 4 Chaska. She broke the school's 37-year-old single-game scoring record and made a school-record nine three-pointers.

BEN KOPETZKI

Andover • basketball

The senior guard reached a milestone last Tuesday, when he scored the 1,000th point of his career in the Huskies' 93-90 victory over Osseo. He scored 31 in that game and totaled 54 points in two other games. He is averaging 34.6 points per game.

ADDI MACK

Minnehaha Academy • basketball

The sophomore guard is averaging 28.6 points per game after scoring 62 points in two games last week. Mack scored 29 in the Redhawks' victory over Blake on Friday. On Thursday, she scored 33 in the Redhawks' loss to Benilde-St. Margaret's.

LILY McKENZIE

Champlin Park/Coon Rapids • hockey

The sophomore forward played a big role in two victories. She scored two goals in Champlin Park/Coon Rapids' 4-3 overtime victory over Centennial on Tuesday. On Saturday, she had four goals and an assist in a 5-0 victory over Anoka. She's had nine goals and four assists in her past five games.

Nominate an athlete: Send an email with supporting information to preps@startribune.com. Include a photo and a link, if available, to video.

Lucas Gerten of Rosemount
Lucas Gerten of Rosemount (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Cooper Conway of Andover
Cooper Conway of Andover (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Zach Hanson, Lakeville North wrestling, soph., 2020-21 ORG XMIT: MIN2102221132570083
Zach Hanson of Lakeville North (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Tessa Johnson of St.  Michael-Albertville
Tessa Johnson of St. Michael-Albertville (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Ben Kopetzki of Andover ORG XMIT: MIN2212112045290087
Ben Kopetzki of Andover (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Addi Mack of Minnehaha Academy
Addi Mack of Minnehaha Academy (LISA SIDDONS/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Lily McKenzie of Champlin Park/Coon Rapids
Lily McKenzie of Champlin Park/Coon Rapids (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writer

about the writer

Joel Rippel

News Assistant

Joel Rippel writes about sports for the Star Tribune.

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