Undefeated Lakeville South is off to its best start

We're three weeks into the high school season now and there are still a half dozen undefeated teams in Class 4A. Nobody is surprised to see the likes of Hopkins, Chaska, Eden Prairie or St. Michael-Albertville with unblemished records at this point. But Lakeville South? Not sure anybody saw that coming. So far the Cougars have exceeded all expectations and, at the midway point of December, hold a record of 6-0. It's the best start the program has had in the 12 years coach Angie Ohnstad has been at the helm.

Last year the Cougars didn't win their 6th game until Jan. 21. They won only five games in the abbreviated 2020-21 campaign. The year before that South's total number of wins was six. Things have changed in 2022. “It's absolutely different,” said Coach Ohnstad, who was an All-Big 10 performer at the University of Minnesota. “This group wants to win. Practices are competitive. Every girl works hard every day. I don't have to ask them to work hard. Our motto every day is to compete to be the hardest worker in the gym. The girls are taking it to heart.”

That's not the only change.

“This year we have made a commitment to becoming a better defensive team," said Coach Ohnstad. "We have the type of players now who can play a little bit more aggressively on defense. We are pressing more and are working to become more physical defenders. We're still a work in progress, and we're still working every day at it, but I feel like that is a big reason why we've had more success at this point of the year.”

Lakeville South opened its season at the Hamline Thanksgiving tournament with wins over Orono and Waconia. A week later at the Breakdown Tip Off Classic the Cougars scored a 40-point win over Rochester Mayo that raised a few eyebrows. Last week they knocked off Edina and Chanhassen. In their latest victory on Tuesday, Lakeville South rolled into Farmington and departed with a 50-38 win.

That's not the world's toughest schedule, but the results are still better than expected. While nobody is making state tournament predictions or anything of the kind, the kids are having fun and experiencing what it feels like to win. “The season has gone great! There has been a complete culture shift within our team which has largely contributed to our success,” said junior Finley Ohnstad Finley Ohnstad 6'1" | SF Lakeville South | 2024 State MN , who recently committed to Kansas State. “Everyone has started focusing on playing their role for the team. They focus on doing things that will benefit our overall performance rather than their own. It's a very unselfish culture.”

Forward Danielle Coleman Danielle Coleman 6'1" | SG Lakeville South | 2025 State MN , a Top 30 prospect in the Class of 2025, agrees. “Our team is super pumped up and excited. It has been a great start to the season,” Dani said. “The team's success is driven from the chemistry on and off the court. We are shooting a high percentage, playing unselfish, and going deep on the bench with athletic girls… As compared to last year the vibe is much different. The level of effort has changed by every player being hungry for minutes and working hard at practice.”

Finley, the 7th-ranked prospect in the Class of 2024, leads the team in scoring at nearly 14 points per game while Coleman is averaging 11. Point guard Anna Goodman Anna Goodman 5'5" | PG Lakeville South | 2024 State MN , a high-energy floor general who plays with an edge, is doing a great job running the show. But, as we all know, it is defense and a deep roster that wins conference championships and section titles, something South has never done since Lakeville was split into two high schools in 2005. That's where seniors like St. Cloud State softball commit Bree Beck, Whitley Ronn Whitley Ronn 5'11" | SF Lakeville South | 2023 State MN and Evelyn Schmidtke, juniors Halle Eastling and Kate Flicek Kate Flicek 5'9" | CG Lakeville South | 2024 State MN , and freshman Audrey Schmidtke Audrey Schmidtke 5'11" | CG Lakeville South | 2026 State MN come in. The supporting cast has been exceptional. “These players make things easier for players like Finley, Dani and Anna,” said Coach Ohnstad. “We also have the athletes to play faster and push the ball in transition more than the past couple of years.”

The effort level has been consistently good and the amount of self-belief has risen. “Our confidence has gone up quite a bit and our motivation levels have also increased with each win,” Finley said. "It seems like we never have a day where the energy and effort is off.” Coleman agreed: “Many people have stepped up,” she said. “Seeing your teammates succeed boosts everyone else's confidence.”

The big three have all improved, as well. Goodman has another year of experience under her belt and Coleman and Ohnstad have taken big steps forward in their performance over the summer. When Coleman is in attack mode, the 6-footer looks like a Division 1 prospect. She is also a great defender, and her consistency is improving. Finley's game has grown as she has matured. It's not easy having your mom as the coach but the two Ohnstads are definitely on the same page now. “Now that I'm one of the players that people look up to I've had to change the way I carry myself,” Finley said. “I have to focus on having good body language and a good attitude to set a standard for my teammates.”

“I am so proud of the player she is becoming,” Angie said of Finley's growth. “She is a true testament to ‘trusting the process' and letting her find her way in the game. She is more confident in herself and in her teammates. She is having fun.”

Chasing an elusive championship

This isn't the first time South has experienced success, however. Going back to 2014, the Cougars had 6'4 post Katie Quandt, a Boston College commit, along with standout guard Maddie Wolkow and three-point bomber Grayson Schroeder. In 2016, the Cougars did some nice work with Bri Miller, Jocie Johnson and M'Caela Sellers. “We won a lot of games with those two groups of kids,” Ohnstad said.

But the Cougars have never won the South Suburban Conference, which boasts the likes of Eastview, Lakeville North, Farmington, Shakopee and Rosemount. Lakeville South did make it to the section championship in 2016 for the first time in a decade but got run over by North at the Mayo Civic Center. Could this be the year? Nobody is ready to make that prediction just yet.

“Lakeville North, of course, will be our biggest obstacle in the section but our kids aren't intimidated,” said the coach. “I think we are only going to get better as long as the girls keep competing hard. We have a tough conference to play in, with a lot of really good teams. The girls need to stay hungry and if they do I think it will be one of the best seasons in school history. We need to keep working and growing,”