The best of the best in Southeastern Minnesota

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Although there are other places that might try to stake a claim on history, all roads seem to point to Southeastern Minnesota as the birthplace of girls' basketball in the state. Research done by our former colleague Marc Hugunin pointed to the Red Wing Armory as the site of the first major girls state championship a century ago. In the modern era, which began 50 years ago with Title IX, it seems that no region of Greater Minnesota has experienced more success in girls basketball than the Southeast. That's why we saved the best for last in our four-part series on the top 10 outstate prospects by region.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The numbers don't lie. Using our definition of ‘Southeast' – the territory east of Interstate 35 to the Wisconsin border and south of Red Wing to the Iowa line – teams from this region have won 19 high school state championships. They've also been the runner-up nine times. The Rochester Lourdes dynasty collected eight titles from 1987 to 2005. Goodhue has three crowns since 2016. Rochester Mayo has won twice. Ditto for Plainview-Elgin-Millville. Other Southeastern winners include Cannon Falls, Caledonia, Dover-Eyota, and Lyle-Pacelli. It's an impressive array of success. And that doesn't include the incredible run enjoyed by the Grand Meadow Superlarks, who went undefeated from 1929 to 1939.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It stands to reason then that there has been plenty of talent over the generations. Today it is no different.&nbsp; Here are the top 10 prospects in Southeastern Minnesota along with another 10 who were in the conversation.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#1</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='458305' first='Audrey' last='Shindelar'] <strong>– 2026 guard, Stewartville (South Dakota State)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We had already made our selections for this list when the news came on Friday morning that our top choice had committed to the best mid-major college program in the region and one of the best in the country. Audrey's status as the first 2026 D1 verbal simply reinforced our decision. The [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] standout is a top 10 junior who checks every box a recruiter could want.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#2</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='630244' first='Jazmin' last='Daing'] <strong>– 2027 guard, Rochester John Marshall</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The lengthy sophomore is barely scratching the surface of what's possible. Daing is an incredibly gifted athlete who uses her length, pace, and touch to leave her fingerprints all over the game. Already over 6 feet tall, the [program_tooltip program_id='714562' first='FBC' last='North'] guard has proven she can hang with the very best in any age group. Ranked 7th in Minnesota's sophomore class, Daing is an elite Division 1 prospect.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#3</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='339214' first='Jayci' last='Rath'] <strong>– 2026 forward, Stewartville</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shindelar's high school and AAU teammate is positively oozing with potential. Standing north of 6 feet with the elevation to match, the [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] forward is a talented athlete who gets up and down the court at pace and knows what to do when she arrives at the destination. Rath is a terrific scorer, prolific rebounder and great shot blocker whose length is a weapon at both ends of the floor. She's ranked #12 in the junior class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#4</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='908260' first='Maggie' last='Dyer'] <strong>– 2028 guard, Rochester Mayo</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Maggie positively exploded this summer, earning the Prep Girls Hoops 2028 Breakout Player of the Year award. Playing for [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'], she went head to head with the best players in her age group across the country and excelled every step of the way. She is a gifted athlete with great size and strength for her age and a strong commitment to be the best she can be. Dyer is among the top freshmen in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#5</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='498663' first='Madison' last='Ohm'] <strong>– 2026 guard, Byron</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There is no shortage of talented athletes in this group, but you'd have a hard time finding one better than Ohm. She is very quick, super-fast in the open court, and she can think the game at a high level while moving 100 miles per hour. Coming off an outstanding winter at Byron, Madison was equally good this summer with [program_tooltip program_id='712699' first='Minnesota' last='Rise']. The top-20 junior already holds scholarship offers and there will be many more to come.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#6</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='806429' first='Amelia' last='Mills'] <strong>– 2028 guard, Rochester Mayo</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The crafty point guard is a proven varsity standout even though she is just entering high school. We've watched her have tons of success executing against the best in the country with [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] just as she has done in high school ball. Amelia has terrific speed and quickness, plays with a ton of energy, and has excellent feel for the game. Her ceiling is very high.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#7</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='252380' first='Kendra' last='Harvey'] <strong>– 2025 guard, Byron (North Dakota)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The longtime [program_tooltip program_id='714566' first='Minnesota' last='Stars'] standout has been so much fun to watch over the years. Kendra can handle the basketball and has been consistently productive on offense thanks to a terrific skill set and aggressive approach to the game. Ranked in the top 30 among Minnesota seniors, Harvey has a strong compete factor and wears her heart on her sleeve in the heat of battle. That fire is exactly what UND needs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#8</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='453728' first='Ajiem' last='Agwa'] <strong>– 2025 guard, Austin</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This top 50 talent from [program_tooltip program_id='712352' first='Air' last='Minnesota'] has been a Prep Girls Hoops Circuit standout for several years. She is an intelligent point guard who can set the table or score herself in a variety of ways. Agwa is particularly good at driving to the basket. Ajiem's junior year numbers paint a great picture of her multidimensional capabilities as she averaged 23 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.7 steals and 3 assists per game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#9</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='665720' first='Jersey' last='Coleman'] <strong>– 2027 forward, Owatonna</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The big post from the [program_tooltip program_id='714566' first='Minnesota' last='Stars'] offers a rare combination of size, skill, strength and mobility that has earned her a top-25 ranking among Minnesota sophomores. The 6-footer is an intriguing prospect who can dominate opponents at both ends of the court, parlaying her length and ability to elevate to great advantage as she cashes in for simple baskets. Jersey is just scratching the surface of what's possible.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#10</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='654990' first='Kayla' last='Stork'] <strong>– 2027 guard, Byron</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The top 30 sophomore is one of the most versatile, fundamentally sound players in the state, a quality athlete with a high basketball IQ who plays the right way regardless of the competition or the setting. The [program_tooltip program_id='712699' first='Minnesota' last='Rise'] guard has the ability to make big plays in big moments and score the basketball in multiple ways. Her competitive fire and work ethic are unquestioned, which is why she made our Hard Hat All Star Team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OTHERS CONSIDERED</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='502550' first='Mia' last='Banks'] – 2026 guard, Rochester Mayo</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='595553' first='Makenzie' last='Carrier'] – 2025 guard, Kasson-Mantorville (Northern State)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='478374' first='Betsy' last='Gillette'] – 2026 guard, Hayfield</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='502563' first='Lauren' last='Hust'] – 2026 forward, Rochester Lourdes</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='550025' first='Kendyl' last='Lodermeier'] – 2025 forward, Goodhue</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='453734' first='Laynie' last='Meister'] – 2025 forward, Rochester John Marshall (St. Cloud State)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='520261' first='Ava' last='Olson'] – 2025 forward, Owatonna (Bemidji State)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='778750' first='Clarissa' last='Sauer'] – 2025 guard, Winona Cotter (Augustana)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='502533' first='Jensyn' last='Storhoff'] – 2026 guard, Lanesboro</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='764292' first='Aaliyah' last='Williams'] – 2027 guard, Rochester Lourdes</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->