Bloomington Bears see success in inaugural girls flag football season
Photo courtesy: James Cradle
The Bloomington Bears girls flag football team made it to the quarterfinals of the state tournament, held at TCO Performance Center June 9. The co-op team includes students from Jefferson and Kennedy high schools. They defeated Burnsville 38-19 in the first round before falling to the eventual state champs from Mahtomedi in the quarterfinals.
The Minnesota Vikings introduced high school girls flag football as a four-team pilot program in 2024. Bloomington joined this spring when the league expanded to 51 teams statewide. The Bears were among 12 teams to play in the state tournament.
Photo courtesy: James Cradle
“The girls have been so eager to learn and are so excited to be a part of something new. It’s been really cool to see them form relationships across schools,” said coach Kaiya Sygulla.
The Bears finished their first season with a winning 10-2 record and won their section championship. The team is coached by Sygulla and Kedrick Williams. The team name and mascot pays tribute to Bloomington’s former Lincoln High School.