- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Pine Island Today
By the People, for the People
CMCS Bluejays Prepare for Kelliher/Northome in Class A State Quarterfinals
The Bluejays and Mustangs will battle for a spot in the state semifinals
Mar. 10, 2026 at 10:34pm
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
The CMCS Bluejays girls basketball team will face off against the Kelliher/Northome Mustangs in the Class A state quarterfinals on Thursday. CMCS, the sixth seed, will take on the third-seeded Mustangs, who are making their first-ever state tournament appearance. The Bluejays are led by junior guard Sienna Duininck, an All-State selection, while Kelliher/Northome boasts a pair of standout senior guards in Kate Thayer and Kylee Binkley.
Why it matters
This matchup features two programs with vastly different state tournament experience. CMCS is making its third state tournament appearance in school history, while Kelliher/Northome is a newcomer to the big stage. The game will showcase some of the top individual talent in Class A, with Thayer and Binkley leading the Mustangs and Duininck leading the Bluejays.
The details
CMCS (26-3) earned the sixth seed in the Class A tournament, while Kelliher/Northome (29-1) is the third seed. The Mustangs, whose two school districts are about 45 miles north of Bemidji, will have to make a nearly 4.5-hour trek to the Twin Cities for the game. Thayer and Binkley are both Class A All-State selections, with Thayer being one of just three players in state history to reach the prestigious triple-quadruple club, meaning she has tallied 1,000+ points, rebounds, assists, and steals.
- The Class A state quarterfinal game between CMCS and Kelliher/Northome will tip off at 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 14th at Maturi Pavilion in Minneapolis.
- CMCS will travel to the Twin Cities on Tuesday, March 12th and will practice at Southwest Christian High School in Chaska.
The players
Sienna Duininck
A junior guard and the all-time leading scorer for CMCS, Duininck was named to the Class A All-State team.
Kate Thayer
A senior guard for Kelliher/Northome, Thayer is one of just three players in Minnesota history to reach the prestigious triple-quadruple club, meaning she has tallied 1,000+ points, rebounds, assists, and steals.
Kylee Binkley
A senior guard for Kelliher/Northome, Binkley has scored over 2,000 career points.
What they’re saying
“That's OK company. Kate is a relentless and quick player who anticipates really well. She is going to be a handful.”
— Brian Nelson, CMCS Head Coach
“Both are the real deal. We are going to have to come up with a nice game plan and make sure those two are accounted for at all times.”
— Brian Nelson, CMCS Head Coach
What’s next
The winner of the CMCS-Kelliher/Northome quarterfinal will advance to the Class A state semifinals on Friday, March 15th.
The takeaway
This matchup features two programs with vastly different state tournament experience, but both teams are led by elite individual talent. The game will showcase some of the top players in Class A as CMCS and Kelliher/Northome battle for a spot in the state semifinals.
