Sports photography is a pretty big part of what we do as newspaper photographers. 

Occasionally, four of five workdays in a week will be filled with sports assignments, especially during the prep tournament seasons. Sometimes you get to witness big moments on the national stage, like the Minnesota Lynx winning their fourth WNBA Championship, or the Twins' Byron Buxton setting the all-time MLB record for the fastest inside-the-park home run. Other times, you get to witness local stories with broader reach. Amaiya Zafar, a teenage Muslim boxer, was the first hijab-wearning boxer to fight in a sanctioned US boxing match and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to document the moment.

Sports photography can also take you to weird places. I never imagined I'd watch a thoroughbred race horse being born, much less spend six days waiting for it to happen, but that happened in 2017.

I have no clue what 2018 will hold, other than a pretty big football game in February, but I'm thankful the opportunities I've had to make pictures this last year and am even more thankful for the talented folks I work with in the field, the people who allow us into their lives to document, and my friends, family and editors for managing my mild neuroses.

All photos ©Star Tribune