Edinafallsports2016

EDINA HORNETS

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Cross Country | Cycling | Football | Soccer | Swimming | Tennis | Volleyball

August 25, 2016

2016

Page 2 Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 25, 2016

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GIRLS SWIMMING Hornets are buoyed by returning state performers

BY JOHN SHERMAN SUN CURRENT NEWSPAPERS Edina High gir ls s wimming and diving coach Jeff Mace knows what it’s like to win a sta te championship.

His Hornets ca ptured the sta te Class AA cr own three straight years (201012), and, based on the talent Mace has returning, he might mak e a str ong bid for the title again this fall.

The Hornets finished third at state behind Lak e Conference rivals Wayzata and Minnetonka last year.

Edina will b uild around

senior R achel W ittmer, the 2015 Sta te Class AA Swimmer of the Year. Wittmer won three gold medals a t the 2015 sta te meet with individual firsts in the 50-yard freestyle and 100yard b utterfly. She s wam Automatic All-American times in both e vents with a 22.54 in the 50 fr ee and a 53.99 in the 100 fly. Her other first-place medal was in the 400-y ard fr eestyle relay.

Junior K elli McCar thy joins W ittmer after a breakout sophomore year.

McCarthy ca ptured the state championship in the 500-yard fr eestyle, w hen

she swam a time of 4:56.91 in the finals. McCarthy also s wam on Edina’ s state-champion 400 fr eestyle r elay team and she finished second in sta te in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:50.94..

Another k ey r eturnee, junior R aime J ones, medaled in tw o indi vidual events at state last season.

She took second in the 100-yard freestyle in 50.78 and w as thir d in the 200yard fr eestyle in 1:51.18.

Jones w on a gold medal with the 400-y ard fr ee r elay.

On the di ving side, Edina has one sta te r eturnee,

ninth-grader Josie Meitz. “All of our team members, s wimmers, di vers and coaches , ar e looking forward to the season, and that’s the most important thing,� said Mace . Mace anticipates the usual sta te contenders will ba ttle f or the title again this fall. “It will be the same three from the Lak e Conference - W ayzata, Minnetonka and Edina - along with Stillwater that are the strongest teams in Class AA,� he said.

Contact J ohn Sherman at john.sherman@ecm-inc.

Edina senior Rachel Wittmer com

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Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 25, 2016 Page 3

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FOOTBALL Boltmann shoots for success during final season

BY CHRIS CHESKY SUN CURRENT NEWSPAPERS Football has al ways been an important part of Brock Boltmann’s life.

His fa ther, Edina head football coach Reed Boltmann, intr oduced him to the sport at a young age.

“He has been coaching me m y w hole life , and it gets hard at times, as he expects mor e from me than he does with other people, but it’s good for me,” Boltmann said. “Pla ying f or him has helped me de velop more as a player.”

Boltmann’s Edina f ootball career began when he was in sixth gr ade, as he served as the ball bo y for his father.

From the time he served as a ball bo y to no w, his senior year, Boltmann believes he has learned ho w much it has meant to him to play for Edina.

“It has meant a lot to be a Edina Hornet,” Boltmann said. “I came her e in sixth gr ade fr om Shakopee and I w as the ball boy w hen m y dad w as the coach, so I ha ve been around the f ootball team a lot.

“The honor and pride that comes with w earing a Hornet jersey is something I ha ve always wanted.”

Before Boltmann lea ves for college , he w ants to give Edina its first win-

ning season in three years.

After posting a 3-6 r ecord in 2014 and a 4-6 record in 2015, Boltmann hopes to lead his team to a r ecord over .500 this season.

With Derrin Lamk er, the f ormer head coach of the Class 6A r eigning champion Osseo team, joining the Hornets as the newest of fensive coor dinator, Boltmann doesn ’t know w hat will be r equired of him this season on of fense, b ut is willing to do w hatever he can to lead the Hornets to victory.

“I just w ant to help the team win mor e games than w e ha ve w on in r ecent y ears,” Boltmann said. “It doesn ’t ma tter how it gets done , it just has to get done.”

Boltmann, a talented passer and runner f or the Hornets, passed f or 1,020 yards and six touchdowns, while amassing 227 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. in 2015.

Coach Boltmann has faith tha t his son will be able to pla y his best f ootball yet this season.

“He has been a v arsity pla yer f or tw o and a half , thr ee y ears coming into this season, so he has e xperience tha t a lot of guys don ’t ha ve,” Reed Boltmann said. “He has played at a high le vel, understands the le vel of competition in our lea gue and understands w hat it

will take to get there.”

Following the conclusion of the 2016-17 school year, Boltmann will join the Uni versity of North Dakota f ootball team, where he will r ejoin f ormer teamma tes Bennett Helgren and Ev an Holm, among others.

“I was in-between baseball and f ootball and I didn’t lik e the of fer I got for base ball,” Boltmann said. “The North Dak ota coaches have al ways been good to me and I thought it was the right fit.

“When it w as closer to the day where I wanted to decide, m y f ormer teammates w ere heckling me trying to get me ther e.

Having them there is a big thing and they can help me.”

Before tha t ha ppens, Boltmann wants to be able to make a run to the sta te tournament and bring a state title home to Edina.

“We have some ne w offensive coaches and some dudes w ho can pla y, so I think w e could mak e a run,” Boltmann said. “We have to learn the ne w offense and w e ha ve to get our confidence up fr om the past couple of y ears and understand tha t w e can win games and compete with the best teams in the state.”

Contact Chris Chesk y at chris.chesky@ecm-inc. Senior quarterback and captain Brock Boltmann of the Edina Hornets fires a pass during praccom. tice at Braemar Park last week. (Sun Current staff photo by John Sherman)

Page 4 Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 25, 2016

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FOOTBALL Hornets aim for a state playoff berth

BY JOHN SHERMAN SUN CURRENT NEWSPAPERS There is optimism in the Edina High football camp this fall with a str ong group of r eturning starters and the addition of associate head coach Derrin Lamker, who coached Osseo to the sta te Class 6A Prep Bowl title last fall.

Lamker, an Ar mstrong High and A ugsburg College gr aduate, comes to the Hornets with gr eat credentials. He joins head coach R eed Boltmann, who has had success not only as a head man, b ut also as a defensive coordinator.

The Hornets lost some close games on the w ay to a 4-6 r ecord last season.

Boltmann’s club opened the pla yoffs with a 21-6 victory o ver Mounds View, but lost in the Class 6A Sweet 16 to Burnsville 17-7.

Edina mo ved the ball against Burnsville , b ut suffered from a case of the red-zone blues.

Returning f or the Hor nets is senior quarterback and safety Br ock Boltmann, the coach’ s son.

Brock has committed to the Uni versity of North Dakota for football. There is a chance he will also have some Di vision I offers fo base ball. His thir d varsity sport is hockey.

Edina High’s football captains are, from left, Parker Rickert, Brock Boltmann, Ethan Mottla and Jimmy Connell. (Sun Current staff photo by John Sherman) Also returning in the offensive backfield is senior Parker Rick ert, w ho can play either running back or r eceiver. He made the All-Lake Conference team along with Boltmann last fall.

Brock Boltmann and Rickert ar e tw o of the Hornets’ ca ptains along with senior tight end Jimmy Connell and senior offensive guar d Ethan Mottla.

Connell and Mottla might both wind up pla ying f ootball in the Ivy League ne xt fall. Princeton is sho wing a str ong interest in Connell and Mottla is being scouted by

several Ivy schools , coach Boltmann noted.

Rickert is being scouted

by Di vision I Louisiana, Lafayette and the Uni versity of North Dak ota, as well as by most of the Division II colleges in Minnesota.

The Hornets ha ve significant talent beyond that of the four captains.

Quinn Carroll, a 6-foot7, 290-pound sophomor e offensive tackle, is high on the Uni versity of Minnesota’s recruiting radar. His dad Jay played end for the Gophers as a collegian.

Returning in the backfield along with Rick ert and Br ock Boltmann is

hard-running halfback J.J. Stewart. J.J.’s twin brother Izzy is another backfield hopeful. Ben Brinkman, who lettered as a freshman at defensive back, could be used as a po wer runner in short-yardage situa tions, coach Boltmann said.

And Jack Olson is another experienced player at fullback.

Seniors Jason Sarp and Matt Thommes ar e vying for time a t r eceiver positions.

The Hornets ha ve no shortage of big of fensive linemen with juniors Parker Halling and Patrick Peterson and senior T eddy Cotter joining Carroll.

Some top candida tes in the defensi ve line ar e seniors Xander Idrogo-Lam and Johnny Wedl and junior John Bailey.

Two juniors , P ericles Angelos and Nick Bloom, are returnees at linebacker.

Junior Luk e Glenna and seniors Noah Kr afft and Abdihafid Sahal ar e top candidates in the defensive backfield along with Brinkman, senior Santino Kretz and fr eshman J ake Boltmann, Br ock’s br other.

Brock Boltmann will handle the punting, as he did all of last season.

The Hornets ha ve to find a ne w place kick er.

Coach Boltmann listed soccer player Matt Rice as the leading contender.

Looking a t the competition in Class 6A ’s W est District, Boltmann kno ws what it will be like.

“You ar e looking a t some of the best teams in the state,” he said.

The Hornets’ schedule includes tr aditional Lake Confer ence ri vals Eden Pr airie, Hopkins , Minnetonka and W ayzata, plus Andover, Maple Grove, Prior Lak e and Shakopee.

Contact J ohn Sherman at john.sherman@ecm-inc. com

Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 25, 2016 Page 5

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BOYS SOCCER Moon has the skills of a surgeon on soccer pitch Edina senior in fourth year as a starter

BY JOHN SHERMAN SUN CURRENT NEWSPAPERS For the f ourth season in a r ow, R yan Moon will play a key role on defense for the Edina High boys soccer team.

Moon, who would like to become a sur geon someday, enter ed the starting lineup the first match of his fr eshman year, and he has been there e ver since , often playing the full 80 minutes of a regulation contest.

Moon is a unique player in that he has the skills to play defense, midfield or striker. Sometimes he wonders w hat it w ould be lik e to be scoring goals instead of preventing them, b ut f or the most part he is content with his role.

“Most of the time I will pla y on top of our [defensive] diamond as the stopper,” said Moon in a r ecent intervie w.

“That will be m y home this season.”

One of Moon ’s a ttributes is his pr oficiency for one-on-one defense .

Last season, he mar ked some of the best f orwards in the sta te, in-

cluding Mr . Soccer of Minnesota Suad Suljic from Minnetonka and the extremely fast Ethan Tuch from Wayzata.

Moon said, “I lik e the competitiveness of soccer and our chemistry we have on the Edina team.”

After many of the varsity ma tches last y ear, the boys gathered at Perkins on 50th Street to eat pancakes and r eview the highlights of the evening.

It would be an under statement to sa y tha t Moon is e xcited a bout Edina’s chances this year.

“We are strong up the middle,” he observ ed.

“We ha ve one of the best players in the sta te, Roody ‘W oodsy’ J oinvil. He w as All-Sta te as a midfielder last y ear.

I lo ve the kid. He has a great attitude and he always seems to mak e the right play.”

In addition to Woodsy, the Hornets will b uild the of fense ar ound Johnny Cunningham, Matt Lindber g and P eter R undquist, w ho ar e the ca ptains along with Moon.

“Matt is al ways a threat up top , and P eter has a deadl y left-f ooted shot,” Moon noted.

Cunningham is a good passer, who makes plays with his feet and his head.

In ad dition to Moon, experienced defenders

are juniors Max P ardo and Spencer Paugh.

Junior Malachi Donofrio tak es o ver in goal from 2016 graduate Cam Laedtke.

“Malachi is a r eally strong kid and a gr eat goalie,” said Moon.

Whenever he w as in the game last fall, Donofrio asserted himself b y punting the ball 70 yards in the air . That gave the Hornets a distinct advantage in field position.

Edina is a v ery e xperienced team since onl y five seniors from the 2015 roster gr aduated. T wenty-one of the 26 pla yers who dr essed f or v arsity matches are back, so that means everyone will have to earn his playing time.

Coaches Da ve J enson and Bill Garner have designed a series of comEdina High boys soccer captain Ryan Moon gets after it during a workout at Pamela Park. (Sun petitive drills in their 31 Current staff photo by John Sherman) years a t Edina. Sometimes these practice drills ability to mark opposing for the season because years ago that he wanted are as competiti ve as forwards. we have great potential,” to study to become a surthe actual ma tches, and At times , they ha ve said Moon. geon.

Moon doesn’t mind. tried Moon a t midfield As he leads the Hor “I lo ve helping peo“Honestly, the games and forward, as well. nets’ defense this fall, ple,” he said. “I w ant to are the most fun because Moon enjo ys all of Moon will contin ue to change lives.” of our fans,” said Moon. Edina’s ri valries in the sift thr ough his college During the 2016 high “But pr actices ar e r eally Lake Confer ence, b ut options. Among the school soccer season, fun, too. The zone game there’s nothing lik e the schools high on the list Moon will no doubt help and the channel game Edina-Minnetonka sefor the 4.0 student ar e his teamma tes and his are my favorites.” ries to get him hyped up. Notre Dame , Michigan, coaches. And if the HorJenson and Garner For se veral y ears, mar k- Purdue and J ohns Hop- nets win it all, he might work to find the best ing Suljic was his respon- kins. He is also looking even be r esponsible f or roles f or each pla yer on sibility. This y ear, Moon at W isconsin, as w ell as changing some lives. the team. will switch over to mar k two Division III colleges They decided ear ly on either J osh Gr einer or in Minnesota, Car leton Contact John Sherman at that they needed Moon Avery Weaver. and Gustavus Adolphus. john.sherman@ecm-inc. on defense because of his “I am so pumped up Moon decided 10 com

Page 6 Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 25, 2016

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GIRLS SOCCER Anderson’s center-mid skills provide Hornets’ flow

BY JOHN SHERMAN SUN CURRENT NEWSPAPERS Going into the 2016 season, the Edina High girls soccer team is loaded with experienced players in key positions.

At the top of the list is senior ca ptain and center-mid Ev a Ander son, w ho w as named to the Minnesota Soccer Coaches Association AllState first team last fall.

Also returning is senior forward Sar ah Dor an, a second-team All-Sta te pick who led the Hornets in scoring with nine goals last year.

Anderson, a y earround soccer player since she turned 11, has had a b usy summer with the Minnesota Thunder Academy Under -17s.

The team competed in the Elite Club Na tional League, and the summer schedule included a trip to San Diego f or the National Bracket 1 Tournament. In tha t e vent, Anderson and her teammates competed a gainst the top 32 club teams in the nation.

“We lost to one of the semifinalists,” said Anderson. “Ther e ar e a lot of really good players on the Thunder. I was still a vocal leader, and I started most of the ma tches, but I didn’t have as much responsibility as I ha ve

Edina High’s 2016 girls soccer captains are, from left, Eva Anderson, Sarah Doran, Maggie Stotts and Maria Boman. (Sun Current staff photo by John Sherman) when I pla y for the high school team.”

Anderson is everything to the Hornets - a hustling pla yer w ho r anges far and wide to win 50-50 balls. She is also the catalyst in Edina’s attack.

“Eva is our field general, and e verything we do flows thr ough her ,” said head coach Katie Aafedt.

“I fell in love with soccer about the time of the Women’s W orld Cup in 2011,” said Anderson.

“My competiti ve dri ve

keeps me going along with the team camar aderie on m y club team and my high school team.”

The Hornets posted a 10-5-3 r ecord in 2015 with Lak e Confer ence victories o ver tw o of their biggest ri vals, Minnetonka and Wayzata.

“Our coaches [Aafedt and Mer edith Finsand] played high school soccer for Edina,” Anderson noted. “So they ha ve the same passions w e do f or the ri valries with Eden

Prairie, Minnetonka and Wayzata. It is cool to have them as our coaches.”

Anderson has faith in her teamma tes. Shar ing the ca ptains’ duties with her are Doran, Maria Boman and Ma ggie Stotts.

Other k ey pla yers r eturning are Eva Hendrikson, Anna Klein, Danni Krieter, Aliy ah Lance and Elliot Shively.

To be a top team in the Lake Conference, the

Hornets have to find a replacement f or last y ear’s goalie Moll y Hinik er, who made the All-Lak e Conference team along with Anderson and Doran. Mor gan Philliber, who played behind Hiniker last season, is among the candida tes to take over the position.

“We ha ve had a good turnout f or ca ptains’ practice,” said Anderson.

“And w e ha ve a r eally motivated group.”

As Anderson leads the

Hornets this fall, she is also trying to finalize her college choice.

She definitely wants to play soccer in college , and is looking mor e a t Division III than Di vision I. “I want to focus on academics,” said Anderson.

“There are things I w ant to pursue besides playing soccer.”

Contact John Sherman at john.sherman@ecm-inc. com

Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 25, 2016 Page 7

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VOLLEYBALL Girls volleyball aims to look past 2015 season

BY CHRIS CHESKY SUN CURRENT NEWSPAPERS Coming off a season in which it w ent 4-19 in the regular season, the Edina High girls volleyball team is looking f orward to the start of the 2016 r egular season.

With ne w head coach Nicholle Higley taking over the pr ogram,the Hornets ar e confident that they can bounce back this season. “The key to our success will be in r edefining it,�

Higley said. “ As a pr ogram tha t’s b uilding and forging a new identity, we will find success outside of the tr aditional definition.

Co-captain Kate Glavan of the Edina High girls volleyball team makes a play during a match “We will be successlast fall. (Sun Current staff photo by John Sherman) ful in our pr ocesses and, eventually, the r esults will her thir d dif ferent v ar“Everyone is r eady to more efficient in her balltake care of themselves.� sity coach in thr ee y ears play a t the Lak e Confer - handling will pa y huge Kate Gla van and this season, b ut she is ence le vel and w e will dividends for us.�

Emma Brink will ca ptain confident tha t Higley is spend the ne xt few weeks Higley plans to f ocus this year’s squad, but Hig- the right person to lead learning w hat our r oles on pr ogress r ather than ley hopes to be a ble to the Edina v olleyball pr o- will be.� perfection during her first find leaders both on and gram. With Higley a t the Higley, during her first year a t the helm f or the off the court fr om almost helm and Edina returning organized pr actices with Hornets, while also w antevery player on the Edina a w ealth of e xperienced the Hornets, had her play- ing to see each pla yer on roster. players, Gla van is confi- ers working on passing, a the team’s roster improve “We’ve got a lot of dent in her team. skill Edina struggled with as the season progresses. athletes in the gym right “We w ant to be a lot last season, for the major“Our goal and e xpectanow who lead in dif ferent more competiti ve and to ity of the practice in order tion as a coaching staf f is areas,� Higley said. “W e make Edina a mor e com- to make sure the team will to make sure every athlete expect tha t pla yers with petitive program,� Glavan be a ble to mak e pr ecise is better a t the end of the high-level e xperience will said. “We have a more ex- passes in time f or its sea- season than they are right step up, but certainly look perienced team this y ear, son opener against Ando- now,� Higley said. for leadership qualities in we ha ve a lot of people ver Saturday, Aug. 27. our y ounger pla yers, as coming back, w hile ther e “Ball control is our pri- Contact Chris Chesk y at well.� were onl y thr ee r eturners mary f ocus,� Higley said. chris.chesky@ecm-inc.

Glavan will w ork with last year. “Making each a thlete com.

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Page 8 Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 25, 2016

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GIRLS TENNIS Can Hornet girls make it 20 titles in a row?

BY JOHN SHERMAN SUN CURRENT NEWSPAPERS Practice w as upbea t last w eek a t the Edina Community Center courts as Edina High girls tennis coach Ste ve Paulsen led his Hornets through the try out pr ocess.

On one of the lo wer courts, v eterans Mar gaux Bo yer and Nicole Copeland played a highly-competitive challenge match. It is lik ely one of them will pla y first singles in this y ear’s lineup.

There is some flexibility with Copeland’ s role, since she pla yed No . 1 doubles most of last season.

Isabelle Ouy ang and Sophie Sla ttery, Edina’ s senior co-ca ptains, ar e likely to fill sports in the lineup, just as they did last year.

Shaylynn Reger, Haley Trebil, J essica Ip and Sam V an Ert ar e other veterans fr om Edina’ s 2015 state-championship team.

Going into the ne w season, the Hornets have won the sta te Class AA title 19 y ears in a r ow, which is , of course , a state record.

“Margaux and Nicole return as our best tw o singles pla yers,” said coach Paulsen, who is in his 25th season with the

Hornet gir ls. “They ar e The Hornets will ha ve two of the better pla yers a better idea w here they in the state. We are going stand after they pla y a to be young this year. We position scrimma ge a t could have several ninth- Edina Comm unity Cengraders in the lineup . As ter, beginning a t 8:30 of no w, w e ha ve onl y a.m. Friday, Aug. 26. three or four seniors.”

Paulsen’s challenge is Edina’s tr aditions ar e finding a lineup tha t will hard work and team play. give the Hornets the best Year after year, new lead- chance to ad d to their ers step up and maintain long string of state titles. the winning tradition.

In ad diton to coach“One thing tha t helps ing the gir ls team f or 25 us is our depth, ” said years, P aulsen coached Paulsen. “Edina has so the Edina High bo ys for many good tennis pla y- five seasons. ers. A lot of the girls who Last y ear, the Edina aren’t on v arsity her e coach was elected to the could play varsity at oth- United States Tennis Aser schools.” sociation’s Northern SecAs he looks at the state tion Hall of Fame. tennis landscape, Paulsen begins with the competi- Contact John Sherman at Senior co-captain Sophie Slattery of the Edina High girls tennis team comes to the net to hit a tion close to home in the john.sherman@ecm-inc. forehand return during practice at Edina Community Center. (Sun Current staff photo by John Lake Conference. com Sherman) “Minnetonka is always good, Wayzata is al ways good,” he said. “Y ou also ha ve to consider teams lik e Mahtomedi, Mounds V iew, Prior Lake and R ochester Mayo.”

One thing that is hampering Edina this fall is the fact that the courts at Edina High School ha ve been torn up to mak e room f or a r enovation on campus . Tha t means that the Edina Comm unity Center courts ha ve to serve the entir e group of varsity and JV players.

“Practice is challenging Jessica Ip is one of the experienced returning doubles players Nicole Copeland can fill a spot near the top of Edina’s lineup from a facilities standfor the Hornet girls tennis team. (Sun Current staff photo by in either singles or doubles. (Sun Current staff photo by John John Sherman) Sherman) point,” said Paulsen.

Fall Sports Preview â&#x20AC;˘ Thursday, August 25, 2016 Page 9

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Edinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Athletes to Watch

BY JOHN SHERMAN SUN CURRENT NEWSPAPERS Each y ear a t this time , the Sun Curr ent sports staff discusses w hich high school a thletes w eâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be following during the fall.

Please let us kno w what you think. W e ar e al ways looking for emerging athletes and good stories about them.

Eva Anderson Edinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s All-State soccer midfielder is one of the candidates judges will be watching for the Ms. Soccer of Minnesota A ward this fall.

Margaux Boyer Boyer is lik ely to pla y first or second singles f or

the Edina High gir ls tennis team, which is bidding for its 20th consecuti ve state Class AA title this fall.

off last year as one of the leaders of the state-champion Hornet cross country team.

Woodsy Joinvil Edinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mr. Soccer candidate is one of the greats in the history of the Hor net pr ogram. He made All-State first team as a junior midfielder last fall.

Patrick Roos In only his thir d season of cross country running, the Edina senior is one of the fa vorites to win the state Class AA title . He finished fifth in the sta te meet last season.

Ryan Moon In his f ourth season as a starting defender f or the Edina High bo ys soccer team, Moon can cover any f orward in the sta te one-on-one.

Nicole Copeland Copeland is lik ely to play first or second singles for the Hornet tennis team. The ninth-gr ader has been on v arsity f or three years.

Emily Kompelien Edinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thr ee-sport endurance a thlete is r eady to pick up w here she left

Maria Rickman The Edina cr oss country runner had a brilliant freshman y ear, as she

made the top 10 in the State Class AA Meet. Her performance helped Edina win its first state cross country title.

Brock Boltmann The senior quarterback does it all f or the Edina football team. He is one of the few athletes in Lake football history to mak e the all-conference team as a defensive player (sophomore y ear) and an of fensive player (junior year).

Rachel Wittmer After winning thr ee gold medals in the Sta te Class AA Girls Swimming and Diving Meet last season, W ittmer w as named Swimmer of the Y ear b y Roody â&#x20AC;&#x153;Woodsyâ&#x20AC;? Joinvil (6), Edinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s All-State soccer midďŹ elder, the Sta te Coachesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Asso- looks for an opening in a match against Minnetonka last fall.

(Sun Current staff photo by John Sherman) ciation.

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Page 10 Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 25, 2016

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GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY Girls cross country looks stronger than ever

BY JOHN SHERMAN SUN CURRENT NEWSPAPERS Defending sta te champion Edina has its sights set on a r epeat in Class AA gir ls cr oss country this fall.

The Hornets r eturn intact fr om last season and ha ve ad ded another talented runner , Br eck School tr ansfer Mor gan Richter, w ho placed second in the Sta te Class A Meet as an eighth-gr ader last season.

All-State runners r eturning f or the Hornets are senior Amanda Mosborg, junior Emil y Kompelien and sophomor es Maria Rickman and Liesl Schreiner. Also r eturning is senior T ate Sw eeney, a varsity runner since her seventh-grade year.

In the Sta te Class AA Meet last y ear, Rickman finished 10th, K ompelien was 14th, Schr einer w as 16th and Mosbor g w as 18th.

“We’re r anked eighth in the na tion,” said head coach Ma tt Ga brielson, who is entering his sixth season. “It’ s pr etty cool, I guess. The gir ls are getting some r ecognition for ho w har d they ha ve worked.”

What ar e the k eys as the Hornets bid f or a state-title repeat?

“As long as w e manage expectations and do what

Edina High’s returning All-State runners - Amanda Mosborg, Emily Kompelien, Liesl Schreiner and Maria Rickman - take a tour of the campus at Edina Community Center last week. (Sun Current staff photo by John Sherman) we’ve al ways done , w e’ll be fine,” said Ga brielson.

“One thing w e al ways want to do is ha ve fun.

We enjo y our time with one another.”

Competition f or spots in the v arsity lineup will be k een. No one can afford to go half-speed.

In ad dition to Mosborg, K ompelien, Rickman, Sw eeney and the

newcomer, Richter, Edina has the Schr einer sisters , Liesl, a sophomor e, and Sadie, a ninth-grader.

Other seniors ar e Hannah Mitchell, Brynn LiaBraaten, Ellen O’Neill and Anna Hage.

Some other runners to look f or ar e Mad dy Lawler, J ulianne Lo gan, Ellen Pflaster and Clair e Wagner.

In all, Ga brielson has about 130 runners out for the team.

“Kathleen Mor gan, my pr edecessor as head coach, did a good job of esta blishing the cr oss country cultur e her e,” said Ga brielson. “It’ s a tribute to her that we have a program like this.”

Morgan al ways had more than 100 runners ,

so big n umbers in Edina CC are nothing new.

“This is an endur ance sport,” said Ga brielson.

“It’s not like we’re just out there jo gging thr ee miles every da y. W orking with kids is m y passion, and I want to pass on m y lo ve of the sport. Many of our athletes run tr ack and cross country and also ski for our Nordic team.”

That means the girls are in shape year-round.

Edina’s biggest meets will be in October and early No vember. First, there is the Lak e Conference Meet, w here the Hornets will be tested b y Wayzata and Minnetonka. Then it’ s on to the Section 6AA Meet and, hopefully, another Sta te Class AA Meet.

“Hats of f to W ayzata and Minnetonka for having such great programs,” said Ga brielson. “ All of the coaches in the Lak e Conference ha ve such great passion and r espect for the sport.”

Gabrielson said tha t with an experienced team this season, he will f ocus more on the mental part of racing.

“We will be setting goals,” he said. “ And we ha ve to li ve with the mindset of what we need to do for training.”

While Ga brielson has developed a championship pr ogram, based mainly on his o wn e xperience as a runner and student of running, he admits he has tak en advice fr om v eteran coaches, such as W ayzata’s Bill Miles and Minnetonka’ s Jane Reimer-Morgan.

“Jane is the coach I look up to the most, because of the standards she sets and ho w she holds her athletes accountable,” said Gabrielson.

Fall Sports Preview â&#x20AC;˘ Thursday, August 25, 2016 Page 11

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BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

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Seven captains lead EHS

BY JOHN SHERMAN SUN CURRENT NEWSPAPERS When the Edina High boys cr oss country team voted on captains for the 2016 season, coach Jamie Kirkpatrick had to count the ballots twice.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because so many boys received votes.

The result? â&#x20AC;&#x153;We ha ve se ven ca ptains,â&#x20AC;? said Kir kpatrick. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The v oting w as v ery close.â&#x20AC;?

Those se ven ar e seniors Will Dummer, Max Kuhs, Louis Lefe bvre, Zachary Miller , P atrick Roos, Thomas Schauer man and Owen Smalley.

Roos is the top r eturning runner after taking fifth place in the Sta te Class AA Meet last y ear with a 5K time of 15:37. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Patrick onl y started running cr oss country his sophomore year,â&#x20AC;? said Kirkpatrick. â&#x20AC;&#x153;W e r ealized early on that he had a talent for running. Last year, he embr aced the need to train harder if he wanted to get to the ne xt level.â&#x20AC;?

By the end of the 2015 season, R oos w as running neck-and-neck with his Edina teammate, Jack Manderscheid, w ho finished fourth at state and is no w running a t the University of Minnesota. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Patrick lo ves to run, and he w ants to get better,â&#x20AC;? said Kirkpatrick. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It has been cool to w atch his e volution as a run-

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Edina boys cross country captains Will Dummer (left) and Louis Lefebvre take a spin around the grounds at Edina Community Center during a preseason workout. (Sun Current staff photo by John Sherman) ner. P atrick actuall y had more success as a junior than Jack had his junior year.â&#x20AC;?

Edina finished behind Hopkins and Minnea polis Washburn in last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Section 6AA Meet, so the Hornets didn â&#x20AC;&#x2122;t qualify for state as a team. Naturally, they w ould lik e to change that this year.

Schauerman and Smalley ar e r eturning v arsity runners along with talented sophomor e Max Manley. Miller is coming off an outstanding spring track season.

Juniors George Nowak and Sam Elliott ar e e xpected to compete f or varsity positions . Elliott had some v arsity r aces last y ear bef ore he w as

sidelined by an injury. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Losing Jack [Manderscheid] and Sam Thomas [17th at state] left a v oid in our lineup,â&#x20AC;? said Kirkpatrick. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They w ere not only gr eat runners , b ut also great leaders. Patrick is the top r eturning runner in the sta te, and w e have some others w ho can help fill the void. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hopkins and W ashburn lost mor e to gr aduation than w e did, b ut those teams ar e good again this y ear. Wayzata has a very deep team.â&#x20AC;?

This is Kir kpatrickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 15th season as Edinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; s head coach. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are times w hen it seems like I just started yesterday,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It has gone by fast.â&#x20AC;?

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Page 12 Fall Sports Preview â&#x20AC;˘ Thursday, August 25, 2016

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CYCLING Hornet mountain bikers climb toward the top

BY JASON OLSON SUN CURRENT NEWSPAPERS Over the last f our seasons, pr ep mountain biking has gr own a lot. J ust ask Edina Cy cling Club coach Kristi Trostel.

The Edina pr ogram is coming of f a thir d-place finish in 2016 and is the second biggest pr ogram in the sta te, tr ailing onl y Stillwater. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Three years ago it w as like herding kittens,â&#x20AC;? Trostel said a bout trying to get e veryone on the same page. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But no w e veryone

is so m uch mor e disciplined, w eâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re seeing tha t leadership grow. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Three-four y ears a go we had riders who couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get up the tin y neighbor hood hill no w being a ble to climb up Mount Kato,â&#x20AC;? she said w hile others develop a passion for cycling that goes bey ond r acing but as a mode of transportation .

Team Dir ector Leigh Mazion said the team stuck with thr ee f ormal practices a w eek and an optional r oad pr actice on Saturdays.

Starting with nine rid-

ers the first season to more than 60 riders this fall spread equall y acr oss the different le vels, the futur e should be strong.

There are four divisions based on gr ade le vel b ut riders can either petition to compete in a more challenging di vision or ha ve enough success to be pr omoted.

Riders compete in f our of five r ace w eekends a t various stops thr oughout the state starting in Austin on Sept. 11 culmina ting with a state championship weekend a t Mount K ato in Mankato the last week-

end of October.

Edina will ha ve thr ee boys and one girl compete in the Di vision II v arsity division including senior captain J ack Ellingson, Frank Delaney and Sebastian Frimat. Gir ls captain Lydia R einer w as ninth overall in junior v arsity girls.

Mazion expects the boys varsity gr oup to be v ery competitive. Last season Delaney dealt with several mechanical issues dur ing his first varsity season with flat tir es or chains breaking and F rimat is ready to compete a t varsi-

ty in support of Ellingson who will a t near the fr ont all season.

Last y ear, Edina placed third o verall with 19,990 points tr ailing champion Duluth Composite with 20,849 points and runner up Hopkins with 20,779 points.

Ellingson finished third overall in the Di vision II v arsity standings with 2,252 points . R einer w as ninth o verall the JV gir ls standings and F rimat was sixth overall in the JV boys standings joined b y Anders Nelson 14th, Sa wyer Kane 21st, Sam Parmekar

46th and Will Battel 52nd.

Gabi Mazion w as thir d in the fr eshman gir ls standings, 60 points of f the top spot and teammate Caroline Ellingson w as seventh.

Anna Lampr on w as fourth overall in the sophomore girls standings.

A lar ge Edina contingent r ose thr ough the sophomore bo ys r ankings led b y Alec Mander scheid in fifth place , 6.

Alex Bour geault, 18. Ben Engen, 19. Jack Tyson, 29.

Jake P assolt, 42. Richar d Gustafson, 45. K enneth Wakefield.

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