Mtkafallsports2016

MINNETONKA SKIPPERS 2016 FALL SPORTS w e i v pre FOOTBALL

GIRLS SOCCER BOYS SOCCER GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY BOYS CROSS COUNTRY GIRLS TENNIS GIRLS SWIMMING VOLLEYBALL August 25, 2016

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY Sophie Whicher sets fast pace for Skipper runners

BY JOHN SHERMAN SUN SAILOR NEWSPAPERS Minnetonka High’ s girls cr oss country team looks lik e a sta te contender this season with junior Sophie W hicher setting the pace.

Whicher earned AllState honors in 2015 with a se venth-place finish in the State Class AA Meet at St. Olaf College . Her 5K time w as 18 min utes, 13 seconds.

“Last y ear w as the first time gir ls in Minnesota ran a 5K [instead of 4K],” said Minnetonka

head coach J an R eimerMorgan. “W e struggled with it, but after a year of it the girls have learned to run the race.”

Reimer-Morgan said that she is planning slightly longer w orkouts than last y ear to gi ve her girls a better chance a t the 5K distance. She has a veteran cast that includes a number of runners with state-meet e xperience in either cr oss country of track or both.

In addition to Whicher, some of the standouts are seniors Grace Bakala, Allison Harv ey and T ess

Sutton, juniors Mar la Bailey, Lib by Halbmaier and Grace Hoelshcer and ninth-grader Kylie Melz.

Two other runners hoping to br eak into the top group are junior Mia Pankoff and ninth-grader Bella Buenting.

Minnetonka’s r oster lists six senior ca ptains.

In addition to Bakala and Sutton, they ar e Anna Barnard, Laur a Halbakken, McCrae Mower and Carly Turnquist.

Minnetonka starts the season r anked thir d in Section 6AA behind last year’s two state qualifiers,

¨¨e æ[ 0 ··nÏÓz

ÏnAÝ ¨¨e I AÓæA £ £ ¤ ä½¤ß ½Ø ß× Z ôôô½Ó[¨ÏnQ¨AÏe £½[¨

×Ø 0A£ Qn Ͻ ! ££nݨ£ A

state-champion Edina and Wayzata.

“Being r anked thir d is OK with me ,” said Reimer-Morgan. “Tha t gives us something to prove, something to make us hungrier . Ma ybe w e can prove them wrong.

“Edina is such a deep team, b ut y ou ne ver know. Wayzata has a lot of kids to dr aw from and a good coach [Da ve Emmans]. Ther e ar e good runners on the other tw o Lake Confer ence teams , Eden Pr airie and Hopkins.”

Minnetonka’s depth,

plus the e xperience of competing in big meets in the past, are plus factors.

“We had a big turnout for summer w orkouts,” said R eimer-Morgan.

“And so far w e ha ve 90 girls out for the team.”

This week, the Skipper girls v arsity w ent on its annual r etreat f or some training and some team bonding. W hen they r eturn, they will begin r acing in in vitationals. The big meets ar e in October and early November with the Lak e Confer ence Meet, followed by Section 6AA and finally state.

Sophie Whicher finishes seventh in last year’s State Class AA Girls Cross Country Meet at St. Olaf College in Northfield.

(Sun Sailor staff photo by John Sherman)

FOOTBALL Skippers prep for opener against Champlin Park

BY JOHN SHERMAN SUN SAILOR NEWSPAPERS In ad dition to pla ying a tough schedule in W est District Class 6A football, Minnetonka will open the season a gainst Champlin Park at 7 p .m. Thursday, Sept. 1, a t Minnetonka’s Einer Anderson Stadium.

“Our focus is on Champlin P ark,” said Skipper head coach Dave Nelson.

“On our schedule , e very week is a big game.”

In ad dition to pla ying all f our of its tr aditional Lake Confer ence ri vals - Eden Pr airie, Edina, Hopkins and W ayzata - Minnetonka will pla y West District games against Ma ple Gr ove, Prior Lake and Shakopee.

One of Minnetonka’ s strengths going into the new season is e xperience at the skill positions . Senior quarterback Garr ett Olson w as an All-Lak e Conference selection last fall. And another k ey offensive player returning is wide r eceiver Na te Shoemaker, a 6-2, 190-pound senior.

“Garrett is a dualthreat quarterback, ” said Nelson. “Dan Griep w as our starting quarterback the first tw o games last year. W e ga ve Garr ett a chance in our thir d game against Shak opee, and he won the job . Then w e switched Dan to fullback.”

Minnetonka High’s football captains for 2016 are, from left, Nate Shoemaker, Garrett Olson, Jake Anderson and Duke Larson.

(Sun Sailor staff photo by John Sherman) Olson is excited to lead the Skippers fr om the start in his senior year.

“I w ant to be the best leader I can be f or m y team,” he said. “Things are going great in practice.

We have a lot of starters returning fr om last y ear, 11 I think, so w e’re looking for a successful year.”

Olson ad ded tha t he loves the r eceivers on the

team.

Shoemaker is a classic three-sport a thlete, w ho also plays basketball and baseball. He is 6-2, b ut there are several receivers who are even taller.

“Nate has a good a thletic fr ame,” coach Nelson observ ed. “ And he can catch the football.”

Olson and Shoemak er are ca ptains along with

two senior defensive players, line backer J ake Anderson and safety Duk e Larson.

“Jake pla yed e very snap a t defensi ve tackle last season,” said Nelson.

“He’s relentless and has a tremendous motor . He’ll be a ble to stand up and make plays at linebacker.

Duke is still a little bit sore after br eaking his

ankle during rugb y season, b ut w e hope he will be r eady to go b y the opener.”

Nelson is counting on three big senior of fensive linemen to b lock f or his quarterback and running backs. Tight end P owers Warren (6-5, 240) is a top college pr ospect along with interior linemen Aaron Moor e (6-3, 290)

and A ustin Hopp (6-4, 240).

“Powers is a r eceiver who can run and ca tch,” said Nelson. “ Aaron started e very sna p last season. He and A ustin and P owers all ha ve a shot at playing Division I in college.”

Moore, a sta te-tournament wr estler f or Minnetonka, has alr eady played in se veral inter national f ootball tournaments, w here he a ttracted inter est fr om college scouts. He will be a f ormidable lead b locker f or anyone in the Skippers’ backfield.

Nelson isn ’t sur e w ho will be his main running back. But ther e ar e se veral talented candidates.

Junior T y Barr on w as one of the running backs last y ear, b ut it looks as if he might be used as an outside line backer this year.

Senior Max Collier adds to the defensive unit as a r eturnee a t corner back.

The Skippers ha ve a good turnout with a total of 84 players between the junior and senior classes.

“We ha ve some r eally good kids , and they ar e working har d,” said Nelson. “We expect to be improved this year.”

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

GIRLS SWIMMING True Team champs reload for 2016 season

BY JOHN SHERMAN SUN SAILOR NEWSPAPERS Last fall w as a storybook season for the Minnetonka High girls swimming and diving team.

Coach Dan Berv e’s Skippers w on the sta te True T eam title in the big-school di vision, and then finished second to Lake Confer ence ri val Wayzata in the Minnesota Sta te High School League Meet.

Unfortunately, the Skippers gr aduated heavily fr om tha t championship team. However, the Minnetonka pr ogram is filled with good swimmers and di vers, so it’s time to reload.

“It will be a dif ferent year for us - and for Wayzata - because w e both had a lot of great seniors last y ear,” said Berv e.

“I am e xcited a bout the girls w e ha ve coming back. And we also have a good group coming in.”

Leading Minnetonka’s returnees is senior Mar tha Haas . She placed fourth in the 100-y ard breaststroke and eighth in the 200-y ard indi vidual medley a t the 2015 State Class AA Meet.

Haas also helped the Skippers place f ourth in the 200-y ard medley r elay. Also r eturning fr om that relay is junior Emily Haan (freestyle).

Olivia Rey of the Minnetonka High girls swimming and diving team works on her butterfly during practice at Minnetonka Middle School East’s pool last week.

(Photo by Mark Trockman - trockstock.com) Haan was a state qualifier in the 50-y ard fr eestyle and the 100-y ard backstroke.

Raegan Willis, a sophomore this y ear, placed ninth at state in the 100yard backstroke last season, while also qualifying for state in the 100-y ard butterfly. J unior Oli via Rey was another Skipper state qualifier in the 100 butterfly.

“We ha ve solid a thletes, top to bottom, ” said Berv e. “ And they come to compete e very day.”

Edina, w hich finished third a t sta te last y ear, could be the team to beat in the Lak e Confer ence,

even in light of the outstanding tr aditions a t Minnetonka and W ayzata.

“Edina has virtuall y everyone back, ” said Berve.

The Hornets’ leader is senior R achel W ittmer, who won three gold medals a t sta te to earn the State Class AA Swimmer of the Year Award. Also returning f or Edina is state 500 fr eestyle champion Kelli McCarthy.

“Wayzata will be v ery good,” said Berv e. “Carly Quast is a fantastic swimmer.”

Quast, a Trojan senior, won thr ee gold medals along with a silver medal

at the 2015 Sta te Class AA Meet. The T rojans have w on thr ee sta te titles in a row.

Wayzata also r eturns Alyssa Mar quette, a state contender in the 100-yard br eaststroke, and Ale xis Schaaf , a state contender in the freestyle sprints . T rojan junior Ell y Morrison placed sixth a t sta te in diving last year.

As the season unf olds, Berve is anxious to see which of the young Minnetonka gir ls will step into key roles.

Senior captain Martha Haas of the Minnetonka High girls swimContact John Sherman at ming and diving team placed in two individual events at last john.sherman@ecm-inc. year’s State Class AA Meet. (Photo by Mark Trockman - trockcom stock.com)

VOLLEYBALL Senior captain sets Tonka on a winning path

BY JOHN SHERMAN SUN SAILOR NEWSPAPERS As she enters her fifth season as Minnetonka High’s starting gir ls v olleyball setter , Isa belle Aragon-Menzel feels right at home in the land of the giants.

“I lik e to sa y tha t I’m 5-8, but I’d be lying,” said the 5-f oot-7 senior ca ptain. “Some of the gir ls I play with are like giants to me, and they are amazing hitters.”

Six-three junior K atelyn Lannom, 6-2 senior Annabelle Lohr enz and 6-1 senior Emma Alberts are thr ee big hitters in the Skipper lineup , and Aragon-Menzel aims to please w hen it comes to setting them up . The combination of setting and hitting spar ked Minnetonka to a 19-12 record last season.

“I feel like we have that setter-hitter connection, ” she said.

Minnetonka’s optimism r ose r ecently w hen the Skippers finished second in the Summer Breakdown T ournament in competition with some of Minnesota’s elite teams.

“Before the Br eakdown, I w asn’t sur e ho w it w ould turn out, ” said Aragon-Menzel. “But w e played r eally w ell. Ther e is so m uch potential here.”

During the v arsity season, Ar agon-Menzel seldom, if e ver, comes of f the court. Her defensi ve skills are superb. She can serve and she can even hit when the situation arises.

“When I began pla ying volleyball as a fifth-grader, I w as a mid dle hitter, but because I am lefthanded, the physics didn’t work out, and I s witched to setter ,” she said. “I would never switch back.

Setter is w here I w ant to play.”

Looking back to her first v arsity ma tch as an eighth-grader, Ar agonMenzel r ecalled ho w she was a bit tentative.

“My coach [K arl K atzenberger] took a lea p fo faith when he made me a starter in eighth-gr ade,” she said. “I w as just kind of on the court with the older gir ls. At first, it was terrifying because the other pla yers were so good. There was a lot of pressure on me , and if there was a mistake, I was thinking, it’s probably my fault, not theirs.”

By the end of her ninth-grade season, Ar agon-Menzel had turned the corner and w as comfortable as a team leader.

“Being a t the high school in ninth-gr ade helped a lot, ” she said.

“By the time I w as a sophomore, I knew it was time to step up.”

Aragon-Menzel w as

Minnetonka High volleyball setter Isabelle Aragon-Menzel likes the Skippers potential going into the 2016 season. (Sun Sailor staff photo by John Sherman) an All-Lak e Confer ence honorable mention selection in her fr eshman and sophomore y ears bef ore crossing the bridge to first-team all-conference last season.

What does it take to be one of the state’s premier setters?

“I try to set m y teammates up the best possible way,” said Ar agon-Menzel. “I get so m uch jo y

from a good set. Sometimes w hen it lea ves m y hand, I’ll know that’s it.”

Aragon-Menzel has small hands , and tha t makes concentr ation a must. Pr ecision is her goal, game in and game out.

Off the court, the Minnetonka captain is a solid citizen, w ho tak es pride in doing everything to the best of her a bility. Her

weighted gr ade point a verage is 4.2.

“I love school, and I’ll admit I’m a ner d,” she said.

In ad dition to pla ying volleyball, Ar agon-Menzel is in Minnetonka’ s concert choir and she does peer tutoring in science.

The Skipper ca ptain has not y et chosen a college.

“In reality, I don’t want to rush into it, ” she said.

“The process can be overwhelming at times. I want to make sure I find a good school and not choose a school just f or v olleyball.”

Isabelle’s parents, Mike Menzel and J amie Ar agon, can certainl y be proud of all tha t their high-achieving daughter has accomplished.

The one goal Ar agon-Menzel has not y et reached is pla ying in the State Class AAA V olleyball Tournament. Ma ybe she’ll ha ve tha t chance this fall.

An e xperienced setter is often the k ey piece in making a run to the State Tournament.

It will be up to AragonMenzel to mak e perfect sets in the section tournament, and then the hitters will ha ve to put the ball away.

There is a good chance the Skippers will earn a high seed for section play when one considers all their e xperience and the consistency of their a ttack.

Minnetonka al ways scraps on defense , and Katzenberger has instilled a str ong defensi ve system thr oughout the program.

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

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

sailor.mnsun.com

GIRLS TENNIS Lambert rises to No. 1 state ranking

BY JOHN SHERMAN SUN SAILOR NEWSPAPERS Going into the 2016 girls pr ep tennis season, Minnetonka’s Bella Lambert has a golden oppor tunity.

The priz e a the end of the rainbow is a state gold medal, and tha t’s w hat last year’s state runner-up is shooting for this fall.

As a sophomor e last season, Lambert lost Minnetonka High singles standout Bella Lambert hits a fore- only tw o ma tches - both hand volley during practice last week. (Sun Sailor staff photo to state Class AA champ

by John Sherman) Haley Haak enstad of

Chanhassen. Haak enstad defeated Lambert in the Section 2AA finals and the state finals. “Haley is an outstanding pla yer,� said Minnetonka head coach Dave Stearns. “Ev en though Bella w as onl y a sophomore, she pla yed Haley tough.�

Stearns feel tha t destiny is in Lambert’s hands now, and he likes what he sees on the practice court. “Bella is stronger and is playing a more aggressive style,� he noted.

Lambert a greed. “I’m hitting the ball har der and trying to get to the net more,� she said.

The Minnetonka junior has always been strong on court coverage and str ategy. Her high tennis IQ helps her put shots in just the right places.

What else is she w orking on to impr ove her game? “I ha ve been w orking on m y serv e, mainl y trying to mo ve it ar ound,� she said.

Minnetonka didn ’t

qualify for state as a team last season, as Prior Lake took the Section 2AA title and w ent on to lose to Edina 5-2 in the Sta te Class AA championship match. “If w e w ork har d and believe in ourselv es, I think w e can bea t Prior Lake this year,� said Lambert.

One of Lambert’s goals is to win a Division I tennis scholarship. Her sister Aria, a Tonka High grad, played for the Uni versity of Minnesota.

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY 2 / 2 2$$

ÂŁĂ?nĂ?Â?¨Ă? ¨£[Ă?nĂ?n ˜¨¨Ă?Ă“ Z ¨Ì£Ă?nĂ?Ă?¨¡Ó Z n[¨Ă?AĂ?Â?Ăłn Z ĂŚĂ?ÂŁÂ?Ă?ĂŚĂ?n

$/ .4 2

:

$"2/$

þ�n��¨� ¨£[�n�n

JDU\VIFFF FRP

)URQW DQG &HQWHU

Ă?Â?ĂłnĂ´AÜÓ Z -AĂ?Â?¨Ó Z -Â¨Â¨Â˜Ă“ Z 0Ă?n¡Ó Z :AÂ˜Â—Ă´AÜÓ

:::½ !$: /½ $! ÂŻÂŽsssŽä¤sÂŽ~ä~Ă&#x;

¨ôn˜˜ /ĂŚĂ“Ă“n˜˜ ¨£[Ă?nĂ?nb ÂŁ[½ S A—nĂłÂ?˜˜nb !"

A˜˜a ¤~Ă¤Â˝Â Ă˜ÂŻÂ˝Ă&#x;Ă—ÂŻĂź žAÂ?˜a Â?ÂŁ|¨OžÂ?ÂŁÂŁnÓ¨Ă?A[¨£[Ă?nĂ?n½[¨ž

ôôô½Ó�A�£[�n�n½[¨ž

ä <nAĂ?Ă&#x201C; ¨| 0nĂ?ĂłÂ?[n

/¨¨|Â?ÂŁÂ&#x192; Z 0Â?eÂ?ÂŁÂ&#x192; Z ĂŚĂ?Ă?nĂ?Ă&#x201C;

Ă&#x2DC;¯äÂ&#x17D;¤¤sÂ&#x17D;ÂŻĂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x;

AÂ&#x2DC;Â&#x2DC; Ă?¨eAĂś |¨Ă? A |Ă?nn nĂ&#x201C;Ă?Â?Â&#x17E;AĂ?n½

Â&#x2013;Ă?¨QnĂ?Ă?Ă?¨¨|Â?ÂŁÂ&#x192;½[¨Â&#x17E;

:KHUH \RX JR ZKHQ \RX ZDQW WKH EHVW FDUH IRU \RXU FDU :DWHU 6W ([FHOVLRU 01

/ 42$!$2 9 0 /9 0b " ½ "¨ô ¨||nĂ?Â?ÂŁÂ&#x192; |ĂŚÂ&#x2DC;Â&#x2DC; Ă&#x201C;nĂ?ĂłÂ?[n AĂŚĂ?¨ I Ă?Ă?ĂŚ[Â&#x2014; Ă?n¡AÂ?Ă?

2ĂŚÂŁn 4¡Ă&#x201C; Z Ă?AÂ&#x2014;nĂ&#x201C; Z 0Ă?Ă?ĂŚĂ?Ă&#x201C; Z 0Â&#x152;¨[Â&#x2014;Ă&#x201C; Z 0ĂŚĂ&#x201C;¡nÂŁĂ&#x201C;Â?¨£ Â&#x2DC;ĂŚÂ?e nAÂ&#x2014;Ă&#x201C; Z ĂľÂ&#x152;AĂŚĂ&#x201C;Ă? Z 2Ă?AÂŁĂ&#x201C;Â&#x17E;Â?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x201C;Â?¨£ Z Ă&#x2122; þ¡nĂ?Ă?Ă&#x201C; :n AÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x201C;¨ Ă&#x201C;¡n[Â?AÂ&#x2DC;Â?Ăşn Â?ÂŁ AĂŚĂ?¨Â&#x17E;¨Ă?Â?Ăłn A[[nĂ&#x201C;Ă&#x201C;¨Ă?Â?nĂ&#x201C; "AĂłÂ?Â&#x192;AĂ?Â?¨£ 0ĂśĂ&#x201C;Ă?nÂ&#x17E;Ă&#x201C; Z /nÂ&#x17E;¨Ă?n 0Ă?AĂ?Ă?nĂ?Ă&#x201C; Z 0¨Ì£e 0ĂśĂ&#x201C;Ă?nÂ&#x17E;Ă&#x201C; Z Â?-$ ÂŁĂ?nĂ?|A[nĂ&#x201C; Â&#x2DC;ĂŚnĂ?¨¨Ă?Â&#x152; AÂŁeĂ&#x201C;|Ă?nn Â?Ă?Ă&#x201C; Z Ă?ĂŚÂ?Ă&#x201C;n ¨£Ă?Ă?¨Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x201C; Z !¨QÂ?Â&#x2DC;n 9Â?en¨Ă&#x2122; 9 Z Â&#x2DC;AĂ?Â&#x17E; 0ĂśĂ&#x201C;Ă?nÂ&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;

$¡nÂŁ :nnÂ&#x2014;eAĂśĂ&#x201C; Ă&#x2014;aĂ&#x;ĂźAÂ&#x17E; Â&#x17D; ~aĂ&#x;ß¡Â&#x17E; Z ôôô½enAÂ&#x2DC;nĂ?AĂŚĂ?¨Â&#x17E;¨Ă?Â?Ăłn½[¨Â&#x17E; 0nĂ?ĂłÂ?ÂŁÂ&#x192; Ă?Â&#x152;n -ĂŚQÂ&#x2DC;Â?[ I nAÂ&#x2DC;nĂ?Ă&#x201C; 0Â?ÂŁ[n ¯¤Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2DC; Â?[§   Ă&#x;Ă&#x2014;Ăź

¯¯ßä 0 ~Ă?Â&#x152; 0Ă? ¨¡Â&#x2014;Â?ÂŁĂ&#x201C;tttt½ ¤~äÂ&#x17D;¤Ă&#x;Ă&#x;Â&#x17D;Ă&#x;~Ă&#x2014;~

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

sailor.mnsun.com

GIRLS TENNIS

Skipper girls hope to contend for title

BY JOHN SHERMAN SUN SAILOR NEWSPAPERS Bella Lambert has been playing Minnetonka v arsity tennis since she w as in seventh grade, and tha t makes her one of the most experienced players in the Lake Confer ence, e ven though she is still onl y a junior.

Last fall, Lambert completed her sophomore year by placing second in Sta te Class AA T ournament singles. Since the gir l who defeated her, Chanhassen’s Haley Haakenstad, graduated, some e xperts ar e picking Lambert to win the sta te cr own this season. She w ouldn’t be the first in her famil y to win a sta te title . Older sister Aria, who went on to play collegiately for the Minnesota Gophers, set the bar high when she won a state high school title.

“Bella has had a b usy summer,” said Minnetonka head coach Da ve Stearns. “She pla yed on the Northern Section team in the United Sta tes Tennis Associa tion Na tional Tournament in Los Angeles. After tha t, she pla yed in the Na tional Har dcourts Tournament in San Diego.”

Known f or her speed, finesse and court coverage, Lambert has ad ded mor e of a power element to her game for the 2016 season.

“Bella has grown a little

Junior Bella Bot is one of the returning players for the Minnetonka High girls tennis team. (Sun Sailor staff photo by John Sherman) bit, and she is definitely stronger,” Stearns observed. “She is able to take charge of points. It’s nice to have a pla yer like Bella who we can build our team around. She has v ery high potential.”

Although Minnetonka lost some k ey pla yers to graduation, including one of its all-time gr eats Theresa Tebon, there is talent in the lineup besides Lam-

bert.

The Skippers’ four captains are seniors Bella Broin and Quinne J ohnson and juniors Car oline Anderson and Eliza beth Lagerback. Three others who played some varsity tennis last season are juniors Bella Bot, Sophie Coa tta and Katie Wegrecki.

“Theresa T ebon’s gr aduation left some big shoes to fill,” said Stearns.

Tebon w as e xtremely valuable, not just as a player, but also as a team leader.

“We have a couple gir ls who were close to making varsity last y ear, and w e have an eighth-grader and two se venth-graders w ho show a lot of potential, ” said Stearns . “Ho w w ell we do as a team might be contingent on ho w w ell some of our y ounger girls

play.”

Edina, w hich is bidding for its 20th consecutive sta te Class AA team championship, is Minnetonka’s main rival in the Lake Conference.

“Edina has a great feeder pr ogram, so they’ re always going to be tough, ” said Stearns. “They graduated some k ey doub les players [K atie Engelking and Hannah Hankinson].

All w e can do a gainst them is step up and pla y our best.”

Speaking of feeder systems, Stearns is pleased with the mid dle-school programs a t Minnetonka East and West.

“The coaches at the two middle schools ha ve done a great job, and for the last five or six y ears w e ha ve had se ven courts a t each school,” he said.

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

sailor.mnsun.com

GIRLS SOCCER Building defense is key to the Skipper season

BY JOHN SHERMAN SUN SAILOR NEWSPAPERS Minnetonka High gir ls soccer coach J eff Hopkins has al ways belie ved in b uilding a winning team from the back.

That’s w hat he did when the Skippers w on the Sta te Class AA title in 2013, w hen he r elied heavily on his All-Sta te senior defender, Elizabeth Endy.

The Skippers ar e a bit thin on e xperience in the back this season with senior J oJo Pr aska as the only r eturning starter .

All-State goalk eeper Katie McMillan gr aduated last y ear and is no w playing college hock ey.

Also graduating from last year’s starting lineup were starting defenders R eagan Fleck, A very Amorosi and Molly Pitzele.

The goalie position and Fleck’s position as the center defender are tough ones to fill because they were such e xperienced players.

“There is some y oung talent a t goalie and on the backline,” said Praska before practice last w eek.

“The biggest thing w e have to w ork on is esta blishing communication.”

Minnetonka is more experienced in the up fr ont and in the midfield with senior ca ptains Ga bby Pitera and Kaitlin Campbell. Another k ey return-

ee is strik er and ca ptain Izzy Ma tchan, w ho w as named All-Sta te honor able mention last season.

Pitera, a tw o-time AllLake Confer ence selection said, “We have some young girls who are pretty fast players.”

“Among the older players, a lot of us ha ve played to gether bef ore,” said Campbell.

The ca ptains ar e looking f orward to ma tches against their tr aditional rivals during the Lak e Conference season.

Minnnetonka had its share of success last fall with a 10-5-2 o verall r ecord.

“I w ould sa y W ayzata is our biggest ri val,” said Pitera. “W e interrupted their r ecord of sta te championships [in 2013].”

“For me , personall y, Hopkins is a big ri valry,” said Praska. “I pla y with some of those girls in the summer.”

“Eden Pr airie is another good team, ” said Pitera. “Everyone is good in the Lake Conference.”

The Minnetonka ca ptains said one of the Skippers’ str engths is the coaching staf f with head coach Hopkins and assistant coach Kelly Taylor.

“They ar e both r eally positive, and tha t is a big factor in coaching gir ls,” said Pitera.

“They cr eate a r eally good team d ynamic,”

Minnetonka midfielder Kaitlin Campbell keeps her eyes on the prize during soccer practice last week at Einer Anderson Stadium.

(Sun Sailor staff photo by John Sherman) Campbell added.

“Coach Hopkins is always focused on the game that’s coming up ,” said Praska.

With 124 pla yers out for soccer this year, coach Hopkins is trying to put

five teams to gether - a varsity, a JV, a sophomore team and ninth-gr ade A and B teams . The idea is to get e veryone in volved at one of the levels.

“Our numbers are quite high,” he said. “I ha ve no

doubt tha t our 9A and 9B teams will both be strong. It is exciting to see so many good players out for soccer . The f oundation for success is there.”

Of course , the Skippers will not find any easy

marks during the doub le round-robin Lak e Conference schedule.

“I w ouldn’t sa y w e’re the fa vorite, b ut I do think w e can gi ve e veryone in the confer ence a good run,” said Hopkins.

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

sailor.mnsun.com

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY Wilkinson starts Minnetonkaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 700 Club

BY JOHN SHERMAN SUN SAILOR NEWSPAPERS A fe w y ears a go, Minnesota cross country runners consider ed a 400mile summer the pa thway to success.

But times have changed, based on the intensity of the competition.

Minnetonka Highâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; s senior captain Matt Wilkinson ma y ha ve set a ne w standard this summer , when he eclipsed the 700mile mark. Several of his serious-minded T onka teammates f ollowed suit by hitting the 500-mile mark.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Runners fr om other schools ar e doing tha t much, too ,â&#x20AC;? said Minnetonka head coach J eff Renlund. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Y ou use the summer miles to b uild your base f or the fall. In the summer , ther e ar enâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a lot of har d miles , b ut when the season begins , we will ha ve six w eeks when w eâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re w orking on sprints.â&#x20AC;?

Wilkinson, one of three senior ca ptains, finished 13th in the State Class AA Meet last fall. The top 25 finishers at state make the All-State team.

As good as he is , Wilkinson will be chas-

ing tw o Lak e Confer ence opponents this season.

Senior P atrick R oos of Edina w as fifth a t sta te last y ear and Hopkins senior Seth Eliason w as sixth. Hopkins ca ptured the state team title. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I don â&#x20AC;&#x2122;t kno w if Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ve ever coached a har der worker than Ma tt,â&#x20AC;? said Renlund. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He is an amazing finisher.â&#x20AC;?

The other Skipper ca ptains ar e seniors Cedric Caille and Patrick Brady.

Jacob Her man, a 4:28 miler in track, is expected to contrib ute along with juniors Mac K arrick, Beau Pullman and Adam

Wilkinson.

Adam is Mattâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s younger brother and also has a strong work ethic. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Adam had a fantastic sophomore track season,â&#x20AC;?

Renlund noted.

Interest in cr oss country has incr eased at Minnetonka this y ear with 62 runners already signed up. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is one of the largest gr oups w eâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had, â&#x20AC;? said R enlund. â&#x20AC;&#x153; And w e will pr obably ad d a t least 10 mor e by the time school begins.â&#x20AC;?

Contact J ohn Sherman at Senior captain Matt Wilkinson of the Minnetonka High boys john.sherman@ecm-inc. cross country team logged 700 miles during his summer training regimen. (Sun Sailor staff photo by John Sherman) com

% " $ % ! %

" !

! ! "

" !

!

" $ #

$ " $

Page 10 Fall Sports Preview â&#x20AC;˘ Thursday, August 25, 2016

sailor.mnsun.com

BOYS SOCCER Will third time be the charm for Tonka boys?

BY JOHN SHERMAN SUN SAILOR NEWSPAPERS Suad Suljic, the most prolific scor er in the history of Minnetonka High boys soccer , gr aduated this spring, lea ving a hole in the lineup , b ut also putting a stamp of high achievement on the pr ogram.

Suljic is now playing Division I soccer a t Bradley University in P eoria, Illinois. Left to carry on the tradition he helped b uild are three key starters from last y earâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s squad - senior captains J osh Gr einer, Finn Histon and A very Weaver. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We qualified f or sta te two y ears in a r ow, b ut couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get past the first round,â&#x20AC;? said Gr einer during a br eak in a r ecent practice. â&#x20AC;&#x153;W e ar e hoping the thir d timeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; s the charm.â&#x20AC;?

Although they didn â&#x20AC;&#x2122;t reach the sta te semifinals last y ear, the Skippers won the Lak e Conference title and finished 16-4-0 overall.

Greiner w as named first-team All-Sta te last year, w hile W eaver w as named second-team All-State. Histon is one of those glue guys w ho makes e veryone ar ound him better. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a lot of players back fr om last y ear, along with a lot of young talent,â&#x20AC;? said Greiner.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re lik e a famil y,â&#x20AC;?

Weaver ad ded. â&#x20AC;&#x153;W hen new pla yers come into the program, we tell them we expect them to do tw o things - w ork har d and have fun.â&#x20AC;?

Minnetonka came behind in a n umber of its victories last year.

Weaver said he w ould like to see the Skippers dominate right fr om the start. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were a second-half team last y ear,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We ha ve the talent, the skill and the team chemistry ... w e can â&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tak e 40 minutes to kick in.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;We ar e going to ha ve strong goalk eeping with any of our top three guys,â&#x20AC;? said Histon.

All thr ee ca ptains w ere impressed b y the pla yer turnout for captainsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; practice this summer. Many of the ne w pla yers ar e hungry for a chance to br eak into the lineup. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had 70-plus e very day, which I think is a r ecord,â&#x20AC;? said Greiner. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You can see ther e is a lot of talent in the fr eshman and sophomor e classes,â&#x20AC;? said Histon.

In setting goals f or the season, the ca ptains have one goal a t the head of the list. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We ar e moti vated to get to U.S. Bank Stadium [for the sta te Class AA semifinals and finals],â&#x20AC;? said Greiner. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I w as do wn ther e [a t

Minnetonka Highâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boys soccer captains for 2016 are, from left, Josh Greiner, Avery Weaver and Finn Histon. (Sun Sailor staff photo by John Sherman) U.S. Bank] f or the Chelsea-A.C. Milan ma tch,â&#x20AC;? said W eaver. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; s such a great stadium.â&#x20AC;?

Weaver ad ded tha t one of the ca tch phr ases f or this y ear is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Li ve in the moment.â&#x20AC;?

Looking back or looking ahead are natural tendencies for an athlete, but Weaver feels the team will do its best when it focuses on the task at hand. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the pla yoffs, y ou have to r ealize tha t e very game could be y our last game,â&#x20AC;? said Histon.

Minnetonka hopes to be there at the end of the season as one of the sta te finalists. If leadership has anything to do with it, Minnetonka head coach Mike R ogers feels the Skippers will be in gr eat shape.

$

$ %

' #

&

'( " ! ! " )" " ! !

Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 25, 2016 Page 11

sailor.mnsun.com

Minnetonka’s Athletes to Watch for the fall season

BY JOHN SHERMAN SUN SAILOR NEWSPAPERS A w hole host of Minnetonka High a thletes bear w atching during the 2016 fall season.

As we cover Minnetonka’s teams in the Sun Sailor this fall, her e are a few of the a thletes we will be following.

Emma Alberts Minnetonka High’ s senior mid dle hitter can really pound the v olleyball with e xpert sets from teamma te Isa belle Aragon-Menzel. Alberts forms a d ynamic hitting duo with junior K atelyn Lannom.

Jake Anderson Last season, Anderson played e very down in the defensive line for the Minnetonka High f ootball team. This y ear he has been switched to an inside linebacker position. He is one of f our Skipper ca ptains.

Josh Greiner The Minnetonka senior tri-captain has helped his team earn tw o str aight state Class AA T ournament berths. He scored 15 goals last y ear in making first-team All-State.

Emily Haan An outstanding junior

freestyler on the Minnetonka High gir ls swimming and di ving team, Haan f orms a d ynamic 1-2 punch with senior captain Martha Haas.

Isabelle Aragon-Menzel Minnetonka High’ s girls v olleyball setter is beginning her fifth year as a starter f or a Skipper program that consistently puts a t least 20 wins on the board each year.

Martha Haas Minnetonka’s senior swimming ca ptain made All-State in thr ee e vents last season and is one of the sta te’s best a gain this year. Minnetonka w on the sta te True T eam title last season and finished second to W ayzata in the Minnesota Sta te High School League Meet.

ATHLETES - TO NEXT PAGE Middle hitter Emma Alberts of the Minnetonka High girls volleyball team rises above the net for the kill. (Photo by Mark Trockman - trockstock.com)

Cross country prodigy Kylie Melz, a Minnetonka ninth-grader, is seeking her third trip to the State Class AA Cross Country Meet. Minnetonka swimmer Emily Haan is one of the state’s most prolific freestylers. She excelled when the Skippers won the state True (Sun Sailor staff photo by John Sherman) Team title last season. (Photo by Mark Trockman - trockstock.com)

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

Athletes FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Bella Lambert Lambert, the No . 1 singles player for the Minnetonka High gir ls team, had a 22-2 r ecord last year as a sophomor e. She advanced all the w ay to the sta te Class AA title match bef ore losing to Haley Haak enstad fr om Chanhassen.

Kylie Melz The Minnetonka ninthgrader is on pace to become one of the outstanding runners in Minnesota cross country history. She qualified f or sta te in her seventh- and eighth-grade seasons.

Aaron Moore The 290-pound offensive lineman is set to provide solid run and pass blocking for the Minnetonka High f ootball team a gain this season.

He is also an All-Lak e Conference wr estler, w ho qualified f or sta te last winter.

Gabby Pitera Pitera is a f our-year starter and tw o-time AllLake Confer ence selection f or the Minnetonka High gir ls soccer team.

She thri ves at a wing position for head coach J eff Hopkins.

Matt Wilkinson The senior ca ptain lead an up-and-coming Minnetonka High bo ys cr oss

sailor.mnsun.com

country team. He made the All-Sta te team last year with his 13th-place finish at state.

Garrett Olson Olson, a r eturning starter a t quarterback for the Minnetonka High football team â&#x20AC;&#x153;can mak e plays with his ar m and with his feet, â&#x20AC;? accor ding to Skipper head coach Dave Nelson.

Sophie Whicher Minnetonka Highâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; s girls cross country standout returns for her junior season. She w as the Lak e Conference champion last season and also made the All-State team in 2015.

Raegan Willis The Minnetonka High

sophomore could be a state contender in the 100yard backstroke following her ninth-place finish at the Sta te Class AA Meet last season.

Avery Weaver A ma gician with the soccer ball, W eaver will lead Minnetonka in pur suit of a thir d str aight state tourney berth. He was All-Lak e Confer ence and All-Sta te honor able mention last year

Powers Warren The 6-f oot-5 tight end from Minnetonka might be the most highl y-recruited f ootball pla yer in the Lak e Confer ence this season. Coach Da ve Nelson lauds his a bility to Avery Weaver of the Minnetonka High boys soccer team is a make y ardage after the returning All-State honorable mention player. (Sun Sailor staff photo by John Sherman) catch.

( , )$* ( (+ % & & ( & " " ( "- ( $( - "- ( ! 3 ( 3 !$(" " " 1 " " $0() $2 -- " 0)-$! !$0- 0 ( ) $( " 2 "- ( )&$(-) &

()- " ' " 0-

( )-$& ( ' -

"" ' $0(

!3 ' (( --

!3 ' ""

%.4 # ( 1 # / +4.

+ (

%* /% 2 3 * 0 - / # / * +// ( % % &

% %% !% * % % &( &)% ! & % % #) &( , )% !! ( ( ( ! % ( "