Winter Sports Preview

Winter Sports ’11 North Branch & Rush City

Sports preview is a supplement to the Post Review - December 2011

North Branch Vikings

North Suburban Conference

Rush City Wrestling............. page 2 Boys Basketball... page 5 Girls Basketball.... page 5 Gymnastics.......... page 6 Hockey................ page 8

North Branch Wrestling............. page 2 Girls Hockey........ page 3 Dance................. page 3 Girls Basketball.... page 4 Boys Basketball... page 4 Gymnastics.......... page 6 Boys Hockey........ page 8

Sport Schedules found on page 7

Benilde-St.Margaret’s Red Knights Columbia Heights Hylanders Fridley Tigers Irondale Knights North Branch Vikings Robbinsdale Cooper Hawks Spring Lake Park Panthers St. Francis Fighting Saints St. Louis Park Orioles Totino-Grace Eagles Chisago Lakes Wildcats

Great River Conference Aitkin Gobblers Braham Bombers East Central Eagles Hinckley-Finlayson Jaguars Isle Huskies Onamia Panthers Ogilvie Lions Pine City Dragons Rush City Tigers Victoria Dahlin - North Branch and Rush City Sports Shelley Schmidt - Design/Layout

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rush city

wrestling “Some individuals should be looking to place high in section tournament with the possibility of going to state.” ~Coach Josh Moulton

New faces make team more competitive The Rush City/Braham Tiger Wrestling Team 201011 Record: 2-9 overall. Fifth place in Great River Conference Championships. 1-4 record in conference. The team ended its team season with a loss in the section preliminaries with no individuals qualifying at sections to go onto the state tournament.

Top returners: “We have 16 returning letter winners along with three former wrestlers returning with experience,” said Coach Josh Moulton. “We are looking to fill a full team this year and be competitive this year.”

Team depth: “We have a lot of new faces from seventh graders, but also seniors and juniors as well,” said Coach Moulton. “We have some depth in our mid to upper weights which we have not had before.”

The 2011-12 Rush City members of the Rush City/Braham Tiger Wrestling Team: Row 1 (l-r): Trenton Miller, Justin Lane, Brennan Anderson, Logan Johnson, Dan Taylor, Dylan Mielke, Karter Niessen. Row 2: Mark Larter, Blaine Blazek, Chase Grant, Dan Johnson, Braxton Wolf, Hunter Leigland, Jacob Lynch, Brady Anderson. Row 3: Linzy Potter, Jeff kaltenhauser, Luke Rands, Johnathan Mielke, Coach Josh Moulton, Dominic Montgomery, Jordan Nelson, Isaiah Johnson, Terri Jungles.

Great River Conference outlook: “I look to our team to be in the top three in the conference this year,” said Coach Moulton. “Mille Lacs will be tough as always and so will Aitkin. Pine City/Hinckley and Ogilvie will be big match ups for us.”

Section 7AA and state outlook: (Chisago Lakes Area, Grand Rapids, Hibbing, Mora, Cloquet-Esko, Hinckley-

Finlayson/Pine City/East Central, Milaca/Faith Christian, Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin, Rush City/Braham, Eveleth-Gilbert/Mountain Iron-Buhl) “Sections will be tough again, as we are still a really young team, but some individuals should be looking to place high in section tournament with the possibility of going to state,” said Coach Moulton. “Milaca and Grand Rapids will be on top of our section teams.”

Rush City team photos courtesy of Tim Hurd, Enstrom Studio, Inc.

north branch

wrestling The North Branch Viking Wrestling Team 2010-11 Record: 13-8 overall. North Suburban Conference Champions with 9-0 conference record. Patrick Mork (senior), Aaron Senne (sophomore), Jake Pilz (junior) as well as graduates; Jake Kostik, Andy Freel, Stuart Frink and Justin Bergerson were All-Conference. Dalton Horak (senior), Zack Sundly (junior) and Reid Johnson (sophomore), were All-Conference Honorable Mention. The team finished its team season in the section quarterfinals, while individuals Mork and Kostik were section champions. Kostik finished fifth at state to earn a place on the podium.

Top returners: “There are several kids coming back that will help us a lot, but we value each and every kid that comes out,” said Coach Tony Aho. Team depth: “We will have a pretty solid line-up but need to stay healthy and have kids separate from each other as far as weight classes are concerned,” said Coach Aho.

“ We would just like our team to go out there and battle for six minutes against everyone.” ~Coach Tony Aho

“There are going to be a lot of weight classes in which we put a pretty green wrestler, so we hope that they can pick things up fast and help the team.”

North Suburban Conference outlook: “Totino-Grace, Benilde St. Margaret’s, St Francis, Fridley, and Chisago Lakes could all take the title, but we could be right up there, too,” said Coach Aho. Section 7AA and state outlook: (Chisago Lakes Area, Grand Rapids, Hibbing, Mora, Cloquet-Esko, HinckleyFinlayson/Pine City/East Central, Milaca/Faith Christian, Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin, Rush City/Braham, Eveleth-Gilbert/Mountain Iron-Buhl) “Milaca, Grand Rapids, Mora, Hibbing and Chisago Lakes will be the favorites, but again we will compete for a section title,” said Coach Aho. “We would just like our team to go out there and battle for six minutes against everyone, regardless of their uniform color.”

The 2011-12 North Branch Viking Wrestling Team: Row 1 (l-r):Kenzie Brehm, Aaron Robillard, Jack Anderson, Kody Strohmeyer, Kaleb Lofboom, Dillon Bugbee, Lucas Nelson, Thomas Steele, Ryan Senne, Tommy Anderson, Dylan LaCasse, Jesse Frich, Max Patraw, Emma Gustufson. Row 2: Meagan Krey, Aaron Sistrunk, James Peltier, Charlie Weber, Alex Bigley, Aaron Senne, Seth Phillips, Andrew Peterson, Arik Steele, Mason Niederkorn, Jake Pilz, Tristan LaBelle, Reid Johnson, Bailey LeVasseve. Row 3: Ella Silvee, Tim Wisdom, Mitch Anderson, Mike Vogel, Alex Fitcha, Bailey Adams, Chase Hagert, Bert Leudtke, Tom Radeck, Dalton Horak, Luke Brown, Brent Arnt, Cameron Sampson. Row 4: Eric Bergstrom, Eric Weisinger, Matthew Winberg, Jesse Frich, Levi Eastwood, Zack Sundly, Zack John, Fletcher John, Patrick Mork, Sam Peltier. (not pictured: James Weigel, Jared Mold, Riley Dufeck, Seamus Hunter)

Sports Schedules found on page 7

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NORTH BRANCH/St. francis

girls hockey

“We are a very young team that will need to adjust quickly to the pace and demands of a season.” ~Coach Joe Fredrickson

North Branch girls playing key roles The St. Francis\North Branch Girls Hockey Team 2010-11 Record: 8-16-2 overall. Sixth in North Suburban Conference with 3-9-1 record. The team ended its season in the section quarterfinals.

North Branch team members: Justine Mendez (senior), Mallory Olson (junior) and Erynn Downey ( sophomore) have all seen a significant amount of ice time so far this season. Olson has scored one goal and made one assist, while Downey had scored two goals and made two assists.

Team depth: Eight seniors graduated that contributed heavy ice time and bulk of scoring. “This year will provide the young players many opportunities to develop in game situations while acquiring more ice in key roles,” said Coach Joe Fredrickson.

The St. Francis/North Branch Girls Hockey 2011-12 team members: Erynn Downey and Mallory Olson. (not pictured: Justine Mendez) North Suburban Conference outlook: “We are a very young team that will need to adjust quickly to the pace and demands of a season,” said Coach Joe Fredrickson.

Section 7AA and state outlook: (Forest Lake, CambridgeIsanti/Mora/Pine City, Carlton/Cloquet/Esko, Duluth Denfeld/Duluth East, Elk River/Zimmerman, Grand RapidsGreenway)

NORTH BRANCH

dance

Looking to take it up a level

“We’d ultimately like to make it to state and really be at our best at the end of the season.” ~Coach Marie Ray

North Suburban Conference outlook: “We have a very strong and competitive conference for dance team,” said Coach Ray. “The top four teams are usually Totino-Grace, Spring Lake Park, Benilde-St. The North Branch Vikettes Dance Teams 2010-11 Record: The Margaret’s and Irondale. These four teams are perennial state conhigh kick team placed fourth in the section and the jazz team finished tenders. We hope to be able to compete in the middle of the pack sixth. The jazz team was fifth in the North Suburban Conference and with teams like Fridley, Chisago Lakes, and St. Francis.” the kick team seventh. The team was Conference Academic ChampiSection 2AA and state outlook: (Becker, Big Lake, Chisago Lakes ons, with Laura Backus (graduated) and Lexi Chouinard (graduated) Area, Concordia Academy-Roseville, Duluth Denfeld, Fridley, HerAll-Conference and All-Conference Academic. Maria Gozzi (senior) and mantown, Hill-Murray, Minneapolis Edison, Monticello, Park Center, Autumn Ruddy (senior) were All-Conference Honorable Mention.

Totino-Grace, Zimmerman) “Top teams in our section include Fridley, Top returners: “We have quite a few varsity kick team members Totino-Grace, Hill-Murray, Chisago Lakes, and Duluth Denfeld,” said back again this season and we are looking to take it up a level and Coach Ray. “These are typically the toughest teams to beat in order grow throughout the season,” said Coach Marie Ray. to get one of the top three spots to make it to the state tournament.

We came very close to making it to state last year with kick when we Team depth: “We hope to see our group of veteran dancers set a placed fourth. We’d ultimately like to make it to state and really be at good example and work ethic that pushes each dancer to be their our best at the end of the season.” best every day,” said Coach Ray.

The 2011-12 North Branch Vikettes Dance Team: Row 1 (l-r): Maria Gozzi, Autumn Ruddy, Greta Lindberg, Jaclyn Young. Row 2: Manager Emily Gray, Gina Scott, Kalee Voight, Courtney Young, Cydney Bettendorf, Claire Peliter, Claire Gunia, Hanna Miller, Manager Lydia Olund. Row 3: Shayanna Wilson, Maddie Mayne, Jilian Yerges, Kahlie Burnoski, Abby Tema, Alyssa Dervie, Stephanie Noyes, Jessica Gregor. Row 4: Coach Tammy Brown, Marissa Morgenstern, Mikayla Miller, Sami Klein, Gabrielle Ruddy, Gabrielle Schroeder, Grace Olund, Erin Engstran, Head Coach Marie Ray

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NORTH BRANCH

girls basketball “I really think this will be a much better team in February and am looking forward to see the progress this group can make” ~Coach Dan Schindler

More athletic, ready to play up tempo style The North Branch Viking Girls Basketball Team 2010-11 Record: 9-18 overall. Ranked ninth in North Suburban Conference with 4-12 conference record.

Kendra Norman (graduated) was All-Conference and Sarah Lekson (junior) was All-Conference Honorable Mention.

The team ended its season in the section quarterfinals.

Top returners: “We have three seniors returning in Cassedy Coleman, Kallie Grote and Erin Reber,” said Coach Dan Schindler. “Kallie is coming off a season ending injury last year, and Erin and Cassedy both saw extended minutes on the varsity. All three of them have been in our system and can help by both their experience and with our younger players. They will be our captains this year and I always expect that the seniors will be the leaders of the team. We have five juniors: Sarah Lekson, Emily Trunk, Jessica Merchant Annette Olson and Brooke Bednarczyk; two sophomores: Haley Huset and Mikayla Carlson; one freshman: Taylor Gazda and one eighth grader: Courtney Selbitschka on our varsity this year. These 12 players will get their chances in December to show us what they can do and we are hoping many of them can step up and fill in the needed roles on our team.”

Team depth: “We always hope that someone on the JV team will surprise us and also be able to come up to the varsity and give us needed depth,” said Coach Schindler.

“I really like how hard this team has been working. We

The 2011-12 North Branch Viking Girls Basketball Team: Row 1 (l-r): Kallie Grote, Sarah Lekson, Emily Trunk. Row 2: Jessica Merchant, Erin Reber, Annette Olson, Mikayla Carlson. Row 3: Courtney Selbitschka, Brooke Bednarczyk, Cassedy Coleman, Taylor Gazda, Haley Huset. should be more athletic this year and we should be able to play a more up tempo style of game than we did last year. I am hoping by January they feel more comfortable in the system and can give us a team that has a lot of depth. I really think this will be a much better team in February and am looking forward to see the progress this group can make.”

North Suburban Conference outlook: “Our conference is always tough with Benilde St. Margaret’s and Chisago Lakes being the early favorites,” said Coach Schindler.

“Last season was a rebuilding year for us and hopefully these girls got enough experience to now feel comfortable and can step their game up to the next level to make

us very competitive with all the teams we will play.”

Section 7AAA and state outlook: (Chisago Lakes Area, Cloquet, Duluth Denfeld, Grand Rapids, Hermantown, Hibbing, Princeton, Proctor) The new section is now with mostly northern teams. “I think Chisago Lakes and Grand Rapids will be the early section favorites,” said Coach Schindler. “Chisago Lakes has one of the best players in the state. This is a team I really expect to get much better each day and think we can be pretty good by the end of the season. It’s a fun group to coach and I look forward to the season. I am very luck to have such dedicated coaches (Jerome Huselid, Alison Trampe, Bryon Rogers) working with me.”

NORTH BRANCH

boys basketball “We will be small, but should be able to push the tempo fairly well.”

~Coach David Anderson

Hungry young team The North Branch Viking Boys Basketball Team 2010-11 Record: 7-20 overall. Ranked eighth in North Suburban Conference with 4-12 conference record. The team ended its season in the section semifinals.

Top returners: Tom Kinsella (senior): returning starter.

“Good wing player, fast, can defend, good shooter,” said Coach David Anderson. “Tyler Knobbe (senior): returning varsity player, extremely hard worker, does the dirty work, good rebounder. Travis VanElsberg (sophomore): returning varsity player, point guard, great ball handler, extremely passionate about basketball, gym rat.”

Team depth: “We have a very young, hungry team,” said Coach Anderson. “We will have a lot of players who will get their shot on varsity. We will be small, but should be able to push the tempo fairly well. Travis VanElsberg will be relied on a lot this year to keep us together on offense. Since we lost eight seniors last year, we will look quite a bit different this season.”

North Suburban Conference outlook: “Our conference is going to be very tough this year, several teams are returning a lot of key players from last year’s squads,” said Coach Anderson. “Benilde already has three players who have signed to play D-I basketball next season.

Irondale looks very tough. Columbia Heights played in the state finals last year. The conference has a lot of depth and talent this year.”

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The 2011-12 North Branch Viking Boys Basketball Team: Row 1: (l-r) Dillon Harms, Dylan Dahle, Travis VanElsberg, Colin Ehrnriter, Cody Knobbe, Aaron Biederman. Row 2: Jon Blomquist, Riley Jacobson, Brandon Thauwald, Jacob Kari, Isaac Lewis, Tyler Knobbe. (not pictured: Thomas Kinsella) Section 7AAA and state outlook: (Chisago Lakes Area, Cloquet, Duluth Denfeld, Grand Rapids, Hermantown, Hibbing, Princeton, Zimmerman) Two new teams to the section this season. “Grand Rapids has won the district over the last few years and returns most of their key players from last year’s team,” said Coach Anderson. “The district race will be very tough as well.”

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rush city

boys basketball “I expect us to become stronger and a better team, and hopefully be playing our best ball at the end of the year.” ~Coach Jeremy Albright

Ready to rise to the challenge The Rush City Tiger Boys Basketball Team 2010-11 Record: 10-13 overall. Fifth in Great River Conference with 8-8 record. Garrett Churchsmith and Jason Olson (both graduated) were All-Conference. Garret Pearson (junior) AllConference Honorable Mention. The team ended its season in the first round of section playoffs.

Top returners: Pearson, the leading returning scorer and rebounder, will most likely miss part of the season due to a football injury. “We are looking forward to getting him back,” said Coach Jeremy Albright. “He put a lot of time in during the off-season. Dan Weber, senior returning starter from last year. We are looking at big things from him inside for us. Isaac Johnson (senior) played varsity off of the bench last year. Isaac will need to be a leader for us defensively and look to score as well. Alex Scheffer (senior) played varsity off of the bench last year. Alex will need to step up and become a leader for us this season, which he has the potential to do. Ronny Nitti (senior) part-time starter last year. Ronny needs to set the tone defensively for us. Brandon Koehnle (sophomore) played varsity off the bench last year. Brandon will have to take charge from the guard position for us this season.”

Team depth: “I think eventually we will have some good depth,” said Coach Albright. “We are dealing with some things from the fall like injuries and other matters, so the beginning of the season has the potential to be a little rough. We will need to deal with adversity and rise to the challenge. We have some players that are new to the varsity scene that need to contribute for us this year, such as Matt Mallinger (junior), Landon Otterness (junior), Ryan Lind (sophomore), and Lucas Grimes (senior). We might also have some younger kids step up as the season goes on. I think our team will be strong defensively. We will need

The 2011-12 Rush City Tiger Boys Basketball Team: Row 1: (l-r): Max Hageman (manager), Zach Melin, Isaac Johnson, Alex Enns, Ronny Nitti, Josh Gorman, Jacob Scherer (manager). Row 2: Lucas Grimes, Mason Ramberg, Jesse Rasmussen, Alex Scheffer, Matt Mallinger, Jake Hoiem, Dalton Folkema, Brandon Koehnle. Row 3: Landon Otterness, Dan Weber, Assistant Coach Lattimore, Head Coach Albright, Assistant Coach Lakeberg, Garret Pearson, Ryan Lind. to find some athletes to step up scoring for us, especially until we get Pearson back. We are happy to have a new JV coach this season in Joe Lattimore. Our C-team coach, Joe Lakeberg, is returning from last season. Both have strengths that we will be sure to use.”

Great River Conference outlook: “The favorite in the conference once again is Braham,” said Coach Abright.

“I think after that, you can throw most of the rest of the teams together and all of them will be competitive with each other. Aitkin and Isle will be good. I would like to think we will be in the mix to finish near the middle to the top of the conference. It will all depend on how we deal with adversity (injuries) and how well we play disciplined and together. They will have to bring their ‘A’ game each and every night.”

Section 7AA and state outlook: (Aitkin, Braham, Deer River, Esko, Eveleth-Gilbert, Greenway, Hinckley-Finlayson, International Falls, Marshall School (Duluth), Mora, Pine City, Proctor, Two Harbors, Virginia, Moose Lake/Willow River) “Braham is probably the favorite in our section as well, with Moose Lake-Willow River, Esko, Virginia, and Deer River contending as well,” said Coach Albright. “You can never forget about Mora. They will probably have their usual size advantage and are always well prepared. I know that we will be starting the year off probably not looking like we had pictured, but that will be no excuse. Our kids will come out and work hard and compete. As the season goes along, and we start filling in some of the pieces, I expect us to become stronger and a better team, and hopefully be playing our best ball at the end of the year.”

rush city

girls basketball “We expect to finish near the top in the conference this season.” ~Coach Mark Henrich

Mixing experience with youth The Rush City Tiger Girls Basketball Team 201011 Record: 18-6 overall. Tied for second in Great River Conference with 13-3 record. Jami Friday (graduated) and Danica Schellbach (senior) were All-Conference, while Bryanna Koehnle (graduated) was All-Conference Honorable Mention. Coach Mark Henrich was GRC Coach of the Year.

Lindsey Kuhlman (graduated) was Academic All-State. The team lost to the state champion Braham in the second round of section playoffs.

Top returners: “Danica Schellbach is a talented offensive player,” said Coach Henrich. “She is expected to be one of the leaders on both offense and defense this year as a captain. Heather Herberg (senior) is a hard working, athletic, aggressive player on defense and offense. She knows the game and will be expected to control the game as the point guard and captain. Brooke Hein (senior) is a very coachable hard working player and is expected to be a strong leader on and off the floor as captain. Kristy Carlson (senior) is a very athletic explosive player who will need to use her skills on offense and defensive this season. Trista Sarago (senior) is an excellent shot and is our spark on the offensive end and will be expected to be a strong rebounder of us. Shawnee Mielke (senior) will be a strong presence on the inside as a defender and rebounder for the team. Ashley Swanson (senior) will also be called upon to be a presence on the inside as a defender and rebounder. Abby Scherer (junior) will be asked to be an all-around player on the offensive and defensive end and be a rebounding guard this season.”

Team depth: “Experience,” said Coach Henrich. “I have seven seniors on the team this year. All with varsity playing time. I have some good younger players coming in to learn from the seniors on how to handle the game and the pressure of big games. The younger players are; Abby Scherer, Courtney Arvidson (junior), Payton Ramberg (freshman), Sammi Oscarson (sophomore), Alissa Mell (sophomore), and Haylie Gilbert (freshman). All of them together will make us strong this season, we just need to find the right combinations for the season to be successful.”

Great River Conference outlook: “We expect to finish near the top in the conference this season,” said Coach Henrich. “The top two will be Braham and Isle. They will be the teams to beat.”

Section 7AA and state outlook: (Aitkin, Braham, Deer River, Esko, Eveleth-Gilbert, Greenway, Hinckley-Finlayson, International Falls, Milaca, Mora, Pine City, Two Harbors, Virginia, Marshall School (Duluth)/Lakeview Christian Academy, Moose Lake/Willow River) “The section will go through Braham and Esko again this year,” said Coach Henrich. “We should finish in about the same place as last

The 2011-12 Rush City Tiger Girls Basketball Team: Row 1: (l-r): Sammi Oscarson, Abby Scherer, Haylie Gilbert, Courtney Arvidson. Row 2: Tara Sarago, Payton Ramberg, Shawnee Mielke, Kristy Carlson, Trista Sarago, Brooke Hein, Heather Herberg, Megan Swanson. Row 3: Randi Schoeberl, Assistant Coach Erika Matzke, Ashley Swanson, Head Coach Mark Henrich, Alissa Mell, Assistant Coach Joe Nelson, Morgan Twingstrom. (not pictured Danica Schellbach)

year which was fourth in the section or maybe one place higher. It will all depend on how we come together as a team mixing the experience with the youth.”

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rush City

gymnastics

Strong team looking for a chance at state

The Rush City/Pine City/Hinckley-Finlayson Tiger Girls Gymnastics Team 2010-11 Record: The team is not in a conference at this point. The team won all, but one dual meet last season, which was its first loss in four years. The team placed third as a team in the section championships with Cassidy Dunkley (junior) placing fourth in the all-around to qualify for the state competition.

Coach Dianne Meier was named Section Girls Gymnastics Coach of the Year. Dunkley finished 10th in the state competition.

Top returners: From Hinckley-Finlayson: Cassidy Dunkley (captain), Pine City: Kylee Berube (sophomore), Rush City: Bailey Murawski (freshman), Katelyn Meier (freshman), Kayla Forcier (junior), and Bailey Mollberg (sophomore).

Also returning after a one year break is junior Alecia Meier (captain).

“We have an exciting opportunity to be a team going for section champs, and advancing to state as a team and also individuals.” ~Coach Dianne Meier

Team depth: “We have five strong with Cassidy, Bailey Murawski, Katelyn, Kylee, and Alecia, with two additional possible varsity players in Kayla and Bailey Mollberg,” said Coach Meier.

Section 4A and state outlook: (Chisago Lakes Area, Columbia Heights, Fridley , Minneapolis Edison, North Branch, St. Anthony Village, St. Paul Como Park, St. Paul Johnson, Spring Lake Park) “Sections have changed this year and we have an exciting opportunity to be a team going for section champs, and advancing to state as a team and also individuals,” said Coach Meier.

The 2011-12 Rush City/Pine City/Hinckley-Finlayson Tiger Girls Gymnastics Team: (l-r): Coach Dianne Meier, Cassidy Dunkley (H-F), Bailey Mollberg (RC), Bailey Murawski (RC), Kayla Forcier (RC), Kylee Berube (PC), Alecia Meier (RC), Katelyn Meier (RC).

north branch

gymnastics “We plan to have many players make it to the state meet this year as well.” ~Coach Barb Burdick

Strong team out to do best The North Branch Viking Girls Gymnastics 2010-11 Record: The team took fourth in the section championships. The team broke the school’s record last season with the highest overall score of 135.20.

Top returners: Arianna Olson the only senior, as well as juniors; Bayley Ertl, Jaime Salo, Gina Amundson and eighth grader Maddy Pantalion.

Team depth: All around competitors include Olson, Ertl (captain), J. Salo (captain) and Pantalion; freshmen, Maranda Nelson and Katy Trunk; as well as eighth graders, Madison Passeretti and Tina Nelson. “Our keys to success this season are to enjoy being a team, and to have fun while performing the best that we can at each meet,” said Coach Barb Burdick. “Gymnastics is a very demanding sport. All teams have to work hard at keeping their players healthy throughout the season.”

North Suburban Conference outlook: Irondale and Chisago Lakes Area will be the toughest in the conference.

Section 4A and state outlook: (Chisago Lakes Area, Columbia Heights, Fridley, Minneapolis Edison, St. Anthony Village, St. Paul Como Park, St. Paul Johnson, Spring Lake Park, Rush City/Pine City/Hinckley-Finlayson) “Going into the season we are a stronger team than we have been in the past, so we have the goal of breaking the school record,” said Coach Burdick. “We plan to have many players make it to the state meet this year as well.”

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The 2011-12 North Branch Viking Girls Gymnastics Team: Row 1 (l-r): Katy Trunk, Gina Amundson, Jaime Salo, Bayley Ertl, Arianna Olson, Maddy Pantalion. Row 2: Tina Nelson, Maranda Nelson, Cassie Kunisher, Allie Perlowski , Karen Hernandez. Row 3: Ashley Lafontaine, Teressa Braun, Casey Hoveland, Megan Travis. (not pictured: Madison Passeretti)

Sports Schedules found on page 7

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North Branch & rush city

sport schedules Home games in bold

North Branch

rush city

wrestling

boys basketball

Dec. 16 Chisago Lakes Invite 4 PM Dec. 20 Cloquet (Braham) 6:15 PM Jan. 7 Mora Invite 10 AM Jan. 12 Ogilvie 6 PM Jan. 14 Hinckley/Finlayson Invite 10 AM Jan. 19 Cloquet, Naswauk Keewatin 10 AM Jan. 26 Mora Triangular 5 PM Jan. 28 Grand Rapids Invite 8:30 AM Feb. 2 Mille Lacs (Braham) 6:15 PM Feb. 10 GRC Meet @ Mille Lacs 4:45 PM Feb. 14 Sections & State TBA

Dec. 15 Princeton 7:30 PM Dec. 16 Hermantown 7:30 PM Dec. 20 Concordia Academy 7:15 PM Dec. 27 Tournament (Park) 3 PM Dec. 28 Tournament (S. St. Paul) 7 PM Jan. 3 Robbinsdale Cooper 7:15 PM Jan. 6 St. Francis 7:15 PM Jan. 10 Chisago Lakes 5:45 PM Jan. 13 Totino-Grace 7:15 PM Jan. 17 Fridley 7:15 PM Jan. 24 St. Louis Park 7:15 PM Jan. 26 Spring Lake Park 7:15 PM Jan. 28 Benilde-St. Margaret’s 3 PM Feb. 3 Columbia Heights 7:15 PM Feb. 6 Robbinsdale Cooper 7:15 PM Feb. 10 Irondale 7:15 PM Feb. 11 Cloquet 7:15 PM Feb. 14 St. Francis 7:15 PM Feb. 17 Totino-Grace 7:15 PM Feb. 18 Hibbing 3 PM Feb. 21 Fridley 7:15 PM Feb. 24 Chisago Lakes 7:15 PM Mar. 2 Spring Lake Park 7:15 PM Mar. 9 Sections start TBA

rush city

gymnastics Dec. 17 RC Invite (Mistletoe Meet) 12 PM Dec. 21 North St. Paul 6:30 PM Jan. 5 Grantsburg 6:30 PM Jan. 12 Chisago Lakes 6 PM Jan. 24 Forest Lake 6 PM Jan. 26 St. Anthony Village 6:30 PM Jan. 31 North Branch, Grantsburg 6 PM Feb. 11 Granite Ridge Conf. Meet TBA Feb. 18 Sections & State TBA

rush city

North Branch

BOYS BASKETBALL Dec. 15-17 St. John’s Tournament TBA Dec. 20 Isle 7:30 PM Jan. 3 Moose Lake Willow River 7:30 PM Jan. 5 Pine City 7:30 PM Jan. 10 East Central 7:30 PM Jan. 17 Braham 7:30 PM Jan. 20 Aitkin 7:30 PM Jan. 24 Hinckley/Finlayson 7:30 PM Jan. 27 Onamia 7:30 PM Jan. 31 Ogilvie 7:30 PM Feb. 2 Isle 7:30 PM Feb. 6 Pine City 7:30 PM Feb. 9 East Central 7:30 PM Feb. 17 Braham 7:30 PM Feb. 21 Mora 7:30 PM Feb. 24 Ogilvie 7:30 PM Feb. 28 Onamia 7:30 PM Mar. 1 St. John’s Prep 7:30 PM Mar. 7-17 Sections TBA

RUSH CITY

girls basketball Dec. 17 Zimmerman 1:30 PM Dec. 27-29 Tourament (Simley) TBD Jan. 3 Robbinsdale Cooper 7:15 PM Jan. 6 St. Francis 7:15 PM Jan. 10 Chisago Lakes 7:15 PM Jan. 13 Totino-Grace 7:15 PM Jan. 17 Fridley 7:15 PM Jan. 24 St. Louis Park 7:15 PM Jan. 26 Spring Lake Park 7:15 PM Jan. 28 Benilde-St. Margaret’s 3 PM Jan. 31 Princeton 7:15 PM Feb. 3 Columbia Heights 7:15 PM Feb. 6 Robbinsdale Cooper 7:15 PM Feb. 10 Irondale 7:15 PM Feb. 11 Proctor 3 PM Feb. 14 St. Francis 7:15 PM Feb. 17 Totino-Grace 7:15 PM Feb. 21 Fridley 7:15 PM Feb. 24 Chisago Lakes 5:45 PM Feb. 28 Sections Start TBD

girls BASKETBALL Dec. 15 Frederic 7:30 PM Dec. 16 Ogilvie 7:30 PM Dec. 20 Grantsburg 7:30 PM Dec. 22 Moose Lake Willow River 7:30 PM Jan. 3 Foley 7:30 PM Jan. 6 Pine City 7:30 PM Jan. 10 East Central 7:30 PM Jan. 13 Royalton 7:30 PM Jan. 17 Braham 7:30 PM Jan. 20 Aitkin 7:30 PM Jan. 24 Hinckley/Finlayson 7:30 PM Jan. 27 Onamia 7:30 PM Jan. 31 Ogilvie 7:30 PM Feb. 2 Isle 7:30 PM Feb. 6 Pine City 7:30 PM Feb. 10 East Central 7:30 PM Feb. 14 Mora 7:30 PM Feb. 16 Braham 7:30 PM Feb. 21 Isle 7:30 PM Feb. 23 Onamia 7:30 PM Feb. 29 Sections TBA

NORTH BRANCH

dance

Dec. 15 Robbinsdale Cooper 7 PM Dec. 17 Invitational (Fridley) TBD Jan. 7 Conference Champ.

11 AM Jan. 10 Performance 8 PM Jan. 24 Performance TBD Jan. 28 Invitational (Mounds View) 9 AM Feb. 6 Performance TBD Feb. 11 Sections (Chisago) TBD Feb. 17-18 State Meet (Target Center) TBD

NORTH BRANCH

wrestling Jan. 7 Tournament (Foley) TBD Jan. 21 Tournament (Cambridge) TBD Jan. 28 Tournament (Grand Rapids) TBD Feb. 14 Sections start TBD

NORTH BRANCH

gymnastics Dec. 15 Irondale/Spring Lake Park 6:30 PM Dec. 17 Invitational (Rush City) 12 PM Jan. 9 St. Anthony Village 6:30 PM Jan. 14 Invitational (Princeton) 12:15 PM Jan. 19 Chisago Lakes 6:30 PM Jan. 23 St. Francis 6 PM Jan. 31 Multiple Schools (Rush City) 6 PM Feb. 2 St. Louis Park 6:30 PM Feb. 4 Multiple Schools (Irondale) 11 AM Feb. 18 Sectionals start TBD

NORTH BRANCH

girls hockey Dec. 15 St. Louis Park Dec. 17 Chisago Lakes Jan. 7 Totino-Grace Jan. 10 Spring Lake Park Jan. 12 St. Louis Park Jan. 13 Irondale Jan. 21 Chisago Lakes Jan. 27 Benilde-St. Margaret’s Feb. 2 Totino-Grace Feb. 4 Spring Lake Park

7 PM 12:30 PM 3 PM 7 PM 6:30 PM 7 PM 7 PM 5 PM 7 PM 7:30 PM

NORTH BRANCH

boys hockey Dec. 15 Simley 7:30 PM Dec. 17 Moose Lake 7 PM Dec. 20 Becker/Big Lake 7 PM Dec. 28 Windom Area 3 PM Dec. 29 Cambridge-Isanti 4 PM Jan. 3 Spring Lake Park 7 PM Jan. 7 Mora 7 PM Jan. 10 Legacy Christian Academy 7:30 PM Jan. 14 Blizzard 7 PM Jan. 19 Pine City 7 PM Jan. 26 Minneapolis Coops 7 PM Jan. 28 Moose Lake 2 PM Jan. 31 Becker/Big Lake 7 PM Feb. 2 St. Francis 7 PM Feb. 7 Irondale 7 PM Feb. 9 Legacy Christian Academy 7:30 PM Feb. 10 Blizzard 7:30 PM Feb. 14 Mora 7:30 PM Feb. 17 Robbinsdale Cooper 7 PM Feb. 21 Sections start TBD

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north branch

boys hockey Focused team with new coach The North Branch Viking Boys Hockey Team 2010-11 Record: 7-18 overall. Sixth in the Two Rivers Conference with a 3-9 conference record. Calvin Miska (senior/moved) and Hunter Miska (graduated) were AllConference. Brendon Bartholmy and Michael SantaBrigida (both graduated) were All-Conference Honorable Mention.

Zach Shepherd (senior), Chace Johnson (senior), Jared Axberg (junior) and Alex Miller (junior) were All-Conference Academic. The team ended its season in the first round of section playoffs.

Top returners: Captains and defensemen, Shepherd and Zach Fairbanks. Other seniors are forwards Cole Lee and Nick Walker, defenseman Lucas Boyce, and goaltender Kolton Kiester. “As for our team, I expect our seniors to be the key leaders of our team and will directly impact any and all success this team will achieve,” said Coach Mike Deschneau.

Team depth: Other key underclassmen are junior forwards Miller, Mitch Patten, Brandon Kratzke and Ryan Zentner; along with junior defensemen Tim Courtright and Eric Chilstrom and sophomore defenseman Brandon Timm.

“The goal of this group is to be in control of what we can control and compete as hard as possible in each and every game.” ~Coach Mike Deschneau

Two Rivers Conference outlook: (Becker/Big Lake, Legacy Christian Academy, Minneapolis Edison/Roosevelt/South/North/Patrick Henry/Southwest/Washburn/ Minnesota Transitions Charter, Mora/Hinckley-Finlayson, North Branch, Barnum/Cromwell/Moose Lake/East Central/Willow River, Pine City/Rush City, Frederic/Grantsburg/Luck/Siren/Webster) “I expect the year to have some ups and downs like any other year, but players have been very focused on their work ethic and attention to detail and determined to be better each and every day.” said Coach Deschneau.

Section 5A and state outlook: (Hermantown, Princeton, Proctor, Rogers, St. Cloud Cathedral, Sauk Rapids-Rice, Legacy Christian Academy/Concordia Academy-Roseville/ PACT Charter School, Barnum/Cromwell/Moose Lake/ East Central/Willow River, Mora/Hinckley-Finlayson, Pine City/Rush City) “The goal of this group is to be in control of what we can control and compete as hard as possible in each and every game,” said Coach Deschneau.

North Branch hockey team photo courtesy of Joe Lawrence, David Banks Studios

The 2011-12 North Branch Viking Boys Hockey Team: Row 1: (l-r): Tyler Byrkit, Jason Merschdorf, Lucas Boyce, Zach Shepherd, Zach Fairbanks, Cole Lee, Kolton Kiester, Donovan Steffen. Row 2: Head Coach Mike Deschneau, Logan Miller, Joey Courtright, Damon Holcomb, Nick Walker, Ryan Zentner, Brandon Timm, Assistant Coach Glen Stevens, Assistant Coach Blake Nelson. Row 3: Alex Miller, Brandon Kratzke, Connor Martineau, Al Guizzetti, Tim Courtright, Jared Axberg, Colten Danks, Kaleb Larson, Eric Chilstrom, Michael Nelson. (not pictured: Mitch Patten)

rush City

boys hockey “This year’s team has a better attitude and work ethic.” ~Coach Brett Westbrook

Key to success is team unity The Pine City/Rush City Dragon Boys Hockey Team 2010-11 Record: 5-20-1 overall. Eighth in Two Rivers Conference with 2-10 record. Jordan Pangerl (senior) was All-Conference. Highlights from last season were wins over North Branch and Legacy Christian Academy, and a big overtime win over Austin in the Holiday Tournament in St. Michael. The team ended its season in the first round of section playoffs.

Top returners: Jordan Pangerl, Drew Gerold, Matt Gallik, Adam Swanson, Mitchell Ringness from Pine City. Rush City players include: senior; Mike Hauner, juniors; Jake Kleinsasser and Conner Werner; sophomores Blake Cook and Matt Haglund.

Team depth: “Staying healthy and eligible will be necessary to achieve our goals of competing for wins,” said Coach Brett Westbrook.

Two Rivers Conference outlook: (Becker/Big Lake, Legacy Christian Academy, Minneapolis Edison/Roos-

The 2011-12 Pine City/Rush City Boys Hockey Team Rush City Team Members: (l-r): Coach Brett Westbrook, Mike Hauner, Blake Cook, Jake Kleinsasser, Conner Werner. (not pictured: Matt Haglund) evelt/South/North/Patrick Henry/Southwest/Washburn/ Minnesota Transitions Charter, Mora/Hinckley-Finlayson, North Branch, Barnum/Cromwell/Moose Lake/East Central/Willow River, Pine City/Rush City, Frederic/Grantsburg/Luck/Siren/Webster) “Finish in the top tier of the conference and give ourselves a chance to win it,” Coach Westbrook said. “Seed well, and make a playoff run.”

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Section 5A and state outlook: (Hermantown, Princeton, Proctor, Rogers, St. Cloud Cathedral, Sauk Rapids-Rice, Legacy Christian Academy/Concordia Academy-Roseville/ PACT Charter School, Barnum/Cromwell/Moose Lake/ East Central/Willow River, Mora/Hinckley-Finlayson, North Branch) “Keys to the team’s success this year will be team unity,” said Coach Westbrook. “That and team play.

This year’s team has a better attitude and work ethic.”

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