Northfield High School
2008 Winter Sports Preview
SHOOTING HOOTING FOR OR STATE TATE Christian Shepley and Emmanuel Addo look to lead the Raiders to the State Tournament
Alpine Skiing • Basketball • Dance Team • Gymnastics Hockey • Nordic Skiing • Weightlifting • Wrestling Boys Swimming & Diving
Northfield News December 2008
Page 2
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
NHS Winter Sports Preview
Northfield 2008-09 Winter Sports ALPINE SKI DEC. 18: ROCHESTER JAN. 8: at Benilde-St. Margaret’s JAN. 12: MINNEAPOLIS JAN. 15: at Mahtomedi JAN. 22: EAGAN JAN. 26: MANKATO WEST JAN. 27: HASTINGS JAN. 30: WELCH INVITE FEB. 3: at Section 1 Meet FEB. 12: State Championships
WRESTLING DEC. 8: at St. Paul Humboldt DEC. 12: NORTHFIELD INVITE DEC. 16: SHAKOPEE DEC. 19: ST. PAUL JOHNSON, STILLWATER JAN. 3: at Farmington Duals JAN. 8: at Rochester Mayo JAN. 9: FARIBAULT JAN. 15: at Albert Lea JAN. 17: at Richfield Invite JAN. 24: at Humboldt Invite JAN. 29: at Farmington FEB. 5: at Hutchinson FEB. 7: HOME QUAD FEB. 12: PRIOR LAKE FEB. 19, 21: Section 1AAA Team FEB. 27, 28: Section 1AAA Individuals MARCH 4-7: Class AAA State Championships (Xcel Energy Center)
BOYS BASKETBALL DEC. 9: at Hastings DEC. 12: at Winona DEC. 16: at St. Thomas DEC. 18: ROSEMOUNT DEC. 29-31: at Rochester Tournament JAN. 6: at Holy Angels JAN. 8: FARIBAULT JAN. 10: EAGAN JAN. 13: At Waseca JAN. 17: OWATONNA JAN. 23: HUTCHINSON JAN. 27: at Shakopee JAN. 30: at Farmington FEB. 3: NEW PRAGUE FEB. 6: RED WING FEB. 10: at Prior Lake FEB. 13: HOLY ANGELS FEB. 17: at Hutchinson FEB. 20: SHAKOPEE FEB. 24: FARMINGTON FEB. 27: at New Prague MARCH 3: at Red Wing MARCH 6: PRIOR LAKE MARCH 11-20: Section 1AAAA Playoffs MARCH 25-28: Class AAAA State Tournament
BOYS SWIMMING DEC. 16: at Faribault DEC. 20: at Albert Lea Invite DEC. 27: at Apple Valley Invite JAN. 8: at Hutchinson JAN. 10: at Austin Invite JAN. 13: ALBERT LEA JAN. 17: Section 1AA True Team JAN. 23: PRIOR LAKE JAN. 24: at Class AA True Team State Meet (U of M) JAN. 27: at John Marshall JAN. 29: at Red Wing FEB. 5: FARMINGTON FEB. 7: at Mankato East FEB. 14: at Missota Conference Championships (Farmington) FEB. 26, 28: Section 1AA Championships (Inver Grove Heights) MARCH 5-7: Class AA State Championships (U of M
GIRLS HOCKEY
BOYS HOCKEY
DEC. 2: at Owatonna DEC. 5: ALBERT LEA DEC. 11: SIMLEY DEC. 13: at Henry Sibley DEC. 16: at Waseca DEC. 20: at Faribault DEC. 29-20: at Winona State Tournament JAN. 3: MANKATO WEST JAN. 6: HOLY ANGELS JAN. 10: AUSTIN JAN. 13: RED WING JAN. 15: at Prior Lake JAN. 17: MOUNDS VIEW JAN. 23: at Hutchinson JAN. 27: SHAKOPEE JAN. 30: FARMINGTON FEB. 3: at New Prague FEB. 5: at Red Wing FEB. 10: PRIOR LAKE FEB. 13: at Holy Angels FEB. 17: HUTCHINSON FEB. 20: at Shakopee FEB. 24: at Farmington FEB. 27: NEW PRAGUE MARCH 4-13: Section 1AAAA Tournament MARCH 18-21: Class AAAA State Tournament (Target Center)
NOV. 15: at Austin NOV. 18: ALBERT LEA NOV. 20: at St. Paul United NOV. 25: at New Prague DEC. 2: at Red Wing DEC. 6: FARIBAULT DEC. 9: PRIOR LAKE DEC. 13: HUTCHINSON DEC. 16: HOLY ANGELS DEC. 18: WASECA DEC. 19: at Dodge County DEC. 29-31: at Austin Tournament JAN. 8: at Shakopee JAN. 10: at Rochester John Marshall JAN. 13: at Farmington JAN. 16: NEW PRAGUE JAN. 19: RED WING JAN. 23: at Prior Lake JAN. 27: at Holy Angels JAN. 30: at Hutchinson FEB. 3: SHAKOPEE FEB. 5: FARMINGTON FEB. 13-21: Section 1A Tournament FEB. 25-28: Class A State Tournament (U of M)
DEC. 2: at Rochester Lourdes DEC. 6: at Holy Angels DEC. 9: at Red Wing DEC. 11: HOLY FAMILY DEC. 13: at Hutchinson DEC. 16: at Providence Academy DEC. 20: at Faribault DEC. 23: at New Prague DEC. 29-31: Roseau Tournament JAN. 6: ALBERT LEA JAN. 8: SHAKOPEE JAN. 13: FARMINGTON JAN. 17: MANKATO WEST JAN. 24: PRIOR LAKE JAN. 27: NEW ULM JAN. 30: HUTCHINSON FEB. 3: at Shakopee FEB. 5: at Farmington FEB. 10: NEW PRAGUE FEB. 12: RED WING FEB. 17: at Prior Lake FEB. 19: HOLY ANGELS FEB. 21-MARCH 5: Section 1A Tournament MARCH 11-14: Class A State Tournament
GYMNASTICS
NORDIC SKI
DANCE TEAM
DEC. 12: OWATONNA DEC. 16: at Faribault DEC. 18: RED WING JAN. 3: at Faribault Invite JAN. 6: PRIOR LAKE JAN. 10: BLIZZARD INVITE JAN. 13: at New Prague JAN. 16: at Farmington JAN. 17: at Lakeville North Invite JAN. 23: at Prior Lake JAN. 30: NEW PRAGUE FEB. 3: FARMINGTON FEB. 6: at Red Wing FEB. 13: Missota Conference Championships (at Red Wing) FEB. 20: Section 1AA Championships (at Winona) FEB. 27, 28: Class AA State Championships (U of M)
DEC. 10: Meet at Elm Creek DEC. 11: PRIOR LAKE, APPLE VALLEY DEC. 16: WINONA DEC. 18: LAKEVILLE NORTH, SOUTH JAN. 3: at Duluth Sprints JAN. 6: PRIOR LAKE, APPLE VALLEY JAN. 10: at Mesabit Invite JAN. 13: at Park Cottage Grove JAN. 16: at Lakeville JAN. 19: at Invitational JAN. 24: NORTHFIELD INVITE JAN. 27: at Rochester Invite FEB. 3: Section meet at Baker Park FEB. 7: Invite at Kenwood Trail FEB. 10: at Cottage Grove FEB. 13: State meet at Giant’s Ridge
GIRLS BASKETBALL
DEC. 8: Missota Penta meet (Holy Angels) DEC. 13: at Eastview Invite DEC. 20: at Holy Angels Invite JAN. 12: Missota Penta meet (Hutchinson) JAN. 17: at Simley Invite JAN. 24: Missota Conference Championships (Farmington) FEB. 7: Section meet (South St. Paul) FEB. 13-14: State Championships (Target Center)
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NHS Winter Sports Preview
2008-09 Northfield alpine skiing
News photo by Jeff Wald
The 2008-09 Northfield alpine ski team is pictured first row, from left: Haley Brown, Claire Little, Kaesey Glaess, Hannah Boman, Emma Strachan. Second row: David Wett, Marley Mayer, Alicia Lundell, Liesl Schultz, Erin Melzer, Irene Duba, Megan Myers, Ajay Gersemehl, Coach Dave Myers. Third row: Head Coach Bill Sonnega, Coach Joel Johnson, Calina Hall, Steven Wett, Carlos Wolle, Dylan Dingels, Noelle Betterley, Henry Jokela, Jacob Lundell, Coach Jeff Boman, Coach Craig Hall.
Northfield News Winter Sports Preview, December 2008 A special project of the Northfield News 115 W. Fifth Street, Northfield, MN 55057 • 645-5615 • www.northfieldnews.com Publisher ...................................................................................................................... Sam Gett Managing Editor .................................................................................................. ......Jaci Smith Creative .............................................................Debbie Foley, Cate Roberts, Jenny Schonbauer Advertising Sales ........................................................... Tim Freeland, Melissa Deutsch, Rick Patton, Editorial ................................... Jeff Wald, Jaci Smith, Suzy Rook, David Henke, Cate Roberts Cover Design/Photography.....................................................................Debbie Foley/Jeff Wald The Northfield News Winter Sports 2008, is distributed to subscribers and readers of the Northfield News at no additional charge. All rights reserved. Copyright 2008. All advertising contained herein is the responsibility of the advertisers. Please patronize and thank the advertisers for helping to make this special section possible.
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Wednesday, December 10, 2008
NHS Winter Sports Preview
Alpine skiers look forward to a promising season NHS team will blend youth, experience with six varsity returners from last year By DAVID HENKE Staff Writer NORTHFIELD — Take a small but solid core of veteran alpine skiers, throw in a large crop of trained and capable newcomers, and you have the recipe for a very promising team. At least according to Bill Sonnega, the head coach of the Northfield boys and girls alpine ski team. Over the past four years, Sonnega has been building upon a developmental skiing program at Welch Village Ski and Snowboard area, working with kids as young as eight or nine on skiing stance, balance and carving — all the basic skills that make a good competitive skier. This season, Sonnega will see the fruits of his labor, as the first substantial crop of skiers who have trained under the auspices of the developmental program rise to the ranks of the Northfield alpine ski team. As it stands, 10 of the 24 skiers in the Northfield program this season are graduates of the program, including six new seventh-grade skiers, two of whom quali-
8 ALPINE SKIING Key returners: Ajay Gersemehl (Jr.), Calina Hall (Fr.), Alicia Lundell (Soph.), Marley Mayer (8th Grade), Kyle Strike (Sr.), Carlos Wolle (Sr.) UP AND COMING: Cameron Strike (7th Grade), Jacob Lundell (7th Grade), Liesl Schultz (Fr.) fied for the Junior Olympics last year. The new skiers, Sonnega believes, will provide a crucial boost to his team. “It takes a long time to make a good ski racer and it requires a lot of patience and perseverance,” Sonnega said. “This means that when we pick up in seventh grade as part of the high school team, we’re starting where we left off.” Sonnega’s team is also bolstered by a number of returning athletes, including junior co-captain and two-time all-state skier Alexandra Gersemehl, who was out for most of last season, thanks to a dislocated shoulder. Along with Gersemehl, high schoolers Alicia Lundell and Calina Hall, who both trained over the summer in Oregon will also hold down the girls team. On the boys team, the roster will be an-
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News file photo
Northfiel senior Kyle Strike returns as one of the top skiers for the boys alpine ski team.
chored by seniors Carlos Wolle and Kyle Strike, both of whom Sonnega hopes will qualify for the state skiing meet. Still, in a sport that is not divided up into state sections or conferences, Sonnega says he and the Northfield alpine ski team will have their work cut out for them. “For an alpine team from Northfield, this means our greatest challenge is to naturally be competitive with the large suburban schools and the very small,
well-funded private schools,” Sonnega said. Two teams on Sonnega’s radar are Lakeville South and Stillwater — perennial powerhouses that will offer stiff competition. With the developmental skiing program hitting its stride, though, the Northfield alpine ski team will be able to hone its competitive edge. — David Henke can be reached at dhenke@northfieldnews.com or 6451100.
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NHS Winter Sports Preview
2008-09 Northfield Hiliners dance team
News photo by Jeff Wald
The 2008-09 Northfield Hiliners dance team is pictured first row, from left: Sheila Behr, Laurel Blanchard, Katy Hores, Savannah Langer, Hannah Cairns, Danielle Espinoza, Elissa Hadro, Cristi Norberg, Allie Harmer. Second row: Maddie Bestul, Erica Zell, Savanna Andersen, Larissa Vosejpka, Emily Maroney, Tiffany Iverson, Tasha Krahenbuhl, Erin Legvold, Britani Cole, Kelsey Wagner. Third row: Lauren Pryor, Olivia Larson, Molly Polzin, Halle Dowd, Sonia Berdahl, Emily Frederick, Anna Huber, Allissa Busard, Katie McMullen, Ani Church, Bernie Soderlund. Fourth row: Kendra Bornick, Katie Gamble, Madeline Knight, Alexa Nutt, Chelsea Mukina, Mariah Valek, Lindsey Johnson, Tori Martin, Kindra Hurlbert, Riley Goetz. The team is coached by Dana Holden, Liz Rohach, Ashley Lackey and Becca Young.
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NHS Winter Sports Preview
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Hiliners set goal to get back to state meet By SUZANNE ROOK Senior Reporter
8 HILINERS DANCE TEAM
NORTHFIELD —The Hiliao state, the following year, the high kick squad was state champs. This season, Holden, a former Hiliner in her third year as coach, hopes to lead the dancers to state in both hick kick and jazz/funk. High kick, which Holden describes as similar to the style of the Radio City Rockettes, but without the high heels, requires precise movements, and as the name suggests, lots of kicks — the higher the better. In competition, between 50 and 75 above the waist kicks must be completed by the entire team. Twenty-three girls make up the varsity squad, 17 are on JV. Jazz/funk is a much looser designation, said Holden. Only five kicks are allowed, while pirouette turns and leaps are encouraged. That squad has 13 varsity members and 28 on JV. The bulk of the choreography is done by a team of dancers. This year, it’s Hannah Cairns, Savannah Langer, Allie Harmer, Cristi Norberg, Laurel Blanchard and Anna Huber, though Holden and her fellow coaches have the final say on what’s in and what’s out.
CAPTAINS: Hannah Cairns, Danielle Espinoza (both seniors) COACHES: Dana Holden, Liz Rohach, Ashley Lackey, Beccay Young
Cairns
Espinoza
Choreography for the routines, said Holden, is constantly changing, as the choreography team and coaches look to achieve perfection. “It really is the epitome of a team sport,� said Holden. “It’s all about doing things together.� The coach says she’s confident her squad can make state, not just because they’re talented and they work hard, but because they haven’t just set one goal.
News file photo
The Northfield Hiliners are hoping to get back to the state meet after missing it last year for the first time since 2003.
If the goal was just “get to state,� getting there might be more difficult, said the coach. Instead, they coaches have set incremental goals — such as getting their splits flat or making it through a section of a routine without error — all designed to lead them to victory. After more than six weeks of practice, the Hiliners hit the dance floor Dec. 8
with an invitational at Eastview. They’ll now prepare for two Missota conference pentameets, the conference championship and the section meet, where the top three teams go to states. “We have an excellent group of parents who are really supportive,� Holden said.
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Wednesday, December 10, 2008
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NHS Winter Sports Preview
News photo by Catherine Roberts
The 2008-09 Northfield girls basketball team is pictured first row, from left: Erin Carlson-Donohoe (mgr), Elena Huber, Beret Amundson, Kylie Hanzlik, Kasey Wellman, Ashley Hoffmann, Mayra Gutierrez, Lizzie Carlson. Second row: Head Coach Tony Mathison, Clare Foley, Emily Eckhoff, Allie Falenschek, Rebecca Burnham, Katie Christophersen, Kate Traxler, Morgan Zabel, Megan Burnham, Coach Paul Eddy, Coach Emileana Graupmann.
Girls basketball returns several players with experience to lineup Raiders bring back five seniors, will rely on defense to win By JEFF WALD Sports Editor
8 GIRLS BASKETBALL KEY RETURNERS: Morgan Zabel (Jr., F); Kylie Hanzlik (Sr., G), Kasey Wellman (Sr., G), Ashley Hoffman (Sr., G); Katie Christophersen (Sr., F)
KEY NEWCOMERS: Elena Huber (Soph., G); Clare Foley (Jr., G), Beret NORTHFIELD — The Northfield girls Amundson (Jr., G), Emily Eckhoff (Jr., basketball team is ready to heat things up F) as the snow starts to fall and the temperature cools. The Raiders, coming off 13-13 season that included a 4-10 mark in the Missota Conference, are setting out to prove that the program is better than last year’s record indicates. Northfield had its best start in 10 years last season, winning seven of its first eight games. The Raiders then lost eight of their next nine and had their season end in the Section 1AAAA Semifinals to Owatonna, who went onto the state tournament. Northfield lost a group of seniors who were significant to the program, but a return of varsity veterans and skilled newcomers has the team excited. “We’re always excited to get a new season started,” said Raiders coach Tony Mathison, who enters his 10th season as the team’s head coach. “I really like the energy and enthusiasm that we’ve had early on in practice. There’s also the anticipa-
tion of who is going to have what role and who will step in and fill some spots.” The Raiders return five seniors to the team, most of whom played at least some varsity time last year. The group is led by guard Kylie Hanzlik, a perimeter shooter and one of the team’s captains. The other seniors are guards Kasey Wellman and Ashley Hoffmann, post player Katie Christophersen and wings Kate Traxler and Becca Burnham. Northfield will also rely on a group of athletic juniors this year. They’re led by Morgan Zabel, the team’s leading scorer and one of their top rebounders last year. The group also includes guard Beret Amundson and wings Clare Foley and Emily Eckhoff. Sophomore guard Elena Huber will be looked at to be one of the team’s primary
News photo by Jeff Wald
Northfield junior forward Morgan Zabel scored an NHS single-game record 34 points as the Raiders beat Albert Lea 62-49 last Friday at Northfield High School.
I can mix them up evenly, and they’ll be battling for playing time early on. It’s fun to see that competition.” The Raiders have won games with defense lately, and that’s not going to change this season. Assistant coach Paul Eddy has the task of designing defensive schemes and presses, and Mathison said the team’s defense this season will have a lot to do with the amount of success they have in the win column. “The last four or five years, defense is what has been our thing,” Mathison said. “We’re recognized around the conference and in our section for our defense. We’ll play man-to-man and mix in some zone when we have to. We just want the kids to get after it and want the ball more than the other team.” Mathison said the team’s main goal this year is to improve on a 4-10 mark in the Missota Conference last year. Returning to the Rochester Civic Center and the section semifinals wouldn’t hurt. It’s something they’ve accomplished in each of the last three years. “We have a talented group of kids who are athletes,” Mathison said. “They’re successful in other sports, so we’re hoping that translates to basketball. It should be fun.”
perimeter threats this season. She came up as a freshman halfway through last season and made an immediate impact with her three-point shooting ability. — Jeff Wald can be reached at 645“We have a lot of returning experience,” Mathison said. “I’ve got 10 kids out on the 1111 or jwald@northfieldnews.com. floor at practice that are all competitive and have played some the varsity level.
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NHS Winter Sports Preview
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
2008-09 Northfield nordic skiing
News photo by Jeff Wald
The 2008-09 Northfield nordic ski team is pictured first row, from left: Mark Emmons, Ian O’Neill. Second row: Ellyn Sheehy, Katie Roster, Sara Docken, Annie DeSutter, Hannah Sayner, Scout Gregerson, Meredith Reese, Rachel Wille, Carly Davidson, Kristi Rasmussen, Anna Courchaine, Julia Nelson, Elizabeth Elling, Anna Malecha, Elizabeth Buckheit, Danica Simonet, Elise Hanson, Mari Haugen-Eitzman. Third row: Mira Swearer, Hannah Vasilis, Zoe Goodwin, Mark Lewis, Will Hardy, Tom Dobrow, Corey Steinhoff, Miles Tyler, Nora Flynn, Josette West, Sofie Scheuerman, Sam Womeldorf, Elle Dykema, Haley Bollum, Maria Olson, Liz Swanson, Zoe Webb, Helen Forsythe, Sandy Carson, Annika Fredrickson. Fourth row: Jane Carlson, Jenny Hargis, Zach Mitchell, Connor Rohwer, Patrick McWilliams, Luke Ramsay, Peter Behm, Anya Lovestrand, Avery Nelson, Maria Estenson, Erin Tollefson, Leigh Langehough, Catherine Lewis, Sarah Tiano, Michael Howard, Daniel Cloherty, Kyra Duys, Anika Hodel, Lauren Allin, Mady Brennan, Miah Detjen, Ethan Nelson. Fifth row: Arlo Cristofaro-Hark, Frank Meyer, Alex Webb, Anna Schlecht, Gus Jasnoch, Kai Olstad, Aidan Read, Cale Steinhoff, Isaac Burton, Evan Weselmann, Leif Hanson, B.J. Wood, Karl Mader, Christopher Abbott, Thomas Dunning, Ted Meyer, Jordan Tyler, Leif Olsen, Will Olstad, Peter Hardy, Eduardo Jaramillo, Ryota Kimura, Monica Cooper, Grace Forsizzole, Laura Eeckhoudt, Pablo Maldonado, Kris Swanson, Johnathon Van Roeckel, Head Coach Dan Kust.
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NHS Winter Sports Preview
Nordic ski team mixes youth with experience for winter Raiders have 94 skiers combined on boys, girls teams By CATHERINE ROBERTS Staff Writer NORTHFIELD — The Northfield Nordic Ski program got its start in 1994. The first team had 30 athletes participating from grades 7-12. Today, the official roster boasts 94 athletes, many with several years of competitive skiing experience. “We had a great year last year, thanks in part to all the snow we had,” said Dan Kust, head coach of the Nordic Ski Team. “Of the 16 meets scheduled, we were able to compete in 13.” Every sports program feels the loss of leadership when seniors graduate, however that void is usually quick to be filled by a new generation of young leaders. Coach Kust explains the losses his team has suffered, as well as this season’s outlook. “Last year we lost a huge senior nucleus. The program lost most of our top point
8 NORDIC SKIING KEY RETURNERS: Monica Cooper (Sr.), Leigh Langehough (Jr.), Erin Tollefson (Jr.), Kristi Rasmussen (Soph.), Mark Emmons (Jr.), Ian O’Neill (Jr.), Chris Abbott (Jr.) scorers in both the boys and girls division. Their leadership and experience will be missed this year. However, the team is returning a number of experienced skiers. Last year, all of the skiers were able to experience a full race schedule. With all of those competitions, the kids enter this year with true understanding of what a full race season is like,” said Kust. Senior Monica Cooper, a sixth-year skier, is a top 10 skier candidate. She missed qualifying for state last year by 20 seconds. “For the past two years she has been in the running to qualify for the state meet, and we are hopeful that this year she can make some NHS Nordic history,” said Kust. “Everyone on the team is real excited for Monica. She has a bit of pressure on her, but I feel she is up for the challenge.” Blending a team with ages ranging from
‘We truly try to stress the fact that everyone is part of the team; from newcomers to the experienced. We want everyone to know each other from seventh graders to seniors.’ 8 Dan Kust, Northfield nordic ski coach
Coach Kust notes that Nordic skiing is not only physically demanding, but technically demanding as well. His skiers must strive to master two different styles of skiing, as well as a firm understanding of maintaining their own equipment. “All our athletes need to be able to understand how to properly wax their skis for different snow conditions,” said Kust. “Waxing becomes a team bonding experience as everyone helps each other out at the ‘waxing shed.’” Buying and maintaining skies is quite an expense. The Nordic Ski Team benefits from an abundance of community support. “I have had a tremendous amount of community support through ski donations,” said Kust. “Carleton has been fabulous at providing a wonderful practice facility for our team to use. The high school has also been very supportive for a nonrevenue sport.” Coach Kust and his team look forward to another great season with fast skis and lots of snow.
12 to 18, and ability levels from novice to advanced is also a goal Coach Kust sets from himself and the team every year. “We truly try to stress the fact that everyone is part of the team; from newcomers to the experienced,” said Coach Kust. “We want everyone to know each other from seventh-graders to seniors. I do want the athletes to understand that the team supports and encourages everyone. I also — Catherine Roberts can be reached at want our athletes to realize the benefits of 645-1114 or croberts@northfieldnews. hard work.” com.
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News file photos
ABOVE: Northfield senior Monica Cooper returns to lead the Northfield girls and has a chance to qualify for the state tournament this year.
RIGHT: Northfield’s Ian O’Neill is one of the top returning skiers for the NHS boys nordic team.
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NHS Winter Sports Preview
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
News photo by Jeff Wald
The 2008-09 Northfield boys basketball team is pictured first row, from left: Alex Harris, Eric Pittman, Shane Rasmussen, Jackson Meland, Sam Maus, Tyler Loesch. Second row: Zac Womeldorf, Taylor Shroyer, Christian Shepley, Emmanuel Addo, Josh Kodet, Dan Pengra. Third row: Tanner Kimber, Jens Loven-Holt, Otto Pfefferle, Alex Bisch, Jason Malecha, Adam Hadro, Luke Reppe.
Boys basketball sets goal to get to state tourney Raiders return nine seniors, top two scorers from last season By JEFF WALD Sports Editor
8 RAIDER BASKETBALL KEY RETURNERS: Emmanuel Addo (Sr., F); Christian Shepley (Sr., G); Zac Womeldorf (Sr., F); Josh Kodet (Sr., F); Sam Maus (Jr., G); Taylor Shroyer (Sr., F); Dan Pengra (Sr., F)
KEY NEWCOMERS: Jens Loven-Holt (Sr., F); Patrick DeSutter (Sr., F); Shane NORTHFIELD — They’re going to take the season with a game-by-game mentality, Rasmussen (Sr., G); Tyler Loesch (Sr., but everyone in the Northfield boys basket- G) ball program will have the Target Center in the back of their minds this season. That’s the site of the state basketball tournament, and it’s where the Raiders hope they’ll be finishing the season. With a minimal loss to graduation and the team’s top two scorers and All-Missota Conference picks back, the goal is realistic. “Ever since we had individual meetings with guys at the end of last year, that’s all they could think about,” said Raiders coach Mark Ensrud. “Our approach has been wanting to do more than just getting to the state tournament. We want to be ready to compete at a high level. These guys like to make each other better, and they like to push each other to get better.
I think that’s a pretty cool and rare combination.” Northfield is coming off a 13-13 season that included a 7-7 mark in the Missota Conference. The season ended in a loss to Rochester Mayo, the top seed in the Section 1AAAA Playoffs, in the section semifinals at the Mayo Civic Center. It was the second straight year the season ended in Rochester. “We were as .500 as you could be,” Ensrud said. “We had our share of close games, and we went 5-2 our second time through the conference, which we were pleased with. We played a lot better ball as our younger guys gained more experi-
‘Our approach has been wanting to do more than just getting to the state tournament. We want to be ready to compete at a high level.’
8 Mark Ensrud, Raiders’ coach
Holt, Patrick DeSutter, Shane Rasmussen and Tyler Loesch. This group of seniors went undefeated in the Missota Conference as sophomores in a season that featured only one loss. Ensrud likes the fact that the team is built around senior experience. “There’s certainly plenty of talent,” Ensrud said. “The experience factor lets us be optimistic. It’s a big deal in high school sports, and we have a good share of that.” Also in the mix for playing time will be junior guard Sam Maus, who played significant minutes last year and had primary ball-handling duties when Shepley was out. Junior forward Alex Bisch will also see time in the post. The Raiders won’t lack size this year. Between Addo, Womeldorf, Kodet, Pengra, Loven-Holt and Bisch, they will have plenty of height and bulk inside. “We’re going to look to put pressure on defenses from the second we get the ball,” Ensrud said. “We’re certainly going to focus on scoring inside. There will be nights where nobody can guard Emmanuel. This team won’t lack offense.”
ence.” They have plenty of experience, and talent, back for the 2008-09 campaign. The Raiders return nine seniors to the lineup, most of which played varsity minutes last year. The group is led by forward Emmanuel Addo, who recently signed to play basketball on scholarship at the University of Northern Colorado, and guard Christian Shepley, who is also a possible Division I prospect. The two were the Raiders’ top scorers last season. “Emmanuel is fired up,” Ensrud said. “He’s aware of how much more competitive he is this year. He hates losing, whether it’s a game or a drill in practice.” The other seniors who will have an impact include Zac Womeldorf, Josh Kodet, — Jeff Wald can be reached at 645Taylor Shroyer, Dan Pengra, Jens Loven- 1111 or jwald@northfieldnews.com.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
NHS Winter Sports Preview
Page 11
News photo by Jeff Wald
The 2008-09 Northfield girls hockey team is pictured first row, from left: Mandie Cloud, Jenny Trulson, Morgan Hubers, Sarah Behr, Jenna Dixon, Skyler Werner, Sam Stark, Annie Pumper, Shannon Vesledahl, Cassie Thomas, Maggie Cloud, Genna Severson. Second row: Head coach Brent Bielenberg, Brittney Laue, Eme Gruenhagen, Alex Jenkins, Katie Jirik, Shelby Stark, Hannah Pilger, Becca Schultz, Chelsea Trebelhorn, Coach David Olson, Coach Ryan Pietsch. Third row: Coach Sara Rowan, Carly Oto, Riley Seitz, Cortney Thomas, Frannie Seitz, Brenna Freiermuth, Maren Dvorak, Maddie Carras, Marie Nordine.
Girls hockey will rely on seniors, young talent this season Raiders led by four seniors who have played together since seventh grade By JEFF WALD Sports Editor NORTHFIELD — It’s hard for players on the Northfield girls hockey team not to be excited about the winter season ahead. The Raiders lost a small handful of players to graduation and have seen much of their young talent mature since last season. Northfield finished the 2007-08 season 8-18, including a 2-12 mark in the Missota Conference. With most of their talent back, the excitement has built for the 2008-09 season. “The girls are excited to get things going,” said Raiders coach Brent Bielenberg, who enters his ninth season as head coach. “We’re about as healthy as we’ve ever been as a program. A lot of the kids have varsity experience, and it’s been fun
8 RAIDER GIRLS HOCKEY KEY RETURNERS: Maren Dvorak (Sr., F); Chelsea Trebelhorn (Sr., D); Alex Jenkins (Sr., F); Carly Oto (Sr., F); Bree Freiermuth (Soph., F); Riley Seitz (Jr., F) Samantha Stark (Soph., G); Shannon Vesledahl (Jr., F); Katie Jirik (Jr., D) KEY NEWCOMERS: Hannah Pilger (Soph., F); Maddie Carras (8th Grade, D) to see their energy so far.” The Raiders were a better team last year than their 8-18 record indicates. The season ended in an opening round playoff loss, but nine of their 18 losses were in close games. “We had seven games where we lost by one goal, and two others that we lost by two goals,” Bielenberg said. “We actually scored more goals last year than we ever have, and we gave up fewer goals than we ever have, so it’s coming around. The gap has been closing and almost every game last year was competitive.” The Raiders will be led by a group of
four seniors who have been in the program since they were in seventh grade. They’re led by Maren Dvorak, the team’s all-time leading scorer. The other seniors are defender Chelsea Trebelhorn, forward Alex Jenkins and forward Carly Oto. Balance is the early theme as the Raiders entered the regular season. They know Dvorak can score, but Bielenberg said he is looking for others to step up this year. He doesn’t want to rely on one player doing all the scoring, so he is spreading the talent over three lines. “We really want to have a balanced attack this year,” Bielenberg said. “Maren will score for us, and she likes to score, but we really want to have three balanced lines that can all be a factor. The days are gone where, if Maren doesn’t score, we’re in trouble.” The Raiders have several other key returning players back for this season. Junior defender Katie Jirik is back after a knee injury ended her season early last year. Other returning defenders include eighth-grader Maddie Carras and sophomore Shelby Stark. Carras will also play some forward on offense. Up front, nearly all of Northfield’s re-
turning players have varsity experience. Key returners at forward include juniors Shannon Vesledahl, Riley Seitz, Marie Nordine, Courtney Thomas and Brittney Laue, sophomores Bree Freiermuth and Hannah Pilger. In net, sophomore Samantha Stark returns for her third varsity season. Backing her up is eighth-grader Skyler Werner. Goals for the season weren’t clear early on, other than to finish with an above .500 record and improve in Missota Conference play. Bielenberg said this year should be as competitive as ever in the conference. “Every night is going to be a dog fight,” Bielenberg said. “This year, the conference is very balanced. Anybody can win on a given night. Every game will be one that we can win, and the girls like the competition.” Assuming the team stays healthy, it should be an exciting winter on the ice in a new home arena. — Jeff Wald can be reached at 6451111 or jwald@northfieldnews.com.
Page 12
NHS Winter Sports Preview
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
NHS wrestlers look to feature balanced team this season Raiders return seven seniors, several wrestlers with varsity experience By JEFF WALD Sports Editor NORTHFIELD — The Northfield wrestling team has several reasons to be excited about the upcoming 2008-09 season. The Raiders are coming off an above .500 season that included a landmark Missota Conference victory over Hutchinson. They sent a pair of sophomores to the Class AAA Individual State Tournament for the first time in a long time. That, coupled with the fact that almost everybody is back this season, has coach Cliff Casteel fired up about the season. “We’ve had some great practices early on,” Casteel said. “The guys are really getting after it in practice and we’ve already had some great competition. We have a lot of new faces, and a lot of our veterans are back. We have close to 50 kids in our program this year.” Perhaps that attitude has spilled over from the football field. Several of the athletes on the team played on the Raider football team that recently played for a state championship. The only negative to that: The wrestlers who played significant minutes haven’t gotten a lot of practice time yet on the mat, so the Raiders had their first two meets, at St. Paul Humboldt and Lakeville North, taken off the schedule.
8 RAIDER WRESTLING KEY RETURNERS: Tristin Faust (Jr.); Brandon Canedy (Jr.); Derrick Jacobs (Sr.); Jordan Maniglia (Sr.); Robby Allen (Sr.); Ryan Turnacliff (Sr.); Luke Schwalbe (Jr.); Matt Jaeckels (Jr.); Adam Woitalla (Fr.); Quin Schultz (Jr.) KEY NEWCOMERS: Matt Metcalf (8th Grade); Carson Canedy (7th Grade); Kyle Kuhn (Jr.); Logan Canedy (Soph.); Mike Deters (Sr.); Davonte Jacobs (Soph.); Cooper Schultz (Soph.); Andrew Turnacliff (Jr.) “It wouldn’t be fair to ask the varsity kids to wrestle after three days of being on a mat,” Casteel said. “This way, they can get some good practice time in. It’s even better for our less experienced guys, because they’ll get two weeks of mat time in before our first meet. That’s huge.” The Raiders are still a fairly young team with seven returning seniors, but a lot of the underclassmen come into the season with significant varsity experience. The returning seniors, mostly in the upper weights, are Derrick Jacobs, Jordan Maniglia, Justus Bruestle, Robby Allen and Ryan Turnacliff. Senior Will Daly also came out for the team, as did Shay Robinson, who injured his knee in the Prep Bowl. Helping Northfield lead the way this year will be a pair of juniors in Tristin Faust and Brandon Canedy. They ended their season last year in the state tourna-
8 PROJECTED STARTERS year and got to the state tournament. His losses were to the top-ranked kids in the state. Tristin is just flying around the mat 112: Brandon Canedy early on, he already looks like he’s in great 119: Luke Schwalbe shape.” Leading a class of talented freshman is 125: Matt Jaeckels Adam Woitalla. He wrestles in the lower weights and is back for his third varsity 130: Adam Woitalla season. 135: Kyle Kuhn “He’s a freshman, but he wrestles like a senior,” Casteel said. “He’s a tough kid 140: Tristin Faust who likes to get after it out there.” Other wrestlers who will make an im145: Logan Canedy pact this year include Luke Schwalbe, 152: Ryan Turnacliff Matt Jaeckels, Quin Schultz and Cooper Schultz. Casteel said he likes the balance 160: Quin Schultz that he has when he looks at early projections of the varsity lineup. 171: Jordan Maniglia “We’re a lot more balanced this year,” 189: Derrick Jacobs Casteel said. “We’ve got more experience at the top. Rob Allen is our first heavy215: Mike Deters weight that we’ve had for three straight 275: Robby Allen years. We’re strong on top, in the middle and at lower weights guys like Adam ment at the Xcel Energy Center. They are Woitalla and Brandon Canedy. We can two of a class of 14 juniors on this year’s spread them out and fill in a lot of spots.” team. — Jeff Wald can be reached at 645“They’ve been together since seventh grade, so they’ve wrestled a lot,” Casteel 1111 or jwald@northfieldnews.com. said. “Brandon finished under .500 last
103: Matt Metcalf, Carson Canedy
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Northfield freshman Adam Woitalla returns for his third varsity season with the Raider wrestling team. Woitall will wrestle at 130 pounds this season.
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Page 13
NHS Winter Sports Preview
2008-09 Northfield wrestling team
News photo by Jeff Wald
The 2008-09 Northfield wrestling team is pictured first row, from left: Matt Metcalf, Carson Canedy, Kody Reilly, Cam Reilly, Sam Olsen, Brandon Canedy, Matt Jaeckels, Luke Schwalbe, Tim Maus, Isaac Bruestle. Second row: Cam Reilly, Ben Johnson, Richard Lawless, Tyler Malecha, Cody Fugate, Adam Woitalla, Tristin Faust, David Rodgers, Sam Jaeckels, Jason Leyva. Third row: Kylie Cowdin, Justus Bruestle, Sam Minske, Adam Twille, Kyle Kuhn, Kevin Perez, Davonte Jacobs, Logan Canedy, Luke Holden, Mike Deters, Tom Pfahning, Ryan Turnacliff. Fourth row: Shay Robinson, Will Doane, Jordan Maniglia, Joe Leahy, Derrick Jacobs, Will Daly, Karl Alderks, Peter Huehn, Nate Thomas, Evan Quinnell, Andrew Turnacliff, Jack Samuels, Rob Allen.
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Page 14
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
NHS Winter Sports Preview
2008-09 Northfield Olympic-style Weightlifting team
News photo by Jeff Wald
The 2008-09 Northfield Olympic-style weightlifting team is pictured first row, from left: Kelly McGovern, Ellen Bashor, Molly Goss, Nicole Heinricy, Taylor Filzen, Noelle Heinricy, Mary Franz, Nikke Meyer. Second row: Ali Kopp, Cathy Berger, Natalie Witschorik, Kira Kirchberg, Rachel Hanson, Anna Hanson, Shelby Callahn, Lyndsey Callahan, Rachel Amerman. Third row: Coach Dan Meyers, Siobhan Lyons, Bette Benson, Ashley Winzig, Kelly Distad, Katie Nygren, Bailey Lawson, Grace Vasilis, Taylor Elliason, Emily Kragness, Matt Cochlin, Head coach Scott Sahli. Fourth row: Tucker Meillier, Kyle Rasmussen, Alex Perkins, Alex Fritz, Kevin Moore, Cameron Hagen, Jordan Freeman, Matt Bettinger, Ben Scott, Reid Olson, Hunter Pleschourt, Jacob Sinning, Shane Henry.
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Wednesday, December 10, 2008
NHS Winter Sports Preview
Page 15
News photo by Jeff Wald
The 2008-09 Northfield boys hockey team is pictured first row, from left: Isaak Tjaden, student manager Connor Bergman, Coach Steve Beaulieu, Head coach Bryce Barry, Ben Truax, Cole Jirik, Cody Schmidt, Coach Cory Miller, student manager J.D. Pilger, Nate Finger. Second row: Jordin Crawford, Drake Chapman, Kody Beckers, Jared Docken, Alex Pumper, Scott Snesrud, Alex Knight, Charlie Cloud, Ben Dixon, Jack Wellman. Third row: Adam Seitz, Thomas Falenschek, Jon-Erle Reid, Scott Benjamin, Wade Nelson, Luke Hinderscheit, Mike Vogel.
Boys hockey team looks to be competitive with young squad Raiders bring back five seniors, host of young talent for season By JEFF WALD Sports Editor
8 RAIDER BOYS HOCKEY KEY RETURNERS: Cole Jirik (Sr., D); Cody Schmidt (Sr., F); Tommy Falenschek (Sr., F); Jon-Erle Reid (Sr., F); Alex Pumper (Jr., F); Scott Benjamin (Jr., F); Ben Truax (Jr., D); Nate Finger (Soph., G); Adam Seitz (Sr., F)
KEY NEWCOMERS: Scott Snesrud (Jr., F); Ben Dixon (Jr., D); Luke HinNORTHFIELD — It’s safe to say that the winter ahead is going to be a lot of derscheit (Jr., F); Kody Beckers (Fr., F); learning on-the-go for the Northfield boys Drake Chapman (Jr., F); Jared Docken (Soph., D) hockey team. The Raiders graduated a slew of senior talent from a team that finished 1512 overall, including an 8-6 mark that finished in the upper half of the Missota Conference. Northfield has five seniors on this year’s roster, four of whom played significant varsity time. The group will be led by forward Cody Schmidt and defenseman Cole Jirik. Forward Tommy Falenschek, forward JonErle Reid and forward Adam Seitz are the other seniors. The challenge for coach Bryce Barry will be to find the right mix of players among the team’s lines early on. “We’ve got some good leaders with five seniors,” said Barry, who enters his second season as the team’s coach. “It’s just
going to take some time to figure out the combinations and to see what will work.” The Raiders got a later start than normal to the season as several players were also on the football team that reached the Prep Bowl. It forced Northfield to move its season-opener against Rochester Lourdes, which was supposed to be Dec. 2, to be moved to February. Northfield lacks players with a lot of varsity experience this year, but Barry said the fact that they’re young doesn’t bother him. “The good thing about a young team is
‘The good thing about a young team is that there is competition for every spot. This group is very coachable, they’re passionate about hockey and love to play the game.’ 8 Bryce Barry, NHS coach
Slocum. The Raiders will be young at the forwards. The list of players that could have an impact include juniors Scott Snesrud, Alex Pumper, Scott Benjamin, Wade Nelson, Luke Hinderscheit and Drake Chapman. “We have a squad that needs a lot of molding and shaping,” Barry said. “The challenge will be to get them to play to our systems and capitalize on opportunities.” In net, sophomore Nate Finger will get the primary goalie responsibilities after playing behind Derrick Ellingson last season. Finger will also be challenged by freshman Isaak Tjaden for playing time. This is also the first year in recent memory that the Raiders will travel to a Christmas tournament. They will travel to Roseau, one of the richest hockey traditions in Minnesota, for a tournament over the last three days in December. “That’s something we’re really looking forward to,” Barry said. “To go up to Roseau, where it’s a town with a strong hockey tradition, it will be a fun experience. It’s a chance for the guys to spend a few days together and take in a lot of hockey.”
that there is competition for every spot,” Barry said. “This group is very coachable and willing to learn what we’re trying to teach. They’re passionate about hockey and love to play the game. A lot of teams are going to overlook us because we’re so young. We could surprise some people.” The lines before the start of the season are largely undetermined. Jirik will see time on the first line defense, and Schmidt will be a first-line forward. Reid should also be in that mix, along with Falenschek. Other defenders that will have an impact this year include juniors Ben Truax — Jeff Wald can be reached at 645and Ben Dixon, and sophomores Jared 1111 or jwald@northfieldnews.com. Docken, John Wellman and Jacob Fure-
Page 16
NHS Winter Sports Preview
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
NHS lifters will chase another state title this winter By JACI SMITH Managing Editor
8 RAIDER WEIGHTLIFTING
NORTHFIELD — Winning every meet in the state in the last three and a half years plus four straight state championships means the pressure is on for the Raiders weightlifting team this year. But they like it that way, says coach Scott Sahli. “One of the things we do is handle pressure well,” he said. “You want it. It’s a good thing.” Sahli, who has had to postpone the normal start date for his season because of the football team’s run at the state championship (a lot of his lifters are also football players, and Sahli is the team’s strength and conditioning coach), said there are multiple reasons for the team to be looking over its shoulder this year. The team has lost several key contributors. State champions Cory Callahan, Chris Smith, Samantha Behr and Jamie Becker have all graduated. Samantha Behr’s twin sister Sabrina, a runner-up at state last year, also graduated. Callahan holds the state record in the clean-and-jerk at 342 pounds. Callahan was ranked eighth nationally at 94 kilos and Smith was ranked fourth at 105-plus kilos, and both competed in the National Junior Weightlifting Championships ear-
KEY RETURNERS: Yujie Sun (Sr.), Jordan Freeman (Jr.); Josh Corbin (Soph.); Matt Bettinger (Jr.); Lindsey Callahan (Jr.); Shelby Callahan (8th Grade); Noelle Heinricy (Sr.); Nicole Heinricy (Sr.); Taylor Filzen (Sr.) lier this year. Those who fare well there go on to compete for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. Two other lifters, Cameron Hagen and Molly Goss, suffered knee injuries in other sports that won’t allow them to compete this year. Hagen took third at state last year and Goss was a runnerup. Sahli believes there will also be more competition. Albert Lea, which in prior years had a few lifters, may this year have a full complement. The Southern Metro Team is now located in Rochester and is pulling a bigger pool of lifters together than before, Sahli said. Replacing their graduated teammates won’t be easy, but there are many underclassmen, some now seniors, who Sahli is confident will step up to fill the void. Sahli said he’s expecting good production from Cory Callahan’s younger sisters, Lindsey, a junior; and Shelby, an eighth-grader. Twin sisters and se-
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Northfield senior Yujie Sun returns as one of the Raiders’ top boys lifters. niors Noelle and Nicole Heinricy are also expected to perform well. Noelle is a state champion and the team will be captained by returning “big-time performer” Taylor Filzen, Sahli said. On the boys’ side, Sahli said a number of the younger lifters are developing nicely. The team returns senior Yujie Sun, a defending state champion, and Jordan Freeman, a runner-up. Sophomore Josh Corbin also shows promise, Sahli said. While the coming year has plenty of its own challenges to offer, Sahli said he
has his eye on the future. In 2010, Sahli expects at least some of his lifters to be competing at the first-ever high school weightlifting national championships. “We’re shooting for the stars a little bit,” Sahli said. “But we really want to compete at a national level, and I’ve been really happy with the kids we have and how they’ve been working. We want to be able to go with anybody.” The season opens with the Southern Minnesota High School open on Dec. 13 at Rochester.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Page 17
NHS Winter Sports Preview
2008-09 Northfield gymnastics team
News photo by Jeff Wald
The 2008-09 Northfield Gymnastics team is pictured first row, from left: Aleasha Kimmes, Meaghan Howell, Sveta Mason, Carolyn Pokorney, Ashley Otis, Emily Stets. Second row: Jordan Severson, Hannah Dvorak, Abby Stets, Melanie Beaver, Lindsay Henrickson, Jasmin Muehlberger. Third row: Taylor Wilson, Caitlyn Otis, Rachel Henrickson, Erin Maher, Ranndi Salzman. Fourth row: Emily Kragness, Brittany DuPay, Katie Howell, Kim Kalton, Cacie Lowe.
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NHS Winter Sports Preview
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
NHS gymnasts will shoot for Missota title, state berth Raiders bring back almost everybody from last season
8 RAIDER GYMNASTICS KEY RETURNERS: Hannah Dvorak (Sr.); Lindsay Henrickson (Jr.); Sveta Mason (Soph.); Rachel Henrickson (Jr.); Kim Kalton (Sr.); Emily Stets (Soph.); Meaghan Howell (Fr.)
By JEFF WALD Sports Editor
KEY NEWCOMERS: Abby Stets (7th Grade); Carolyn Pokorney (Jr.); NORTHFIELD — The Northfield gym- Melanie Beaver (Soph.); Ashley Otis nastics team is loaded with talent as it (Soph.); Emily Kragness (Soph.) heads into its 2008-09 season. The Raiders lost two seniors from a team that finished second in the Missota Conference, second at the Section 1AA Championships and sent two individuals to the Class AA State Championships. With almost everybody back from that team, Northfield has set the bar high for the winter season ahead. “As long as everybody stays healthy, we’ll be pretty solid,” said Raiders coach Melissa Cummins, who enters her third year as head coach of the program. “We lost Caitlyn Borek and Liz Triplett from last year, and they made contributions throughout the year and at sections. But we do have almost everybody back.” Two years ago, in Cummins’ first year,
the Raiders were virtually perfect. They didn’t lose a dual meet, won the Missota Conference championship and participated in the Class AA team State Championships for the first time in NHS history. Last year, Northfield split a pair of dual meets with Missota Conference rival New Prague before taking second to the Trojans at the Missota Conference Championships. The Raiders also finished second behind Lakeville South at the Section 1AA Championships. Hannah Dvorak (all-around), Lindsay Henrickson (beam) and Sveta Mason (beam) finished the season competing at the state meet at Roy Wilkins Auditorium. Cummins said there’s no reason the
Raiders can’t win the conference, win the section and return to state this year. “I look at our team and know that we’ve only gotten stronger,” Cummins said. “The opportunity we have to go to state as a team will give the girls more motivation. We know we’re up against good competition, but we know we’ve only gotten stronger and better. I think we have a great shot at it.” The Raiders will feature a fairly young team with three seniors returning, but they’ve got plenty of talent with varsity experience. Leading the way is senior Hannah Dvorak, who has been a varsity gymnast since seventh grade and has competed in each of the previous five seasons. The other seniors on the team are Kim Kalton and Caitlyn Otis. Cummins said she likes the senior leadership her team has. “They bring a lot of leadership to the team in terms of their work ethic,” Cummins said. “They’re good with organization and the expectations that they’ve set for themselves. That rubs off on the girls that are younger.” Also back in the varsity lineup are a pair of juniors and twins in Rachel and Lindsay Henrickson. Both have gotten a
taste of state tournament competition. Sophomores Emily Stets and Sveta Mason, and freshman Meaghan Howell also bring varsity experience to the lineup this year. Junior Katie Howell, seventh grader Abby Stets and sophomore Carolyn Pokorney will also be competing for varsity time. Cummins expects the Raiders to be strong in every event, but she’s particularly excited about the team’s potential on the uneven parallel bars. “We’re going to be strong everywhere, but one are that sticks out to me is the bars,” Cummins said. “We’re going to have a lot of unique, high-level skills being thrown on bars. You can look for great things from Meaghan Howell and Rachel Henrickson there.” For now, the focus is on getting the first meet out of the way and getting the season started. The Raiders open the season hosting Owatonna on Dec. 12 at Northfield Gymnastics Club. “It’s always exciting for them to get that first meet under their belt,” Cummins said. “It kind of allows them to kick in gear a little bit. They realize it’s their season and that we need to get going.” — Jeff Wald can be reached at 6451111 or jwald@northfieldnews.com.
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Page 19
NHS Winter Sports Preview
2008-09 Northfield boys swimming and diving
News photo by Jeff Wald
The 2008-09 Northfield boys swimming and diving team is pictured first row, from left: Adam Mousel, Matt Trulson, AJ Olivero, Derek Rasmussen, John Donahoe, James Penning, Marcelino Delgado. Second row: Jon Jensen, Nick Janak, Scott Gallagher, Glenn Dworsky, Alex Rod, Peter Schlecht, Kyle Mace, Riley Helgeson, Justin Delgado. Third row: Assistant coach Deb Seitz, Chris Anderson, Kyle Delgado, Erick Swanson, Christopher Isom, Tim Schlossin, Adam Nystuen, Matt Detjen, Blaine Olivero. Fourth row: Coach John Knapp, Garrick Hoekstra, Skyler Hansen, Jeff Chlan, Luke Lebens, Daniel Martinson, Tom Neset, Atticus Christensen, Head coach Doug Davis.
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Page 20
NHS Winter Sports Preview
Boys swimmers will chase Missota title with core of experienced swimmers Gators will have nine seniors in lineup, return all divers for winter season By JEFF WALD Sports Editor NORTHFIELD — The Northfield boys swimming and diving team has reason to be excited about the upcoming winter season. The Gators suffered a minimal loss to graduation with four talented seniors, but they return a majority of the talent that helped the program reach the success it had last season. Northfield won the Missota Conference title for the second straight season, and in its first year competing in Class AA, the Gators won the Section 1AA True Team title. They also finished in the top half of the True Team State Championships. With the experience Northfield has returning, coach Doug Davis is excited about the season ahead. “We’re going to be a really competitive, solid team,” said Davis, who enters his 12th year with the NHS boys swimming and diving team. He has coached high school swimming for 21 seasons total, 15 as a head coach. “We graduated four talented guys. But we have a class coming in of nine to 10 seniors. They all have the capability to provide big contributions this year.” Last year’s conference title was Northfield’s third in its last four years. Davis said the conference race will largely depend on how the team does in dual meets this year. “How well we do in the conference is going to be an indicator of how good the team will be,” Davis said. “We have the talent and good athletes. We’ll be looking for some of them to realize their potential.” The team looks to be balanced this year. Davis said early on that the Gators should have at least two or three solid swimmers in every event. They’ll be led by returners Adam Mousel, Jim Penning, John Donahoe, Derek
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Wednesday, December 10, 2008
GO RAIDERS! We bring A Touch Of The Orient To Northfield
KEY NEWCOMERS: Luke Lebens (Fr.); Rasmussen, Glenn Dworsky, Marcelino Delgado, Chris Anderson, Justin Delgado and Daniel Martinson. “We’ll definitely be able to fill every event with some solid kids,” Davis said. “We’ll look for Adam Mousel to step in and fill some holes in our sprint swims. We’ll look for some of the other guys to step up so we can be three deep in pretty much every event.” Davis is also looking for some younger swimmers to step up this season. That group includes Nick Janak, Kyle Mace, Chris Isom and Kyle Finger. The Gators should be especially strong on the diving board. All four divers from last year are returning to the team. Three of them made the Section 1AA Finals last year. The diving group includes Scott Gallagher, A.J. Olivero, Matt Trulson and Luke Lebens. “We’re really excited about our divers,” Davis said. “Three of them made the section finals last year, and all of them have made significant improvements.” With the team having as many as 40 athletes and double-digit numbers in seniors, Davis said early on he’ll be looking for who will step up and take the leadership role. “That will be very interesting,” Davis said. “In the past, we’ve had a couple guys who were very out-going and gave us a lot of energy. The guys seem energetic and fired up to get things going. We’re waiting to see who will take the leadership role and what personalities will emerge. There’s never a reason not to be excited. It’s great to work with guys who have the experience and know what to expect.” — Jeff Wald can be reached at 6451111 or jwald@northfieldnews.com.
Attention Athletes & Busy Parents Start the winter sports season right by enjoying a great meal at Mandarin Garden, we offer... • Generous portions, reasonable prices, pleasant atmosphere. • Individually prepared dishes served piping hot. • Many Varieties of dishes to choose from. • You can spend intimate time with the family. • Easy clean up...no dishes to wash. • Nutritious meal to satisfy hungry athletes!
RESTAURANT
107 East 4th St. • Northfield • 645-7101
Lunch Wed.-Fri. 11:30-2:00 • Dinner Tues.-Thurs. 4:30-9:00 Fri. & Sat. 4:30-10:00