Forest Lake Times Fall Sports

TALL TASK AWAITS GRIDDERS

8/30 atPark12-47

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9/28 vsrosEviLLE 7

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By The Numbers

Point differential of coach Billy Kirch’s Waverly-South

Shore (SD) squad as it went 12-0 and won a state

title last fall

“Everybody’s going to be fully committed and we’re going to try to get better every day and see what happens.”– coach Billy Kirch

ranger FootBall • 2011 record: 2-7 (SEC: 2-6, T-sixth)• Head coach: Billy Kirch, first year• Assistant coaches: Chris Vogel, James DePoint, Geoff McGlaughlin, Billy Pierce, Joel Hall, RonnieGamble, Nick Ward, Brad Asplund, Ben Dahmes• Captains: Seniors Andrew Montean, Jeremy McLaughlin, Zach Dilling, Glen Miron and Trent Rabel• All-Conference returnees: None

FOOTBALLaround the SecMounds View allowed just 9.8 points/game last year; Woodbury scored 33.3/game to top the league

QuicK hitS• Blaine native Kirch enters

first year as head coach

• Only three varsity start-ers return from 2-7 season

• Low numbers led to the cancellation of JV season

WINS

year

Football

1

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

2-7T-7Th

2-7T-6Th

4-5T-6Th

4-56Th

4-6T-5Th

Numbers, experience not on FL’s side in 2012

The whispers have floated around town this fall: “Does he know what he’s getting himself into?”

The subject of those talks is one Billy Kirch, the new head football coach in Forest Lake. The 28-year-old from Blaine left a state championship nine-man squad in South Dakota to take the reins of a Ranger program that finds itself in a precarious posi-tion. The varsity team has but a handful of returning starters and a lack of numbers this fall leaves the school without a JV team.

That’s not to sound harsh, but those are simply the facts. And after a 47-12 loss to Park in the season opener, it’s not speculation to say this season will be a challenge for the coach, his staff and the players who have worked and waited years for their chance.

But in the end, it’s a game. Kirch is confident the JV will return next season and in the meantime, there is football to play this fall.

“We look around and these are the only guys we got,” Kirch said. “We talk about how you’re either all in or all out...Everybody’s going to be fully committed and we’re going to try to get better every day and see what happens.”

The lineup will likely be tweaked throughout the season as Kirch sorts out what he has and as the players battle for time at loads of open posi-tions.

Senior Trent Rabel is the team’s primary quarterback.

“We really like what Trent brings,” Kirch said. “He can throw the foot-ball, he can run the football. He’s smart. He’s been in the offense. He can direct traffic and does a good job of leading the offense.”

Junior Danny Wassman will also see time under center in addition to toting the ball as a running back.

Forest Lake’s top returning offen-sive weapon is running back Glen Miron. At 6’1” and 216 pounds, the senior is a powerful north-south runner. The third-year varsity mem-ber could also start at linebacker, though, so the staff will have to bal-ance his usage.

“Glen Miron is one of those guys, he’s the complete package from the ground up,” Kirch said. “He works his butt off in everything he does, in season, out of season, it doesn’t matter. Competes, he’s a great leader, captain, he’s a physical specimen. He’s just a great guy to have.”

Backfield mate Russell Wedger, also a senior, saw playing time in 2011.

The Rangers hope to throw more this season. Senior Andrew Montean, junior Derek Geisner and senior Zach Freer are among those in the mix at wide receiver.

Kirch is also looking for someone to emerge at tight end, as that would allow the offense to open up.

Though much smaller than in 2011, the offensive line is an area the coaches feel has depth. Senior Jeremy McLaughlin and junior Cody Mehsikomer stood out in camp.

Kirch, who doubles as defen-

sive coordinator, feels the defen-sive line could be one of the team’s strengths.

“On the D-line we’ve got some big guys. I think we’re going to be big and physical,” he said. “If we can get kids to play hard and play to their potential, I think we could be pretty good up front.”

Senior Zach Dilling brings expe-rience at one defensive end spot. Junior Matt Lennon has a large frame and may occupy the other end. Inside, seniors Mitch O’Brien and Cedric Flemming each top the scale at over 300 pounds. Senior Zach Reyes will also contribute. Any of the linemen may flip to the other side of the ball as needed.

Linebacker and the defensive back-field were areas of concern as the season opened. Senior Harry Olsen and junior Andrew Murry could take on linebacker duties while juniors Zach Voss and Jordan Carr are pros-pects at defensive back.

Junior Leighton Bierman could see the field at a number of positions on both sides of the ball.

Xs and OsKirch dove into film study upon

accepting the job this spring.“I definitely saw speed on the field,

from us and the teams we played. You could tell the league we play in is tough,” he said. “Being a defensive guy, it’s fun to see offenses and then picture where you would line up. What defense you would play, where you have kids lined up and what would work and what maybe didn’t work. I did see some things on film last year that did work and I saw a lot of things that didn’t work, so I think I was able to learn from that.”

All but four Ranger assistants from 2011 came aboard Kirch’s coaching staff. Longtime staff member Chris Vogel takes over the offensive coor-dinator duties and works with the quarterbacks. Ben Dahmes oversees the running backs, James DePoint the wide receivers and Ronnie Gamble the offensive line. Brad Asplund will help on the offensive line and special teams. On defense, Billy Pierce will coach the line and Nick Ward the linebackers, Geoff McGlaughlin the cornerbacks and Kirch the safeties.

Much of the same offensive sys-tem is being kept in place, including the midline option attack that helped Forest Lake lead the Suburban East Conference in rushing last fall. However, Kirch is also adding wrin-kles from his previous system.

“We’ll keep the quarterback in the pocket and if they get too many guys in the box, we’re going to try to throw the football,” he said. “We have confi-dence in Trent that he can throw and we’ve got guys that can catch.”

Kirch preaches a gap-control, four-linemen defense that relies on active safeties.

“Everybody has their individual job,” he explained. “Everybody has their read and their key and it’s just a trust-the-guy-next-to-you mentality. We want to keep it as simple as pos-sible and make it look as complicated as possible.”

Tough CallOver 100 athletes grades 9-12

turned out for the new coach’s sum-mer camp. This fall, the program features about 50 combined seniors and juniors, nearly 40 sophomores and about 45 ninth-graders.

“I always like to have more kids out, but I do think the kids we have out are committed and are solid kids,” Kirch said.

The decision to forego a JV season was the right thing to do, Kirch said, as over 10 sophomores would have needed to play for two teams per week to keep the team.

“It was tough to do. We went back and forth about it,” Kirch said. “We’re confident that we’ll come back next year and have a JV schedule.”

Key to the team’s future success is Kirch’s ability to win over the players he has now.

“I’m their third coach in three years, so I was worried about gain-ing their trust or if I was just going to be another face to them,” he said. “I don’t think we’re completely there yet, but we’re going to get there, so my mind’s kind of put to ease that way. I know the guys now, I know the coaches, they know me and kind of a we’re-all-in-together mentality. It’s great. It’s a blessing to be here, it really is. It’s a lot of fun.”

Photos courtesy of David Bank Studios

The 2012 Ranger football team opened its eight-game Suburban East Conference slate at Park last week. Forest Lake has its home opener this Friday as East Ridge comes to town.

Seniors Andrew Montean, Jeremy McLaughlin, Zach Dilling, Glen Miron and Trent Rabel will serve as captains this fall.

Page 2A – Thursday, September 6, 2012 – Forest Lake Times www.forestlaketimes.com

Reversal of last fall’s 8-20 record a goal for 2012

Through 15 years as Forest Lake’s volleyball coach, Sherri Alm has seen her share of ups and downs. In her 16th sea-son, Alm expects more of the former.

Much of the squad returns, giving hope that the Rangers can stop the streak of losing seasons at two. In fact, one of the team’s goals is to reverse its record of 8-20 from last fall.

A large chuck of the roster has played togeth-er on varsity for one, or even two, seasons. Leading the attack will be middle hitter Miranda Haug. Alm calls the senior a dynamic player with a great attitude. Haug enters her third year on varsity and her second as a captain. She led the team in kills and blocks in 2011 on her way to all-conference honors.

This fall’s other cap-tains, senior hitters Hanna Morris and Dani Galvez, should also rack up plenty of kills from the front row. Galvez can play at several positions

while Morris led the team in serving and attack per-centage as a junior.

Alm is counting on senior hitter Chelsea Lautigar turning poten-tial into production in her second varsity season.

The Rangers return two senior setters. The athletic Rachel Shumaker led the team in setting assists as a junior, while Brenna Blake is a lead-er who found increased playing time as last sea-son went on.

Katelin Kruger, a steady senior, will slide from hitter into the role of libero.

A new wave of players will push the returning starters. At 6’1”, junior middle hitter Mariah Daninger brings height that the program has been missing. Athletic sophomore Emily Lindstrom will look to join the rotation at out-side hitter. Junior Chelsie Bethke can play both hit-ter and setter as a left-handed weapon with a

sharp mind for the game.Senior Carli Kirchner,

junior Caitlin Freer and junior Lauren Riedeman round out the roster.

The task for Alm is to manage a lineup that has lots of interchangeable parts. She will “truly not be stepping down” by turning to the reserves this year.

Another challenge is the team’s shift to a three-middle-hitter offense. In that system, a trio of hitters move between all three hitter positions in scheduled shifts. Alm was waiting for a year where her personnel fit the system. Beyond any strategic benefit, she notes, it keeps the girls engaged.

“Just because we are going to do this doesn’t give us anything, other than you’re excited to come to practice, you’re refocused,” she said. “I think they’re excited about it.”

After a couple of long seasons, the vibe of

“Ranger Volleyball” is reported to be alive and well in the gym.

“Getting them to believe in themselves – you can tell them and tell them but they have to believe,” Alm said. “It’s fun to see that coming out of these girls.”

The result should be a season where the team is competitive in almost any match, even against the likes of Cretin-Derham Hall and Roseville in the Suburban East Conference and Andover and Duluth East in Section 7AAA.

“We should be able to stick with most teams this year and battle it out against the stronger teams as well,” Alm said. “We are looking forward to a crew of girls who work well together and now have some varsity experience so they know what they need to do to compete.”

Photos courtesy of TLC Digital Images

The 2012 Forest Lake volleyball team consists of eight seniors, four juniors and a sophomore. The squad opened the season with a win over Cambridge-Isanti last week and heads to Shakopee for an invitational this weekend. Below: Seniors Dani Galvez, Miranda Haug and Hanna Morris are the team’s captains.

Experienced squad aims to restore ‘FL Volleyball’

articles by sports Editor Clint Riese

page

2Football

page

4Boys’

Soccer

page

5Girls’

Soccer

page

6Cross

Country

page

7Girls’

Swim/Dive

page

8Girls’

Tennis

“We should be able to stick with most teams this year and battle it out against the stronger teams as well.”– coach Sherri alm

ranger Volleyball • 2011 record: 8-20 (SEC: 3-6, seventh)• Head coach: Sherri Alm, 16th year• Assistant coaches: Katie Lindgren, MelissaMarr, Nicole Tetrault, Laura Palke and Erin Casey• Captains: Seniors Dani Galvez, Miranda Haug andHanna Morris• All-Conference returnees: Haug

VOLLEYBALLaround the SecCretin-Derham Hall swept

the conference and advanced to state in 2011

Quick hitS• Team incorporating new

offensive system

• Core of team returns for senior season

• FL looks to snap streak of losing seasons at two

WINS

year

Volleyball

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

5

10

15

20

25

30

23-62nd

16-145th

21-82nd

6-227th

8-207th

File photo

Katelin Kruger rips a spike as Hanna Morris looks on in a 2011 match.

3By The Numbers

A trio of capable setters will vie for playing time

8/30 vsCambridge-isanti 3-29/8 atshakopeeinvite 99/10 vsChisagoLakes 79/13 vsstiLLwater 79/17 vsCentenniaL 79/19 atmoundsview 79/20 vsC-dhaLL 79/24 atanoka 79/25 vseLkriver 79/27 ateastridge 79/29 atduLutheastinvite910/2 vswhitebearLake 710/4 vspark 710/9 athastings 710/11 vsroseviLLe 710/16 atwoodbury 710/19- atroChester5,1010/20 Centuryinvite10/24 seCtion7aaa 710/26 seCtion7aaa 710/30 seCtion7aaa 711/3 seCtion7aaaFinaLs 711/8- statetournament

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2012 Fall SportS preView

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The 2012 Ranger boys’ soccer team is off to a 1-3-1 start but has high hopes for this fall’s campaign. The roster features eight seniors, nine juniors and two sophomores. Below: Seniors Austin Rizzo, Matt Eiden and Dan Mollett are the team’s captains.

Soccer team shooting for a breakout season

Veterans dot Rangers’ lineup Last season was gen-

erally a struggle for the Forest Lake boys’ soccer team, but the Rangers are banking on improvement this fall thanks to a num-ber of returning starters.

The 2011 roster fea-tured a dozen seniors but a group of underclassmen took most of the start-ing spots. Those players, combined with several fresh faces, have coach Matt Koehn excited. Participation program-wide is right around 50 this fall.

“We should have a pretty talented team this year,” he said. “I think from top to bottom, between varsity and JV and B-squad, we’ve got real talented players on every team.”

The team’s strength will be up front, as the double-headed attack of forwards Matt Eiden and Matt Keith return for their senior season. Eiden, a captain, opened this year with a four-goal game.

“They should be a pretty dangerous combi-nation this year, we just got to get them playing well together,” Koehn

said.Junior Joe Rappa will

be among those splitting time between forward and midfielder. Newcomer Garret Peterson, a junior, will start at center mid-field and be flanked by Austin Rizzo, a senior captain.

Fellow senior captain Dan Mollett will anchor the defense. Junior Austin Beecher and new team member Paul Litecky, a junior, will also see significant time at defense.

A goalie competition is in full swing between last year’s JV and B-squad goalies. Senior Nick Ladwig and junior Keenan Patterson bring

different skills to the table.

“None of them have any varsity experience at that level,” Koehn said. “Through the scrimmag-es so far they’ve each done great in different areas so we’re still kind of waiting for one to step forward.”

The team is off to a 1-3-1 start. Two of the non-conference games were played at the National Sports Center in Blaine, where Koehn works.

“The sports center’s treating them like an Olympian for a day,” he said. “You’ve got your locker rooms, you walk through the tunnel, you walk onto that field and

it’s an incredible thing to be there.”

The Rangers are now into the meat of the sched-ule, as the Suburban East Conference continues to be among the state’s best. Come section time, Forest Lake hopes to compete with the likes Blaine and Duluth East in the upper echelon.

“The potential’s there, we just have to go take it now,” Koehn said.

An off-season devel-opment bodes well for the future of the pro-gram. The youth soccer clubs of Forest Lake and Chisago Lakes combined to form Lakes United Futbol Club. The impact this year will be minimal, but a key foundation has been laid.

“Overall, the Lakes United merger between Chisago and Forest Lake is going to be a good thing because it can allow kids to play at the – number one – appropriate age level and – number two – appropriate skill level, so you’re not taking a cou-ple age groups and merg-ing them together just to get time in,” Koehn said.

8/23 vsDuluthDenfelD 4-18/24 vsDulutheast 0-28/25 vsCoonRapiDs 0-28/28 atst.fRanCis 2-28/30 atMounDsview 0-29/4 vssoMeRset(wi) 79/6 vseastRiDge 59/11 atpaRk 79/15 atanDoveR 19/18 atwooDbuRy 79/20 vsC-Dhall 59/22 atblaine 19/25 vsstillwateR 79/27 atRoseville 510/2 vsw.b.lake 710/4 vshastings 510/11 seCtion7aaatouRney10/13 seCtion7aaatouRney10/16 seCtion7aaatouRney10/24- statetouRnaMent

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BOYS SOCCER

WINS

year

Boys’ soccer

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

2007

5-11-17th

2008

6-7-65th

2009

6-11-18th

2010

5-13t-9th

2011

3-12-2t-8th

“From top to bottom, between varsity and JV and B-squad, we’ve got real talented players on every team.”– coach Matt Koehn

RangeR Boys’ socceR • 2011 record: 3-12-2 (SEC: 1-7-1, T-eighth)• Head coach: Matt Koehn, third year• Assistant coaches: Chris Conley, Ron Tungsethand Daniel Wasson• Captains: Seniors Matt Eiden, Dan Mollett and Austin Rizzo• All-Conference returnees: Eiden Honorable mention: Mollett

aRound the secStillwater is ranked

No. 4 in the state in the first poll of the season

QuicK hits• Goalie competition in full

swing

• Eiden, Keith a dangerous duo at forward

• FL looks for first playoff win since 2007

31By The Numbers

Consecutive games since Forest Lake last posted a

shutout

File photo

The Rangers are count-ing on senior forward Matt Keith to be a big part of the offense this season.



The 2012 Forest Lake girls’ soccer team features two seniors, seven juniors, six sophomores and two ninth-graders. Below: Senior Olivia Norman, senior Skye Finley and junior Lara Steinhoff are captains.

FL hopes emphasis on offense, defensive shift lead to victories

8/23 attwoHarbors 5-08/24 atHibbing 3-18/24 atDulutHDenfelD 1-28/28 atst.francis 0-38/30 atMounDsView 0-39/5 atanDoVer 79/6 VseastriDge 79/11 atPark 59/15 atcoonraPiDs 79/18 atwooDbury 59/20 Vsc-DHall 79/22 VscHisagolakes 119/25 Vsstillwater 59/27 atroseVille 710/2 Vsw.b.lake 510/4 VsHastings 710/11 section7aaatourney10/13 section7aaatourney10/16 section7aaatourney10/29- statetournaMent

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WINS

year

girls’ soccer

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

2007

2-15-1T-8Th

2008

1-17-29Th

2009

4-11-19-Th

2010

6-11T-9Th

2011

4-13-010Th

“The girls know they can do it and there’s enough core girls left that they can build on that.”– coach hanz Lehrke

ranger girLs’ soccer • 2011 record: 4-13-0 (SEC: 0-9, tenth)• Head coach: Hanz Lehrke, fifth year• Assistant coaches: Rich Elliot, Amanda Hansenand Shawn Johnson• Captains: Senior Skye Finley, senior Olivia Norman and junior Lara Steinhoff• All-Conference returnees: Finley. Honorable mention: Norman and junior Loren Kempenich

around the secWoodbury, ranked sixth

in the state this fall, swept the conference and

reached state in 2011

Quick hits• Position switches made

with offense in mind

• Team switching to four-back defensive system

• Crop of young players allows for third team

8By The Numbers

Number of losses (out of 13 total) that came by

one goal in 2011

Improvement shown in 2011 despite record In any sport, certain

parts of the game can-not be captured by a box score. For the Forest Lake girls’ soccer team, the improvement on dis-play last season did not convert well to paper.

The Rangers showed increased levels of skill and comprehension of the game in years but still managed to go just 4-13 and ended the sea-son on an 11-game losing streak.

However, coach Hanz Lehrke’s squad lost eight games by a single goal.

“We controlled the ball really, really well,” Lehrke said. “The defense was fairly solid. It was like 1-0, 2-1. We only had one game, I think, where it got out of control. We controlled the ball really well but we just couldn’t get players forward to get realistic, often shots on the net.”

To that end, the team put an emphasis on offense during the pre-season. Lehrke taught new strategies and shifted personnel in an attempt to increase scor-ing.

He feels his crew of forwards is deeper and

more accurate with their shots than in years past.

Junior Emily Paulson is off to a hot start this sea-son. Others contributing on the front line include junior Hayley Mample, sophomore Brianna Vogel and sophomore Sarah Jaeb. Lehrke expects to use junior Lara Steinhoff and ninth-grader Kassity Swanson both at forward and defense.

Seniors Skye Finley and Olivia Norman will anchor a midfield unit that should be the team’s strength. Finley is moving up after years

of starting on defense, while Norman will move to the center position from the outside. Ninth-grader Abby Steinhoff returns after seeing sig-nificant action at the position last fall.

The reworked defense returns a starter in soph-omore Maia Peterson and features a var-sity newcomer, junior Arainna Tyler, along with Swanson and the elder Steinhoff.

The Rangers will use four defenders rather than three in front of junior goalie Loren Kempenich, a returning starter.

Lehrke feels the team as a whole is strong on offense, noting that just two girls are true defend-ers.

“If we can get people who can score and are willing to do whatever it takes to put the ball in the net – just putting a toe on it, putting a head, running it in with their belly, whatever – just that kind of dedication, I think we can have a good season,” Lehrke said.

The defense is a work in progress, he admits, and the new offensive philosophy may take time to pay off, but the girls are excited and that is showing through in practices featuring more spirit than in past years.

Interest in the pro-

gram is high this fall, with about 50 girls out. A large group of junior high players allowed the program to field three teams this year.

Lehrke hopes that interest continues to grow thanks to the cre-ation of the Lakes United Futbol Club this spring. The merger of the Forest Lake and Chisago Lakes youth programs should eventually put the Rangers on the same field as some of the Suburban East Conference powers that have dynamic feed-er systems in place.

“We’re hoping that it will help both communi-ties to really start getting kids into soccer,” says Lehrke, the Lakes United girls’ director. “To me, there’s no reason why we’re not having 55 or 60 kids out for soccer. There just isn’t.”

Those benefits are in the future, though. For this fall, the Rangers are counting on a seasoned group to build on the improvement the team showed last season.

“The girls know they can do it and I think there’s enough core girls left that they can build on that, and of course the JV girls saw what is possible,” Lehrke said. “They just have to believe in themselves more than anything else.”

GIRLS SOCCER

File photo

Junior Emily Paulson is leading the Rangers in scor-ing so far in 2012.

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Rangers seek sixth consecutive berth

The Ranger cross country boys have every intention of qualifying for a sixth consecutive state meet, but in order to do so they will likely have to adapt to a new style of racing.

Circa 2009, the squad was posting splits of under 30 seconds between its first and fifth runner. In more recent years, the team’s top five has often included a front-running duo and the other three have finished close together.

Early indications this fall are that the Rangers will be more spread out.

“It’s going to be an interesting year for us because we’re going to have quite a big five-man gap this year, which we haven’t had in awhile,” said coach Deno Johnson.

The downside is that the boys will be running on their own from time to time.

It’s not all bad, though. Part of the reason for the projected gap is the strides made by Jacob Jankowski. The senior is coming off a great track season and has set big goals for himself. If all goes well, he could give the program its first all-state honor in years.

Jankowski, who lost most of last year due to a foot injury, is off to an outstanding start. He set a team record with a three-mile finish of 15:35 at the St. Cloud Apollo meet then won the highly competitive Rosemount Invite.

“In a lot of ways, even though he’s a senior, he’s flown under the radar,” Johnson said. “He’s had good perfor-mances, but he’s gotten injured at those key times where people kind

of make their name.”Jankowski’s fellow senior and cap-

tain Jack Ebel is a varsity veteran who was an all-conference honor-able mention pick last year. Ebel should be in the mix to be the team’s second finisher in most races.

Leading into their sixth and final season in the program, the captains oversaw an off-season that Johnson calls the most successful of his eight-year tenure. An average of over 10 from a group of about 20 summer participants ran together six days a week and also rollerskied many nights.

“They really grabbed the bull by the horns this summer,” Johnson said of his captains. “Because of them there’s really a lot of enthu-siasm...The kids had a real good summer of training and I couldn’t be

more satisfied. The day after school they embarked on two-a-days.”

That training should help the back half of the varsity crew keep up with the titans of the Suburban East Conference, which will likely chal-lenge the Lake Conference for the title of the state’s best.

Ninth-grader Tommy Babcock fol-lowed a breakout nordic skiing sea-son by working especially hard this summer. He took second place in the team’s pre-season time trial and could push Ebel. Sophomore Leo Hipp has turned the corner and may keep pace with Babcock and Ebel.

Sophomores Quinn Duffy and Alex Richert have been rounding out the scoring. Sophomore Rowan Hume and ninth-grader Davis Long are other runners to watch.

A roster numbering in the low 20s is not ideal but is normal for the program.

“We know these guys will show up at game time and be ready to go,” Johnson said. “We’re always a little short on the depth, but it’s almost better to have a smaller team where you know the kids are into the game.”

At this point, 2011 late-season sen-sation Candido Sanchez is not out for the team.

The Rangers placed sixth at the SEC meet last season and Johnson expects seven or eight teams to con-tend in 2012. In Section 7AA, Forest Lake will face stiff competition from defending champion Andover and an up-and-coming Elk River squad with lots of track talent.

“Our goal is definitely to get the guys back to the state meet,” Johnson said. “That’s first and foremost.”

15:35By The Numbers

Jankowski’s three-mile time at the year’s second meet, a program record

“We’re always a little short on the depth, but it’s almost better to have a smaller team where you know the kids are into the game.”– coach Deno Johnson

RangeR Boys’ Xc• 2011 record: 16th at state (SEC: sixth)• Head coach: Deno Johnson, eighth year• Assistant coach: Mark Smith• Captains: seniors Jack Ebel and Jacob Jankowski• All-conference returnees: Jankowski

CROSSCOUNTRY

aRounD the secStillwater won the 2011 state meet with just one

senior in its top five

Quick hits• Dedicated core of team

put together best summer of coach’s eight-year run

• Senior Jankowski looks for state recognition

Driven team determined to keep state streak alive

File photos

Jack Ebel will play a big role in his sixth year in the program. Left: Jacob Jankowski is getting used to leading the pack.

With Fab Four leading the pack, ’12 may be special

The arc on which the Ranger girls’ cross coun-try program is ascending shows no sign of ending in 2012. Forest Lake has participated in three out of the last four state meets and appears to be laying the framework for many more trips to Northfield.

Coach Eric Kaluza has been trotting out a lineup filled entirely by junior high runners. With 45 run-ners out for the team, that lineup is based on talent rather than need.

All-conference selec-tion Allie Bartlett leads a group of five returning state participants. She placed 33rd and was the second seventh-grader to cross the finish line.

The sky is the limit this year, as Bartlett cut 90 seconds off her 2011 time in the team’s pre-season time trial.

“We really would like to see her try to get on that podium at the state meet if things go well,” said Kaluza. “She is upset with herself about not getting on the podium at track because it was 4.5 sec-onds [away from where she finished in the two-mile run]...Intrinsically she wants it, but external-ly people are driving her

and helping her out.”Ninth-grader Emma

Benner is coming off a track season of great improvement. In her third varsity season, she should be a steady second fin-isher on the team.

Eighth-grader Maria Valentin’s late-race kick is unrivaled.

“She’s an assassin,” Kaluza said. “You get her in a dead sprint, you ain’t gonna win.”

Miranda Overland, another eighth-grader, turned heads last fall by going from 13th in the

team time trial to honor-able mention all-confer-ence honors.

That crew of returning state competitors should keep the Rangers com-petitive in just about any meet.

“We’re going to be real-ly deep one through four,” Kaluza said.

At least five other girls are in the mix to score var-sity points. Forest Lake’s fifth scorer will likely come from a group includ-ing eighth-grader Isabel Leininger, eighth-grader Abigayle Asperheim, soph-

omore Abbie Van Bergen, senior Jeanette Spanjers, senior Ann Benner or ninth-grader Kallie Liston, a member of last year’s state lineup.

Kaluza is also devel-oping a group of about five seventh-graders who could make an impact down the road.

“Injuries happen, and you hope it doesn’t because we do a lot of pre-ventative work, but if the kids get hurt we’re going to have kids step up,” Kaluza said. “Everyone’s replaceable.”

Forest Lake placed third behind East Ridge and Roseville at the 2011 Suburban East Conference meet. Roseville entered this season ranked third in the state, ahead of No. 9 East Ridge and No. 11 Forest Lake, but Kaluza thinks the Rangers have a legitimate shot at the title.

Andover and Elk River lead the group of those looking to knock off the defending Section 7AA champs.

If the Rangers make it three straight state meets, don’t be surprised to see them improve on last year’s 10th-place finish.

“It’s going to be one of those years where if I just don’t screw it up some good things are going to happen,” Kaluza said.

15By The Numbers

Finish of FL’s fifth scorer in the 2011 section meet.

The Rangers edged Andover by two points.

“It’s going to be one of those years where if I just don’t screw it up some good things are going to happen.”– coach eRic kaluza

RangeR giRls’ Xc• 2011 record: 10th at state (SEC: third)• Head coach: Eric Kaluza, sixth year• Assistant coach: Tracy Angelo• Captains: seniors Melissa Mackey, Dana Mogren, KP Palo and Jeanette Spanjers• All-conference returnees: Eighth-grader Allie Bartlett and ninth-grader Emma BennerHonorable mention: Eighth-grader Miranda Overland

aRounD the secRoseville, ranked third in the state this fall, placed

fifth at state last year with no seniors in the lineup

Quick hits• Team has been running

lineup of all eighth- and ninth-graders

• Bartlett eyes all-state spot after finishing 33rd as a seventh-grader

Burgeoning young talent has makings of a dynasty

File photos

Allie Bartlett was the second seventh-grader to hit the line at state. Right: Emma Benner will be a sea-soned team leader as a ninth-grader.

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60By The Numbers

Program participation is solid with about 50 swim-mers and about 10 divers

“I’m very optimistic for what we can do this year. We might surprise some people.”– coach Kim Jones

RangeR swimming/Diving• 2011 record: First in Section 7AA (SEC: 1-8)• Head coach: Kim Jones, fifth year• Assistant coaches: Deb Welch, Amanda Brett andEric Moris• Captains: Seniors Amanda Sievers, Erin Weiger and Heather Reily• Honorable mention all-conference returnee: Senior Jessica Dhaene

SWIMMING/DIVING

aRounD the secEast Ridge’s Jenna Karrow returns after taking second in the state diving meet to Ranger Jessica Ramberg

QuicK hits• Graduation of huge

senior class leaves spots open for competition

• Diver Dhaene has state aspirations

Above: File photo Left: Photo by Jeff Moris

Senior Sarah Kroska is one of a handful of Rangers with varsity experience.

Left: After making the state diving competi-tion as a junior, Jessica Dhaene hopes to end her Ranger career as a state medalist.

Cautious optimism present as swimmers fill lineup gaps

Defending section champs are young but

committed The Ranger girls’ swim-

ming and diving team was loaded with seniors in 2011 and took advan-tage by winning both the Section 7AA and True Team Section meets.

That means there are plenty of lanes to fill this fall. Fortunately, coach Kim Jones has much to pick from, as program par-ticipation totals around 60. Many of those best suited to take on larger roles prepared for the sea-son by swimming through the summer.

“We had girls that knew what we were losing,” Jones said. “We had talked to them, ‘Look at the roles you need to step into,’ and they have stepped up.”

Sophomore Caitlyn Liiljedahl and junior Karlee Lawerence bring section experience to the distance events. Ninth-grader Andrea Dunrud will play a leading role in the 100 and 200 freestyle.

Seventh-grader Kenzie Klein is making waves in the 50 free. Junior Erin Mendoza and sophomores Jessica Walker and Rachel Chatwin will also sprint.

Section finalists Sarah Kroska and Heather Reily, both seniors, return in the 100 fly.

The backstroke crew includes sophomore Stephanie Brenk, the team’s top finisher in the event in 2011. Reily and sophomore Josephine Hudoba will also contrib-

ute.A large group is capable

of swimming the breast-stroke, including Emma Dolby, who placed eighth at sections as an eighth-grader. Chatwin and soph-omore Michayla Grahek are also in the mix.

Candidates for the individual medley include Kroska, Reily and sopho-more Rocci Wohlk.

With so much ros-ter turnover, the team will take its lumps in the rugged Suburban East Conference.

“I was telling the girls, it’s the hardest one in the state,” Jones said. “Of the 10 teams, half are state contender teams, they’re in the top 10 in the state, so it’s tough to go out there and swim against them. But our section,

we’re much more compet-itive with.”

Forest Lake stunned runner-up Andover by 16 points at sections last fall. Through two meets, Jones is hopeful this much younger Ranger squad can turn heads again.

“I’m kind of excited for this year,” she said. “I thought it would be very much like a recovery year with all the girls that we lost, but seeing the times that they did [against Mounds View on Aug. 30], they’re right on what we did last year. So I’m very optimistic for what we can

do this year. We might sur-prise some people.”

Diving OutlookDiving coach Deb Welch

has gone from training all-state competitors to a crew of 11 that includes several unseasoned junior high girls.

The wildly successful trio of state champion Jessica Ramberg, Olivia Olesiak and Allie Bey have graduated, but the cup-board is not bare.

In fact, another state qualifier remains. Jessica Dhaene emerged as a junior and placed fourth at sections to give the Rangers a sweep of each state-qualifying spot.

Now, Welch is tweak-ing Dhaene’s dives to add difficulty points with the hope of the senior making the cut at state.

“I told her, ‘I want to put you in the top 10,’” she said. “We don’t want to be in the top 15 or 12, we want to be hopefully right in that top 10.”

Junior Katie Dison has returned to the div-ing board after two years away. Welch said the gym-nast has come back as a different competitor and is trying new dives.

“She’s more gung-ho than ever and has goals,” Welch said.

Pushing Dison for var-sity points is junior Maddi Gemuenden, who was out with an illness last sea-son.

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Seniors Amanda Sievers, Erin Weiger and Heather Reily are the 2012 swim team captains.

Most pieces return from

successful 2011 tennis squad

One of Forest Lake’s steadiest programs turned in another suc-cessful season in 2011. All signs point to the girls’ tennis team serving up more victories this fall.

Second-year coach Violet Shortly is armed with a roster of athletic veterans hungry to break through to team state after falling 4-3 in the Section 7AA finals last year.

“I have just as good a team as last year,” she said. “It’s just a matter of making sure they keep that focus.”

The team has found a mixed bag of results in the season’s early-going. It beat No. 9 Andover 5-2 but dropped a con-ference match to No. 10 Stillwater by the same score. Seventh-ranked Mounds View awaits as the defending Suburban East Conference champs.

The section field includes Elk River, who beat Forest Lake last year, and fast-rising Duluth East.

“Our competition is coming after us this year for sure because they know Forest Lake is going to be tough,” Shortly said.

With a deep var-sity roster, the Rangers should be able to chal-lenge all comers.

Taylor Shortly slides up to the No. 1 singles position this fall. The junior qualified for state in doubles in 2011 after playing No. 2 singles for most of the season.

Junior Taylor Angelo turned heads at the No. 2 spot with an upset in the Andover match.

“For her to go out and do that – wow,” coach Shortly said. “So she’s been a big, strong sur-prise for me.”

From there, the lineup has seen several ver-sions. Some of the jug-gling is due to the loss of Jade Haseltine, a multi-year varsity member who is out for the year with an injury.

Sophomore Chase Shortly has at times moved from No. 1 dou-bles to play No. 3 singles.

That allows varsity new-comer Megan Anderson, a ninth-grader, to remain at No. 4 singles, where she has impressed.

Senior Emily Riermann and junior Natalie Wright are traditional doubles players who have dab-bled in singles this year.

Junior Bailey Norby is back at No. 1 doubles, where she and Chase Shortly were successful

in 2011.Junior Lindsey Tilton

has been locked in at No. 2 doubles, usually play-ing with Wright, her 2011 partner at the third spot.

The new No. 3 dou-bles team of juniors Risa Anderson and Taylor Emly has yet to lose a match.

With the abundance of similar talent, coach Shortly feels pressured

to push the right buttons from a lineup perspec-tive.

“My problem – I guess it’s a good problem to have – is A beats B, B beats C, C beats D, D beats A,” she said. “Any given day, there’s people that are beating the oth-ers, so it’s a good thing. It’s a strong one through 10.”

27-6By The Numbers

2011 record of state- qualifier Taylor Shortly,

who will move up to No. 1 singles this fall

“Any given day, there’s people that are beating the others, so it’s a good thing. It’s a strong one through 10.– coach Violet Shortly

ranger girlS’ tenniS• 2011 record: 17-4 (SEC: 8-1, second)• Head coach: Violet Shortly, second year• Assistant coaches: Phil Raaen and Savannah Walsh• Captains: Senior Emily Riermann and juniorTaylor Shortly• All-conference returnees: Taylor Shortly, sophomoreChase Shortly and junior Bailey Norby. Honorable mention: Juniors Lindsey Tilton and Natalie Wright

GIRLS TENNISaround the SecJunior Summer Brills

is ranked second in the state for

No. 7 Mounds View

Quick hitS• Conference improved

with rise of Stillwater

• Deep, athletic lineup allows for flexibility

• Duluth East may be big-gest threat to FL in section

Photos by Clint Riese

The 2012 Forest Lake girls’ tennis team is looking to get over the hump after two straight heartbreaking losses in the section finals. Below: Junior Taylor Shortly and senior Emily Riermann will serve as captains.

They’re back and hungry for more

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Forest Lake Times Fall Sports