Posted: 12/11/02

Got snow? Forest Lake Nordic ski teams do

Berk Brown
Sports Editor
At a time when most high school Nordic ski teams in Minnesota are dreaming of white fields to practice on, Forest Lake isnít dreaming.

Thanks to a new Nordic ski course which had been put together at Trollhaugen, the Forest Lake Nordic ski teams are among the very, very few in the state that have had an opportunity to actually get on snow and Forest Lake coach Deno Johnson is loving every minute of it.

ìI finally feel like the ball is in our court,î Johnson said.

For the last couple years, Nordic ski teams have had to scramble to find places to practice and compete and even keep a schedule in tact once the snow has actually started to fly.

The fact the Rangers have been able to utilize the new addition at Trollhaugen has members of the Forest Lake team feeling a little better about things this December as opposed to Decembers of the past.

ìItís a real good sign, at least,î Johnson said.

It might not even be fair that one of the best Nordic ski programs in the state is getting an advantage on others, but the Rangers will take it.

Aside from being thrilled to be on snow, Johnson has a lot to be excited about when he looks at who returns on his boys and girls teams.

For the boys, Forest Lake brings back senior Bill England and juniors Peter Bailey and Lorin Skoglund.

Johnson also has a group of other skiers who will complement the big three very well.

Junior Jordan Koch, freshmen Ted Steiner, Josh Hubbard and Ben Fick as well as eighth-graders Zach Clark, Matt Pikus and Joe Mitchell will round out a very deep and talented group for the Rangers.

The scary part, for opponents at least, is that group only has one senior in it. That has Johnson excited not only for this year but for the future.

ìIím very excited about that,î Johnson said. ìWe definitely have an eye toward the future, but weíre very excited about the boys getting out and having success this year, too.î

Even though the team has just the one senior, Johnson said everyone on the team has the experience needed to make a serious run at some big goals this season.

ìThey know from day one what they need to do to be successful,î Johnson said. ìIt all comes down to the kids. This is a great group of kids. I ask them to jump and they ask me how high and how long do I have to hang up there.î

Johnson also sees the Rangers as one of the top teams in the state ñÝon paper at least.
ìOn paper, I see Grand Rapids looking real tough and St. Louis Park will be, too,î Johnson said. ìOur conference is always tough with Roseville, Hastings and those kinds of teams.
ìThis year I think it will be pretty exciting. I think thereís going to be some new blood in there.î

On the girls team, Johnson will be counting on a lot of the same skiers he had last season.
Junior Laura Edlund and sophomores Ruth Anderson and Sarah Wright are among the best in the state and will lead the Rangers this season.

Edlund is a former USSA All-American and both she and Wright will be among the elite in Minnesota this season.

The key to the girls team, Johnson said, will be finding out what skiers will rise to the occassion and join the other three as consistent performers.

In that group of skiers that Johnson will be looking to are sophomores Nikki Duff, Jenessa VanDeen and Becky Alexander as well as seventh-grader Annie Dehmlow and Jennifer Coozennoy.

Someone in that group will have to step-up this year, Johnson said, if the Rangers hope to overtake Stillwater in both the conference and section races.

ìItís about being out of your comfort zone. Itís not about being on the clouds each time you race,î Johnson said. ìItís about really biting the bullet and going for it.î

Johnson, however, said he fully expects someone from that group to make the necessary jump up.

ìWe really need someone to step-up this year if we have any chance of going after Stillwater in the section meet,î he said. ìI think by the end of the year that will be the case.î

Johnson says so, in part, because he knows how hard Edlund, Wright and Anderson will push each other and how hard the rest of the team will work to get better.

Thatís been the case every year heís been the coach, Johnson said, and he doesnít expect that to end any time soon.

ìWeíve got a lot of hard-working kids and that makes coaching these kids a real joy,î he said.

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