Glen Strandberg
Sports Editor

The last squad to start this sports season is the Alpine Ski team, and like the rest of the Forest Lake winter line-up, they have visions of completing a successful campaign. Both the girls and boys teams finished third in the Suburban East Conference last year and they believe they can be right up there again in 2007.

ìThe girls do have a legitimate chance to finish at the top of the conference this year, as long as they keep their heads in the game and race clean races,î assistant coach Scott Olson says.

Even though the girls lost their two captains to graduation, the Rangers have a solid group to compete in the SEC. Senior Jessalyn Johnson, junior Carly Bass and sophomores Ciara Robinson and Nicky Kumerow should be the foundation for the team, with Bass serving as the team leader. She finished second in the Suburban East last winter with a near perfect score of 79 out of 80.

ìIn this conference, Carly Bass would be the top dog,î Olson says. ìWe have good, solid skiers. Weíve got a lot of experience.î

Olson goes on to say that the girls also have a realistic shot at taking the section, but itís all about putting two solid runs together.

ìOne little bobble can change everything. It really is a matter of a fraction or a second that races can be won or lost.î

Over on the boysí side of the hill, junior captain Brett Stolberg says replacing the teamís top two skiers will be difficult, so a large part of the season will come down to how quickly the younger generation matures.

ìIt depends how we progress through the year and weíll have to see at the end,î he says. ìHopefully we can [ make the top three].î

What helps is that the younger group is good. Olson lists Tyler Brunjes, Tyler Raarup and Shane Sampair as three 8th graders who could help Forest Lake. Likely to take on bigger roles along with Stolberg will be junior Kevin Gamelin and sophomore Scott Brunjes.

By the time this group gets to sections, Olson feels there are two or three boys who can move on to state, namely Stolberg, Gamelin and Scott Brunjes.

ìHeís one of those kids that skis all out,î Olson says.

With an eye toward sending team members to state, the Alpine team hopes the season is all down hill from here.

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