Glen Strandberg
Sports Editor

After losing four seniors from last yearís squad, along with captain Nicole Paulson to a preseason knee injury, life will not get any easier for the Ranger gymnastics team this season. Coupled with the fact that they compete in the Suburban East Conference, thatís just, well, life.

ìOur conference is the premier conference in the state,î head coach Nancy Ellias says.

In case her statement needs any support, she points out that at the conclusion of last season, six SEC teams were ranked in the top 14 in the state, with Forest Lake occupying the 14th position. So even if the Rangers were stocked with seniors and level 10 gymnasts, there is still the reality of residing in the Suburban East.

ìI know Rosevilleís going to be very, very competitive, and Stillwater is going to probably give them a run,î Ellias observes.

If she were to rank the rest of the schools, Forest Lake would be in the middle of the pack with White Bear Lake, but as the season-ending top 14 showed, that doesnít mean the Rangers are lacking.

When healthy, Paulson (the injury happened on Nov. 27) returns from a sixth place finish in the bars at the state tournament, and Ellias calls the senior, feisty, a fireball and a very hard worker. Joining Paulson in the captainís role are seniors Adriane Kraus and Stephanie Sampair, who will lead a team that welcomes six other returning letter winners ó freshmen Taylor Brett and Esther Jandrich; sophomore Scotti Sampair; juniors Maddie Crew and Chelsea Uram, and senior Chelsea Fitzmorris.

The team sets goals at the beginning of the season so they can target improvement from the opening meet through the end of the year, but for Ellias, what sheís looking for can be fairly basic.

ìWe always want to be competitive, always want to put the best kids out there for the meet,î she said.

Ellias wants her gymnasts to reach their personal bests in the different events, and as the season progresses they will have to increase their skill level.

The opposition is just as tough when the girls move on to sections because that not only brings the return of the Rosevilles and the Stillwaters, but also has Irondale, Tartan, Centennial, North St. Paul and Spring Lake Park added to the competition.

ìWeíre hoping to be in the top three or four, being realistic,î Ellias says. ìI want to have goals but you want to go for something reachable.î

The Rangers wasted little time getting started in 2006 as their first meet was on Thursday, Nov. 30 against perennial power Lakeville North.

Joining Paulson on the disabled list was Uram with a strep throat, so Ellias was a little apprehensive going into the meet. She said Lakeville is likely in a rebuilding year, but they still have ìplenty of raw talent.î

Regardless, behind Brettís brilliant performance in the all-around, Forest Lake did something they havenít done in over a decade.

ìWe beat them!î Ellias said. ìThis was the first time in my 12 years at Forest Lake that we beat Lakeville, so it was kind of a fun meet.î

The final score was 133.175 ó 127.325.

Brett dominated in all events, taking first on vault, the uneven bars and the balance beam as well as a second on the floor exercise.

The Sampair sisters were second (Stephanie) and third (Scotti) on bars, with Stephanie also claiming a second place on the beam and third in the all-around.

Courtney Klein and Crew had some nice performances and Ellias was encouraged by what she saw from their skills.

Now the girls will leap into conference battles against those old favorites, Stillwater on Dec. 7 and Roseville on Dec. 12.

It ainít easy, but thatís life in the SEC, and the Rangers wouldnít have it any other way.

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