Glen Strandberg
Sports Editor

Eric Kaluza is a smart man. After serving as an assistant at both Eagan High School and Holy Angels, Kaluza’s first job as a head coach is with a Forest Lake girls track team that has an abundance of senior leadership and is packed with sprinters. With his wife Corrin Kaluza leading the distance runners, and Nate Appleby directing the throwers, Eric and the Rangers are set for a very nice spring.

“In the True Team we’d like to win our section,” Kaluza says. “It’ll be a pretty tall order, but I think we can do it when we get the right people at the right time.”

And therein lies one of the key ingredients to the girls’ season. Kaluza’s plan is to have his runners peaking when it matters most.

“My theory is speed development,” he says.

The first month of the schedule is more about getting his team in “track shape,” and preparing for the middle and the end of the season. Kaluza’s intention is to manage the girls’ training and number of events, which will keep his runners fresh. After that it’s all about watching the speeds go up and the times come down.

“Then we’ll start to see some big, big improvements from everybody,” he shares

With sprinters like Kristi Buerkle, Kelsey Kosman, Brittni LaFontsee and Rea Moen returning from a state berth in the 800-meter relay, Kaluza admits that group will be the core of the Rangers, but with his talented wife involved in the distance events, and throwers like senior captain Kierstin Nygaard coming back, Kaluza starts to rattle off a list of positives for 2007.

“I think we’ll see some big improvements from our distance team,” he says.

Kaluza is cautious to heap too much pressure on 8th grader Elizabeth Peterson, but after her all-conference performances in cross country and Nordic skiing, there is no doubt she’ll be a terrific member of the squad.

So while the coaching staff has no plans to run Peterson into the ground, Kaluza can see how she’ll make a difference.

“She’s going to be strong, I think, in the 800 and the mile.”

Turning his attention to Nygaard, Kaluza hopes to see her throw 40 feet in the shot put and over 100 feet in the discus. “Look for her to start winning some meets and getting up near the top,” he says, “which would be a pretty substantial gain for her and us as a team.”

Besides just having Nygaard, Forest Lake fills out the field events with athletes like junior Christy Newell and captain LaFontsee.

Kaluza calls Newell a “stud” in the high jump, and LaFontsee will look to go back to state in the long jump for the third time in four years.

When asked about the team’s prospects for this season, LaFontsee begins to sound a lot like her head coach.

“Hopefully this year we’re deeper and we’ll do better as a team,” she says in comparison to 2006.

LaFontsee says approximately 20 girls were competing for spots in both the 100 and 200 meters, and the squad also has more talent waiting to run the distance events.

Besides throwing some praise in Newell’s direction, LaFontsee also expects junior Danielle Boldenow to do some serious scooting over the hurdles this spring.

Kaluza continues with the acknowledgement of a huge freshman class, where the more familiar he gets with his team and is able to make a few “tweaks,” the young girls will be a great unknown that could begin to pay off in May.

Stressing that he is a firm believer in the meaning of the word “team,” Kaluza points out that the roster may have some stand-outs, but no one is better than anyone else.

“That’s my big philosophy, is just showing and demonstrating your best effort, giving your best effort every meet, every practice, everything,” he says. “As long as you’re showing improvement, we’re going to reward you for that.”

A couple of young women who should see lots of rewards are captains Buerkle and Kosman. Buerkle’s track résumé is a long one, with four trips to state already listed under Accomplishments. In 2006 she picked up fifth in the 400 and a sixth place finish in the 200 meters.

When it comes to Kosman, her coach is full of optimism.

“She’s all about the team. I think she’ll have a really good year,” Kaluza says.

Combine all of those ingredients and the Rangers should move into the top half of the Suburban East Conference as well as reach Kaluza’s objective of sending at least one team or individual per event to the state meet. That means a minimum of one sprinter, one sprint relay team, one distance runner, one distance relay team, and right on down the line.

The athletes are certainly there and the goal is attainable. It looks like a pretty smart plan.

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