Glen Strandberg
Sports Editor

It was bound to happen sooner or later. When Hopkins won the State Nordic Ski Racing Team Championship on Friday, Feb. 16 at Giant’s Ridge in Biwabik, the Forest Lake boys team would lose the title it had held since the 2004-2005 season.

Looking back, it’s been three long years since the Rangers haven’t been the King of the Hill. In that respect, the inevitable loss came later, which simply means head coach Deno Johnson and his boys will shift their focus on sooner.

“The way we’re looking at it now is we’re at the beginning of a new winning cycle for the program,” Johnson said.

In Friday’s competition, Hopkins ended the afternoon with 383 points, while the Rangers came in with 364. Wayzata was right there in third place with 362.5 points.

“Second place was a great result,” Johnson said. “We scored two boys (Ryan Wright and Ben Brodin’s results counted in the team score) who just started racing last winter — no program can claim that.”

Leif Nordgren put the finishing touches on a stellar high school career with a second place in the overall in a time of 30:22.7; about 20 seconds behind the meet’s winner, Joe Dubay of Coon Rapids.

“Leif gave it a true maximum effort; he made Dubay bleed for that State title. What a great way for him to end his high school racing season,” Johnson said.

“Leif continued the lofty tradition of being on the podium as Forest Lake boys’ No. 1. He joins an elite list in the history of our program.”

The top four finishers are what count in the team standings, and Brodin would be next for Forest Lake in 16th place with a time of 32:10.3. Behind him were Ryan Wright in 32nd (32:43.8) and Travis Strike in 45th place (33:12.5).

“I’m pretty sure that Brodin’s 16th place was the highest debut at state, ever, for a boys ski racer,” Johnson shared.

By finishing in the top 25, Nordgren and Brodin earned all-state honors, and Ryan Wright was close. He lost a ski and missed out on the honor by only 14 seconds.

Also competing for the Rangers were Shawn Wright in 76th place, Roman Morris in 81st and Dave Kasl in 98th place.

It’s been pointed out before, but only Nordgren and Kasl will graduate this June, so while two out of three ain’t bad, Johnson might need to come up with a catchy slogan for winning three out of four state championships.

“I’ve told the boys team all along that they’d be a team to beat this year, and next year they will be the team to beat,” Johnson said. “The future’s very bright.”

The boys were not the only skiers in action from Forest Lake. The Rangers were unable to qualify as a girls team, but Kate Babbitt, Annie Dehmlow and Elizabeth Peterson made the competition as individuals.

Dehmlow just missed out on all-state and led the trio with a 27th place finish with a time of 38:08.9. Peterson was next with a time of 39.07.2, which put her in 47th place, and Babbitt was 98th (41:58.4).

“Annie had a solid race. She’s made some fine improvements in her skating and is extremely excited for her senior year,” Johnson said.

“Liz and Kate did very well. They had no nerves and went out and skied the best they could. It was a fine capstone on a great season for these three young ladies.”

The Ranger girls are even younger than the boys squad and have just as many reasons to look forward to 2008.

“The girls had a great experience. They’re very fired up to get the girls team in to the state meet next year,” Johnson said.

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