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Nordic teams go 'classic'
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Wednesday, 16 January 2008
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Glen Strandberg
Sports Editor
The Forest Lake Nordic ski teams navigated an icy trail last Thursday at the SEC Classic race, where the boys finished the afternoon with 476 points and in first place, while the girls came in third.
The remnants of December’s snow had melted and frozen into a crusty, slick surface that made even walking a bit adventurous. This was scheduled to be a classic race, but was changed to freestyle in order to accommodate the conditions.
“Ice racing is totally unpredictable,” Rangers head coach Deno Johnson said. “Some kids use the best skis they have. Some don’t.”
Good skis or not, Forest Lake controlled the boys event, and Mitch Wohlk might have discovered his favorite racing terrain. The sophomore picked up 100 points for the team, cruising to a first-place finish in a time of 15:24.
“Mitch has been very focused on improving his technique and his win today showed it,” Johnson said.
Teammate Ben Brodin came in third, and he was followed by four other Rangers — Roman Morris (7th), Mike Howe (8th), Shawn Wright (10th) and Travis Strike (11th) — who earned at least 90 points apiece.
“The boys depth is solid,” Johnson noted, “however, we need more speed on the top end and we’ll be getting it soon.”
For the girls, there is always the task of chasing powerful programs like Stillwater and Roseville, but it appears Forest Lake (456 points) is gaining on its Suburban East Conference rivals.
“The girls team is closing the gap on Stillwater (468 points) and Roseville (466 points), and with a month left, that’s very encouraging,” head coach Deno Johnson said.
Annie Dehmlow was the top Ranger skier, landing in fourth place with a posting of 17:24. Jen Scott (pictured) was not far behind and in sixth (17:48), while Elizabeth Peterson was the final Ranger to make the top 10, in a time of 18:29.
“The overall progress of the boys and girls teams is slowly gaining momentum. The season is now entering the heart of the beast and staying healthy is absolutely crucial,” Johnson said.
The skiers were in St. Paul on Jan. 17 for the SEC Skate Race, and then will compete on Martin Luther King Day, with the SEC Pursuit.
Sec Classic Race
BOYS
1. Mitch Wohlk 15:24
3. Ben Brodin 15:34
7. Roman Morris 15:40
8. Mike Howe 15:41
10. Shawn Wright 15:46
11. Travis Strike 15:47
17. Ryan Wright 16:29
18. Steve Coozennoy 16:37
29. Joe Jackson 17:34
30. Matt Maki 17:34
GIRLS
4. Annie Dehmlow 17:24
6. Jen Scott 17:48
9. Elizabeth Peterson 18:29
12. Megan Gooley 19:10
20. Kate Babbitt 20:18
28. Amber Anderson 21:03
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