Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Thursday-Satruday

Well, despite the fact that school will be cancelled again on Thursday, we have been given the OK to practice in the afternoon.  So, we will go skiing tomorrow, getting some skate skiing in, with the bus leaving at 3:00, and going over to Bunker to get a little time on snow and a little prep work to get ready for the Conference Meet.  We will be out for a little less than an hour. The temps will still be below 0 and winds up still a little, so please come prepared.  When we get done, we will do any last minute work on skis.  Please, do not use your race skis for practice tomorrow!!

For Friday, the bus is going to be leaving at 8:00am.  We will be racing at Baker Park in Medina.  Here is their address: 2935 Parkview Drive.  It is actually a part of Baker National Golf Course.  The easiest way to get there would be to get to I 494 and then go west on Rockford Road.  Rockford will turn into CR 24 and then you will take a right onto Parkview Dr, and then a left into the Park.  Parking will be more than Wirth but will still be a little limited with 12 schools, so if you can car pool, that will be best.

We will still get together on Saturday morning to get some more time on snow since we lost so much this week.  Bus will leave at 8:00am and we will go ski at Battle Creek in St Paul to get some good trails in since Wirth will not be available due to other events.  We will only be skiing for about an hour, so it will not be an all day or morning thing.

Thanks and any questions, let me know,
Denny

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Next Couple of Days

If you can, get out to a gym the next couple of days and do some elliptical work. If you can, do an interval workout of around 20 min today (Level 4 max) and a longer steady workout (Level 3) tomorrow with some light pick ups of like 30-60 seconds (Level 4-5). Either way, find a safe way to be active.

Monday, January 28, 2019

Rescheduled Conference Meet

Just got word that the conference meet is being rescheduled for this coming Friday, Feb 1 at Baker Park in Medina (I’ll send out directions when we get closer).  The time schedule will be the same as what it was supposed to be today.
Thanks
Denny

Sunday, January 27, 2019

School Cancelled, Meet Postponed

School is cancelled tomorrow and the Conference meet has been postponed. When the decision of when and where is finalized I will let you know.
Thanks
Denny

Last Minute Details

Here are a few last minute details as we head to the NWSC Meet on Monday:

With the temps being low in the morning, winds a bit higher and new snow blowing around, we are wanting to make sure that everyone is prepared and taking care of themselves before, during, and after their races.  We have talked to everyone about this, but parents please help with this as well!  We are wanting them all to have hats for before/after as well as for their races (please no headbands!), a couple of different buffs, and eye protection.  Boys, remember your windbriefs and also please bring an extra sock or thin glove (I'll explain to them tomorrow!!).  An extra winter jacket needs to be worn so when they are not skiing they have something dry and warm on.  Extra gloves/mittens should be packed as well.  If any of them have extra base layers, bring them as well so they can have dry layers on for their second race.

Parents, please remember what was discussed at the beginning of the season that the athletes are wanting from you.  They want you out there supporting them, but please give them the space they need before and after their races. 

We will have a second tent set up with the generator so we can have crockpots running with warm food.  We cannot have them in the Trailhead building, but food can be brought in.  I will also have a heater going in our Eskimo tent that can be brought over to the other tent to help have a warm spot for the skiers right before and right after their races as they get something warm in them.  Please make sure they do have lunches and healthy energy foods that they can be consuming to keep them at full strength (bananas are a great option!)

Finally, the JV Conference Meet will not be happening tomorrow, it is being moved to Feb 11th at Elm Creek.

Thanks and lets give ourselves a great day of racing!

Denny

Saturday, January 26, 2019

Conference Meet Update

The schedule for Monday's NWSC meet has changed due to the predicted amount of snow falls and making sure everyone has plenty of time to get to the meet.
The Boys Skate will start at 10:30, with the Girls Skate staring at 11:30.
Boys Classic Pursuit will begin at 2:00 with the Girls Clasic Pursuit going at 3:00.
Our bus will now leave at 8:00, so for those that are going' please be at the High School by 7:45.
Thanks,
Denny

Friday, January 25, 2019

Pasta Party Change

The next Pasta Party is being moved to Sunday, Jan 27 at 4:00 at the Heida's.  Please contact one of the Heida's or myself if you need directions.  The address is posted on the teams Facebook page.
Thanks
Denny

Thursday, January 24, 2019

Conference Skiers

Here is who will be skiing and the order they will be going out for Monday's NWSC Meet:
Boys
Ricky Petroff 12
Josh Thoen 18
Jared Heida 30
Noah Christiansen 47
Myles Gilyard 59
John Przybilla 63
Peyton  Martinek 74
Caleb Chesser 89
Jaxon Lahner 99
Aaron Casey 114

Girls
Sarah Eichstadt 127
Abby Ellenbecker 142
Olivia Ellenbecker 156
Lilah Gilyard 159
Izzy Haberman 173
Josie Ingvaldson 188
Maddie Keran 195
Amelia Blomberg 208
Rebekah Weimholt 218
Isabella Nortrom 238

Conference Meet Update

Here is the update for the NWSC Conference Meet:

Due to the predicted weather, the race was postponed for Wednesday and is now moved to Monday, Jan 28th, still being held at Theodore Wirth.  The Boys Skate will be first at 9:30 followed by the Girls at 10:30.  Then the Boys Classic Pursuit will start at 12:00 with the Girls Classic Pursuit at 1:00.  Because of the early start and having to deal with rush hour traffic going into Minneapolis, we will be leaving at 6:30 to make sure we have time once we get down there to get set up. 

At this moment, the sentiment of the coaches in the conference is to move the JV Conference Meet to Monday, Feb. 11th for purposes of transportation as well as not being at Wirth for 10 hours or so.  Once that is confirmed, I will let you know.

The roster for Conference will be posted at practice today and then after practice I will post it here.  Those that are racing on Monday and wax their skis with the team will need to wax our skis on either Saturday or Sunday, but Coach Nelson and Coach Jerlie and I will discuss this at practice today before we confirm to when and where.

Finally, we are going to do our team pictures today. We will be at the Event Center at Bunker and most of the pictures will be inside, minus the team picture, which will be staged inside and then quickly set up outside.

Thanks and if there are any questions, please let me know.  Also, as info keeps coming in for Monday, I will let you know as well.
Denny

Conference Meet Postponed

Just got word, due to the predicted High Temps of -9 next Wednesday, that the Conference Meet has been Postponed!  The AD's are working on when and where the Meet will be held.  As soon as I hear, I will let you all know.
Thanks
Denny

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Classic Results

Our Individual and Overall Meet results are now posted on the right of the blog. 

Congrats to Abby Ellenbecker for taking the win and leading the Girls team.  The Girls had 3 in the top 15 with Olivia Ellenbecker 13th and Lilah Gilyard 15th in a very tough race and finished in 5th of the 6 teams.

Josh Thoen led the Boys with a 9th place finish followed by Ricky Petroff in 10th as they paced the Boys to 4th place team finish.

A lot of overall improvements for all of the skiers as we finish off the end of the regular meets this season.  The younger skiers are really showing solid improvements and have been moving up the rankings in the races as well.  A continued solid effort and competitiveness with the whole team.  Up next for the JV skiers is the JV Conference Meet on Monday at Theo Wirth, where they will get to chose which technique they would like to compete in and then Wednesday will be the NWSC Conference Meet at Wirth as well for the Varsity.  We will post the Varsity skiers tomorrow at practice.  As for practice tomorrow, we are going to move forward with the team pictures.  We probably will not ski though due to the predicted temps and wind chills.  Friday we will be going to Theo Wirth at normal time, 3:15, to get a workout in and then we will see if it will be safe and worth doing a practice on Saturday.

Thanks and think warm thoughts as we drop in temps for the next week or so!
Denny

Sunday, January 20, 2019

Week Ahead

Here is our plan for the week ahead. It is not exactly what we want, but getting limited by the lack of snow and the availability of man-made venues:
Monday: 12:30 at the high school, weight training, possibly some double pole work in the pit, then a run inside. We also would like the skiers to go to Elm or Wirth before or after to get an hour of skiing in. Because of the holiday we are not allowed team practices at Elm and it is a hit and miss on the amount of skiers that will be at Wirth.
Tuesday: Elm Creek at 6:15, bus leaves at 5:30
Wednesday: Classic Race at Elm Creek, Boys at 3:30, Girls at 4:00.  We will then stay at Elm and ski until 5:30 to get some more time on snow.
Thursday: Team Pictures, 3:30, site TBD. If we travel some place we will leave at 3:15. The race that was supposed to be on Thursday was cancelled due to snow availability at Baker park.
Friday: Possible practice at Wirth, pending availability 
Saturday: TBD. We will most likely go some place since our time on snow was so limited during the week. More to come as the week progresses.
Thanks,
Denny

Friday, January 18, 2019

Saturday Practice

Due to the weather on Saturday, we will be staying at the high school for practice and will workout inside. Practice starts at 9:00am.
Denny

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

NWSC Classic Results

Our individual results are now posted on the right side of the blog.  Overall results are yet to come.

Today was possibly our best race on the season with a lot of solid performances and a great effort put forth by everyone.  We are starting to get to where we are getting healthy again, but we are still short a few individuals that are going to be adding to the depth of the team.  We still have work to do to get ready for the Conference and Section Meets as well as finishing out the season with our JV skiers. Keep hoping and praying for the snow!

On Friday we are going to do weight training after school and then give the skiers the rest of the day off. On Saturday we are going to leave at 9:00am and go up to Mora to get a classic workout in.  We are hoping to get up there and get our workout in so we are back shortly after noon.

Thanks for coming out and supporting the skiers on a cold, but very nice day at Elm!
Denny

Schedule for Today

Here is the schedule for today's Classic Race at Elm Creek:
Boys at 3:30, 1 every 20 Seconds
Girls at 4:00, 1 every 20 Seconds

Any questions, let me know,
Denny

Sunday, January 13, 2019

Week Ahead

Here is the plan for the week ahead with practice. It's not what we would like, but still at the mercy of nature:
Monday we will be on foot and inside at the high school.
Tuesday we are scheduled for Elm Creek at 6:15, so we will be leaving at 5:30. The Pasta Party that day will be at 4:00. Practice will be light though.
Wednesday is classic race at Elm Creek
Thursday we are scheduled for Elm Creek at 6:15, so we will be leaving at 5:30.
Friday is still in the works, but we will be at the school.
We are working on something for Saturday for practice.  Right now the hope is to be able to go to Mora to do a workout in the morning, but still in the process.
We will update things as the week progresses.
Thanks,
Denny

Saturday, January 12, 2019

ABC Relay Results

Our Individual and the Overall Meet results are now posted for today's ABC Relays on the right side of the blog.

A solid day at a very competitive race for our skiers, with some continued improvements for many.  We were still not 100%, so it is possible that we could have done better, but to be competing against as many top teams in the State, we know that the 11th place finish for the A Boys team and 10th place for the A Girls team are solid indications of where we are and what we are capable of.

Congratulations goes out to Abby Ellenbecker as she was the 4th fastest Classic skier for the Girls and is getting loser and closer to gaining mention in the rankings!  Olivia Ellenbecker was our fastest Skate skier with a 22nd place finish.  Jared Heida was the top finisher for the Boys just missing the awards with a 17th place finish in Skate.  Ricky Petroff was the top Classic skier for the Boys with a 28th place finish.

A HUGE Thank you goes out to all of the Parents that came out and helped with the Bib pick up and the T-shirt sales!  We were able to sell almost all of the ABC T's and we are able to do that without the work of those you that helped with your salesmanship as well as Angie Jurmu for doing a great job of making the shirts for us!  We are not able to run this meet without all of your help, and to have the biggest ABC Relays in a number of years, your help sometimes goes unnoticed, but we appreciate all that is done by all of you! THANK YOU!!

Denny

Friday, January 11, 2019

ABC Relay Line Up

Here are the teams and who is skiing what for tomorrow's ABC Relays at Theo Wirth Park.  The Boys are at 10:00 and the Girls at 11:30.  Based on the "Rankings" that came out today, there will be 5 Boys teams that are rated and 8 Girls teams that are rated, so expect some really good racing!
Any questions, please let me know,
Denny

ABC Relay Teams, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019
Girls Boys
Abby Ellenbecker Classic Joshua Thoen Classic
Amelia Blomberg Classic Ricky Petroff Classic
Lilah Gilyard Skate Noah Christiansen Skate
Olivia Ellenbecker Skate Jared Heida Skate
Maddie Keran Classic Joe Moline Classic
Sarah Eichstadt Classic Peyton Martinek Classic
Josie Ingvaldson Skate Caleb Chesser Skate
Izzy Haberman Skate Myles Gilyard Skate
Isabella Nortrom Classic Michael Smith Classic
Katie Emmans Classic Jennings Jurmu Classic
Summer Nietz Skate Jaxon Lahner Skate
Rebekah Weimholt Skate Aaron Casey Skate
Addie Hoseck Classic Ryan Powley Classic
Tara Treml Classic Justin Goetz Classic
Trina Hoggarth Skate Jacob Casey Skate
Anna Samit Skate Eli Christiansen Skate
Kiwi Le Classic Tommy Samit Classic
Akala Lowe Classic Nico Cocciarella Skate
Julia Waite Skate
Halle Lenz Skate
Marijke Buter Classic
Tori Horner Classic
Jordyn Campbell Skate
Eliana Cocchiarella Skate
Olivia Nojd Classic
Kathryn Carda Skate
Sam Collin Skate
Jerzi Herberg Classic
Sheryl Black Classic
Paola Arellano Skate

Thursday, January 10, 2019

Meet Results

A link to last nights results is now posted on the blog.  The Boys team finished in 5th place and the Girls were 4th.  Both teams were short handed and we battled colder temps.  There were many positives and improvements, but still areas we need to be better at if we are wanting to be in our best position at the end of the season.

Abby Ellenbecker led the way for both teams finishing 2nd place overall with Lilah Gilyard, 10th and Sarah Eichstadt, 11th continuing to show big improvements.  Josh Thoen was 14th and Jared Heida 15th to lead the way for the Boys.

Saturday is the ABC Relays at Theodore Wirth in Minneapolis.  The Boys will be racing at 10:00 and the Girls at 11:30 in a relay format of the first two skiers doing Classic and the second two skiers doing Skate.  There will be 18 schools competing this year, and parking is limited, so if you are able to carpool it would help a lot.  Also note that the main lot will be a bit of a walk from the race course, so please plan accordingly.  Also, please note that some of the best teams in the State will be competing this year and this could be one of the most competitive ABC's in a number of years. So if you are wanting to see a race, this will be a fun one to watch on both the Boys and Girls side of things.

Any questions, please let me know,
Thanks
Denny

Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Skate Results

Our Individual Results from tonight's Skate race at Hyland are now posted on the blog.  We have not received the Overall results yet, but once I get them I'll put them out.

But, it was the coldest race we have had this season but the track was fast and we saw improvement in a lot of our skiers.  As a team, though, we have been battling some illnesses and it effected our skiers again tonight, with a few not racing or skiing at all today in hope to trying to get healthy.  The weather is not helping much, but we are hoping to get through this soon so we can get everyone ready for the last push to the end of the season.

Thanks for all of the help and fan support tonight from those that were able to make it!
Denny

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Wednesday Race

Here is the basic info for Wednesday's Skate race at Hyland Park.
Girls will be racing first at 4:00, one person from each team every 20 seconds, and then the Boys will start at 4:30, or 30 minutes on the clock in the same format.
We will get out of school at 1:40 (middle school at 1:30) with the bus leaving at 2:00.  It'll be a much colder race, so dress warm. Hopefully the winds will die down!
Thanks and any questions, let me know,
Denny

ABC Volunteers

Below is a message that Vicki Christiansen put out on the Facebook page but we feel should be here as well.  If you have any questions, please let me know,
Thanks
Denny 

ABC Relays Information
Schedule for the day is Boys race at 10am, Girls race at 11:30am
Sign-In Table Volunteers (arrive 8:15am)
Vicki Christiansen
Kathy Barth Hoggarth
Bib Pick-Up (go to finish area 11:15am)
Mark Jurmu
Marla Doehling Chesser
Todd Chesser
Dan Gilyard
Shereen Gilyard
Michael Casey
Kelly Jason Lowe
Rob Martinek
Shelly Milligan Martinek
T-Shirt Sales
9:30am through boys race: John & Jill Ellenbecker, Kathy Barth Hoggarth
11:00am through girls race: Jason Thoen, Harry & Terri Samit, Heidi Aaron Casey
It sounds like this year we'll all be outside, so dress appropriately!! Bring hand warmers & blankets!
The start/finish area will be the same location as Conference and Sections last year. You will pass it on your left as you drive into Wirth. There is a parking lot to the right, but if you arrive later, you'll need to go another block or two and there is a larger lot on the left.

Sunday, January 6, 2019

Mesabi Invite Results

Congrats to Abby Ellenbecker as she was able to make the top 10 with a solid 9th place finish in the Girls Classic race at yesterday's Mesabi East Invite, the largest High School Nordic race in the country.  Abby helped lead the Varsity Girls to a 20th place team finish out of 55 girls teams.  Sarah Eichstadt (15th in Skate) and Josie Ingvaldson (19th in Skate) led the way for the JV Girls team that was our top team finish, as they were able to finish in 14th out of 44 teams.  The Boys JV finished in a solid 15th place out of 48 teams with all four Boys having solid finishes with John Przybilla the highest at 29th in the JV Boys Classic.  Jared Heida led the way for the Varsity Boys as he finished in 24th in the Boys Skate race as the Boys finished in 27th out of 53 teams despite missing one of our top skiers.  A link to the overall results is on the right side of the blog.

As an overall, it was our best performance on the season and one of our better ones at Mesabi in a number of years.  It is showing us as coaches that we are heading in a positive direction and that we are getting close to where we would like to be.  We know that we have a lot of work to do, and with one month until the Section Meet we will putting the pedal down and doing what we can to reach our goals.  One thing that we have to do though is get healthy and stay healthy.  For the skiers we were with this weekend we mentioned that if they are not feeling well to take a day or two off to get better and also help not spread anything through the rest of the team.  There are a lot of things floating around right now and with fluctuating temps and conditions, and the stress on the bodies, illnesses are much more likely to hit.  So, please take care of yourselves and pay attention so we can be at our best when the bigger meets arrive.

Thanks to all of the parents and fans that made the trek yesterday up to Giants Ridge.  It's not always easy to make the 3 hour journey, but it helps the skiers and us as coaches to have the support!

Lastly, this week, with the recent warm temps and the losing of snow, we will be making trips back to Elm Creek and Theo Wirth for practices.  Monday we are at 4:30 at Elm, bus leaving at 4:00.  Tuesday at 6:15 at Elm, bus leaving at 5:30.  Thursday we will be at Theo Wirth, bus leaving at 3:15 and Friday at Elm, bus leaving at 2:35 (middle schooler will be brought separately after school).  As for our race on Wednesday, we will  be at Hyland, not Wirth, with the race starting at 4:00.  Saturday is the ABC Relay's at Theo Wirth in which we will still need volunteers to help.  If you are available, please let me or one of the Booster Club officers know so we are set.

Thanks and any questions, please let me know,
Denny

Thursday, January 3, 2019

Mesabi Start List

Here is a link to the Start times for everyone that is racing on Saturday at the Mesabi Invite.  Start Lists These are the team pages, and we are on page 10 (felt it would be easier than scrolling through 1000 names).  Also, there was a computer glitch with the Girls JV Skate and all of the first names are off by four individuals.  Hopefully that will be taken care of before they are announced on Saturday!
Thanks
Denny

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

NWSC Classic at Hyland

Our individual results are now posted on the right side of the blog.  Congrats to Abby Ellenbecker for winning last night and helping lead the way for the Girls to a 2nd place finish of the 5 teams.  Other top 10's went to Olivia Ellenbecker in 6th and Lilah Gilyard in 9th with Amelia Blomberg just missing the top 15th in 16th overall.  The Boys were short handed and finished in 5th led by top 10 finishes of Josh Thoen in 6th and Jared Heida in 10th.

A much better overall and technical race for our skiers.  We saw much improvement compared to where we were at a few weeks ago when we did a classic race at Hyland, but there are still areas that we can improve on.  We are about to start the first of the bigger races and start to really see where we are at as a team at the top end.

Thanks to all of the support from parents and fans tonight!

Thanks,
Denny

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Wednesday Meet

Here are the basics for tomorrow's, Wednesday, meet.  We will be doing a classic race at Hyland Park in Bloomington.  The Girl's will be starting at 4:00 and the Boy's will start at 4:30, with all skiers going out 1 from each school every 20 seconds.
If there are any questions, please let me know,
Thanks,
Denny