Kevin Viren leads teammate Cameron MacKay at the conference cross country meet held last year at Pincushion Mountain trails. Both the boys’ and girls’ cross country teams qualified for the state meet last year and both squads look to be strong again this year. File photo/Laurie Johnson
Brooke Trout Brown
Please tell us about your team:
. April Wahlstrom (Cross Country head coach): We run under the North Shore Storm. As in years past, Cook County and Two Harbors form a combined team. We have 54 kids out this year, 35 of them come from Cook County High School. During the school year, we practice at our home school mid-week and then come together on Fridays or Saturdays for full team practice together. Dan Hebl is the assistant coach from Two Harbors.
. Marlene Wester (Volleyball head coach): I have 14 girls on varsity. There are 11 girls on JV, where Ali Iverson is coaching. Sharon Dorr is coaching 8th grade and Jen Sutton is coaching 7th grade.
What has your team been focusing on in preseason practices?
. Wahlstrom: We just finished a four-day training camp at Mink Lake. We work on base miles and hill running for strength. We also have been working on increasing core strength. This is the time we start figuring out packs for our pack running strategy.
. Wester: We are taking things one day at a time. We are trying to work on everyone being able to play every position. It’s important for the girls to be flexible going in anywhere they are needed.
What are the teams’ greatest strengths going into the season?
. Wahlstrom: Depth. We have a lot of depth. Last year boys finished 5th at State and the girls placed 11th at State. We have a lot of kids returning this season. We only lost one member of each of those State teams. The younger kids trained hard over the summer and came back with lots of motivation to make it onto varsity.
. Wester: We have a lot of girls in grades 9-12, who can play at the varsity level. They are also very flexible in their ability to play lots of different positions.
What are the biggest keys to success for the upcoming season?
. Wahlstrom: Staying injury free and healthy. Training smart and running together. We want to keep supporting each other to be the best they can be.
. Wester: Trying to find good team chemistry. It’s important to figure out how to work together to win games. We want to get two, three or four points in a row before we lose the ball!
What newcomers do you think will have the biggest impact on the team?
. Wahlstrom: The returners will have the biggest impact. For the boys, Henry DeArruda- Weaver is looking strong. He is new to varsity and is looking strong this year. He is a definite contender for the 5th or 6th running spot. For the girls, freshman Autumn Smith is looking to make an impact.
. Wester: I have a freshman starter, Morgan Starkey, and she is an outside hitter who brings a lot of strengths and all-around knowledge of the game, which is a big help to us. We also have three returning varsity starters: Reilly Wahlers (12), Alyssa Fenstad Lashinski (12), Sophie Eliasen (12). All three can play any position and have a couple years of experience being good leaders. They have done a nice job of helping some of the younger girls.
Who are your captains?
. Wahlstrom: We have eight captains. For the girls: Chloe Blackburn, Claire Lavigne, Brooklyn Smith and Kate Walsberg. For the boys: Leif Anderson, Brenden Seipke, Noah Smith and Will Surbaugh.
. Wester: Selah Backstrom, Eliason, Fenstad and Wahlers.
What are your team goals for this season?
. Wahlstrom: To do the best that we can. We want to keep pushing each other and keep positive. We want to win Conference and return to State.
. Wester: We want to take it one day at a time. We have a really good team and are focusing on figuring out how to field the best team possible.
Please describe a typical practice:
Wahlstrom: It depends on age of the kid and the day. Some are made up of easy runs and some are intervals. It can range from 2 miles-8 miles, depending on age and ability. When school starts, we pound the roads around here. We do try to keep them off the pavement as much as we can to help prevent injuries. We have lots of awesome adult volunteers that show up to run with the kids.
. Wester: A typical practice consists of various new drills with an emphasis on passing and defense.
What does your schedule look like?
. Wahlstrom: Our first meet is Thursday, August 30th at 3 p.m. at Pincushion (home meet). We have seven regular season meets. Conference will be at home on October 10 at Pincushion.
. Wester: We have games almost always twice per week. Usually Mondays and either Tuesdays or Thursdays. Our first home game is Thursday, August 30 at 6:30 p.m.
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