Skinnyski.com High School Rankings - Week 1

December 21, 2015

Commentary: 

Oh what a season...   This is the latest we've published our first set of season rankings, and even now, its going off very thin data.   Prominent in this week's rankings is the competition at Mt. Itasca last weekend.  About 50% of the top ranked skiers turned out, providing some comparison.  But even those results are tainted, as skiers were dropped into a second day of skate racing on short notice, and some opted to use that event for technique work or even double-poling drills.  The Make Snow East Metro Invite featured a strong course, but with the Mt. Itasca event on the same day, it fragmented the competition field.  Ely hosted the first natural snow high school meet of the season, providing a glimpse at the Northern powers.  With such thin results to go on, expect to see a lot of variation in the rankings until we can get some more consistent and better head-to-head competition.

High marks go out to Hannah Rudd, Robbinsdale-Armstrong and Anders Sonnesyn, Wayzata, both showing strong off-season gains and consistent top performance over two days of racing.  They both are big movers in the rankings, with Rudd taking over the top spot and Sonnesyn moving to third (and could be argued for second).  Anna Johnson, Mesabi East, strided to a strong performance in Ely, as Ely's own Seth Prigge and Erin Bianco showed good classic form.  Stillwater's Kraftson kids, Shad and Rana, are skiing well this early season and posting top times.  The Minnehaha Academy boys look to have dialed it up in the off-season, and move up in our rankings.

Notes:  Xavier Mansfield will be racing for two schools this season:  Having transferred schools last season, Mansfield is finishing his eligibility with Mpls. Patrick-Henry, then will switch over to Spring Lake Park/St. Anthony in mid-January!   We'll change his school affiliations when the transfer is complete.

Make sure those results are coming in, we need some more numbers before we take another crack at the rankings ...

Rankings

Individuals

Boys

1. Zak Ketterson, Bloomington Jefferson
2. Xavier Mansfield, Mpls Patrick-Henry
3. Anders Sonnesyn, Wayzata
4. Patrick Acton, Eagan
5. Seth Prigge, Ely
6. Samuel Myers, Minnehaha Academy
7. Shad Kraftson, Stillwater
8. Nathan Blichfeldt, Burnsville
9. Hunter Zupko, Little Falls
10. Sam Olson, Proctor/Hermantown

Cusp: Tyler Radkte, Minnehaha Academy; Sam Hanson, Stillwater; Davis Long, Forest Lake; Andrew Millan, Wayzata; Alex Larson, Bloomington Kennedy; Joe Rauzi, Duluth East; Jack Christianson, Mounds View; Tom Woolhouse, Mora; Ryan Steger, Eagan; Josh Jones, Mesabi East; Nathan Bich, Proctor/Hermantown; William Kerker, Mpls Southwest; Spencer Krog, Mesabi East; Kendall Hill, Duluth East; John Thies, Eden Prairie; Cole Helms, Ely; McEwan Rodefeld, Irondale

Girls

1. Hannah Rudd, Robbinsdale Armstrong
2. Michaela Keller-Miller, Wayzata
3. Margie Freed, Eastview
4. Erin Moening, Highland Park
5. Anna Johnson, Mesabi East
6. Anja Maijala, C-E-C
7. Kelly Koch, Burnsville
8. Amanda Kautzer, Benilde-St.Margaret’s
9. Rana Kraftson, Stillwater
10. Hanna Torvi, Roseville

Cusp: Dottie Anderson, Robbinsdale Armstrong; Renae Anderson, Hopkins; Kristine Keller-Miller, Wayzata; Erin Bianco, Ely; Erika Fox, C-E-C; Siri Bohacek, Stillwater; Hannah Bettendorf, Proctor/Hermantown; Claire Benton, Hopkins; Kasia Bednarski, Mpls Southwest; Mae Barnes, Robbinsdale Armstrong; Regan Duffy, Forest Lake; Emma Greenlee, Mesabi East

Boys

1. Stillwater
2. Minneapolis Southwest
3. Duluth East
4. Wayzata
5. Minnehaha Academy
6. Forest Lake
7. Irondale
8. Mesabi East
9. Eagan
10. St. Louis Park

Cusp: Eden Prairie, Winona/Cotter, Ely, St. Paul Central, Brainerd, Mora

Girls

1. Robbinsdale Armstrong
2. Stillwater
3. Wayzata
4. Eastview
5. Duluth East
6. Burnsville
7. Mesabi East
8. Hopkins
9. Forest Lake
10. Ely

Cusp: St. Paul Highland, Roseville Area, Irondale, Mora, Lakeville North

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