Skinnyski.com High School Rankings - Week 1
December 11, 2012With the first major snowfall in the Twin Cities, the Skinnyski.com Minnesota High School Nordic Ski rankings have come out of a fall slumber ....
Commentary
The first set of rankings are always the hardest. With almost no current data, including no opening JNQ race, and a large set of graduating seniors last year, pouring over the results and determining the placement is a major undertaking. We will push forward with weekly rankings now all the way to the State Meet. Expect some big changes in the rankings as the first few weeks of racing results start to come in. Perhaps the first real shot at some serious head-to-head competition will be the Holiday Relays, Dec 22nd.
Individuals
Alayna Sonnesyn, Wayzata, wore the target much of last season, and while unable to seal the deal at the State Meet, she had a great Junior Nationals and has shown some significant improvement this summer. Sonnesyn seems to find that extra gear when it comes to the major events, and that sets her apart. Rocci Wohlk may have a strong argument for the top position as well, and her maturity, especially her growth, is a big X factor this season. However, there is a dark horse in the mix -- while not in the rankings at this time, Anna Kubek of Duluth East, could easily contend for that overall title. But, Kubek is still committed to her stellar biathlon career, and that may well keep her out of the high school racing scene again this season.
With the shadow of Ben Saxton lifted, Harris Dirnberger, Hopkins, has been tagged to wear the crown. Dirnberger is a fantastic competitor in just about any discipline he chooses. He is the top returning skier from last year’s State Meet where he finished 5th. He also has the benefit of being pushed almost daily this season by his own teammate, Jakob Ellingson, who may have eyes on stealing that crown. Minnehaha Academy’s Luke Brown is the third horse in the race and may just be the fastest.
Teams
The team rankings are by far the hardest. Take all those unknown improvements in individuals and amplify it by 7. That said …
Eden Prairie and Hopkins boys are the clear favorites right now. They both bring back powerful squads with a lot of depth. Eden Prairie is getting the first shot at the title, primarily due to the consistent history of cranking out top teams, year after year. Hopkins has arguably the two best skiers in the state, so if some of the teammates rise with them, they could easily be the top dogs.
The easiest selection of the entire rankings was placing Wayzata girls as number one. After playing second fiddle to Duluth East almost the entire 2011 season, the Wayzata crew is ready to take over the top position. The Wayzata program is one of the deepest in the state, and this years crop again features some of the top runners in the state. For the rest of the teams, the real competition is that number 2 spot.
Coaches, start getting those results rolling in.
Girls Teams
- Wayzata
- Hopkins
- Ely
- Duluth East
- Roseville
Boys Teams
- Eden Prairie
- Hopkins
- Ely
- Roseville
- Forest Lake
Girls Individuals
- Alayna Sonnesyn, Wayzata
- Rocci Wolhk, Forest Lake
- Amy Bianco, Ely
- Niki Reker, Roseville
- Vivian Hett, Burnsville
- Mattie Watts, Irondale
- Kris Bourne, MPA
- Sarah Benton, Hopkins
- Maddie McKeefry, Andover
- Nicole Schneider, Wayzata
Boys Individuals
- Harris Dirnberger, Hopkins
- Luke Brown, Minnehaha Academy
- Jakob Ellingson, Hopkins
- Lucas Mason, Roseville
- Henry Zurn, Eden Prairie
- Tom Bye, Eden Prairie
- Jesse Olson, Ely
- Steve Hokanson, Mounds View
- Sean Bjork, Stillwater
- Jake Jankowski, Forest Lake
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