Spring and Summer Training; MSC Joins Forces with Sisu Nordic Ski Foundation

Beginning this spring the Minneapolis Ski Club will join forces with the Sisu Nordic Foundation to have even stronger coaching.   Coach Kevin Brochman will be teaming up with Mike Nightengale and Ben Popp.  All 3 have been coaching for years and have coached at the college level as well.   Ben is still fast enough to stay with the top skiers with his top 50 performance in the 2011 Birkie.  Sign-up has begun with spring and summer registrations available at www.sisuskiers.org.

Winter in review:   At the Junior Olympics 13 skiers competed and 7 placed in the top 12 overall.  Competing skiers:  Annie Hart, Dartmouth College; Alice Flanders and Marissa Yovetich, Michigan Tech University; Jordyn Ross, Northern Michigan University; Paige Schember, St. Olaf College; Scott Johanik, St. Scholastica; Rachel Mason, Michigan Tech; Calvin Merhohf, Coon Rapids High School; Kyle Marshall, Roseville Area High School; Dylan McGarthwaite, Hayward High School; Alayna Sonnesyn, Wayzata High School; and Nora Gilbertson, Stillwater Area High School.

The Midwest Division placed 3^rd overall their best in 8 years.  Next years Junior Olympics will take place the second week of March in Soldier Hollow, where the 2002 Olympics were held just 45 minutes from Salt Lake City, Utah.

At the Minnesota and Wisconsin State Meets there were over 40 athletes competing; several top 25 finishes were recorded with almost one-third of the girls top 45 having been coached by Kevin in the past year.  The good news is most will be back next year for another great year of high school results.

Sign up before April first and save $50.  We will have 2 information meetings, one this Sunday at 4:00 at Gear West and on Monday the 28^th at Finn Sisu at 6:30PM.  Bring your ski friends and get signed up for the spring and summer.

See you there, Kevin

Dylan McGarthwaite Named to J1 Scando Trip

MSC member Dylan McGarthwaite (Hayward, WI) has been named to the J1 Scando Trip based on performance at the 2011 Senior Cross Country Nationals competition held in Rumford, Maine, January 2-6, 2011.  Click HERE for more information on this trip.  Below is a video segment showing Dylan’s outstanding classic sprint qualifier start and finish on Sunday, January 2, which earned him a spot in the afternoon Junior Semi-Final and Final Sprint heats:

Other notable MSC member results:  Annie Hart (Dartmouth College) made her first appearance in a Senior Women’s sprint heat after she placed 27th overall in the morning qualifier; Annie’s final overall classic sprint placement was 19th; also Annie took an overall 28th place finish in the Women’s 10K classic on Jan. 5; and she was named a second alternate to the World Juniors team. Alice Flanders (Michigan Tech) placed 12th in the Junior freestyle 5K on Jan. 6.

Ironwood JOQ Results

Paige Schember, currently skiing for St. Olaf College, won Sunday’s 10K women’s classic race and was the second OJ skier in Saturday’s 5K freestyle (5th overall). Alice Flanders, currently skiing for Michigan Tech, placed 3rd among OJ women skiers on Saturday (6th overall).  Dylan McGarthwaite (Hayward, WI) had a consistently solid weekend, finishing second among J1 men both days (22nd overall freestyle 10K; 13th overall classic 10K).  Over the weekend Dylan learned he is accepted to Middlebury College for next fall, where he will join the Middlebury Ski Team.  Pictured below:  Annie Hart (Dartmouth College), Dylan, and Paige at West Yellowstone this year.

Holiday Relays

On Saturday, December 18, 2010, the Minneapolis Ski Club presents the annual Holiday Relays high school race at Troll Hollow (Dresser, WI).  Click HERE for information.

West Yellowstone Update

Here is MSC member Dylan McGarthwaite (Hayward, WI) skiing his way to a 1st-place finish in the J1 Boys classic sprint race (26th overall) on November 25, 2010; Dylan also took 3rd in the J1 Boys freestyle sprint race (43rd overall).  Click HERE for complete West Yellowstone sprint race results.

2010-2011 MSC Membership

It is time to register your MSC membership for the 2010-2011 season!  To complete individual or family membership, please download both the front and back of the registration form, print and complete.  Directions for payment and mailing are included in the form.

Required Waiver for Training

To participate in any MSC training activity, please click HERE for the Minneapolis Ski Club Waiver, Release and Indemnity Agreement and Insurance Information; then print and mail the completed and signed form (both pages) to Kevin Brochman at 1758 Lakewood Drive, Maplewood, MN 55109.

JO Athlete/Parent Workout & Meeting Oct. 2

This year the Minneapolis Ski Club will collaborate with Sisu Skiers in some areas, including athlete support at Junior Nationals Qualifying races.  This will assist junior skiers in both clubs for purposes of enhanced structure, coaching, and waxing.

On Saturday, October 2, coaches from both clubs are offering a training session for the junior athletes, followed by lunch and then a meeting with parents to discuss the upcoming Junior Olympics qualifying and competition season.  There is no cost for this.  The schedule for the day is set forth below.  If you have any questions, please contact Kevin Brochman.  Hope to see you there!

>> What: Meeting about Junior Olympics qualifying and race support

>> Where: Battle Creek Rec Center (Winthrop St.), St. Paul

(map here: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&gl=us&ie=UTF8&view=map&msa=0&msid=113198991277113514490.000463e76da225ad14734&ll=45.048785,-93.001328&spn=0.345404,0.523911&z=11 )

>> When: Saturday October 2, 12:30-2pm

>> Topics to discuss:

1)      Meeting for any kids/families interested in help with waxing/travel/planning for JO weekends

2)      Schedule of races:  Ironwood, Dec 11-12;  Wausau, Dec 18-19;  Minneapolis, Jan 22-23.

3)      Discuss:  Travel, costs/pricing, waxing, supervision, housing, coaching, suits, later fundraising mechanism for those that qualify.

4)      Also: What JO’s is about, including how does it work for new familes that don’t know where to start.

>>Schedule of the day’s events (come for just the meeting, or come workout first – either is fine).

8-11 OD (over distance) hike/run/bounding

11:15-12:15 Lunch for the kids after the workout

12:30-2:00 Meeting for all kids and families to talk about above topics

Spandex Order Deadline

The deadline to order spandex and jackets is this Friday, Sept. 24.  The order needs to be placed with Hidden Bay (the vendor) by Monday, Sept. 27, so people going to West Yellowstone will have their items.  If you have any questions, please e-mail (hartstcroix@gmail.com) or call (651.335.6604) Holly Hart.  Thanks!

Order Your MSC Spandex!

Last season MSC introduced its updated spandex and ski jacket — very well received; many compliments; easy to spot on the race course; and there were many successful skis while wearing it (including below).  To order your spandex, print and complete the Order Form; mail it and your check to:  Holly Hart, 9727 Primrose Avenue North, Stillwater, MN  55082; please make your checks payable to Holly Hart.  If you have any questions, please e-mail Holly at hartstcroix@gmail.com.  Click HERE for uni-sex size chart (vendor is Hidden Bay Sports, Hayward).

Dylan McGarthwaite winning J1 Boys 15K Classic Race at Wirth JOQ

Annie Hart winning Junior Women 5K Classic Race at Senior Nationals

Steve Pribyl placing 15th overall in American Birkebeiner Classic race