Girls Tennis: On the rebound

Maggie Rudorfer (below) and Meghan Lindstron
return at 1st and 2nd singles


The 2010 edition of the Tiger girls tennis didn't win a dual meet and finished at the bottom of the Missota Conference standings...but that doesn't mean there is a lack of optimism in the FHS camp this fall.
Veteran coach Jack Olwell returns his entire singles lineup as well as three veteran doubles players and is looking for a major reversal of fortunes in 2011.
"We had some tantalizingly close matches last year and we are older and wiser now," Olwell said. "We have veterans at all of the singles slots and it looks like we have lots of younger players who are taking the game seriously.
"The success of our season will be decided in large part by what takes place in practice and what has been done over the past 10 months. It's tough to give our opponents a head start and then hope to catch them."
The returning singles lineup includes seniors Maggie Rudorfer and Meghan Lindstrom at the first and second positions and junior Melanie Kappes and sophomore Megan Stivers at the third and fourth slots.
"At least that's the way it looks right now," Olwell said.
Senior Katie Burgess played first doubles last fall and seniors Rachel Molitor and Jessica Autey started at third doubles to give Olwell some much needed experience on this season's doubles ladder.
Others expected to compete for varsity court time include juniors Rachel Rees, Jennifer Ouyang, Tasha Sinha and ShyAnne Spurzem.
Olwell, in his 30th season coaching tennis at FHS, offered that defending champion Shakopee appears the team to beat in the Missota Conference race with Red Wing, Chanhassen and Holy Angels all expected to field strong teams. State powerhouses Rochester Century and Rochester Mayo wear the favorite tags in Section 1AA.
"Some of those teams may be out of our reach," Olwell said, "but we are intending to close the gap."
Joe "Doc" Emond, one of the state's top singles players in his age division, returns as assistant coach with Brian Engebretson set to handle the middle school coaching duties.
The Tigers open their fall season, Monday, Aug. 22, with their annual trip to the Mound Doubles Invitational.

Chadwick rules Ironman competition

2011 Ironman Alex Chadwick (top)
Mason Auge competes in the tire flip


Senior defensive back/wide receiver Alex Chadwick piled up 4188 points to win the seven-event Ironman competition held on the first day of Tiger football practice. Senior running back/defensive back Athen Aston finished second with 4143 points.
Rounding out the top ten were Nathan Graham 3916,, Drew Hegseth 3883, Blake Weinand 3859, Andrew Peterson 3782, Mason Auge 3774, Bret Hoffman 3635, Jack Erickson 3624 and Kevon Olund 3515.
The seven events in the competition included three involving lifting, including the clean, back squat and bench press, as well as the 40-yard dash, L-drill, vertical jump and tire flip.
Chadwick won two of the seven contests, finishing first in the vertical jump (31.5 inches) and L-drill (7.3 seconds). Aston also claimed first in two events, winning the clean (223 lbs.) and finishing in a tie with Olund in the tire flip (31).
Auge won the 40-meter dash competition in 4.68 seconds. Hoffman claimed top honors in the back squat (445 lbs.) while Jake Nohner claimed the top spot in the bench press (306 lbs.).
FHS strength and conditioning coach Scott Meier said the results represented a mixed bag as compared to the past 10 Ironman competitions.
"Overall I'm happy with how it went," he said, "although the overall number of kids we had competing was down.
"The bad news was that the number of the strong kids were down. The good news was that the team averages in five of the seven events were way up. With a team with fewer players that's very important because we will be counting on those kids more than when we had the the big teams."
Team averages in all three lifting events, the 40-yard dash and L-drill were all significantly higher than last year, prompting some optimistic words from Meier.
"As a team, we were better than last year in six of the seven events," he said, "and considering how young were are, I'm even happier...obviously, team speed is going to be a strong area this season."

FHS adopts testing program for athletics-related concussions

The recent concern over head injuries sustained in sports, specifically concussions, and their impact on athletes has pervaded athletics from the professionals to the peewees.
To help address the issue in its sponsored activities, the Farmington High School athletic department has instituted a new assessment program to assist athletes, coaches and medical personnel in evaluating and treating head injuries.
Starting this fall, all athletes in NCAA-designated "contact sports" will undergo a simple, computer-based assessment of brain function before the start of the season.
The video game-like tool called ImPACT (Immediate Post Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) takes from 15-20 minutes to complete and assesses such areas of function as memory, reaction time, speed and concentration.
FHS athletes in football, boys and girls soccer and diving will take the ImPACT assessment this fall. Affected winter sports include boys and girls basketball, gymnastics, boys and girls hockey, wrestling and diving. Athletes competing in baseball, softball, boys and girls track and pole vaulting will be tested in the spring.
"The ImPACT assessment is not an IQ test," Farmington High School athletic director Jon Summer explained. "Essentially, it is a pre-season physical for the brain."
The initial pre-test results are kept on file and should a head injury occur, the athlete would re-take the test to compare results.
"The test data will help health professionals determine when a return to play is appropriate and safe for the injured athlete," Summer said.
Summer stressed that the test is not the entire answer to appropriately diagnosing concussions but rather a piece in the puzzle of making sure potential concussions are appropriately evaluated and specific steps are taken prior to an athlete returning to competition.
"I am excited about the opportunity that ImPACT testing presents in our continued effort to ensure the health and safety of our student-athletes," Summer said.
For specific questions about the ImPACT testing, contact Summer at 651-252-2515 or jsummer@farmington.k12.mn.us

Boys Soccer: Veteran-laden Tigers looking forward to 2011 campaign

With 11 players with significant experience retuning from last year's team that finished 6-11 overall and 3-4 in the Missota Conference, the outlook appears bright for coach Julian Buss' boys soccer squad in 2011...with one significant question mark.
Who is going to step up and pick up the scoring and leadership provided by the now-graduated Justen Thelen and Christian Thao?
Thelen piled up eight goals and six assists last fall, capping a varsity career that saw him twice earn all-Missota Conference recognition. Thao ranked third on the team in scoring while manning an important midfielder position. The dynamic duo served as senior captains in 2010.
"Justen was a positive leader whom we relied on to put the ball in the net," Buss said "and Christian was a player who brought everything he had to practices and competitions. Their loss will be deeply felt."
Much of that leadership void will fall to this year's tri-captains: Sam Leske, Brandon Scott and Chad Stivers.
The fiery Leske, an all-Missota Conference selection in 2010, served as junior captain last fall and was second on the team in scoring. Stivers' 157 saves ranked eighth in the state in 2010 and and he received all-league honorable mention for his efforts in the nets.
Other returning veterans include seniors Cole Landwehr and Michael Ricker; juniors Reid Wolf and Tyler Petter-McCauley and sophomores Jeff Hunter, Hunter Meyers, Blake Smith and Jared Wolt.
Tyler Vue was a varsity contributor as a sophomore before missing the entire 2010 season due to injury and is expected back at full strength for his senior season.
With 12 veterans returning that likely leaves between six and 10 available positions open on the varsity roster. Buss said it is way too early to even think about who will fill those vacancies.
"They could come from a very long list," he said. "We added a third level of play last year and many of those players will be competing for a spot as well as some other athletes who play soccer and don't participate in other fall sports.
"Many of those players will be very close in terms of soccer skills and physical ability so I would expect important character qualities to play a major role in helping coaches make the roster decisions."
Buss said that his team should be physically stronger than last year and that the experience gained both at the varsity and junior varsity levels in 2010 should pay dividends in the season ahead.
Buss likes his team's chances in both the conference and section. He tabbed Northfield and Shakopee as teams to beat in the Missota with Northfield also seen as a top contender in the section race.
The third year Tiger coach said the fate of his team's 2011 season will be determined by how physically and mentally tough it proves to be.
"Because skill levels are so close, it will come down to mental toughness," he said. "Winning programs have the mentality that they will out-work and out-hustle and eventually outscore their opponents.
"If we believe in our abilities and stick to the idea that everyone works their tails off, I think we will do quite well."
Robb Virgin returns as the Tiger junior varsity coach with Britta Pahl handling the B-squad coaching chores. Todd Karich and Al Jenrich will coach the middle school teams.
Farmington opens it 2011 season with a non-conference road contest, Thursday, August 25, in Faribault.

Girls Soccer: Young and talented

For the each of the past two seasons the Tigers have produced a program-best nine wins while at the same time ratcheting up the quality of their competition. Third year coach Rob Carpentier expects more success in 2011.
"Across the board this will be the fastest and most skilled team we have ever had," he said. "We could be better than last year if we are able to overcome our lack of experience. We are going to have to rely on our captains to lead us through the early part of the season...and I'm always concerned about injuries."
Injury has already reared its ugly head as senior goalkeeper Taylor Meyer, the 2010 Missota Conference Keeper of the Year, has been lost for the season after suffering a torn ligament in her knee during summer basketball. Kaylie Sorenson, another probable contributor, suffered a similar injury this summer.
Carpentier must also deal with finding replacements for Devyn Alberts, the Missota Conference Player of the Year in 2010, all-Missota Conference performer Laine Trowbridge, Shelby Calhoun and Elena Koch. Alberts and Trowbridge are both playing collegiate soccer this fall.
Key returnees include seniors Kelli Harstad, Ashley Kimmel, Alyssa Parco, Gabby White and Rachel Beck; junior Leah Zak and sophomores Kayla Kucala, Hannah Miller and Kelly Kornmann.
Kimmel, Jacoby and the injured Meyer have been named team captains for the upcoming season.
Other players expected to battle for varsity playing time this fall include juniors Caillie Kittleson, Megan Provost, Naomi Wood, Tina Oppedisano, Alex Frost, Emily Pulido and Sydney Eckert; sophomores Kelli Elmer, Izzie Ferm, Melissa Muelken, Kenya Macias and Maddie Strid and freshmen Emily Johnson, Sarah Zak and Ashley Becker.
Eckert, Becker and Muelken figure to fight it out for Meyer's vacated spot in goal although Carpentier said he may go with a "keeper by committee", especially early in the season.
"There are really so many talented younger girls at the other positions that it's difficult to say now who will step up," he said. "Sometimes a player just comes out of the woodwork. That will all be determined as we go."
Carpentier picked Northfield, a team with nine returning starters, as the favorite in the Missota Conference race with the Raiders, the two Lakeville schools and Rochester Century the most likely teams to make a run at the Section 1 crown.
Farmington moves to Section 1 this fall after playing in rugged Section 2 in previous seasons but Carpentier said the new assignment won't be an easy one.
"Five of the eight teams in the section could reasonably make the state tournament," he said.
"I think we'll be competitive in both the conference and section. How competitive remains to be seen. It's just too early and we are so young."
Tracie Randall will handle the junior varsity coaching chores while Eric Shelton and Linda Crawford will work with the B-squad and ninth grade team.
Jon Graff and Jason Kohlbeck will work with the Boeckman Middle School program and Sarah Drazkowski and Kjerstin Theraldsen will coach the Dodge Middle School teams.
The Tigers open the 2011 campaign with a non-conference contest with Faribault, Tuesday, Aug. 25, at Tiger Stadium.