December 29, 2017 at 1:19 p.m.
Team Preview: RHS Alpine skiing
Mix of old and new for RHS Alpine
Team Preview: RHS Alpine skiing
The Hodags have not had nearly as many obstacles preparing for the 2018 season, which starts on Saturday with an invite at Ski Brule in Iron River, Mich. Though the Hodags lost a few key racers, especially on the boys' side, there are some new faces expected to bolster the program this year.
Rhinelander is taking the fledgling Northland Pines ski program under its wing this year in a cooperative effort. Though the programs will have separate operating budgets they will train together during the season and compete as one team, a move the Northern Conference coaches approved in late October.
"They've had interest in this for a few years, but they don't have the know-how yet. What we will bring to them will be great to get their athletes into the sport. Likewise, we're going to supplement our team and be stronger," Rhinelander coach Rod Olson said.
The impact of the co-op will be most felt in boys' skiing where Pines will bring in a pair of freshmen - Ty Springer and Patrick Stemper - who have experience at the middle school level. That will help bolster a team that took a big hit off the top of its lineup after graduating Northern Conference runner-up Duncan Seidel.
Aside from finishing second in the Northern Conference, Seidel placed 16th at the WIARA state meet in La Crosse. Breyden Luebke returns as the team's most experienced downhiller. He placed ninth in the overall Northern Conference standings last year. The rest of the team's returning skiers finished toward the bottom of the pack in the Northern Conference.
"We're just trying to get them some experience," Olson said. "We'll try to get Breyden as high as we can. Super G and GS he'll do well, but he's 110 percent. For slalom, we've got to focus on gearing him where he can finish."
Girls' downhill figures to be where the Hodags are most competitive this season, returning all of its starters from last year's conference runner-up squad.
McKenzie Imm is back to 100 percent after injuring her knee in a crash at last year's state meet. She returns off a fourth-place finish in the Northern Conference. Also back are Cayla Fritz, Haley Seefeldt, Alexis Pyrchalla and Tori Roberts, who all placed inside the top two thirds of the conference standings.
"I think the girls' team is going to be very competitive. We've just got to keep them healthy and keep them improving," Olson said. "We want to try to gear them up and have them at the top all the time."
Low numbers will prevent the Hodags from competing for team titles in both boys and girls' snowboarding. Olson says both teams are projected to have only three riders, one short of the minimum to field a team score.
The boys' team loses 2016 state champ Colin White and will be young and inexperienced this season. The girls' squad brings back 2017 Northern Conference champ Kaiya Shrader, who missed last February's state meet due to a concussion.
In addition to Shrader, Olson said the team has been impressed with the ability of freshman Kylee White during the first on-snow practices of the season.
"She's very quiet and you wouldn't assume that she's going to be one of these aggressive go-for-its, but she has no fear of speed," he said. "She can do a lot already. We have a lot to work with there."
So far, Olson has been optimistic with what he has seen from the team on snow. The team trained at Ski Brule much of December and had a simulated race there on Dec. 21.
"It's one of the best groups of rookies that we've had. They're productive, have skill and a great base to work from," he said.
The Northern Conference season opens Jan. 9 at Indianhead Mountain in Wakefield, Mich. The Hodags will hold the fourth conference race Feb. 3 at Ski Brule. The conference season will conclude Feb. 12 at Granite Peak in Wausau and the WIARA State Meet will be held Feb. 17-19 in La Crosse.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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