March: Winter Sports Special

All we do is win

Royal Page: Winter Sports Special

The Royals sent six teams and individuals from two other sports to state tournaments and meets this winter.

Nia Coffey, junior, goes up for a layup past three Osseo defenders in the state championship game. Coffey helped lead the girls to their second consecutive state championship victory.

Photo by Mike Newcomer

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Alpine goes to state for first time since 2009

Zach MeklerStaff Reporter

Steve Wiechmann, sophomore, skis down the slopes at the state meet. Wiechmann will be one of the top skiers returning to next year’s team.

After three years of sending only individuals to state, the boys alpine ski team returned in full this winter.

Last year, Brett Bremer, senior, was the only Royal invited to state. “Last year was fun, but finishing for the team ahead of the individual is more important,” Bremer said.

Going into the season, the team knew they had the talent to make it to state; it was just about living up to expectations.

“We knew we had a team that could make it far,” said Sam Bum-sted, senior and captain. “We just didn’t want to mess it up.”

The team had conditioning at every practice to make sure they were in the best shape possible.

“We would take off our skis and hike up the hills at Hyland at least twice every practice,” said Mike Newcomer, senior.

The alpine team worked hard to get to state but still enjoyed the road there.

“Alpine is all about just getting outside and having fun,” said Matt Sinderson, senior.

With the small amount of snow that fell this winter, the alpine team tried to enjoy the time they did have outside.

“We would just go to ski at Hyland. It was a good time,” Sinder-son said. “Being on the chairlift with my teammates just talking and hanging out is always nice.”

It was a team that infused talent with a relaxed atmosphere and

saw great results.“Actually putting it together and getting to state was great to

see, especially after the last couple years ending in disappointment,” Bumsted said.

It helped that this year had plenty of senior leadership.“Freshman year you have role models to look up to, but now we

are the role models with people looking up to us,” Bremer said. The seniors stepped up by performing well at sections and pro-

pelling the team to state.While the team was proud to make it to state, they were disap-

pointed in their sixth place finish.“We definitely could have done better. We imploded towards the

end,” Bremer said.Still, their disappointing finish wasn’t enough to ruin the experi-

ence. “We knew we weren’t going to win, but we had the most fun of any team,” Sinderson said.

Team fought record low snow amounts to make it to state

Photo by Mike NewcomerFrom left to right: Matt Sinderson, senior, Grant Bremer, sophomore, Nick Eagon, senior, Brett Bremer, senior, Sam Bumsted, senior, and Steve Wiechmann, sophomore.

Photo by Lara Rubinyi

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No snow, no problem for Nordic boys, girlsRyan LeviEditor-in-Chief

Jordan Taylor, senior, awoke at 5 a.m. feeling sick to his stomach.He assumed the feeling was just butterflies, a logical assumption

considering he was just hours away from competing in the Nordic state tournament, and went back to sleep.

He woke up a few hours later and ate breakfast with his team before heading back to his room. Back in his room, Taylor was look-ing at start times for the day’s race with his teammates when his queasiness returned.

“I threw up my entire breakfast,” Taylor said. “It was bad.”His teammates worried that Taylor, one of the team’s top skiers,

wouldn’t be able to race that day, but Taylor wouldn’t hear of it.“I was like, ‘Heck no. This is state and I’m racing,’” he said.Taylor did find his way onto the slopes that day, and his gritty

performance helped lead the team to a second place finish.However, the road to success was far from perfect.The toughest challenge the team faced was the unusual lack of

snow this winter. Normally, the metro area receives around 50 inches of snow each winter, but less than 25 inches fell this winter.

“It was a horrible snow year so we had to be creative,” said head coach Rob Fuhr, technology.

Normally, the Nordic team would use the grass fields outside of Lindbergh to practice, but the lack of snow made that incredibly difficult this season.

Fuhr and co-coach Kevin Kos were forced to hold practices at various courses around the area who make their own snow. These courses can only handle so many skiers so Fuhr and Kos had to leave their newer skiers behind to practice the best they could.

“It was sad for our [younger] skiers because we couldn’t get them on the snow as much,” Fuhr said. “We had to focus on what we could do and that was to get our varsity trained to their highest ability.”

Varsity skiers carpooled to make their way to practices at The-odore Wirth Park in Minneapolis and Elm Creek Park in Maple Grove. They traveled as far as Dresser, Wisc., over an hour away, to find enough snow to ski on.

“We had to take it in our own hands to go out and find places to train,” said Harris Dirnberger, junior. Dirnberger finished fifth at state and, along with Sarah Benton, junior, competed at the Junior Olympics in Utah earlier this month.

Because of their ability to carpool to places with snow, the varsity skiers didn’t feel like the lack of snow was a major obstacle. However, some worried about training so often on artificial snow.

“It’s not a huge difference, but you can definitely tell,” said Kim

Lidstone, senior, about skiing on fake snow. Lidstone worried if the team would have success if they made it to state after having such little time on real snow.

Lidstone’s fears turned out to be unwarranted as the girls team finished a surprising third at the state meet.

“We weren’t expecting a ton at state,” she said. “But once we got there, we figured out we had a good shot, and we got serious.”

The girls were led at state by Lidstone, Benton, Julia Lavanger, senior, and Siena Ellingson, freshman.

“The girls really surprised me...at state,” Fuhr said.Fuhr credits the girls commitment to their workouts for helping

them get through mixed results during the conference schedule and pushing them to success at state.

“They bought into the training plan early on and kept with it all the way through,” he said. “We believed if they stuck with it they would make it happen at sections and they did.”

Fuhr was especially impressed with Lidstone’s performance throughout the season.

“Her year was spectacular. She only started skiing last year and she basically got [the girls] to state with her finish [at sections],” he said. “She was really amazing.”

For the boys, Taylor singled out Aaron Blaser, senior, for his con-tributions. Like Lidstone, this was only Blaser’s second year on skis.

“He was phenomenal,” Taylor said of Blaser. “He put in an in-credible amount of work and it really paid off.”

Both teams’ successful finishes at state were led by incredible in-dividual performances. Three boys and three girls received all-state honors by finishing in the top 25 at the state meet.

Benton finished 11th while Lavanger and Ellingson placed 23rd and 24th respectively, finishing less than a second apart.

For the boys, Dirnberger was joined in the top 25 by Jakob El-lingson, junior, who finished seventh, and Taylor, who snuck in with a 25th place finish.

State is broken in to two five kilometer races, with a skier’s time in the first race determining their starting position for the second.

Taylor’s early morning stomach problems led him to a disap-pointing 42nd place after the first race of the day.

Once he finally made his way onto the course for the second race of the day, Taylor was a whole new skier, passing 17 skiers to claim his place in the top 25.

“I was so psyched,” he said. “I had completely forgotten how the morning went.”

“The whole season was exceptional,” Fuhr said. “Everybody did their part and to accomplish what we did was really incredible.”

Photos by Bridget BennettTop left: Sarah Benton, junior. Benton was the top finisher for the girls at state. She finished in 11th place.

Top middle: Harris Dirnberger, junior. Dirnberger finished fifth at state and competed at the Junior Olympics in Utah along with Benton.

Top right: Kaelynn Heiberg, sophomore. Heiberg will be one of the girls’ leading skiers next season.

Middle right: Sam Arneson, junior. Arneson will help lead the boys’ team next season.

Bottom right: Jordan Taylor, senior. Taylor passed 17 skiers in his second race to earn all-state honors.

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Minutes before the girls varsity basketball team entered the Target Center court to defend their state championship, head coach Brian Cosgriff asked each girl to reflect on what this game meant to them.

“When coach made us think about why the game was so important to us, each of us wrote down that we were doing it for each other, and that the best part of the team was the relationships and chemistry we have with each other,” said Taylor Anderson, sophomore.

“We had such an emotional moment as a team before we headed out to the court,” said Gracia Hutson, senior.

The girls took that incredible team chemistry and turned it into a 77-55 victory over Osseo to win their second straight state championship.

“I think the strong relationships between us off the court helped build our bond during the game,” said Alexis Garcia, junior.

“It was an amazing feeling, and as a senior, it was a per-fect way to end my high school career,” Hutson said. “I am so proud of the team. We reached all of the expectations people had given us.”

The team gives their coaches a lot of credit for getting them back to the state championship.

“We have the best staff out there. They really do every-thing for us, prepare us for every game, and are a large part of why we have come so far,” said Sydney Coffey, senior.

Even though they only suffered one loss all year, the girls’ season wasn’t without hardships.

Nia Coffey, junior, hurt her back early in the year and

Mikaala Shackelford, junior, tore her ACL, ending her season.

“We had a lot of injuries, and it was really hard on us, but we got through it,” Cosgriff said.

Other than the injuries, one of the few low points of the season came when the girls lost to Wayzata.

“[Our loss to Wayzata] gave us a chance to take a step back and look at the game and realize that we had to reas-sess somethings,” Garcia said.

But the team was able to exact revenge against just a few weeks later when they beat the Trojans in the section finals to go to state.

“I think one of the best parts of the season was beating Wayzata after they beat us. It was so rewarding,” Garcia said.

Just days removed from winning state, the girls are al-ready looking ahead to next year.

“The team looks really good for next year,” Sydney said. “With Nia most likely being All-American, Mikaala com-ing back, and most of our other players staying, I think they could do it again.”

“Our team next year looks shorter in height, but we’ll be a lot quicker,” Anderson said. “I really hope we go all the way again.”

“There is already talk all around the team of them win-ning state next year. I know that they would have a good chance, but it’s so important to focus on the championship we just won and be proud of ourselves,” Hutson said.

“I am so proud of all of them, and they should be proud of themselves. I feel so blessed to have worked with such a great team,” said Cosgriff.

Girls just do it, againSarah UngermanSports Editor





Top: Sydney Coffey, senior, goes up for a lay up. She will attend Marist College on a women’s basketball scholarship next year.

Middle: Taylor Anderson, junior, jumps above Lakeville North defenders. She was a key part of the Royals offense this season, handling the ball from the point guard position.

Bottom: The team celebrates its second consecutive state championship victory. The Royals beat Osseo 77-55.

Nia Coffey, junior, dribbles into the paint around three Lakeville North defenders. She was one of the Royals most athletic players.

RPWednesday, March 28, 2012the winter sports special

Boys give Royal effort, take third




Photo by Mike NewcomerSiyani Chambers, senior, goes for a layup in the semifinal. Chambers scored 31 points against Osseo in a gritty performance.

Top: Nick Jorgensen, senior, goes for a layup against an Osseo defender. Jorgensen will attend and play basketball for the United States Air Force Academy next year.

Middle: Jake Wright, sophomore, shoots a three against Osseo. Wright scored 13 points and made three consecutive threes in the second overtime to keep the Royals in the game.

Bottom: Full of emotion, the team rallies together in overtime. The game was a nail-biter to the very end.

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Time was running out for the Royals. They were down 73-64 in the state semifinal game against Osseo with 1:30 to go in the second overtime. Enter Jake Wright, sophomore.

Wright hit three 3-point shots in the last 90 seconds in-cluding a bank shot at the buzzer to send the game into a third overtime.

Unfortunately, the Royals magic ran out there, and Osseo prevailed 87-86, ending the Royals quest for a fourth con-secutive state title.

“I was in shock,” said Demitrius Martin, senior. “I had fouled out and couldn’t do anything to help my team.”

“My feelings were all over the place, but I was mostly just sad and mad,” said Siyani Chambers, senior, who scored a game high 31 points in the loss.

The Royals were the team to beat in the postseason. Over the past three seasons, the Royals lost only three games total, won three state championships, and have graduated several Division I athletes including Blake Hoffarber, Trent Lockett, Royce White, and Joe Coleman.

“It was real cool to know I was a part of history with Hop-kins basketball, and it’s something no one can ever take away from me,” Coleman said.

“My expectations for this year were that we were going to be a top team,” said head coach Ken Novak. This year’s team reached those goals, finishing 24-1 in the regular season.

“We really played well,” Novak said. “We lost one early but were very efficient and worked well together,” Novak said.

The boys ability to work together was important during the season.

“Throughout the season it seemed like there was a dif-ferent five out on the court,” Martin said. “Any other team

Andrew HallStaff Reporter

dealing with this would be done.”Novak noted that the team’s relatively small size was

also an obstacle.“We weren’t a very big team, but we compensated for

that very well. Zach [Stahl] and Nick [ Jorgensen] did a very good job repositioning their roles,” Novak said.

Players past and present credit Novak with helping his teams reach their perennial success.

“He prepares you for every minute of the game, how to be prepared for different things throughout a game, and how to be a man off the court,” said Marvin Singleton, center from last year’s championship team.

“He is the best coach I have ever had and probably will ever have. Plain and simple,” Coleman said.

After losing to Osseo on Thursday, Hopkins had to regroup and get ready to play Eden Prairie on Saturday in the third place game.

“Friday morning I thought it was going to be bad, but then Saturday morning, looking at it, I realized it would be my last game in a Hopkins uniform. I didn’t want to go out with a loss, or any more regrets, so I just treated it like it was the championship game,” Martin said.

Hopkins defeated Eden Prairie, 77-65, finishing their season on a high note.

Even though they failed to complete the four-peat, the team is still proud of their season.

“I would consider this season a success,” Chambers said. “Many of the young guys got experience, and al-though we didn’t win, we still had a successful season.”

“The word ‘win’ is an old English word for ‘strive.’ The way we have interpreted this word has changed over the years,” Novak said. “I’d consider [the season] successful, whether we won or not wouldn’t really change my view.”

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Royelles kick team goes to state for first timeAndrew HallStaff Reporter

For the first time in the history of the Hopkins Royelles Kick team, they advanced to state. Hopkins was able to knock off Maple Grove in the section finals. The Royelles came in tenth at the state meet. The Royelles also compete in the jazz category, and their coach is Allison Bridges.

Right: (Left to right) Mollie Kozberg, senior, Bri Stein, senior, and Emily Costa, junior perform at the state meet at Target Center.


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The wrestling team sent three individual wrestlers to state for the 2011-2012 season. Romar Daniel, Trey Goeman, and Henry Wolfbauer, seniors, qualified to compete at the state meet at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. On the road to state, the wrestling team took first place in the Hopkins Individual Invitational for the fourth year in a row along with first place in the North Team Invitational. Unfortunately, none of the HHS wrestlers made it beyond the first round of the state tournament.

The boys swim team sent three swimmers to state this season. Nick Wilkerson, junior, qualified in the 200 meter individual medley and the 100 meter backstroke, but was unable to advance at state because of sickness. Colin Lau, sophomore, qualified in the 200 meter individual medley, and seventh grader Corey Lau took eighth place in the 100 meter breast stroke.

Wrestling sends three to St. Paul

Three swimmers qualify for state

Nick DaleStaff Reporter

Jeff LifsonStaff Reporter

Nick Wilkerson, junior, competes in a backstroke event. Wilkerson was the only Royal to qualify for multiple events at state this season. Photo by Kelsi Johnson

Top left: Henry Wolfbauer, senior, has his arm raised after a victory this season. Wolfbauer wrestled in the 126 pound weight class this season.

Bottom left: Trey Goeman, senior, faces off against an opponent from Wilmar during a match. Goeman wrestled in the 182 pound weight class.

Right: Romar Daniel, senior, readies himself for a match. Daniel wrestled in the 152 pound weight class at the state meet.

Photos by Kelsi Johnson


RPWednesday, March 28, 2012the winter sports special

A party at the Target Center

Left: Both the boys

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Hopkins basketball players and fans descended on the Target Center this March to defend their state championships. The girls cruised to their second consecutive championship and the boys took third after playing in two of the most thrilling games of the tournament.

Above: The student section prepares for a Hopkins free throw at the boys quarterfinal game against Woodbury.

Right: The girls celebrate together after successfully defending their state championship.

Left: Students huddle together to cheer for the girls team during the state tournament.

Below: Siyani Chambers, senior, gets emotional after a play in the semifinal game against Osseo. Chambers scored 90 points over the three games of the tournament.

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March: Winter Sports Special