A girls Nordic skiing state champion will emerge from the trails and hills through the woods at Giants Ridge in February. It won't be Hopkins junior Sydney Drevlow, the state's best girls Nordic skier. Again.
Drevlow, the 2022 pursuit state champion as a freshman, will not ski in the state meet in Biwabik for the second consecutive year while she attends a U.S. national team camp abroad. The state meet will be held Feb. 14-15.
Defending state champion Zoe Devine of Ely graduated, leaving a wide-open race for medalist. Seniors claimed three of the top four spots and four of the first six a year ago.
Duluth East is a heavy favorite to repeat as team champion, boasting three of the top eight finishers from a year ago in seniors Rowan Bixler and Lydia Kraker and junior Anna-Britta Helmer. Kraker was the runner-up to Devine.
St. Paul Highland Park junior Hanna Koch finished fifth last season, and Minneapolis Washburn junior Chloe Angerman was ninth.
The boys will also crown a new individual champion, as the top three finishers from last season graduated. Seniors Tommy Simmonds of Prior Lake/New Prague and Daniel McCollor of Wayzata finished fourth and fifth and lead the field of returnees. Duluth East is also the defending boys team champion.
There's also a vacancy to fill when the Alpine boys ski at the state meet Feb. 13, because champion Josh Nelson of West Lutheran graduated.
Seniors Cash Jaeger of Stillwater and Jackson Reents of Hastings lead the returnees after finishing second and third last year. Two-time reigning team champion Minnetonka is favored to three-peat.
Hill-Murray sophomore Taylor Voigt is the only returning individual champion after she captured the girls title by 68 hundredths of a second. Her finish led the Pioneers to the team championship as well. Repeating won't come easy for Voigt as Minnetonka senior Marisa Witte and Blake junior Vivien Pihlstrom were right behind her in second and third.
Boys Alpine
Ten individuals to watch
Oscar Anderson, Minnetonka, sophomore
Steve Conlin, Minnetonka, junior
Henry Giles, St. Paul Academy, senior
Cash Jaeger, Stillwater, senior
Bennett LeVander, Woodbury, junior
Simon McMahon, Benilde-St. Margaret's, senior
Austin Mjanger, Hill-Murray, senior
Jackson Reents, Hastings, senior
Jack Shideman, Orono, senior
Ethan Stabenow, Stillwater, senior
Top five teams
1. Minnetonka
2. Stillwater
3. Benilde-St. Margaret's
4. Edina
5. Minneapolis Washburn
Girls Alpine
Ten individuals to watch
Emily Gustafson, Mound Westonka, senior
Grace Horejsi, Benilde-St. Margaret's, senior
Annabel McCann, Prior Lake/Farmington, junior
Maycie Neubauer, Stillwater, senior
Sonja Pendergast, Wayzata, sophomore
Vivien Pihlstrom, Blake, junior
Kate Reardon, Hill-Murray, junior
Stella Stinnett, Minnetonka, junior
Taylor Voigt, Hill-Murray, sophomore
Marisa Witte, Minnetonka, senior
Top five teams
1. Hill-Murray
2. Prior Lake/Farmington
3. Blake
4. Minneapolis Southwest
5. Stillwater
Boys Nordic
Ten individuals to watch
Finn Christiansen, Minnehaha Academy, senior
Logan Drevlow, Hopkins, freshman
Josh Frett, Breck, junior
Jace Haerter, Edina, junior
Daniel McCollor, Wayzata, senior
Sam Scott, Minneapolis Southwest, senior
Tommy Simmonds, Prior Lake/New Prague, senior
Eddie Snider, Mounds Park Academy, junior
Boden Sundell, Armstrong, senior
Anders Westanmo, Bloomington Jefferson, junior
Top five teams
1. Wayzata
2. Prior Lake/New Prague
3. Stillwater
4. Armstrong
5. St. Paul Highland Park
Girls Nordic
Ten individuals to watch
Chloe Angerman, Minneapolis Washburn, junior
Nina Fedje, Minnetonka, senior
Annika Fuhrmann, Stillwater, senior
Bailey Holmes, Stillwater, senior
Hanna Koch, St. Paul Highland Park, junior
Alex Pundsack, St. Paul Highland Park, junior
Zoe Sumner, Minneapolis Southwest, junior
Ciara Thatcher, Minneapolis Washburn, sophomore
Hanna Wilsey, St. Louis Park, senior
Inga Wing, St. Paul Academy, junior
Top five teams
1. Stillwater
2. St. Paul Highland Park
3. Minneapolis Washburn
4. St. Paul Academy
5. Wayzata