Members of the G Team, a local snowboarding team based at Hyland Ski Area in Bloomington and Buck Hill in Burnsville, recently returned from a successful effort at the USA Snowboarding Association's National Championship in Copper Mountain, Colo.
More than 1,200 snowboarders from across the country competed in the meet, which is billed as the largest snowboard competition in the world.
Seven members of the team won championships: Jacob Sterling of Orono won the junior men's slalom, and Minnetonka's Ricky Graham won the youth men's slalom. Liam Johnson of Savage won the rail jam for boys 9 and under, while Carter Gieseke of Lakeville won the national championship for men 14 and older.
Jacob McCarthy of Edina won the slalom title in the breaker boys (12-13) division; Lukas Caye of Minneapolis won the youth (14-15) boys' slopestyle championship; and Grant Abrahamson of Chanhassen won the youth (14-15) boys' giant slalom title.
In all, 16 members of the G Team earned medals in the meet.
New conference forms
When the Minnesota State High School League last fall placed Columbia Heights, Fridley and Holy Angels into the already crowded Tri-Metro Conference, it prompted the withdrawal of six longtime conference members: Blake, Breck, Minnehaha Academy, Mounds Park Academy, Providence Academy and St. Paul Academy. Those six schools announced Monday that they would band together to form the Independent Metro Athletic Conference (IMAC), beginning in the 2014-15 school year.
"In the IMAC, we will work closely together to achieve an appropriate balance with regard to athletic competition and academics," said Providence Athletic Director Kurt Jaeger in a press release.
All-Star site change
The location of the 41st annual Minnesota High School All-Star Football Game has been changed from its previously announced location at St. Cloud State University to St. John's University in Collegeville.
