The Mora Mustang Nordic Ski Racing teams have seen a lot of success in recent years with multiple trips to the State Tournament. They are looking to continue this success as they go into the 2018 season with the largest number of students they have ever had.
Preview with head coach Peter Larsen:
What are you most excited for this year?
I’m most excited that our roster is exceeding 75 skiers, possibly the biggest team there ever has been for Mora Skiing.
How is the roster shaping up? Do you have a lot of new players? Are you returning a lot of players? Younger? Older? Etc. We didn’t graduate any girls off the Varsity roster so our girls are looking to have a really great season. We also have a number of younger girls 9th and 10th grade who are looking to move into varsity spots so the girls team will be very fast pushing each other this season.We graduated 2 boys out of the top 4 scorers last season- but still have a strong team. Similar to the girls there are a number of 8th-10th graders looking to move into varsity spots pushing the older guys to train harder and race faster this season.Both boys and girls teams hope to be section champions this season.
Who are a couple athletes that will stand out?
On the boys’ side, Cooper Lennox is the returning standout- He finished last season at the Junior National Championships with a 2nd place finish in the 5km mass start skate race. Coop will be looking for a Section championship and a top 10 state performance this season, as well as working to qualify for Junior National Championships in the Under 18yrs division.On the girls side, Johanna Schwinghamer had a great season last year and is looking to improve on that as well. Johanna put in a big summer of training and will be looking to capitalize on the work she put in there. Johanna will be chasing a section championship trying to best last-year’s section champion Sarah Olson from Blaine.
Any upcoming milestones for your team?
As previously mentioned this will be possibly the biggest ski team mora has ever had. We are looking to capitalize on our strength in numbers and dominate not just the varsity races but the JV and Junior High as well.
What are your goals?
As a coach- my goal is to have a successful, fun, program for each skier on the team, be successful in all the events from the Junior High Races to the Varsity Championships. The boys team has a goal of winning the section and continuing to the state meet again.The girls team would like to do the same, with the addition of finishing in the top 5 teams in the state.
Favorite upcoming games, matches, or meets?
Our home meet is always a favorite, with a change for this season. Friday night Dec 21st will be sprint racing under the lights at the nordic center. We are then continuing the next day with a Mini-tour with a classic individual start race followed by a pursuit start skate race (skiers start time is their time back from the leader from the morning race, first one across the finish line wins!)
Anything else you want people to know about your team?
Come on out and cheer at our home meet Dec 21 and 22- we love having excited fans!
Photo Credit: Peter Larsen
