JEFF WALD, Sports Editor
Posted: Saturday, January 2, 2010 1:23 am

We took a look back at the top local sports moments and accomplishments of the year on Wednesday. So it’s only appropriate that we also look ahead to see what 2010 might bring to Northfield.

There are some coaching changes ahead that are of note. Records are on the horizon for some athletes and some teams have potential to have great success in the year ahead. Here is our attempt to touch on a little bit of everything.

Who’s in, who’s out?

There isn’t a lot to talk about in terms of coaching changes in local sports for this year, but there are a few that are worth mentioning.

Bill Nelson, a long-time manager of the Dundas Dukes amateur baseball team, decided after the season to step down from his coaching post. Nelson and the Dukes won the Classic Cannon Valley League regular season title for the second straight year in 2009 with a 13-2 record.

After winning the CCVL playoffs in 2008 and taking second in the Class B State Tournament, Dundas lost to Hastings in a best-of-five series to have its 2009 season end short of the state tournament. They finished the season 31-12.

Nelson has been involved with amateur baseball as a player, coach and board member since 1970. He was also inducted to the Minnesota Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. Mike Ludwig, who spent time at first, second and third base for the Dukes in 2009, has taken over as manager.



There is also a change worthy of note at Northfield High School. Troy Cohrs will no longer coach both the NHS boys and girls track and field teams. Cohrs will coach the girls team this coming spring, while Mark Thornton will be the boys head coach. Thornton is also an assistant football coach.

Other looming coaching decisions include Doug Davis returning to the girls swimming and diving team, and Tim Torstenson coming back to the Raider volleyball program.

Chasing history

Bri Zabel and Zach Filzen gave us all something to enjoy three years ago as they chased school basketball scoring records and eventually each other.

Filzen finished four varsity seasons in Raider boys basketball with 1,488 career points. Zabel finished four years of Raider girls basketball with 1,477 career points.

Filzen will remain the boys all-time leading scorer for some time, but the all-time mark is in jeopardy this year. Morgan Zabel, Bri’s younger sister, is on the verge of history.

She entered the season with 1,045 career points and has scored 130 in six games. Morgan Zabel needs 302 points to tie her sister’s mark, and 313 points to tie Filzen’s mark. There are 18 games left for the Raiders, not counting the playoffs. She figures to close in on each mark by the middle of the Missota Conference season.

Tristin Faust was hoping to threaten Mike Quamme’s 188 career wins this year in wrestling. He will likely have to settle for second-best as he entered the season with 122 career wins in four varsity seasons with the Raiders. Even with a deep state tournament run, Faust won’t have enough matches to get close to 188.

His focus now is on qualifying for his third consecutive Class AAA State Tournament. He is ranked seventh in the 160-pound weight class.

Missota, section changes

The Missota Conference is going to have a bit of a different look for the 2010-11 school year.

Hutchinson leaves to join the Wright County Conference. Prior Lake decided in recent months to join the newly-created South Suburban Conference. It’s a league that will include all of the Lake Conference schools, except Eden Prairie.

Joining the Missota Conference to take their places will be Chanhassen and Chaska.

The moves mean that, for the time being, Hutchinson is no longer a conference rival in football. It also means that other schools have a chance in softball, cross country, soccer and track, programs that Prior Lake is traditionally strong in.

There are also several section realignment changes. The Northfield Hiliners dance team moved up to Class AAA in 2009, its first season in the biggest class.

The Northfield wrestling team moved to Section 2AAA, meaning it won’t be wrestling against Albert Lea or Owatonna in the post-season.

What’s ahead for Raider programs?

For the rest of the 2009-10 winter season, a couple of teams are looking to have big seasons.

The Raider gymnastics team, coming off a third-place finish at the Class AA State Championships last year, is off to a 3-0 start. Their Missota Conference season resumes on Jan. 7, against Red Wing.

The team has individual state qualifiers back in Rachel Henrickson, Lindsay Henrickson, Sveta Mason and Meaghan Howell.

The Northfield wrestling team is also hoping for a big postseason. The Raiders feel confident about their chances for a berth in the Class AAA team state tournament with a move to Section 2AAA. The biggest competition in that section is Bloomington Kennedy and Prior Lake.

In the spring, junior Brooke Finger will look to qualify for the state golf tournament for the third straight year. Finger tied for 33rd two years ago, then tied for 17th last year. The Raiders have also won Missota Conference titles each of the last two years.

It could also be a big spring for the Raider baseball program, which returns much of its talent from last year. They’ll have a strong pitching staff that looks to be led by Jackson Meland and Mitch Patrikus. The Raiders will also be led by middle infielders Sam Maus and Eric Pittman.

Next fall, Bubba Sullivan is hoping for another competitive year in Raider football.

Northfield finished 2009 with an 8-3 record, including a 6-1 mark in Missota Conference play and the Raiders’ second straight trip to the state tournament. Jordan Bardwell went 6-0 as a junior starting quarterback and will return. He will also have help with from other athletes, including Scott Snesrud, Logan Canedy, Josh Corbin and Davonte Jacobs.

The Raider volleyball program also has a majority of its talent back from a 17-10 team in 2009. They’ll be led by Lisa Atkinson, Besty and Kelsey Sorensen and Amanda Thompson.

The Gator girls swimming and diving team should also have a successful fall season. A team full of returning state qualifiers will be led by seniors McKenna Jones, Noelle Betterley, Hailey Askeland, Kristi Rasmussen, Jessica Kelm, Catrina Kelm and Brittany DuPay.

Who takes the Goat next year?

It was a frustrating 2009 football season both at Carleton College and St. Olaf College.

The Oles finished 5-5 overall, including a 3-5 mark in the MIAC. Their conference wins came against Augsburg, Gustavus and Hamline. The Knights finished 3-7, but only 1-7 in the MIAC. Their lone conference win came against the Oles, a 17-13 margin, as Carleton claimed the coveted Goat Trophy for the second straight year.

The two teams will meet for the 92nd time. St. Olaf holds a slim 46-43-1 edge in the all-time series. The Knights graduate only five seniors from this year’s team, while the Oles lose 23 seniors and a slew of talented position players.

It figures to be another great battle.



— Jeff Wald covers local sports. He can be reached at 645-1111 or jwald@northfieldnews.com.