18 Good

Luck!Fall Sports Preview 2021

The Lake Park-Audubon Raiders cross country team members are, left to right, front row-Tripp Eiter, Brayden Sandland, Kendra Nelson, Gracie O., Ellen Schauer, Jada Carlson; middle row-Thor Erickson, Oliver Mikkelsen, Nathan Dornbusch, Karsyn Peterson, Taylor Johnson, Beth Schauer, Laura Schauer; back row-Kody Johnson and Chester Retz. Not pictured are Allie K., Bernice Minske, Hunter H., Esben O’ Connell and Seth Torgerson.

Raider Runners May Have A Smaller Squad But Have Big Talent

Sports WriterKelsey Buchholz

LPA GIRLS XC

Lace up the shoes, get outside, and run. The Lake Park-Audubon Raider cross country is doing just that, taking advantage of beautiful pre-season weather, not to mention having a season that starts on time this year.

The Raider harriers are eager to kick off the season after ending on high notes last year but not being able to put the “final touch” as there was no state tournament. After an impressive inaugural campaign as a seventh grader, where she would have qualified for the state tournament, eighth grader Ellen Schauer is looking to back up what she did in 2020.

Schauer is not the only returner, as four of the six girls on the varsity roster come back to the program in 2021. Eighth grader Kendra Nelson, sophomore Laura Schauer, and senior Beth Schauer round out the veteran runners.

B. Schauer will be serving as captain in her senior campaign as she has been a consistent presence and positive influence for the Raider cross country program for years. Head Coach Sammi Sapa said, “Beth is one of the hardest workers you will ever meet. She always has a positive attitude and a smile on her face.” That smile and attitude have

set the bar high for her teammates, but have also been contagious as the girls definitely follow her lead in practice and preparation for meets. “But don’t let the smile fool you, she’s a competitor,” reiterated Coach Sapa.

The veteran presence has been good for the team, but the new harriers are not just waiting in the wings. They are eagerly attacking each practice and know they have something positive to contribute to the team.

Early on in the season, junior Jada Carlson and freshman Bernice Minske look to round out the varsity roster. Both of these girls have been impressive in the pre-season with the regular season just around the corner.

Carlson is the second oldest member on the team, but even though she is new to cross country, that hasn’t limited her leadership to the Raider harriers.

“She always gives her all and has not complained,” noted Sapa. “She is willing to try new things and push herself to get better at something she enjoys doing.”

And while there are eager runners, overall numbers are down this year. “We have fewer runners than last year and it makes me a bit nervous,” explained Sapa, “but I want to shed that negativity and be the best team and individual runners that we can be!”Coach Sapa has a lot of faith in her athletes and definitely thinks that personal bests can and will be set multiple times this season. And she continues to remind her squad to “Always push themselves a little bit more.” They have the talent,

they have the team, they have the determination. They just need to execute.

Sapa is in her third year at the helm of the Raider Cross Country program. She will once again be assisted by Annie Minske.

The Raider harriers open their season at Perham and then take almost a week before going to Breckenridge.

Varsity roster:Beth Schauer – 12Jada Carlson – 11Laura Schauer – 10Bernice Minske – 9Ellen Schauer – 8Kendra Nelson – 8

LPA BOYS XC

In a tough sport, it takes a special athlete, both physically and mentally, to be able to perform every day, in practice and in meets. Luckily for the Lake Park-Audubon Raiders cross country team, they have multiple athletes that fit this mold.

Under the direction of third year head coach Sammi Sapa, the LPA harriers are ready to tackle a full 2021 season. Assisting Sapa once again this year is Annie Minske.

While the coaches technically lead the practices and set the expectations, many of the veteran runners are taking on their own leadership roles among their peers, whether it is through vocal encouragement, quiet performance, or in the classroom, the Raider runners have embraced the team mentality and positivity that comes with it.

So far early on in the season, the combination of veteran experience and novice energy has been a benefit for the LPA cross country team as they continue to support each other and push each other to get better in practice every day.

But even with veteran leadership, LPA is still a young team, with no seniors on the team. Losing Zeb Lewis, Korey Smigelsky, Thomas Hoffman, and Mayson Gillespie to graduation last spring was a blow to the program, but the five athletes who return to their junior year campaign have quickly and readily stepped up to fill that void.

Juniors back to guide the Raider cross country program are Taylor Johnson, Seth Torgerson, Karsyn Peterson, Esben O’Connell, and Nathan Dornbusch.

Johnson will be serving as captain of the Raider harriers for 2021. After a strong season last year, he has continued that momentum into

this year. “He gives 100 percent in everything he does,” said Sapa. “He is young but already a great leader. He always is pushing himself to be better than he was at the previous meet.”

Also returning to the Raider squad with grass underneath their spikes are freshmen Thor Erickson, Kody Johnson, Tripp Eiter, and Chester Retz.

As a whole, the Raider cross country team is a great blend of novices and veterans up and down the program, but all have the same energy and high hopes for the season. “They are such a great group of kids,” noted Sapa. “The older athletes really set great examples for younger and newer runners.”

With the MSHSL expanding the cross country classes from two to three, it will be interesting to see how the reorganization impacts Lake Park-Audubon’s chances at qualifying runners for the state meet, but to get there they need to perform in the regular season first, building the confidence that they can get the job done when it is needed.

Coach Sapa wants the athletes to build the confidence for themselves because she already believes in them and their abilities. “I will always do my best to encourage them to be the

greatest runners they can be,” stated Sapa. “I want to see a lot of personal records this season and watch my athletes achieve their goals.”

Their first step to those goals come at Perham for the opening meet of the season and then a few days later run at Breckenridge. Opening up the season on the varsity roster are T. Johnson, Torgerson, O’Connell, Erickson, K. Johnson, Eiter, and Retz.

Boys Varsity Roster

Taylor Johnson – 11Seth Torgerson – 11Esben O’Connell – 11Nathan Dornbusch – 11Karsyn Peterson – 11Kody Johnson – 9Tripp Eiter – 9Thor Erickson – 9Chester Retz – 9Oliver Mikkelsen – 9Brayden Sandland - 9

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