Skiing 2023-24: Absences and departures leave openings for champions

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.

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

1. Minnetonka

2. Stillwater

3. Benilde-St. Margaret's

4. Edina

5. Minneapolis Washburn

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

1. Hill-Murray

2. Prior Lake/Farmington

3. Blake

4. Minneapolis Southwest

5. Stillwater

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

1. Wayzata

2. Prior Lake/New Prague

3. Stillwater

4. Armstrong

5. St. Paul Highland Park

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

1. Stillwater

2. St. Paul Highland Park

3. Minneapolis Washburn

4. St. Paul Academy

5. Wayzata