Senior captain Sam Jirele competes in a Nordic skiing race last winter.

Spirits rise as snow falls

Minnehaha Academy Nordic ski team head coach Anne Rykken has high expectations for the upcoming season.

“We have a young but very strong boys’ team,” said Rykken. She added that many individual skiers could make it to state, “but it’s so much more fun if the whole team makes it.”

Rykken said the girls’ team is growing with new skiers.

“I like to get them young,” Rykken said with a smile, “so that by the time they’re in high school, we can teach them to be fast.”