MARGIE FREED: FINDING FUN IN CROSS COUNTRY SKIING AND BIATHLON WITH THE COMMUNITY THAT SURROUNDS IT

May 29, 2024 Move. Groove. Improve.  That’s Margie (pronounced with a soft g) Freed’s motto and what she incorporates in her training and coaching.  “A lot of the reason I like skiing and biathlon is because of the activity and the community that surrounds it,” says Margie, the 2016 Minnesota State High School League Cross

ROSIE FRANKOWSKI: CELEBRATE WINTER WITH A SPORT THAT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER

February 15, 2024 “I had an interesting mix in my childhood,” says Rosie Frankowski, born in 1991, referring to her experience living in Minneapolis near Southwest High School during the academic year and at Lake Caribou a few miles from Lutsen, Minnesota (population 220) throughout the summer and weekends. “My sister, Anna, and I would

Minnesota Athletes Vital to Growth and Success in Nordic Skiing

January 12, 2024 While the lack of snow has curtailed cross country skiing in Minnesota this winter, the World Cup championship races in Europe have a strong dose of Minnesota participation and history.  Jessie Diggins continues to amaze; the 5’ 4” Afton, Minnesota athlete has a significant lead in the standings for 2023-24.  It follows

ZAK KETTERSON: 2-TIME STATE NORDIC SKI CHAMPION ON WINNING WORLD CUP MIXED RELAY GOLD MEDAL TEAM WITH JESSIE DIGGINS

June 6, 2023 “We were a very active family,” says Zak Ketterson of his youthful years in Bloomington, Minnesota.  “We were always hiking or biking on trips.”  The younger son of Jim and Brigette (Breuer) Ketterson is proof that endurance is apparently a family trademark.  Jim ran cross country and track at Carleton College in

KARA SALMELA (HERMANSON): FELL IN LOVE WITH THE SPORT OF BIATHLON

June 15, 2022   Kara Hermanson has fallen in love many times in her lifetime.  Born in 1972, the youngest of four children, Kara lived in Rogers, Minnesota, and attended school in Elk River.  She was an athletic youth who competed in swimming, basketball, and track.  At 5’ 2” tall, her playing time on the

Caitlin Compton Gregg: ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE

How does a girl born and raised in Manhattan become a winter Olympian?  Caitlyn Gregg Compton thinks it shows anything is possible. Caitlin did have the advantage of having parents who were outdoors enthusiasts—they met at a ski and bike shop—but she lived in Manhattan until age 10 before moving to Vermont.  It proved to

MINNESOTA’S ONLY SUMMER OLYMPIAN INDIVIDUAL GOLD MEDALIST

Minnesota has had many Olympic gold medalists: Briana Scurry (Dayton; Anoka High School) in soccer; Lindsay Whalen (Hutchinson) and Burdette Haldorson (Austin) in basketball; Jessie Diggins (Afton; Stillwater High School); the 2018 curlers, John Shuster (Chisholm), John Landsteiner (Mapleton), Joe Polo (Bemidji), and Tyler George (Duluth), and more than 20 hockey players, but they have

The cross country World Cup series concluded and we want to celebrate the successes the Minnesota athletes and their teammates.

Congratulations to Jessie Diggins (Afton, graduate of Stillwater High School) capturing second place overall in the prestigious endurance series of nearly 30 races spreading from late November to mid-March with the Winter Olympics sandwiched in between. Teammate Sadie Bjornsen placed 6th overall to make for an impressive American showing and the by far the the

Recapping Results of Minnesota Olympians in the 2018 Winter Games

Cheers to Jessie Diggins for being selected by the US Olympic athletes as the flag bearer at the closing ceremonies! A heartfelt cheer to all of the Minnesota athletes named to the US Olympic team and their efforts in throughout the selection process and at the Winter Games! Women’s hockey: Gold! Lee Stecklein, Roseville; Kelly

Thanks To These Gracious Minnesota Athletes

A sincere thank you to Lindsay Whalen for presenting at the elementary school she attended–St.Anastasia in Hutchinson. I had the honor of introducing her to an overflowing audience! And thanks to Deb Diggins, mother of Olympian Jessie Diggins, who gave interesting background information on the national women’s cross country skiing team and Jessie’s training to

Minnesota Athletes on the 2018 Olympic Team

A few people have requested a listing of Minnesota athletes who have qualified for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Here is what I know: Curling: John Shuster, originally from Chisholm; Tyler George, Duluth; John Landsteiner, Mapleton; Joe Polo, Duluth (alternate); Tabitha Peterson, Eagan; Aileen Geving, Duluth; and Cory Christensen, Duluth (alternate). Hockey: Lee Stecklein, Roseville; Kelly