The Blake Bears Volleyball team finished their 2017 season with a 1-19 record. The Bears achieved their only win early in the season against Minneapolis Patrick Henry. Blake returns a veteran group that consists of All Conference player Averi Sullivan and All Conference Honorable Mention Robbie Grace. Girls Volleyball is looking to make a strong showing in 2018.
Head Coach: Steve Kaback (1st Year, Career Record 1-19)
Assistant Coaches: Christine Henken & Josh Harvey
Captains: Emily Hykes & Elizabeth Opp
Season Record: 1-19
IMAC All Conference Players:
Averi Sullivan 11
IMAC All Conference Honorable Mentions:
Emily Hykes 12
Robbie Grace 11
Boys:
The Bears finished 3rd in the IMAC Championship races with 8th grader Shef West earning the only All Conference award finishing in 10th place. In the boys section meet they finished 7th out of 17 teams but didn't qualify anyone for the state meet.
Girls:
The Bears finished 4th in the IMAC Championship races with Freshmen Jackie Weyerhaeuser placing 8th and 8th grader Molly Liston placing 9th which earned them both All Conference honors. The girls finished the season strong with a 4th place finish at the section meet. Jackie Weyerhaeuser earned her third straight trip to the state meet at St Olaf College.
Head Coach: Jason Shantz
Assistant Coaches: John Shelp & Maggie Pearson
Captains: Cole Woerner and Alexandra Koullick
All Conference:
Shef West
Jackie Weyerhaeuser
Molly Liston
State Tournament Appearance:
Jackie Weyerhaeuser
The Blake Girls Swim and Dive Team capped off a terrific season with another visit to the State Meet.
Head Coach: Kris Rosenberg (19th year)
Assistant Coaches: Craig Croaston, Isaac Rwenzo, Christy Wagner
Captains:
Greta Hoffman, Maddy Rondesvedt, Julia Landwehr, Krysha Anderson
Team Awards: True Team Sections 2nd Place, Section 2A Runner-Up, State Meet 6th Place
New team records:
200 free relay 1:37.54 - Benedict, Landwehr, Hartley, Potter
50 freestyle 24.10 - Potter
200IM 2:03.76 - Potter
State Qualifiers:
Potter - 200IM, 100 fly, 200 free relay, 400 free relay
Hartley - 200 free, 100fly, 200 free relay, 400 free relay
Landwehr - 50 free, 100 free, 200 free relay, 400 free relay
Benedict - 50 free, 100 fly, 200 free relay
Rondestvedt - 400 free relay
Lampe - 1 meter diving
Sweet - 200IM, 100 back
Olson - 100 breast
All State Honors:
Potter - 200IM, 100 fly, 200 free relay, 400 free relay
Hartley - 200 free, 200 free relay, 400 free relay
Landwehr - 100 free, 200 free relay, 400 free relay
Benedict - 200 free relay
Rondestvedt - 400 free relay
State Champion:
Potter 200IM & 100 fly
All-American Consideration:
Potter 200IM & 100 fly
The SMB Wolfpack completed another strong season. In it's third season overall,the team again went 6-2 in the regular season. The Wolfpack lost to Orono in the Section Playoffs
Head Coach: Collin Quinn (3rd Year, Career Record 23-5)
Assistant Coaches: Hugh Brown, Chris Goodwin, Scott Scholl, Peter Zantop, Joe Protzmann, Tyler Mundt, Lester Batiste, Nate Davis, Marsille Reed, Bill Ross, Eric Salverda
Captains: Jesper Salverda, Matthew Lehmann, Emrik Mundschenk
Season Record: 6-3
Twin Cities Gold District Players:
Jalen Suggs So QB SMB
Kaden Johnson So DE SMB
Emrik Mundschenk Sr LB SMB
Matthew Lehmann Sr SS SMB
Terry Lockett So WR SMB
Twin Cities Gold All District Honorable Mentions:
Craig McDonald So CB SMB
Siegel Howard Jr RB SMB
Riley Tietel Jr OL SMB
Alexey Koeckeritz So WR SMB
The Blake Bears girls varsity tennis team dominated both in the regular and post season play in the 2017-2018 season. The Bears won the IMAC Conference Title during the regular season and advanced to the State Tournament by winning the Section 4A Title. At the State Girls’ Class A Tennis Tournament, the Bears dominated play winning their fifth championship in seven years and their third in a row. In the individual State Tournament, Lainey Axell won her first singles state title winning over teammate Arlina Shen, who would finish 2nd. They finished with a combined record of 20-2 and did it with a combination of skill, experience and youth.
Head Coach: Mike Ach (2nd Year, Career Record 40-3)
Assistant Coaches: Ted Warner
Captains: Sophie Skallerud, Abby Nelson, Lainey Axell, Maren O’Shea
Season Record: 20-2
Team Award: IMAC Conference Champions, 4A Section Champs, Class A State Champions
ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM:
Blake School:
Abby Nelson 12
Lainey Axel 12
Sophie Skallgrud 12
Emily Melin 10
Arlina Shen 10
Sonia Baig 9
HONORABLE MENTION TEAM:
Caroline Cameron 10
Bella Suk 8
State Tournament Awards:
1st Place Singles - Lainey Axell
2nd Place Singles - Arlina Shen
The Blake Boys Soccer Team had a season to remember as they finished the regular season undefeated and as the #1 ranked team in Class A. Unfortunately, the season ended in heartbreak as they were defeated by rival Breck in the Section Semifinals. The loss was the Bears first and only loss of the season. The boys finished with a record of 14-1-2 and as IMAC Conference Champions for the second consecutive season. Head Coach Tamba Johnson and Assistant Coach Aaron Paye were named Section 5A Head and Assistant Coach of the Year, respectively, by their peers. The Bears return 17 letter-winners for the fall of 2018.
Head Coach: Tamba Johnson (4th Year, Career Record: 148-46-9)
Assistant Coaches: Aaron Paye, David Shapiro
Captains: Charlie Ankeny, Sam Shapiro, Haluk Ercan-Fang
Season Record: 14-0-2
Team Awards: IMAC Conference Champions
All State Players:
Haluk Ercan-Fang 11
Will Taylor 12
All Metro:
Haluk Ercan-Fang 11
Charlie Ankeny 12
IMAC All Conference Players:
Will Taylor 11
Haluk Ercan-Fang 11
Charlie Ankeny 12
Luke Melin 11
Ethan Roe 12
Colin McConkey 12
IMAC All Conference Honorable Mentions:
Lane Lipschultz 11
The Blake Girls Soccer Team had a season to remember as they advanced to the Class A State Tournament for the first time since 2013. The Bears were ousted in the State Quarterfinals by Visitation by way of Penalty Kicks after two overtimes did not resolve the tie. The girls finished with a record of 13-5-2 and ended the season as IMAC Runner-Up and Section 5A Champions. The girls will return 17 players for the fall of 2018.
Head Coach: Paul Menge (24th Year, Career Record: 346-85-26)
Assistant Coaches: Paul Armstrong, Ashly Bacon
Captains: CC Wallin, Kyra Willoughby, KK Haug
Season Record: 13-5-2
Team Awards:
Section 5A Champions
State Tournament All-Tournament Team:
KK Haug 11
All State Players:
KK Haug 11
Sara McClanahan 12
IMAC All Conference Players:
KK Haug 11
Sara McClanahan 12
CC Wallin 12
Jade Sund 11
IMAC All Conference Honorable Mentions:
Cate Moe 9
Kyra Willoughby 12