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2023-2024 WINTER SPORTS RECAP

Your DeLaSalle 2023-2024 Winter Sports Recap is HERE!  Take a look at all of the accomplishments and successes of our Winter athletic teams:

 

Alpine Ski

In its third year of existence, the DeLaSalle Alpine Ski team has not only endured but thrived, boasting a remarkable growth in numbers with 35 athletes participating this year.  The team continued to forge ahead with determination and a competitive edge.

Reflecting on past performances, this season marked a significant improvement in both individual accomplishments and team efforts.  The girls team consistently showcased their talent, securing top-ten positions in every race.  Notably, the overall top three scorers, Captain Carlie Jackson, Sophia Melancon, and Eleanor Pitts, exemplified DeLaSalle's skills on the slopes.

In another thrilling display of skill, the boys team consistently showcased their talen in the season's final race against Minneapolis public schools.  Captain Thomas Anderson led the team, taking first place, while Erick Brunsvold followed closely behind, securing an impressive third-place finish.  These remarkable performances demonstrated the team's resilience.

Despite encountering challenges like the lack of snow during the season, the dedication and perseverance of DeLaSalle's coaching staff, led by Tom Jackson and Thomas Anderson III, shone through.  Their unwavering commitment ensured that practices were held, allowing athletes to continue to improve.

The DeLaSalle Alpine Ski team reflects on their season filled with passion, improvement, and unforgettable achievements on the slopes.

 

Nordic Ski

Winter missed ski season this year.  And the skiers missed winter.  Practicing only on machine-made snow at Theodore Wirth and Hyland Lake Park Reserve over Christmas Break, the DeLaSalle Nordic Ski team still managed to make it a memorable season.  Each and every skier improved both from last season and from the first race of thsi season in December at Elm Creek to our February Sections race at Battle Creek, despite the snow drought and 50 degree temperatures during the Sections Pursuit.

Highlights of our winter included a trip to the Mesabi East Invitational on January 6th (they got to race during a snowstorm!) and a night ski on their trails, volunteering at the Luminary Loppet, and earning their first-ever individual awards as a program.  Owen Caputo-Sullivan and Adele Haeg both earned All-Conference Honorable Mention at the Conference Meet at Hyland in January, placing in the top 22 of the Metro East Conference.  Many DeLaSalle skiers also made it ot the first FIS Cross Country World Cup on U.S. soil in 23 years at Theodore Wirth Park over Presidents' Day Weekend.  The got to rub elbows with some of the best skiers in the world.  Thanks to coaches Matt Lynch, Matt Paal, and Annie White for all the memories!

 

Girls Hockey

The Metro-South Phoenix hockey team, a co-op between DeLaSalle, Burnsville, St. Paul Academy and St Agnus had a successful season with a record of 4-21-1. Kate Waltz, Rayna Stecklein, and Helen Sautter played on the team. Helen started several games in the net and had a .891 save percentage with an overall 3-5 record.  Rayna's season highlights included goals against Rosemount and Eastview. The Phoenix fell short in their section playoffs agianst Wayzata with a 1-3 loss. 

 

Boys Swimming & Diving

At Section prelims, the St. Anthony & DeLaSalle Co-Op Team had 12 swimmers advance to finals by placing in the top 16.  At Section Finals, the team finished in 4th place overall.  Here are some of the standout performances:

  • The 400 Freestyle Relay (Bennett Wartner, Will Ryberg, Aidan Conlin, Samuel Benson) placed 2nd.
  • The 200 Yard Freestyle Relay (Owen Miska, Milo Roy, Zach Abelson, Aidan Conlin) placed 4th.
  • The 200 Medley Relay (Bennett Wartner, Owen Miska, Samuel Benson, Will Ryberg) placed 4th.
  • Bennett Wartner placed 1st in the 100 Yard Backstroke and 2nd in the 200 Yard Individual Medley.
  • Will Ryberg placed 8th in the 50 Yard Freestyle and 6th in the 100 Yard Freestyle.
  • Zach Abelson placed 6th in the 500 Yard Freestyle and 7th in the 200 Yard Freestyle.
  • Aidan Conlin placed 5th in the 200 Yard Freestyle and 7th in the 100 Yard Butterfly.
  • Silan Holtan placed 11th in the 100 Yard Backstroke.
  • Milo Roy placed 13th in the 200 Yard Freestyle and 10th in the 100 Yard Freestyle.

At the State Finals, the team had some incredible individual and relay successes:

  • Bennett Wartner set the all-time school record in the 100 Yard Backstroke with a time of 53.05 and placed 3rd overall in the event.  Bennett also placed 6th in the 200 Yard Individual Medley.
  • The 200 Yard Medley (Bennett Wartner, Owen Miska, Samuel Benson, Will Ryberg) placed 8th.
  • The 400 Yard Freestyle (Bennett Wartner, Will Ryberg, Aidan Conlin, Samuel Benson) placed 15th.

 

Boys Basketball

The Boys Basketball team brought home their 13th straight Section Championship with a win over Columbia Heights, earning them a spot, once again, in the Class AAA State Boys Basketball Tournament.  After winning their State Quarterfinals game over Orono 70-64, the boys moved onto the State Semifinal game against Totino-Grace where they lost a hard-fought battle 74-67.  The boys team moved onto the 3rd-Place Game where they bounced back and defeated Alexandria 58-53.  Ray James Jr. '24 was named to the 2024 Class AAA All-Tournament Team.  Jaden Morgan '24 also scored his 1,000th career point in the State Semifinals game.  Congrats to our boys on an incredible season!

 

Girls Basketball

The Girls Basketball team took home another Section Championship with a 75-62 win over Mahtomedi.  They moved onto Williams Arena where they would battle in hopes for another State Championship trophy.  The girls started the tournament off with a dominant performance over Totino-Grace with an 81-49 victory in the Quarterfinal matchup.  In the State Semifinal game, the girls pulled away late defeating Alexandria 82-69 and moving onto the State Championship game.  Despite a valiant effort, the girls came up short in the Championship game losing to Benilde-St. Margaret's 81-58.  Aneisha Scott '25, Jordyn Johnson '25, and Madalyn Blaylark '26 were named to the 2024 Class AAA All-Tournament Team.  Congrats on an incredible run and another successful season.

 

Wrestling

This is the largest team we have had in a while.  We had over 30 wrestlers signed up at the beginning of the year!  Due to this, we finished the season at 4-11 and finished 7th in our Section.  We had three individuals place at Individual Sections: Roman Tabor got 4th, Jonny Ochoa Cruz got 5th, and Elvis Placencia got 6th.  Elvis Placencia received an All-Conference Honorable Mention.

This is the first year we have had multiple girls join the team.  We had four girls all season, and three of them will return next year.  All the girls were able to compete in the Girls Individual Section tournament up in Bemidji, which was an overnight tournament that was a lot of fun!  The team is hoping to have at least eight girls on the team next year, and we are hoping to have a girls coach hired for next season.

 

Boys Hockey

Overall, the Varsity team record was lower than they had anticipated going into the season.  With that being said, there were still some big accomplishments, and the program continues to move in the right direction.  This season saw Hopkins Boys Hockey (the DeLaSalle Co-Op Team) win their first Lake Conference game since 2016.  Additionally, the team earned its highest 6AA section seeding since 2016 with the 7 seed.

The team also had impressive academic achievements:

  • Combined GPA (JV and Varsity) = 3.59
  • Section 6AA Team GPA = 3.75
  • Scholar-Athlete Awards = 8
  • 4.0 GPAs = 4

Throughout the season, the team also took part in various Volunteer/Philanthropic work:

  • Helping HYHA (Hopkins Youth Hockey) coaches run Fall Clinics
  • Facilitated off ice dry land for HYHA
  • Feed My Starving Children
  • Team Tucker = helped raise over $5,600 for the Team Tucker Association
  • Alpine Ski
  • Athletics
  • Basketball
  • Hockey
  • Nordic Ski
  • Swimming
  • Wrestling