WSTribune Sept 3, 2016...

Page BTS1

Special Section

School begins next week!

school starting at 7:30 a.m.
Big Lake High School
will have their first day
Wednesday, (Sept. 7) starting at 7:30 a.m.
Important things to remember:
Now that another school
year is on the horizon there
are some things that not
only parents need to remember but community
members as well.
Getting children to school
safely needs to be top priority when sending kids back
to class.
Vision Transportation has
43 buses transporting students every morning and afternoon. Drivers need to be
aware that school is starting
and there will be lots of
buses on the road.
Eagle Lake road and
Lake Street are very busy
streets and bus drivers make
frequent stops.
It is the responsibility for
drivers to be aware of their
surroundings and to know
that flashing yellow lights
means slow down and prepare to stop.
There are also lots of kids
that walk to school each
day, so it is good to talk to
them and remind them
about getting to school
safely and what to do if they
are approached by a
stranger.
If parents have not registered for a school view account they may want to do
so. School View is a portal
where parents can check
grades, attendance, pay for
field trips and more.
Parents can create one
by going to the website,
www.tiescloud.net/schoolvi
ew, enter 727 for the district
number.

CARRISSSA DORADO
said she is nervous and
excited to be going into
the 6th grade as she put
school supplies in her
locker.

CALEB, who is going

into 6th grade was working on techniqe to open
his locker at the middle
school open house. (Photos by Maggie Newman)

CHARLIE AND HIS DAD DON visit with one of

Charlies new teachers, Mrs. Schnell Wednesday during the middle school open house.

ASHLEY, ABBY, TAYLOR AND LINDSEY are very

happy to be going into the tenth grade and to be
starting school next week.

KARISSA WHO IS going into the ninth grade,

finds out where she needs to go with help from her
mom Michelle, by checking out the map to locate
one of her classrooms.

JACOB AND ALAYNA get to know art teacher Mrs.

Nygaard at the middle school open house.

Back-To-School Safety

HANNAH and her grandmother Kay are excited

for school to start next week.

Good Luck Hornets!

1013 Hart Boulevard | Monticello, MN 55362
763-295-2945 | centracare.com

WISHING TEACHERS,
STUDENTS & FAMILIES
A SAFE & PRODUCTIVE
SCHOOL YEAR!

We are always on our Tows Family Owned & Operated

Light, Medium and Heavy Duty Towing

Lockouts Jump Starts Winch Recovery

www.bobstowingandrecovery.com

Submitted Article
Whether its just walking
across the street to the
school bus or young adults
experimenting with alcohol
for the first time at college,
parents need to talk with
their children about the dangers that lie ahead during
the school year.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety has
compiled a list of issues and
advice that will help guide
parents to develop some
common-sense principles
for their children.
As parents we cant be at
every corner telling our
children to watch out for
cars or always be sitting
next to our teen driver, reminding them not to text
while driving, said Department of Public Safety Commissioner Mona Dohman.
But we can set the table for
good habits before they
walk out the door for school
by providing our children
some guidance and understanding of real world dangers. Its not only important
to give them the advice, but
as parents we must model
those behaviors and set
good examples. Together
we can keep our children
safe.
Stay safe online
Bureau of Criminal

Apprehension
Children of all ages are
using the Internet to complete classroom projects or
research subjects for homework. But going online can
make children vulnerable to
predators who would use
deception to ultimately do
them harm.
Too much info predators
will use identifying information including schools,
team names, teacher names
and more to build a relationship with your child.
Chat before they SnapChat
talk with your children
about the risks involved in
sending or sharing provocative images.
Report it report instances
of inappropriate online contact to www.missingkids.
com/cybertipline
Begin talking about
safety online before your
child uses their first electronic device and continue
the conversation through
college. Get some conversation starters at: http://
www.netsmartz.org/Parents.
Emergencies in a digital
world Homeland Security and Emergency Management
Cell phones, tablets, laptops and other wireless devices. Most families get
their information while on

Wishing All Local Area Students

a Successful School Year!

OTTEM INSURANCE AGENCY

Health Insurance & Medicare Plans

763-263-7682

the go these days. Thats

why its important for parents and children alike to
stay informed about emergencies by putting our technology to work. Take these
steps to be in the know at
all times.
Program health information (illnesses, allergies,
blood type, donor information and medications) into
your childs cell phone. Include emergency contact
phone numbers. Follow
local law enforcement and
other agencies on social
media.
Sign up for Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs). Authorized agencies send the
cell phone messages to let
families know about dangerous weather conditions,
emergencies and other hazards. Know how to read the
alerts, follow direction and
take action.
During emergencies and
disasters, text, dont talk,
unless its an immediate
need. It may be easier to
text family members in a
chaotic environment. Making calls will tie up phone
lines and overwhelm signals for emergency workers
in the moments after an incident. Make sure children
know how to call 911.
Emergency preparation
homework before school
starts Homeland Security
and Emergency Management
Even before your child
goes back to the classroom,
make sure the entire family
is prepared to act in an
emergency. Having a family
plan is key to keeping your
children calm and safe.
Take these steps to be prepared throughout the school
year:
Prepare a document with
the phone numbers of parents, grandparents and a
close neighbor and place it
in your childs backpack.
Select a relative or friend

that lives out of town. If

phone lines are down and
cell phone service is overloaded all family members
can use a landline to call the
contact and report their status and location.
Make a kit that will help
the family get by. You may
need to survive on your
own after an emergency or
natural disaster. This means
having enough food, water
and other supplies to cover
each family member for
three days. Do not forget
your pets! Know what items
to bring in case of an evacuation from home.
Choose a safe meeting
space during an emergency.
Examples include a local
church, store, library or
other public location where
the family would meet if
they could not gain access
to home.
Safe at school Homeland Security and Emergency Management
Minnesotas
School
Safety Center provides resources to schools, educators and law enforcement
across the state for emergency planning, training
and preparedness. Parents
should also take a few key
steps when it comes to
school safety:
Be familiar with the
schools emergency response plan for a threat or
hazard. This includes procedures that will determine
whether staff and students
stay or go, along with evacuation/relocation and reunification/student
release
information. Details are
usually located in the school
handbook.
Talk to your child about
lockdown, shelter-in-place
and severe weather drills
that will occur. Make sure
they know how to act during these drills and how to
put those drills to practice
during a real emergency.

Special Section Schedules Sports Stories Pictures

By Maggie Newman,
Staff Writer
Its that time of year
again when parents, students and teachers are excited to kick off the new
school year.
School supplies have
been purchased as well as
back packs and new shoes.
Now all that left is assessment day and the excitement for kids and parents as
they wait for the first day of
school to begin.
Big Lake elementary
schools will be welcoming
back students for assessment days, Tuesday, sixth
grade and Wednesday, seventh grade, depending on
sign up.
Assessment
day
is
mandatory and very beneficial to students, parents,
teachers and staff, as families get one on one time
with their teacher to discuss
learning strength and needs.
During this time parents
will also have the opportunity to add money to their
childs lunch account, turn
in any paperwork and go
with their child to have their
picture taken for the year
book and complete bus
safety training.
Liberty and Independence
elementary schools will
have their first full day
Thursday (Sept. 8) starting
at 8:45.
Big Lake High School
and middle school held
their open house Wednesday. Students met teachers,
put items in their lockers,
were able to purchase parking passes, and just get familiar with the school.
Big Lake Middle School
will have their first day
Tuesday (Sept. 6) with

WSTribune Sept. 3, 2016...BTS2

Special Section Schedules Sports Stories Pictures

Special Section
22 new teachers welcomed to BL Schools

PHOTO L-R FRONT: Jessica Schlangen - Special Education - EBD - Middle School; Lisa Holm - Middle School EBD - Emotional Behavioral Disorder; Rebecca Shirk
- Elementary Music; Tony Trudeau - Middle School Counselor; Lindsay Johnson - 5th Grade Teacher at Liberty; Meghan Van Danacker - 4th grade at Liberty; Jenn
Smith - Autism Resource Teacher at Liberty Elementary; Stephanie Wynne - 4th grade teacher at Liberty; Candance James - FACS teacher at the Middle School.
Back: Megan Jacob - Business Educator; Kendra Martin - Special Education ASD Teacher; Dan Ryan - Special Education Teacher; Jane Kallemeyn - Long term substitute position first grade at Liberty Elem.; Ashley Ehlert - Elementary Art teacher; Maggie Kingsbury - First grade teacher at Independence; Amanda Ellingson Early Childhood Special Education teacher; Jared Czech - High school art; Nichole Stenberg - LTS 2nd grade Liberty; Jacob Hieserich - 3rd grade - Liberty Elementary.
Not pictured Steven Leuer - Media Specialist - Independence & Liberty. (Submitted photo.)
Submitted Article
Big Lake Schools is gearing up for the coming year,
with 22 new teachers.
The new teachers have
been busy with training and
orientation last week. Their

week started with getting up

to speed on district-provided technology, and then
it was on to curriculum
training and time to work in
their classrooms.
Each new teacher has

been assigned an experienced teacher as a mentor

who will assist them with
district and classroom practices.
They will also find peer
support in their professional

learning communities. The

group of new teachers took
a little time out of one training day to posed for a photo
for the newspaper, and had
lunch with Supt. Steve
Westerberg, building princi-

pals, and district office administration.

The remainder of the
week was taken up with
human resources needs,
health and safety training, a
special education overview

and time preparing their

classrooms and with their
mentors.

Progressing forward with students in focus

(EDITORS NOTE: The following release has been

provided by Kayla Stai,
Communications and Public Outreach Specialist Big
Lake School District)
Welcome to the 20162017 school year! The beginning of a new school
year is always an exciting
time for students and staff.
Though some students will
say they dont wish for
school to start, most will
admit seeing classmates
again and the opportunities

of a new school year motivates them enough to get

out of bed early that first
day. The hope for a great
school year is foremost on
the minds of students, parents and school employees
this time of the year. Im
confident the district will
work hard to make this
hope a reality.
Across our district, we
have been very busy this
summer, especially these
last few weeks, getting
ready for the new school

Best Wishes
for a
Successful
School
Year!
Big Lake Mayor
Raeanne Danielowski

Good luck Hornets!

763-263-7300
16830 198th Ave. N.W. | Big Lake, MN 55309
centracare.com

Schedule your sports physical today!

IT WAS AN EXCITING EVENING FOR students, parents and faculty as they joined together at the Big Lake
Middle school for the open house Wednesday. As students and parents entered the school they were greeted
with cheers and high fives from teachers and staff. From 5:30 until 8 p.m., students were able to get their
class list, check out their rooms, meet teachers and put things into their lockers. The first official day of
school for the Big Lake MIddle School will be Tuesday (Sept. 6). (Photos by Maggie Newman.)

year. Thanks to a new funding source the legislature

created last year for deferred maintenance needs,
our facilities department has
been incredibly busy. Large
sections of the high school
roof have been replaced, Independence Elementarys
parking lot and playground
area have been graded and
resurfaced, a new gym floor
was installed at the middle
school to replace the waterdamaged one, and a few
troublesome spots in the
high school parking lot
were repaired.
Another huge summer
project the district accomplished over the summer is
hidden in the high school
ceilingour technology infrastructure. New cabling
was strung and switches
were replaced in order to
provide dependable and improved Internet connectivity. These improvements are
the first step in our new
technology plan, which will
be rolled out to the public
soon. Money from the technology levy passed last November funded most of this
project.
Not only did several physical aspects of the district
receive improvements during the summer, but significant work has also gone
into preparing to teach sev-

eral new courses at the secondary level. The middle

school visual arts program
has been expanded and additional technology courses
will be taught at both the
high school and middle
school. Additionally, robotics will be rolled out as a
new activity for students
this year. The faculty and
administration have been
working hard this summer
to prepare for these new opportunities, which are possible thanks to local voters
who passed the November
operating levy.
At
the
elementary
schools, teachers have been
busy learning a new K-4
mathematics curriculum
called Math in Focus. Anytime curriculum changes, a
lengthy process takes place
to learn the new curriculum
and to develop and replace
related classroom materials.
See our website for a press
release on this new elementary math series.
Other changes taking
place this year is a new food
service program offered by
Chartwells, a new student
information system calling
Infinite Campus that will be
rolled out after the first
trimester, the hiring of
Logan Midthun (Activities
Director) and Katie Thompson (Independence Assis-

tant Principal), and the hiring of about 22 new teachers needed due to turnover
and four additional teachers
to lower class sizes in the
elementary buildings thanks
to the successful operating
levy last fall.
To say the district has
been busy this summer may
be an understatement. Lots
of these improvements have
been needed for many years

and the stars have just finally aligned for Big Lake
Schools to make progress
on several of them. Through
all of this progress, our
focus continues to be on our
students and creating the
best educational experience
for them.
Welcome back and best
wishes for the very best
school year ever.

ANISSA AND MADDIE ARE ALL smiles after they

received the books they need to start school with.

BL Schools welcome
many new faces
(EDITORS NOTE: The following release has been
provided by Kayla Stai,
Communications and Public Outreach Specialist
Big Lake School District)
Students will be greeted
by many new faces this
school year as the district
welcomes a new activities
director, a new assistant
principal at Independence
Elementary School, a new
food services director, and
22 new teachers.
Logan Midthun has been
hired as the new activities
director for the district.
Midthun comes to the district from Williston, ND
where he was the activities
director for the past year.
Before that, he worked in
Killdeer, ND as the activities director and a physical
education teacher for four
years. Midthun has a bachelors degree from Valley
City State University where
he majored in health/physical education and minored
in coaching.
Independence Elementary Schools new assistant
principal is Katie Thompson. Thompson received
her principal licensure from

Logan Midthun

Hamline University in
March 2013 and has held
several leadership positions
since. Most recently, she
came from WatertownMayer where she was the
dean of students for the past
two years. Prior to that
Thompson was an English
teacher for seven years in
Watertown-Mayer.
Kenneth Nelson was
hired as the districts food
service
director
by
Chartwells, which is the
food service company Big
Lake Schools is contracting
meals through for the first
time this year. Nelson graduated from Southwest State
University with a major in
business administration.
Over the past 24 years, he

Katie Thompson

has worked a plethora of

careers all within the food
service industry. Most recently, Nelson worked as
the Nutrition Services Operations Manager at Mercy
Hospital.
Along with the addition
of these three individuals,
the district welcomes 22
new teachers. The majority
of these hires are replacing
teachers who retired or resigned after last school
year. Four elementary
teachers are in new positions created to lower class
sizes, which is possible
thanks to the operating levy
passed in November.

START OF THE YEAR CHECKLIST

The beginning of a new school year brings just a short list of housekeeping items that
parents need to complete to ensure their students get a great start to the year.
Attend Assessment Days (if you have an elementary school student) The elementary
schools open house is called assessment days. This is a required event, and parents can
select an appointment time that works for them. Assessment days are held on 9/6 and
9/7. Parents should have received a letter in the mail on how to sign up for a time slot.
Know When School Starts the first day of school for grades 6-9 is 9/6; the first day
of school for grades 10-12 is 9/7; and the first day of school for grades K-5 is 9/8. High
school and middle school students start at 7:30 a.m. and are released at 2:15 p.m. Elementary school students start at 8:45 a.m. and are released at 3:30 p.m.
Review and Update Contact Information in SchoolView it is incredibly important
that we have the right contact information in our system in case there is an emergency
or if we just need to get ahold of you. Simply login to your SchoolView account, select
a student, click parent name in top right corner, select My Info, update any incorrect
information, and click Update button at bottom of screen. Dont have a SchoolView
account yet? Call the main office of your childs school for directions on setting up an
account.
Review Student Handbook please take a few minutes to look over the student handbook to refresh your memory on our policies and procedures including dropping off
and picking up, opting out of directory information, and school closings. Please also
review our annual required notices. Click here to open the handbook.
Add Money to Meal Account dont forget to take a few minutes and add money to
your student(s) meal account so he or she can eat breakfast or lunch at school. Visit
MySchoolBucks.com to add money.
New to Big Lake Schools? Dont forget to send in any required forms the district
hasnt received yet. This includes immunization forms, enrollment forms, transportation
request forms, among others. See the enrollment section on our website under about
for a list of required forms.
New Student Information System - be on the look out for information about transitioning to our new student information system, Infinite Campus, after the first trimester.
Have a great 2016-2017 school year!

Submit A Photo!

Submit your photos with a cutline

identifying participants and achievements, with or without
an article. We will publish
your submission on a space
available and first come
first serve basis. Drop
your submission at our
office at 29 Lake Street
or email to: production
@westsherburnetribune.net

WEST SHERBURNE

State MCA data shows big

improvements for BL schools

(EDITORS NOTE: The following release has been

provided by Kayla Stai,
Communications and Public Outreach Specialist
Big Lake School District)
Big Lake Schools district-wide scores for the
2016 Minnesota Comprehensive
Assess-ments
(MCA) show significant
improvements in reading
and science; math remains
flat. All scores are considerably above state averages.
MCAs are state tests in
reading, math and science
that measure a schools
alignment with state standards and are used to meet
federal and state legislative
requirements. The tests are
administered
statewide
each spring to students in
grades 3 through 8 and 10

for reading; grades 3

through 8 and 11 for math;
and grades 5, 8 and 10 or 11
for science.
Big Lake students tested
63 percent proficient in
reading, 59 percent proficient in science, and 61 percent proficient in math
compared to state averages
of 60 percent, 55 percent
and 47 percent; respectively.
These results show that
the hard work put in by our
teachers and building principals is starting to pay off,
said Superintendent Westerberg. The growth our stumade
was
dents
exceptional, especially considering the results of the
state as a whole were very
flat from the previous year.
Big Lake reading scores

Progressing Forward
with Students in Focus
Welcome to the 20162017 school year! The beginning of a new school
year is always an exciting
time for students and staff.
Though some students will
say they dont wish for
school to start, most will
admit seeing classmates
again and the opportunities
of a new school year motivates them enough to get
out of bed early that first
day. The hope for a great
school year is foremost on
the minds of students, parents and school employees
this time of the year. Im
confident the district will
work hard to make this
hope a reality.
Across our district, we
have been very busy this
summer, especially these
last few weeks, getting
ready for the new school
year. Thanks to a new funding source the legislature
created last year for deferred maintenance needs,
our facilities department
has been incredibly busy.
Large sections of the high
school roof have been replaced, Independence Elementarys parking lot and
playground area have been
graded and resurfaced, a
new gym floor was installed at the middle school
to replace the water-damaged one, and a few troublesome spots in the high
school parking lot were repaired.
Another huge summer
project the district accomplished over the summer is
hidden in the high school
ceilingour technology
infrastructure.
New cabling was strung
and switches were replaced
in order to provide dependable and improved Internet
connectivity. These improvements are the first
step in our new technology
plan, which will be rolled
out to the public soon.
Money from the technology levy passed last November funded most of this
project.
Not only did several
physical aspects of the district receive improvements

during the summer, but significant work has also gone

into preparing to teach several new courses at the secondary level. The middle
school visual arts program
has been expanded and additional technology courses
will be taught at both the
high school and middle
school.
Additionally, robotics will
be rolled out as a new activity for students this year.
The faculty and administration have been working
hard this summer to prepare for these new opportunities, which are possible
thanks to local voters who
passed the November operating levy.
At
the
elementary
schools, teachers have been
busy learning a new K-4
mathematics curriculum
called Math in Focus.
Anytime
curriculum
changes, a lengthy process
takes place to learn the new
curriculum and to develop
and replace related classroom materials. See our
website for a press release
on this new elementary
math series.
Other changes taking
place this year is a new
food service program offered by Chartwells, a new
student information system
calling Infinite Campus

increased 11 percent from

last year verses the state average, which increased by
less than one percent. Big
Lake science scores increased by 13 percent from
last year compared to the
almost 2 percent state average increase. Lastly, while
Big Lakes math scores remained flat, the state average declined by almost 2
percent.
This immense growth in
scores wont happen every
year, Westerberg said.
Were looking for slow
and steady growth moving
forward, which can be accomplished by continuing
to be very focused on providing quality instruction
and valuable learning experiences for all students.

Something to Talk About

Steve
Westerberg

BLSchools

that will be rolled out after

the first trimester, the hiring
of Logan Midthun (Activities Director) and Katie
Thompson (Independence
Assistant Principal), and
the hiring of about 22 new
teachers needed due to
turnover and four additional teachers to lower
class sizes in the elementary buildings thanks to the
successful operating levy
last fall.
To say the district has
been busy this summer
may be an understatement.
Lots of these improvements have been needed
for many years and the
stars have just finally
aligned for Big Lake
Schools to make progress
on several of them.
Through all of this
progress, our focus continues to be on our students
and creating the best educational experience for them.
Welcome back and best
wishes for the very best
school year ever.

SCHOOL is BACK
in session.
Please
remember to
drive safely.

YOUTH BASKETBALL
ASSOCIATION

BIG LAKE
4TH - 8TH GRADE REGISTRATION
DEADLINE: SEPT. 9TH
EVALUATION: SEPT. 18TH & 25TH
PRACTICES START AFTER MEA BREAK

WestSherburne
Tribune.com!
Come see whats
happening BEFORE
were even printed

ONLINE!
Thousands of
Readers from All
Over the World

K - 3RD GRADE REGISTRATION

DEADLINE: OCT. 6TH
PRACTICE STARTS EARLY NOVENBER
K - 1ST FINISHES BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
2ND - 3RD FINISHES FEB. 4TH
WEBSITE: BLYBA.COM
FACEBOOK:
BIGLAKEYOUTHBASKETBALLASSOCIATION
TWITTER: BLYBASKETBALLA
QUESTIONS AND INFO CONTACT:
PRESIDENT@BLYBA.COM

Special Section Schedules Sports Stories Pictures

SPUD FEST Section

Special Section

WSTribune Sept. 3, 2016...BTS4

Special Section

Boys soccer
is a team effort
By Ken Francis
Staff Writer
The Big Lake boys soccer team lost its best offensive threat from last season
when Raymond Cisneros
graduated.
Hes headed to the University of Wisconsin to
play, and the Hornets will
miss him.
When we had a caliber
player like Raymond,
everyone relies on him,
says Coach Alexander Martinez. This year its going
to be a whole team effort.
This is a good squad. Its
well balanced.
The Hornets are strong
defensively, with quality
goalkeepers Isaiah Strom
and Pablo Murillo.
Strom is also the place
kicker for the football team
and. Murillo is a versatile
player in net or on offense.
He scored two goals in Big
Lakes first game this season.
Leading the offense is
Garrett Anderson, who
plays aggressively and
wont be stopped once he
heads to the goal.
He like a kamikaze,
says Martinez. He takes no

prisoners.
Anderson scored three
goals in Big Lakes 8-2 win
over Twin Cities Academy
last week.
Finding players to complement him will be the
focus this season. Anderson cant do it by himself.
Neither can Jorge Carbajal,
an excellent ball handler
who can weave his way
through opposing defenses.
Hes the one on the team
with magic moves to get
through the defense, but
were not playing that
way, says Martinez.
One of the strengths this
year is experience. The
Hornets have nine seniors.
Many have played together
for a few years, which
makes teamwork a bit easier.
Those seniors are Jared
Turner, Roberto Varela,
Jason Burnham, Seth Ruotsalainen,
Chase
Karolewski, Ryan Murnane, Strom, Murillo and
Anderson.
If Martinez can get them
to gel, this could be an interesting season.

Girls soccer team

young and talented
By Ken Francis
Staff Writer
The Big Lake girls soccer
team could make some
noise this season.
It was tough last season, says Coach Mike
Turner. Were still young,
but we have five returning
seniors.
In fact, the entire team is
back, with the addition of
one new player, ninthgrader Taylor Moen.
But Big Lake will have
the advantage of having a
healthy team this season.
Their top goalkeeper,
Talyn McClaflin missed the
entire season last year with
an injury.
Forward Isabella Strom
and midfielder Anissa
Moos are also back after
being sidelined last season
with injuries.
The Hornets will depend
on playmaker Avi McGregor on offense. She controls
the ball as well as anyone
and is good under pressure.
Addy Knick adds speed

to the offense and can score

goals.
Shes pretty dynamic on
the outside, says Turner.
And Lexi Walsh is solid
on defense.
Turner says the strength
this year will be speed and
ball control. But youth will
be an issue.
We have two eighth
graders in the starting 16.
That tells you how young
we are, he says. And the
JV team has only two high
school kids on the team.
Even with the young
players, the Hornets have
shown promise. They lost
4-0 to Monticello last
weekend. Thats not bad
considering the Magic is already 5-0 with 34 goals in
five games.
Our defense is solid and
well have better opportunities this year. says Turner.
Even when we play the
toughest teams, well have
chances on goal.

GOALKEEPER Talyn McClaflin is back after missing the entie last season with a leg injury. She
should help Big Lake shut down opponents this year.
(Photo by Bill Morgan.)

Good Luck
Hornets!
BIG LAKE
HARDWARE HANK & RENTAL

263-2019

Lake Shopping Center Big Lake

M-F, 8 am - 8 pm; Sat., 7am - 6pm, Sun., 9 am - 5 pm

LEFT TO RIGHT: Shantal Whitelaw, Cece Thao, Rayveen Koha-Jallah, Haley Newhouse, Meghan Zinken,
Ana Larson, Annika Poe, Hailey Atwood, Alyssa Rezac, and Kazlin Thompson (not pictured: Kendra Geroux,
and Emma Pupeza). (Photo by Keon McGarvey.)

Volleyball girls looking for a competitive season

By Keon McGarvey
Staff Writer
The Hornets varsity volleyball team began their
new season last week. The
team is looking forward to a
good season.
We have a great group
of returning volleyball players and are looking forward
to a competitive season,
said head coach Alisha
Brust.
Returning letter winners
include Seniors Ana Larson,

Meghan Zinken, and Kazlin

Thompson, and sophomores Alyssa Rezac, and
Hailey Atwood. Newcomers to the varsity level this
season include Senior Shantal Whitelaw,
juniors
Rayveen Koha-Jallah and
Kendra Geroux, and sophomores Annika Poe, Haley
Newhouse, and Emma Pupeza.
We have a team with experience which has given us
the opportunity to change

things up and use the height

we have coming up in the
program, noted Brust.
This may be one of the
tallest teams we have had in
years!
The team hosted a scrimmage and traveled to another
scrimmage
in
Alexandria. The main focus
was to improve skills and
ability for the regular season.
Coach Brust says the
team is focused on fixing

the little things that will

make a big impact on their
game.
The girls come into the
gym every day with a purpose and all the girls at
every level have worked
very hard this first week of
preseason, said Brust.
There is an energy in the
gym that is contagious and
this crew should be exciting
to watch.
The first match of the
season was last Friday at

SENIORS FOR THE 2016 BIG LAKE Football Team (from left) Tanner Teige #12 (co-captain), Cole Sixberry
#36, Cort Schuman #62, Ryan Bottema #52, Zach Lafontaine #10, Wyatt Stone #67, Bryce Murphy #50,
Nate Sandford #9, Phil Stalpes #51 (co-captain), Levi Pramann #54, Zach Gesicki, Brady Lund #8, Nash
O'Leary #53, Athan Vonphakdy #31, Mason Riebel #22, Donovan Lyons #20. (Submitted Photo.)

Hornets eying conference title

By Ken Francis
Staff Writer
The Big Lake football
team finished 2-3 in the
conference last year, even
though they played well
enough to win more games.
They beat Duluth East and
North Branch, but lost to
Chisago Lakes, Monticello
and Princeton.
It was our goal to win
the conference, says
Coach Nick Keenan. We
lost to Monticello by one
point. We had a field goal
and an extra point
blocked.
The Hornets lost to
Princeton, 14-12.

If we would have won

those two games, we would
have won the conference,
says Keenan.
Winning the conference
is Keenans goal again this
season. But hell have a lot
of new faces.
Were losing a lot of
people on the offensive and
defensive line, he says,
so thats going to be
tough.
But the Hornets have
some of the main core players back from last season.
The main figure again will
be Tanner Teige. Now a
senior, Teige set the school
record in return yards. After

G
WERE CHEERIN
FOR YOU

HORNETS!

the running back position

went nowhere the first two
games, Teige took over and
rushed for over 1,000 yards.
Hes a three-sport athlete and works very hard in
the weight room, says
Keenan. Hes very tough.
The Hornets starting quarterback, junior Ben Norgren is back. Hell have
some competition from
sophomore Spencer Hinrichs.
Also returning is defensive back Max Nelson,
wide receiver Nate Sandford and offensive linemen
Phil Stalpes and Levi Pramann.
Keenan says the offensive line could be the
biggest since hes been
coaching at Big Lake.
With Spencer Pearson at
64, 295, Stalpes, 63,
230, Pramann 64, 230,
Bryce Murphy 63, 220
and two tight ends over
63, the Hornets could be
an imposing sight on the
field.
But depth could be a
problem. Only 53 10th

through 12th graders tried

out for the team this year.
The program had to cancel
the JV schedule.
Were usually close to
70, says Keenan. So we
dont have much depth. Our
first line of guys is good.
But we have to stay injuryfree.
Even if the Hornets stay
injury-free, they still have
to work on stopping the
run. Thats been their
biggest issue the past few
years.
Thats been the huge
point of emphasis. I spent
time in the offseason talking with coaching friends,
says Keenan. It comes
down to the basics - getting
aligned right, executing
your position and running
to the football. I hope I can
light a fire and try to change
that around.
The Hornets opened the
season Friday against Rocori.

OR YOU
F
G
IN
R
E
E
H
C
E
WER

HORNETS!

Special Section Schedules Sports Stories Pictures

SPUD FEST Section

Special Section Schedules Sports Stories Pictures

WSTribune Sept. 3, 2016...BTS5

SPUD FEST Section

Special Section

All-State trio leads Hornet swim & dive team

Submitted Article
Coming off of the most
successful season in the
history of the program with
a seventh place finish at
State, Big Lake Swim and
Dive will need to replace
two key contributors. AllState Swimmer Maggie
Knier and State Champion
Diver Mallary Dick graduated this past spring. The
remaining three 2015 AllState finishers, Laurin
Ebert, Kamryn Robarge,
and Gabbie Werner will
lead the team into the 2016
season.
Second year Captain and
senior, Ebert is a two-time
State qualifier in the 500
freestyle and was also a
member of last year's 200free and 400-free relays
which also qualified for
State, with the 200
freestyle relay earning AllState honors with a sixth
place finish. Ebert was
also honored last year as an
Academic All American by
the National High School
Coaches Association.
Junior Captain Kamryn
Robarge was also a member of last year's State qualifying 200 freestyle and
400 freestyle relay teams.
Robarge will likely be one

of the top sprint freestylers

in Section 5A this season.
Sophomore
Gabbie
Werner qualified for State
in 2015 in both of her individual events, the 200 individual medley and 100
butterfly, earning All-State
honors by finishing seventh
in both events. She was
also a member of the 200
freestyle and 400 freestyle
teams. Werner is the team's
most versatile swimmer
and holds several team
records in various events.
Many other returning
team members from the
2015 Section team are also
anticipated to contribute to
a strong season. Sophomore Valerie Childs looks
to improve on her two top8 section finishes and will
also likely contribute to the
success of the team's relays
this season.
Bailey
Goracke was also a 2015
section finalist in two
events.
Other returning Section
participants include senior
Sara Kuntz (Captain), juniors Ally Helgoe, Maria
Turk, and Grace Thieke,
and sophomore Cassidy
Walsh. There are also two
divers from 2015 Sections
returning to the squad this

year, freshman Vanessa

Dalmeida and 8th grader
Grace Kluk.
Other members of the
2016 JV/Varsity Hornets
Swim & Dive Team include
sophomore
Meikiina
Hillukka, freshmen Annie
Foner, Allie Heltemes, Savannah Henkel, Abby Hollenbeck, Alyvia May,
Taylor Muehlbauer, Maisey
Peterson, McKenna Peterson, Anika Pramann, Abby
Schreifels, Keily Schuman,
Kaitlyn Stahn, Megan
Swanson, Korri Wojack,
and seventh grader Sophia
Henkel. Team Managers
include Kelsey Breitkreutz,
Alyssa Stern, and Erikka
Starr.
Middle school members
of the team include Jazmin
Acuna, Jaden Anderson,
Melaina Caes, Jocelyn
Casavant, Kylee Choate,
Mikaela Christensen, Hannah Clark, Lexi Daniels,
Masyn Decker, Katlyn
Emerson, Grace Ginther,
Lexi Harakh, Brynlee
Hilluka, Claire Ireland,
Payton Liebl, Syndey
Marotz, Isabelle Morine,
Sophia Rondeau, Ciara Melendez Sanford, Kallie
Starin, Rachel Stromberg,
Sierra Stromberg, and

JUNIOR MARIA TURK (LEFT) and other swimmers do their workouts in the
pool.
Megan Vetter.
The Hornets are coached
by Mary Walsh, Sadie
Wilkes, Kaycee Taubert
and Paige Draack.

Runners ready to go the distance

By Ken Francis
Staff Writer
The Big Lake cross
country teams should do
well this season.
The Hornets didnt lose
many runners from last
year. They had only three
seniors. They have three
this year, too.
Were still a young
team, says Coach John
Bruns.
This years turnout is
bigger than ever. About 70
kids are on the team. Many
of them are younger - seventh through ninth graders.
Im happily surprised
with the numbers, says
Bruns. We may have to
take two buses this year.
The boys will be led by
junior Matthew Trutna, one
of the top runners in the
area.
Hes running well,
says Bruns. He trained all
summer long.
He will be joined by a

RETURNING LETTER WINNERS (front, from

left) Rachel Adams, Alexis Kluk, Ellie Murphy,
Mackenzie Frederick, (back) Matthew Trutna, Adam
Nygaard, Ben Morris, Parker Liebl, Joe Morris and
Nathan Clausing.
long contingent of juniors
all competing with each
other for the top seven
spots. They include Parker
Liebl, Jake Dickinson, Ben
and Joe Morris and Adam
Nygaard. And there are a

Good Luck Hornets

Sports Teams!

19912 Industrial Dr, Big Lake

763-263-3582

G RILL & S PORTS B AR

Good Luck to the

!
Hornets This Fall763-263-0800
We hope you
have a great season,
student athletes!
Abbey Carpet

263-2058

17000 205th Ave., Big Lake

few more that could move

up as the year progresses.
Weve got depth, says
Bruns.
The girls lost their top
runner from last year when
Kelsey Nelson graduated.

9386 Deegan Avenue

Monticello, MN 55362

763.295.6337
www.applebees.com

SARA KUNTZ AND BAILY GORACKE ARE among

the returning letter winners and are also part of this
year's senior team. (Photos by Keon McGarvey.)

Girls tennis team is ready for a great season

By Keon McGarvey
The girls tennis team is
getting ready for a great
season with new and returning players showing
lots of talent.
Senior team members of
the 100th high school class
include
Autumn
Gryczkowski, Samantha
Perovich, Abi Wilcox,
Jacqui Miller, Sid Scharber,
Captains Aleesha Moss,
Karleigh Johnson, and
Paige Domyahn, and team
manager Kayla Wesley.
The team, with a wide
range of talent and ability,
showed eagerness and determination as they practiced before the season
began.
The varsity team practiced
by
simulating
matches against their teammates, while the JV and
middle school members
were being taught how to
block and return serves.
The team kicked off their
season Saturday at MoundWestonka, while their first

RETURNING SENIORS Left to Right; Autumn Gryczkowski, Captain Aleesha

Moss, Captain Karleigh Johnson, Captain Paige Domyahn, Samantha Perovich,
Abi Wilcox. Missing: Jacqui Miller, Sid Scharber and Team Manager Kayla Wesley. (Photo by Keon McGarvey.)
home match was Thursday
against Annandale, fol-

FALL
GOLF SPECIAL
18-Holes with golf car
$300

lowed by another home

match against Rogers, Sept.

6.

Good Luck Hornets!

Ken Francis

M-F and Weekends and Holidays after 12:00,

Open to the Public
Affordable Memberships

(Please present ad)

+Tax

Good Luck
et
to All Horn
s!
Sports Team

But the team still has some

experienced runners.
Junior Ellie Murphy
could be the teams top runner this season.
She worked out a lot
over the summer and shes
running really well, says
Bruns.
Rachel Adams is back as
a senior. Skylar Fedor also
a senior, joined the team
after running track last season. Also joining the team
is Britta Nordberg, a 10th
grader who ran sprints up
to 400 meters on track.
The Hornets also have
Mackenzie
Frederick,
Alexis Kluk, Hailey Dickson, Emma Thompson and
Allison Dinsmore competing to earn a spot in the top
seven.
I think the girls will be
better than last year, says
Bruns. Im impressed with
what Im seeing. And the
kids are having fun.

For Tee Times or

more information call:

763-295-GOLF

www.montigolf.com
Exp. 10-30-16

westsherburnetribune.com

d to
We look forwar
activities
covering your
on!
in the new seas
Keon McGarvey

WSTribune Sept. 3 2016...BTS 6