Meet the 2016-2017 Team!

Seniors

Leif (Captain) is a senior from Northfield, MN. He is majoring in biology and after graduating is planning on taking a gap year (or two, or three, or twelve…) before becoming a surgical physician assistant. Leif’s favorite things about skiing include enjoying the beautiful outdoors with wonderful friends and beating Chris “Topher” Prokosch in races. Outside of skiing, Leif enjoys extreme unicycling, watching soccer, and taking long walks on the beach. Leif holds the (very) unofficial St. Olaf school record for fastest walking mile at 9 minutes and 48 seconds. His patronus is a swallow, although he is literally a piece of toast.   Liza (Captain) is a senior from Acton, MA (just takea I-90 for about 24 hours). She is majoring in Sociology/Anthropology, and she does not know what she wants to do next year, thank you very much. Her favorite part of nordic is enjoying the outdoors with friends and playing in fresh powder. When she is not skiing, Liza loves fall, hiking, sailing, horseback riding, reading and have long meals with friends. Liza’s patronus is a pine martin.

Shelby (Captain) is a senior hailing from many a place in Minnesota but most recently graduated from Stillwater, home of da ponies. Her favorite part of nordic involves off-road adventuring, scenic, snowy-mountain-filled ODs, and half-frozen Gatorade slushies. Outside of skiing she enjoys smashing balls on the tennis courts, double-dutch marathons, rollerblading, mountain-biking, and a good round of Bananagrams. During a rare dinner competition last spring, she consumed a grapefruit in 38 seconds flat. Her patronus is a hyena. JuniorsMitchell (Captain) is a junior and from Lakeville, MN and majors in chemistry and concentrates on environmental studies and wants to attend graduate school for environmental chemistry and likes ski people and also really likes endorphins and runs cross country and track and his patronus is a bat and he has an extra rib.Ethan is a junior from Eden Prairie, MN. He is majoring in economics and math with a concentration in statistics. Ethan plans to not make too many plans for life after he graduates, although doing economics research sounds pretty good. Ethan’s favorite things about skiing is that it can bring you to so many cool places with equally interesting people. Ethan can almost always be spotted wearing a flannel shirt unless he is relaxing in his room, where he is probably wearing flannel pajama pants instead. He doesn’t operate well on less than 8 hours of sleep and is almost always listening to music. His patronus is a sparrowhawk.

Jeremy is the backwards cap-donning junior from the cultural bastion that is Woodbury, MN. He majors in Mathematics and Economics with a concentration in Statistics (and possibly Nordic Studies! The region not the sport, unfortunately). He aspires to dunk a basketball after graduating, but might get a job as well. His favorite part of skiing is the abundance of lycra, followed closely by the awesome people that wear it. Outside of skiing, Jeremy enjoys running track and cross country, except when various maladies prevent him from doing so. He also enjoys a nice game of chess or cribbage, and is slowly learning how to dj and play banjo, albeit not simultaneously. His patronus is a white swan, but his experience reading the series tenfold leads him to believe his patronus is actually a duck.

Laura is a junior from Mahtomedi, Minnesota. She majors in chemistry and intends to pursue graduate work in environmental chemistry, hopefully with an emphasis in aquatics and organic chemistry. Her favorite part of Nordic skiing is wandering around in new snow and training with AWESOME teammates. Outside of skiing, Laura enjoys canoeing, reading, coloring, and playing handbells, although most of her time is spent studying. Laura holds the rather unfortunate honor of getting a concussion from tripping and falling while running. Her patronus is a wolf.

Molly is a junior from Rochester, MN.  She is majoring in Economics and Philosophy, and desires to attend law school after graduation.  Molly’s favorite things about skiing are the enjoyable times had outdoors with cool friends, and the sometimes accidental resting spots in a fresh snowbank.  Outside of Nordic, she enjoys cycling, hiking, kayaking, and spending time at her family’s cabin on Lake Superior.  She doesn’t like the Nalgene challenge.  Molly’s patronus is the buzzard.  

Bri is a junior from Eden Prairie, MN and a psychology major. As for future plans…well that’s for future Bri to figure out. Her favorite part about nerdic (yes that’s spelled correctly) is switching skis with teammates during races. Outside of skiing Bri enjoys running, hanging out with friends/family, camping, playing piano, and a whole lot of other stuff. Last year she lost a bet to Liza/Shelby and had to draw a harry potter scar on her forehead for the regionals classic race. She vows to get them back for this sometime this season...stay tuned. Bri’s patronus is a sloth.

Sophomores

Christopher is a sick-nasty Sophomore from the far reaches of Mendota Heights, MN.  He majors in chemistry and it shows with his curious cafeteria concoctions.  Christopher has no concentrations and very little focus as well.  Christopher spends a lot of his time studying, skiing, talking, eating, tennising, and sleeping.  His most recent book is called, How To Let Organic Chemistry Control Your Life.  Christopher likes to have fun, whether that is gallon challenging, grapefruit challenging, apple challenging, or Nalgene challenging (Hi Molly).  For those who don’t know, Christopher strongly dislikes any skiing that is not double poling down hills.  If Christopher could make one change to the sport of Nordic Skiing, he would make everyone eat a large bowl of grains line at the start line because 1) it tastes divine and 2) because racers need to SLOW THE HECK DOWN.  If Christopher were a patronus, he would be a doe (Lily Potter’s Patronus) and warn Lily and James that He Who Must Not Be Named was going to kill them and that they should move to Madagascar.   

Andrew is a sophomore from Edina, MN, contemplating a double major in biology and studio art. He loves skiing as a way of traveling through winter landscapes and for the hard work of going up hills. Other hobbies include piano, classical guitar, singing in choir, and wilderness canoe expeditions. His patronus is a western marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus).

Rose is a sophomore from Rochester, MN, who is majoring in economics and philosophy, and wants to attend law school after Olaf, much like her older sister who is, in fact, not her twin. Her favorite part of nordic is definitely roller skiing down steep hills; when she’s not doing that, she also loves a relaxing ski in the woods with lots of snow and making supersize snowmen with her teammates. Outside of skiing, Rose runs XC and track, camps, reads, plays piano, spends time in and around Lake Superior, and generally breathes as much fresh air as possible. Her patronus is a gray squirrel, so treat its brethren around campus with respect.  Daisy is a sophomore from Minneapolis. She’s thinking about majoring in math and economics and doing a concentration in statistics. She loves racing, both on skis and running, but she also loves just being outside and in nature. Her patronus is a tortoiseshell cat.

First Years

Spencer is a first year (Hufflepuff) from Saint Paul, MN, who plans on majoring in nursing (officially declared) and ski waxing (unofficial, but a hobby). His favorite part of skiing is falling uphill (while his coach laughs). Otherwise, he enjoys time outdoors! Canoeing is a favorite, as well as backpacking. He also likes to read, sleep, eat, and of course, run. His patronus is a caribou, or a person lying on the floor, eating pasta. Depends on the mood, and how hard the workout was. The Hufflepuff in him forgot what his patronus was. Matt is a first year (what’s a freshman?) from the great town of St. Louis Park Minnesota in the Twin Cities.  He is currently majoring in college, and plans on getting a job in the future because that’s how the world works today.  He plans on living well past 68 and will probably pass the century mark.  The ultimate goal is to live to 102 because then he will have been alive in 3 different centuries which is pretty cool.  Nordic Skiing is a great time, and some may even say it wails.  It wails because who wouldn’t want to spend half the year struggling up hills in subzero temperatures?  Outside of skiing, you could find Matt losing the family spelling bee, organizing a game of whiffle ball, gambling on things such as who will live longer (yes I have a bet on that), or maybe even pranking his little sister or one of his many cousins.  He lives by three life mottos: don’t take what you can’t eat, life is better with money on the line, and keep breathing.  While Harry Potter is great, Matt does not have a patronus because he is not a wizard, and anyone on the team who thinks they do have one, is horribly confused and should seek help immediately.  Henry is a first year from Arden Hills Minnesota. He is majoring in Environmental Studies (Save the trees!!!) and Biology. Eventually Henry will either end up as a hippie nature goon, or a college professor… or maybe both (I mean they are pretty much the same thing). Henry’s favorite thing about skiing is spending time in the snowy woods, meeting awesome people, and playing some ski games, such as FREEZE tag. Outside of skiing, Henry loves to read, hike, bike, canoe, slack line, swing dance, play board games and sing. Although most of the day he spends walking his five dogs. One interesting thing about Henry is that he spent sophomore year at an environmental boarding school. Although, Caution! Don’t ask him about it, or he won’t shut up! His patronus is a tortoiseshell cat which is probably the reason he gets chased around so much by all those dogs!  

Ben is a first year from Stillwater, MN. I’m planning on a double major in Economics and Political Science, but who knows what the next four years will bring. As he’s not even sure about his major(s) he really isn’t sure about any future plans, maybe grad school, maybe a job. Ben’s favorite aspect of skiing would probably just spending time outdoors in the cold, skiing up hills, always being able to improve, and maybe even bounding on roller skis. Even though he hasn’t been skiing long, it’s still his favorite sport. When Ben’s not skiing he’s probably collecting rocks, gems and minerals, reading, playing the trumpet and euphonium or mountain biking. His patronus is a sparrow.  

Tyler is from Minneapolis, MN. He wants to major in Chemistry, Economics, and Mathematics but realizes that's insane so will change his mind eventually. He tries not to think about a career. Instead, he enjoys anything active and outdoors besides rollerskiing – running, canoeing, kayaking, etc. – cabin things, relaxing with friends, and Netflix (favorite shows are The Office and HIMYM because whose aren't?!) He likes skiing but hates how unphotogenic it makes him look. He loves his team and working together so that's probably why his patronus is a Mongrel Dog, although he has never heard of or seen one before.   Sofia is a first-year from Bend, OR. She is planning on double majoring in Biology and Spanish and has no idea what she wants to do with it (something medical?). Sofia’s favorite things about skiing are getting to be in the snow and being surrounded by amazing people (plus the occasional snowball fight). Besides skiing she loves running, hiking, singing, hammocking and eating goldfish. Sofia possesses the rare ability of being able to lick her own elbow. Her patronus is a white stallion.