Palmer excited about the potential of 2009-10 Moose squad

PALMER — As Palmer skied into the 2009-10 season, head coach Darin Markwardt was optimistic about the potential of his team this year.

And after the first meet of the year, the Fairbanks Town Race Series in the Interior earlier this month, Markwardt was not just optimistic. He was excited about Palmer’s shot at establishing itself as one of the top programs of Region III.

“The ladies really showed me the drive, the perseverance and the talent to make it to the next level,” Markwardt said after the meet. “We could be one of the top teams in the region.”

Markwardt had similar sentiments about the boys.

“I’m optimistic about our boys’ chances,” Markwardt said.

Seniors Kimberly and Amanda DelFrate led the Moose by placing first and second, respectively, in the Fairbanks race. The DelFrate twins have stood out throughout their prep skiing careers at Palmer, but Markwardt said they’ve taken their talents to another level.

“They’ve made a real jump,” Markwardt said. “It’s real encouraging.”

Markwardt said the DelFrate’s have logged more than 450 hours of training during the offseason, and worked with Alaska Nordic Racing.

“Their technique is really amazing,” Markwardt said. “I really think it helps to have that consistent high volume of training.”

The DelFrates lead a deep Palmer girls team which also includes sophomore Meagan Lynn, senior Mariah Shones and senior Shannon Stough. Markwardt also noted the work of sophomore Hannah Smith.

Markwardt said he has about 21 girls on the roster, and 10 could push for the six varsity spots.

Palmer finished second overall in the Region III championships last year. Kimberly DelFrate was fourth individually in the region.

The Palmer boys, who also posted a second-place finish in the Region III team standings last year, feature veteran depth.

Senior Davis Dunlap finished second in the Fairbanks race, and senior Dunedin Strickland was fifth.

Both Strickland (fifth) and Dunlap (ninth) finished in the overall top-10 at the Region III Championships last year.

“Davis really impressed me,” Markwardt said of Dunlap’s race in Fairbanks.

Other leaders on the Palmer squad are senior Wylie Mangelsdorf, senior Ted Hoople and sophomore Aube Strickland.

Among the newcomers with potential is freshman Chris Osiensky, who is new to the sport of skiing.

“In his first skate race he made a varsity team that was second in regions last year. That’s pretty phenomenal,” Markwardt said. “For him to do as well as he did his fifth time skating, it was absolutely incredible.”

Colony head coach Susan Skvorc is also excited about the potential of her team. The challenge, Skvorc said, is the fact that 17 of her 35 athletes on the team are new to the sport.

“It’s a real challenge, but they’re picking it up real quickly,” Skvorc said.

Among the leaders on the Colony girls’ squad are senior captain Caitlin Skvorc, and fellow seniors Abby Nagel, Shannon VanBavel and Lindsay Dreese.

Also on the squad is junior Abby Jahn.

On the boys’ side, leading the pack is sophomore Schyler Knopp, who finished sixth in the Fairbanks race. Senior Gunner Williams and sophomore Abe Meyerhofer are also among leaders on the team.

While Palmer and Colony are boasting strong numbers this year, first-year head coach Jeff Kase is working with a smaller group.

There are 14 athletes currently on the squad, Kase said, a fairly typical number for the Warriors.

“The key word is building,” said Kase, a former Colony skiing standout in the late 1990s.

While the Warriors may not have the deepest roster in the region, Kase said the team — led by senior Katherine Parker and sophomore Conner Mattson — could be the hardest working bunch in the conference.

“We’ll be training harder than any other team,” Kase said. “In the (Fairbanks) race last weekend, even though it was 30 below, we were the first to show up and the last team to leave on both days of that weekend.”

Each of the three Valley ski teams will be in action this weekend. Palmer will compete in the Service Invitational in Anchorage on Saturday. Colony is making the trip to Homer for the Homer Invite. Wasilla will participate in the Sven & Olie & Lena Too Ski Race in Talkeetna on Saturday.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.