Teslow’s Troupe Returns to State
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What could possibly be better for a venerable Alpine ski coach: fresh February snow, a batch of talented boys’ with high expectations or a girls’ team that unexpectedly wins the Section 5 championship meet? How about all of this and more?
Bob “Tess” Teslow, The Blake School’s head Alpine ski coach for the last 33 years, is all smiles. Teslow is giddy lately because his highly honored, veteran boys’ team and his close-knit and arguably overachieving girls’ group are both heading to the Minnesota State Meet, again! This is the 4th consecutive trip for the boys and the girls have earned their way 3 of the last 4 years.
Some say it’s “a given” that Blake School head coach Bob Teslow will be at the State Alpine Tournament and there is no sense in arguing. Tess has made the trip to State with a team or an individual for the last 28 consecutive years.
The road to State was a fundamental dichotomy in terms for these two teams.
The Blake boys’ team topped Saint Thomas Academy by over 50 points to take the Section 5 crown and 3 of their top 4 finishers Michael Ankeny (3rd place), Peter Ankeny (6th place) and Marc Massie (9th place) qualified for the individual meet.
The girls’ on the other hand had no top ten finishers but clustered their places at 12th, 13th,14th and 20th to outdistance Lakeville South by 14 points.
On the boys’ team All State honorees Marc Massie and Michael Ankeny are back and they are on a mission! After claiming the 2005 State Runners-up title they hope to return to Giants Ridge and take it all in 2006. Massie and Ankeny are joined by ’05 State Meet participant junior, All State skier Peter Ankeny (Michael’s older brother), and senior co-captains Jason Briggs and Neal McKinley.
It would have taken a very astute prognosticator to predict a return trip to State for the Blake girls. With the loss of the Massie twins to graduation and lots of youth, 2006 looked like a rebuilding year for Teslow’s female squad. The girls are lead by senior, co-captain Liz Perkins who finished 22nd in the 2005 State meet. Sophomore Maggie Scholz and junior Janet Davido also went to the “big dance” last year finishing 31st and 37th respectively. Seventh grader Maisie Ide, eighth graders Hayden Broberg, sophomore Annie O’Leary fill out the girls’ team.
The state tournament is actually two parallel tournaments. A team tournament that includes the top 2 finishing teams in each of Minnesota’s 8 sections and an individual tournament that includes the top 10 individual times from the sectional tournaments.
The Minnesota State Alpine Skiing tournament will be held at Giants Ridge Ski Area in Biwabik, MN on February 16th. The first team run is scheduled for 8:30 am. The first individual run is at 1:30.
A complete State Tournament Schedule can be found here.
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