High Hopes For Red Knights Spring Sports

Editor's Note: Today, St. Louis Park Patch is running the first of two spring sports previews. Check back on Tuesday for a preview of St. Louis Park High School.

The spring sports season has begun in earnest for and according to Red Knights athletic director Jerry Pettinger, there's plenty of reason for optimism with a number of the squads representing the school over the next two months.

Boys Lacrosse: State Champions Begin Title Defense

The BSM boys lacrosse team enters the 2011 season as state champions and will spend this spring defending the title.

"It's probably our strongest sport competitively," Pettinger said.

The Red Knights, coached by Colin Mulcahy, are fully loaded with the return of midfielders Taylor Topousis and Zach Silvestri, as well as goaltender Connor Gallagher. To prove that they're still a force to be reckoned with, the Red Knights last week, 15-5.

"There are a number of returning lettermen," Pettinger said. "They should have a very good season."

Baseball: Good Start, High Expectations

The BSM baseball team opened the spring with three wins over its first four games, and Pettinger said they should have a successful spring.

"I think they are a very competitive team and as long as they avoid injury, they should compete for a conference championship," the AD said.

The Red Knights finished in a tie with Robbinsdale Cooper for the North Suburban Conference title last spring and coach Greg Hoemke's team returns a strong core of talent that includes junior pitchers Jimmy Heck, Joe Melles and Marcus Barone.

Girls Lacrosse: Hopes For Continued Improvement

As the spring began, the BSM girls lacrosse team hit the field as a squad bent on continuing its upward trend.

"The team really improved last year," Pettinger said. "They were below .500 in 2009, but got above that mark in 2010."

Coach Tricia Hartman takes over a team that went 11-2 last season and returns a number of players as the program itself has seen an uptick of involvement.

"This year's numbers are up," Pettinger said. "There are a lot of girls and lots of excitement."

Softball: Youth Abounds On Red Knights Squad

After going 14-10 in 2010, the BSM softball team returned this spring as a youthful upstart seeking to make waves in the North Suburban.

"It is a younger team," Pettinger said. "This is a team that should improve as the season goes along."

Coach Adrian Wagner's squad does have a handful of veterans, including senior outfielder Sidney Pilarski and junior shortstop Grace Gallagher.

Track and Field: Yedoni Seeks State High Jump Record

Last spring, BSM junior Trevor Yudoni won a state championship in the high jump with a leap of 6 feet, 10 inches—an effort that was three inches better than the Class AA runner-up.

This year, as a senior, Yudoni has a chance of not only repeating as champion, but breaking a long-standing state record. The current standard of 7-feet, 1-inch was set in 1973 by Rochester John Marshall's Rod Raver.

"It's very exciting that Trevor has a real shot at a state record," Pettinger said.

On the girls side, a competitive team returns with a strong middle-distance runner in sophomore Haley Jerabek.

Boys/Girls Golf: Solid Teams Set To Compete For Conference Honors

While the BSM girls and boys golf teams don't feature star power, they are both deep squads with a number of talented athletes.

"They are both solid, competitive teams," Pettinger said. "Our golf teams are pretty much always strong."

The girls, coached by Jay Meyerhoff, are without the services of their lone state participant in 2010, as Danielle Riley graduated last spring; the boys did not have an individual state participant last season..

Boys Tennis: Strong Conference Competitor

Despite featuring just one senior—Andrew Poley—on its roster, the BSM boys tennis team figures to again be one of the stronger teams in the North Suburban.

"It's a team that should again compete for the conference championship," Pettinger said.

The team is coached by Jaime Gaard, and junior Keegan Swenson joins Poley as a team co-captain for a squad that opened the season with a pair of lopsided victories against Fridley and Spring Lake Park.