Location: St. Joseph, Minn.
Head coach: David Johnson, 10th season
Assistant coach: Keir Stiegler
Top female returners: Sr. Christi Nowak, Sr. Anna Roessler, Jr. Stephani Seymour, So. Kelly Donahue
Top newcomers: 
Caitlin Goodman
Web site: www.csbblazers.com
2008-09 standings: 6th (Women)

2009-10 outlook: The Blazers finished as the sixth-place women’s team in the conference last year and look to improve upon that result this year. That improvement is a realistic goal, given the strength of CSB’s returning skiers. “We are returning our top 2 skiers, seniors Christi Nowak and Anna Roessler,” says 10th year coach Dave Johnson, “They both have competed for the top spot on the team since freshman year.” Nowak was the team’s top performer last year, when she put together the strongest individual campaign in CSB’s history. She was the CCSA alternate to March’s NCAA championships in Rumford, Maine.
Roessler, meanwhile, was the 2007-8 MVP for the Blazers, a year in which she placed in the top 15 in both races at the 2008 Central Region Championships. She had another successful season last year, which included a number of strong classic results. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Anna is faster than Christi on some weekends,” Johnson said. They certainly push each other. My hope is that one will qualify for NCAA’s.”
After losing senior Maggie Donahue to graduation, though, the Blazers’ team success this year may hinge upon the performance of the team’s third skier. The next best returning skier is junior Stephani Seymour, who she will be leaving at the end of January to study in South Africa, so the competition for the third slot is wide open. Senior Katelyn Engel as well as sophomores Kelly Donahue and Shannon McEvoy could compete for the next spot on what could be a hallmark year for the CSB Blazers. Among the first year skiers that could make an immediate impact is Caitlin Goodman of Eugene, Oregon.
Aiding Johnson as an assistant coach is Keir Stiegler, a 2009 graduate of nearby St. John’s University, where he was a member of the ski team.
The skiers at the liberal arts college in St. Joseph, Minn., also take their academics seriously: seven members of the team were names to the NSCA All-Academic Ski Team, requiring a 3.5 or above GPA. Competitively, the Division III program is looking to qualify a skier for the NCAA Championships for the first time. “I am hopeful that our current group of women will be writing new history,” Johnson says. “I am expecting the team to be our strongest in history if we can find a 3rd skier,” Johnson declares.

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