Five Athletes to Watch This Winter, Part 1

As the winter high school sports season gets underway, these five athletes are primed to lead their teams to victory. Check back later this week on Patch to see more athlete profiles.

Shauna Horsch
A guard on the Simley High School girls basketball team, senior Shauna Horsch spent much of the summer beefing up her already formidable basketball skills, according to Coach Tim Peper.

Last year, Horsch was the third-leading scorer on the team, and rounded out her offensive power with plenty of rebounds and steals. After playing on a high level Amateur Athletic Union team and participating in tournaments in North Carolina and Chicago, Peper expects Horsch to be a point producer for the girls team.

"When she comes back to high school, the games are going to be a little slower, compared to what she was used to this summer," Peper said. “She just does a little bit of everything to help the team out. Now that it’s her senior year, I expect her to step ito a leadership role."

Laken Muller
A ninth-grader at Simley this year, Laken Muller is a rising star on the girls hockey team, according to Coach Ashley Albrecht.

Like Horsch, Muller spent much of the summer in camps and in her own backyard improving her skills. The off-season work paid off for Muller; Albrecht believes the aggressive young player has the best shot on the team and will help drive the Spartans' offense this winter.

"She came in last year as an eighth-grader, and she had talent, but she worked really hard this summer and improved ten-fold," Albrecht said. “She is the total package, and being in nith, grade, there’s going to be so much more to come."

Carter Lange
Senior diver Carter Lange garnered plenty of accolades last year, including all-conference honors and a seventh-place finish at the state swimming and diving meet last March.

But Coach Lynn Newton believes that Lange was just setting the stage last year for an even stronger senior season in 2011-2012. Last March, Lange struggled at the preliminary state competition before a stronger finish in the finals. Now that he has had a taste of state-level athletics, Newton hopes Lange will be able to put down any nervousness and use his as experience as a guide to stronger results.

Lange has been honing more than just his diving skills this year. Look for him to compete in breast stroke events as well.

"He’s looking stronger, he’s more dedicated and his swimming is looking good too," Newton said.

Micah Barnes
Micah Barnes collects athletic honors like some collect stamps. The Simley senior and multi-sport athlete is currently ranked nationally, according to Coach Will Short. He also placed seventh in the 160-pound weight class in the Junior National competition in Fargo earlier this year.

But the list doesn't end there: The two-time state runner-up had a 39-4 record on the mat in the 2010-2011 season, and committed earlier this fall to wrestle at Old Dominion.

"We’re looking for him to be a leader, a captain, a person who can help us get to where we need to be this year," Short said. "Micah has a great work ethic; he wrestles a lot with bigger, heavier guys every day."

Sarah Birkelo
The Spartans best all-around gymnast returns to the gymnastics team as a junior this year, and Coach Deana Walsh has high expectations for Birkelo, whom she calls a "consummate leader."

Last year, Birkelo was strong in all four gymnastics events and tallied a 32.1 score—a personal best for the gymnast, Walsh said. But Birkelo's best event has always been the balance beam, and Walsh believes she will excel there again this year.

A perfect score in gymnastics is a 40, and truly skilled gymnasts routinely score a 35-36, Walsh said. The gymnastics coach hopes that Birkelo will hit scores in that range this year.

"I think she could be pushing the button, because she has the necessary requirements," Walsh said.