The Prior Lake girls Alpine ski team has the talent back to make a run at a state title.

The Lakers were a program-best second in the state team standings last winter and all seven skiers are back who competed at Giants Ridge in Biwabik, including standout Annabel McCann.

The junior was 10th overall out of 88 skiers at state last season, after taking 16th in first-career appearance as a ninth grader.

The warm start to the winter delayed the start of the season, but the Prior Lake girls have been won their first two competitions at Buck Hill in Burnsville.

The Lakers had four skiers in the top 10 in a seven-team competition Jan. 5, finishing with 294 points. That was well ahead of runner-up Eagan (219) and third-place Lakeville South (215).

Apple Valley-Rosemount was fourth (187), followed by Lakeville North (125), Burnsville-Shakopee (77) and Eastview (74).

On the boys side, Prior Lake was third (341) behind Eastview (351) and Lakeville South (343). Rosemount ended up fourth (338), followed by Lakeville North (334), Eagan (264), Apple Valley (213) and Burnsville-Shakopee (5).

McCann led the Prior Lake girls taking second overall with a combined time of 48.73 on her two runs. Sophomore Kovyn Rice took sixth (49.88), followed by sophomore Emily Reid in seventh (50.43) and ninth grader Elizabeth McCroskey in ninth (52.18).

Other finishes for the girls came from eighth grader Olivia Reid (12th, 53.54), sophomore Annika Meyer (15th, 57.40), junior Morgan Daugaard (19th, 59.94) and ninth grader Annika Johnson (20th, 60.96).

Along with McCann, Rice, Emily Reid, Olivia Reid, McCroskey and Meyer were part of the Lakers’ state team last winter.

For the Prior Lake boys, senior Blake Stout represented the team at state last year. He finished 29th overall in his first-career appearance.

In the Jan. 5 race, Stout led the boys squad taking fifth overall with a combined time of 54.06 on his two runs. Ninth grader Andrew Turner ended up eighth (57.54), followed by eighth grader Carson Cryer in ninth (57.86), senior Riley Spieler in 14th (60.49) and seventh grader Soren Johnson in 19th (62.09).

Both Prior Lake teams opened the season Jan. 2 at Buck Hill against the same schools. The Laker girls took first with 310 points, followed by Lakeville South (252), Eagan (225), Apple Valley-Rosemount (209), Lakeville North (199), Eastview (81) and Burnsville-Shakopee (57).

Emily Reid led the way taking fifth overall (52.38). Rice was sixth (52.59), while McCroskey was ninth (54.43).

Olivia Reid ended up 11th (55.48), followed by McCann in 16th (57.60), Meyer in 17th (59.77), Johnson in 18th (60.51), ninth grader Alivia Johnson in 19th (61.09) and Daugaard in 23rd (63.91).

The Prior Lake boys were third again with 351.5 points. Lakeville South won the team crown (370), while Lakeville North was second (361). Rosemount took fourth (346), followed by Eastview (336.5), Eagan (259), Apple Valley (233) and Burnsville-Shakopee (7).

Stout again the boys team taking second overall (52.13), while junior Brad Stout was 15th (61.28) and Turner was 17th (62.41).

Other finishes included Johnson (20th, 64.41), Cryer (23rd, 65.66), Spieler (29th, 67.95) and seventh grader Finn Boudreau (46th, 74.50).

The regular season ends for the Lakers Jan. 30. The Section 6 meet is set for Feb. 6 at Buck Hill.

The top-two teams at sections make the state field, along with with the top eight skiers not on the advancing squads. The Prior Lake girls were runner-up to Eagan in the section last year.

The state competition is set for Feb. 13 at Giants Ridge. Hill-Murray is the defending girls state champion, while Minnetonka won the boys crown last year.