Mr. Mark Saiger
Mr. Mark Saiger holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Instrumental Music from Bemidji State University. Since his graduation from BSU, he has pursued further education at BSU with an emphasis towards a Masters Degree in Education.
Mark Saiger has been a Director of Bands with the Grand Rapids Schools since 1983. Mr. Saiger was a student teacher in the Grand Rapids Schools in 1982 and moved into a position the following year. Since being hired with ISD# 318, he has taught 8th Grade Jazz Ensemble, 9th Grade Jazz Ensemble, brass techniques, Jazz Ensemble II, 6th Grade Band and High School Varsity & Concert Bands. Since 1993, Mr. Saiger has been the Director of Symphony Band and Jazz I as well as continued direction and growth with the Marching Band and pep bands.
Along with his band directing and teaching duties, Mr. Saiger is a clinician, soloist and adjudicator on a State and National level.
Outside the classroom, Mr. Saiger is an active racer for Polaris Industries (http://www.polarisindustries.com/) on Snowmobiles and Personal Watercraft. He has had a successful and full racing career finishing 8th in the prestigious year 2000 I-500 Masters class. The race is three days of 180 mile per day ditch banging, road approaches, rivers, lakes, woods and the most treacherous race conditions imaginable. You can find him also on the All-Terrain Snowmobiling 2 video. For the year 2000 I-500 he was named "Racer of the Week" and had an overall 3 day placement time of 25th in the Pro Class. He was also 2000 2nd place points champion in the Masters class with Central Minnesota Cross Country Race circuit. His Watercraft racing has also produced many successful individual and season championships. Other major sponsors for Mr. Saiger are: Hilltop Sports Polaris, Hot Seat Performance (http://www.hotseatperformance.com/), Ultra Flex III Skis's, DiggerZ (http://www.diggerz.com/) SportZone, Davis Petroleum, Tom Clusiau Dodge and Silvertip Graphics. Mr. Saiger will also be racing on a Polaris Pro X for 2003.
