FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2012-13 Superiorland Ski Club and MSHS High School Team Hosting Michigan’s High School Nordic Ski Championships

Marquette/Ishpeming, MI – The Superiorland Ski Club and its affiliated Marquette Senior High School Nordic Ski Team will play host to the State’s High School Nordic Ski Championships on Friday and Saturday, February 15 and 16.  The meet will take place on Ishpeming’s Al Quaal trails, now featuring the redesigned Teal Lake FIS competition loops. Approximately 100 juniors will be vying for State Champion in Nordic ski sprints and the 5K Freestyle and Classic Pursuit events while teams will be vying for overall team winners.

The MSHS Boys Team took the 2011-12 State Boys Title and the Girls and Boys Team Combined won the State Combined Title.  They will be looking to defend their titles against teams from strong competition from Traverse City (Central, West, and St. Francis High Schools); the Copper Country (Houghton, Hancock, Calumet); and the Lake Michigan section team (Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Boyne City).

Senior Blake Murray (MSHS) will be back to defend his pursuit title as will his teammate Andrew Twohey in the Sprint competition.  They will have strong competition from TC Central’s Andrew Bruning and Copper Country’s Hendrick Hatajaa, along with up a strong list of underclassmen lead by Cooper Country’s Isaac Stone and the Marquette trio of Ben Wright, Logan Zueger and Mike Wiitala.

The girls event looks much more wide open now that four-time State pursuit champion and last years sprint champion Ellen Wiitala has graduated from MSHS to the University of Michigan and citizen racing events.  Evelyn Delong, everyone’s pre-season favorite, will be there but has had an injury plagued season leaving opportunities for others including teammates Sarah Lyle and Isabell Sharp.  Traverse City Central’s Erin Lipp comes in showing great season results, as does youngster Sarah Goble from Lake Michigan.  Marquette girls will not just mail it in, however, lead by junior Abby Potts and eight grade upstart Beth Wright looking to defend the home courses.

The event schedule is Friday, February 15, 2pm a 1K Freestyle Qualifying Round followed by six competitor semi-final heats beginning at 3:30 pm.  On Saturday, 10 am, the 5K Classic Pursuit begins with an interval start followed by the 5K Freestyle Pursuit at 2 pm.  Spectators are encouraged to come out and watch the State’s best junior Nordic skiers compete.

This event is sponsored by Superiorland Ski Club, River Valley Bank, Marquette Board of Light and Power, MSHS Booster Club, City of Marquette Police Youth Sports Fund, Steward and Sheridan Law Firm, Sweetwater Café, Country Village, Ore Dock Brewery, and North Jackson Company.