MSHSNSCA Award Winners Announced
March 31, 2024The Minnesota State High School Nordic Ski Coaches Association has announced the award winners for the 2023-24 season. The coaches, assistant coaches and volunteers of the year recipients will be recognized with a trophy at the spring coaches meeting on Saturday, April 20th in Mora.
US Nationals/SuperTour Spring Series Team Sprint Results
March 24, 2024The US Nationals/SuperTour Spring Series switched to freestyle technique Sunday and paired up for team sprints. APU men lead the way with the tandem of Zanden McMullen and JC Schoonmaker taking the win as fellow teammates Michael Earnhart and Luke Jager edged out Canadians Julian Smith and Antoine Cyr for second. SMS T2's Lauren Jortberg and Alayna Sonnesyn blew out the women's field, winning by more than 15 seconds over APU's Renae Anderson and Novie McCabe, with Alex Larson and Margie Freed of Craftsbury taking third. All eyes turn to Tuesday for the marathon freestyle races as major snowfall is expected in the hours between.
US Nationals/SuperTour Spring Series Classic Sprints Results
March 23, 2024Classic sprint titles were on the table Saturday for the US Nationals/SuperTour Spring Series at Spirit Mountain in Duluth. The men's final featured a showdown of World Cup talent as Canada's Antonie Cyr and JC Schoonmaker faced off. Schoonmaker pulled off the victory with APU teammate Zanden McMullen moving in for second and Cyr taking third. Team Birkie's Zak Ketterson scored third for the US podium. The women's final came down to Erin Bianco vs Novie McCabe, both striding hard up the final climb and descending together, with McCabe moving ahead in the finishing stretch for the victory, Bianco second and Alayna Sonnesyn securing third. Racing continues Sunday with a freestyle team sprint format.
US Nationals/SuperTour Spring Series Classic Coverage
March 21, 2024The Duluth organizers and Spirit Mountain staff delivered an excellent course for the opening day of the US Nationals/SuperTour Spring Series on Thursday for 10K classic technique racing. World Cup skiers were on exhibition as temperatures stayed below freezing for the events. The women hit the trails first with Novie McCabe taking the victory followed by Sydney Palmer-Leger and Ely native Erin Bianco. Canada's Antonie Cyr topped the men's field with Johnny Steel Hagenbuch the top American in second, Zanden McMullen third and Minnesota's own Zak Ketterson fourth. Results linked in, photosets posted along with video recaps.
Junior Nationals Mixed Relays Results
March 16, 2024Junior Nationals wrapped up Saturday with the mixed relay freestyle events in Lake Placid. Warm and wet weather made for difficult conditions again, and while the Midwest didn't score any podiums they did have a number of top ten finishes: U20 6th (Hailee Zimpel, Davis Isom, Audrey Parham, Adrik Kraftson); U18 6th (Sydney Drevlow, Eddie Snider, Hanna Koch, Daniel McCollor); U16 8th (Linnea Ousdigian, Anders Decker, Elsa Lindfors, Logan Drevlow).
Junior Nationals Classic Distance Results
March 15, 2024A rocky start to the final day of individual racing on Friday at Lake Placid for the Junior Nationals mass start classic events with organizers changing the course and schedule after crashes during the U16 opening races. However, Midwest continued to capture podiums as Logan Drevlow completed his dominance of the week with another victory in the U16 field and Linnea Ousdigian taking the surprise win in the U16 girls field. Other top results: MU16 - George Nelson 12th; FU18 - Sydney Drevlow 6th; MU18 - Daniel McCollor 8th, Eddie Snider 14th; FU20 - Hailee Zimpel 5th, Greta Hansen 10th, Audrey Parham 12th, Lillian Franzen 13th, Ashley Grossklaus (IMD) 16th; MU20 - Ben Dohlby 5th, Adrik Kraftson 10th, Jonathan Clarke 12th, Davis Isom 18th.
Junior Nationals Classic Sprints Results
March 13, 2024Junior Nationals in Lake Placid, NY, got steamy on Wednesday as the temperatures soared into the 50s by afternoon for a full day of classic sprints. Leading the way for the Midwest again was Logan Drevlow, racing a savvy final to take the boys U16 title! Sister Sydney Drevlow finished just one step back, taking second place in the girls U18 final. Miles Miner (NE) also scored a second place finish in the boys U18 division. Other top results: Hannah Koch 7th FU18; Jordan Parent 8th FU20; Linnea Ousdigian 10th FU16; Ben Lewis (NE) 12th MU20. Results linked in. Racing resumes on Friday with classic mass start races.
Moose Valuable Skier Nominations
March 12, 2024Moose Nordic is giving out the MVS Award again this year with the help of Finn Sisu, Madshus, and Salomon. Two Minnesota high school skiers will be chosen for living out the values of sportsmanship, humility, empowerment, and integrity. Each winner's high school team will receive a pair of Madshus Redline race skis, boots from Finn Sisu, and Salomon skate skis. Nominations deadline is March 24th.
Junior Nationals Freestyle Coverage
March 11, 2024Junior Nationals competition in Lake Placid, NY, had a stormy start Tuesday as snow fell most of the morning, giving way to sunshine and strong winds in the afternoon. Minnesota State champion Logan Drevlow shined brightest for the Midwest on opening day as he earned the U16 boys crown by five seconds. Linnea Ousdigian nearly made it a Midwest sweep of the U16 titles, finishing second by less than three seconds! Also making the podium Tuesday, Ben Dohlby second and Davis Isom third in the boys U20 race. Other top 20 performances: MU16 - Connor Reckinger 8th, Soren Winikoff 9th, Jack Rudolph 12th, Dylan Little 20th; FU18 - Sydney Drevlow 5th, Hanna Koch 14th, Greta Dickman, 18th; FU20 - Hailey Zimpel, 9th, Ashley Grosslaus (IMD) 10th, Ella Niznik 18th, Audrey Parham 20th; MU20 - Adriak Kraftson 13th, Ben Lewis (NE) 16th, Jonathan Clarke 19th. Results linked in, along with links for photos and livestream replay.
Racing Outlook: US Nationals Spring Series
March 9, 2024Believe it or not, but there is still one major race event in the Midwest this season: The US Nationals Spring Series/Supertour, happening at Spirit Mountain in Duluth, March 21-26th. Organizers are planning to shift to the event to the top of Spirit Mountain to utilize the snow at the top of the alpina runs.
Junior National Teams Announced
March 7, 2024With less than a week to go before the big event, CXC has formally announced the full Midwest and Great Lakes team lineups for the upcoming Junior Nationals competition in Lake Placid, NY. Selected athletes will be competing Match 11-16 against some of the best in the US. Another group of U18/U16 athletes will also be heading north to compete at the Canadian Ski Championships being held March 10-16.
Wisconsin State Distance Championships Freestyle Coverage
March 3, 2024The Wisconsin Nordic Ski League (WNSL) wrapped up their season Sunday with the Distance Championships freestyle races, along with Great Lakes JNQ qualifier. Due to the JNQ addtion, the freestyle races this year were run as an interval start (with seeding). Paige Beining, ANST, skied the second fastest Wisconsin time on Sunday to sew up her combined title. Josephine Kwasny, Iola, was second, Lauren Carlton, ANST, third in the combined WNSL scoring. Charlie Vater, Iola, put down a sub 19 min time on the 6K course to easily collect the boys combined title with Kristian Hudacek, CVN, second and Nathan Burke, Peak Nordic, taking third. Eric Anderson, guest skier from Lake City, had the fastest skate time on the day. Results linked in, photos posted along with video clips of the top skiers.
Wisconsin State Distance Championships Classic Results
March 2, 2024Day one of the Wisconsin State Meet distance championships in the books as athletes endured soaring temperatures while hammering out two laps of classic skiing on the snowmaking loops at the Birkie Trailhead. Iola's Charlie Vater posted the top time but three others are all within 10 seconds: Nathan Burke, Peak Nordic, Kristian Hudacek, CVN, and Eric Anderson, Red Wing. Paige Beining, ANST, had the best time for the Wisconsin girls, over 10 seconds ahead of Josephine Kwasny, Iola, and ANST teammate Lauren Carlton in third. LNR's Helen Townley, skiing as guest Great Lakes JNQ, had the fastest time in the girls field. Sunday will feature freestyle races, with the overall champion determined from the combined weekend times plus scoring from the earlier sprint championships.
Wisconsin State High School Distance Championship Predictions
February 28, 2024Ken Schoville is back with his take on the Wisconsin high school Nordic skiing Distance Championship contenders! Rescheduled from mid-February, the big event is this Saturday and Sunday at the Birkie Trailhead in Cable.
Kortelopet Freestyle Coverage
February 23, 2024After a fresh grooming by the Birkie crew, Kortelopet skiers raced the machine-made snow course in the afternoon in freestyle technique for the 20K event. The podium had a distinctive Minnesota vibe: Recently crowned Minnesota high school champion Logan Drevlow, Golden Valley, sailed away for the boys victory with Jace Haerter, Edina, second and Eric Anderson, Frontenac, third. On the girls side, Wayzata's Audrey Parham collected the title with Sydney Drevlow second, and Cloquet native Anja Maijala third. Results linked in, photos and video recaps now posted.
Kortelopet Classic Coverage
February 23, 2024Kortelopet classic racing kicked off Friday morning, with the U20/Elite fields starting things off. The field did two laps of a fast 10K machine-made snow course as temperatures were much cooler, running in the mid 20s. Charlie Vater, Iola, was the first to cross the line in taking the mens U20/Elite race, followed by Neel Dums, Hayward, and Henry Brandt, St. Paul. Teammates Lydia Kraker and Greta Hendrickson, Duluth, came in 1-2 for the womens U20/Elite field with St. Paul native Alex Pundsack third. Results linked in, photosets along with recap video posted.
Junior Birkie Coverage
February 22, 2024Over 400 kids turned out Thursday afternoon for the Junior Birkie races on the snowmaking trails at the Birkie trailhead. Age divisions ranging from under 8 years old to under 14 competed in 1.5K and 3K distances, including some hilly terrain. Results posted along with a selection of photos and a video highlight from the races.
Minnesota State Meet Day 2 Coverage
February 15, 2024Cooler temps and bright sunshine Thursday for the team sprint events of the Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing Championships. Brainerd boys put on a strong performance to win the classic team sprint over Duluth East with Orono/Delano third. In the girls final, Duluth East pulled away from St. Paul Academy with Mpls Washburn taking third. Wayzata secured the boys team title by just six points over Duluth East as Hopkins dropped back to third. Duluth East girls won the team title, 12 points ahead of rising Washburn, as St Paul Highland Park earned third. Results linked in, along with video recaps of the finals.
Minnesota State Meet Day 1 Coverage
February 14, 2024A beautiful day of racing Wednesday as the Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing Championships kicked off with classic and freestyle pursuit events. After the morning classic races, Wayzata boys had posted a commanding lead over Hopkins, with Duluth East just a few points back. Duluth East girls were in front by 18 points, but the battle for second was extremely close as six teams were separated by a total of eight points! Hopkin's Logan Drevlow will start first in the boys pursuit, with St. Paul Highland Park's Hanna Koch leading off for the girls. Drevlow held his lead in the afternoon pursuit, taking the boys title with McCollor moving past Minnehaha Academy's Finn Christiansen for second. The girls pursuit turned into an exciting battle as Linnea Ousdigian, Mounds View, starting in 4th, reeled in and overtook Koch to take the victory as a freshman. Koch finished in second, just five seconds back, with Wayzata's Lila Golomb third. After the first day of racing, Wayzata boys and Duluth East girls hold the lead in the team standings. Results linked in, and many, many photos posted.
Minnesota State Meet Preview
February 12, 2024The Minnesota High School League Nordic Skiing Championships (aka. the State Meet) are this Wednesday and Thursday at Giants Ridge in Biwabik. We provide a brief breakdown on the action, along with some of the favorites and our picks.
Minnesota High School Rankings - Final Round
February 11, 2024The Minnesota Coaches Association has published their final round of high school Nordic Skiing rankings. Della Bettendorf, Protocor/Hermantown and Logan Drevlow, Hopkins, take over the number one rankings and Duluth East owns the team rankings, going into the State Meet next week.
Minnesota Section 7 Championship Coverage
February 7, 2024Test driving the 2024 State Meet course layout, Minnesota High School Section 7 raced on primarily machine-made snow at Giants Ridge on Wednesday. Duluth East nearly had the perfect score, sweeping the boys freestyle podium with James Kyes, Paavo Rova, and Carl Morse, and taking second in the team sprints final. The Duluth East girls duplicated the boys near perfect score, Proctor/Hermantown's Della Bettendorf besting a pack of Duluth East girls for the pursuit title as Lydia Kraker was second, Rowan Bixler third, Liesl Cope-Schareffe fourth. Duluth East girls and Ely boys won the team sprint titles, with the Ely girls joining the boys next week in taking second place. Proctor/Hermantown girls and Ely boys teams advance to State, as well as the Mora boys sprint team. Results linked in, along with photos from Erik Riker-Coleman and Jake Richards.
Minnesota Section 5 Championship Coverage
February 7, 2024Holding the last metro area championship, Minnesota High School Section 5 competed on Hyland Lake's snowmaking loop Wednesday. Elk River/Zimmerman girls claimed the team title by winning the team sprints and then watching Emily Baker move up from third in classic to take the pursuit title with teammate Claire Swanson coming in second. Champlin Park's Abby Hibbs finished third in the girls pursuit. In the boys freestyle pursuit, Park Center/Totino's Reid Binsfeld claimed victory with Blaine's Nathan Taylor second, Rogers' Will Campbell third. Blaine boys scored the team title, with Rogers advancing as well. Fighting over the second girls team spot was Blaine and Coon Rapids in a tie, Blaine going to State based on their top three pursuit times. Coon Rapids boys won the team sprint, and Maple Grove girls sprint team earned a spot at State with their second place finish. Results linked in, photos from the pursuit races are posted.
Minnesota Section 3 Championship Coverage
February 6, 2024The snowmaking venue at Battle Creek provided the courses for the Minnesota High School Section 3 Championships on Tuesday. The battle for the girls title proved extremely close as three teams finished within two points! Coming out on top yet again was the St. Paul Highland Park squad at 384 points, with St. Paul Central and St. Paul Academy tieing in second at 382 points -- Central winning the tiebreaker on top three pursuit times. On the boys side, St. Paul Central took the team title, just three points ahead of Mpls South/Roosevelt. Helping to secure that Central victory, the boys won the team sprint title, with Blake earning a trip to State as well. St. Paul Academy's girls won the team sprint final. Star Hanna Koch, Highland Park, dominated the girls pursuit, winning by nearly two minutes in front of teammate Alex Pundsack, with Central's Elsa Lindfors taking third. Minnehaha Academy's Finn Christiansen won the boys pursuit, Tim Tzeutschler, Highland Park, second and Henry Brandt, Central, in third. Results linked in, photos from the classic races posted.
Minnesota Section 8 Championship Coverage
February 6, 2024The Minnesota High School Section 8 moved to the snowmaking venue of Mt Itasca for their championships on Tuesday. Fergus Falls' David Ronnenik winning performance in the boys pursuit, along with a second place finish by their sprint team, earned Fergus a place at the State Meet. Gabe Hallgren and Eli Knapp of Brainerd finished second and third in the pursuit, and when combined with their sprint team victory, easily locked up the team title. Bemidji boys scored third in the team sprint, providing a State Meet berth. The Brainerd girls had similar results to the boys, with Annelise Baird taking the girls pursuit title, and their sprint team finishing first in the final, to collect the team trophy. Alexandria's Jaelyn Miller was second in the pursuit, followed by Bemidji's Mia Hoffman. Sartell/Cathedral finished second in team scoring, and Moorhead was third in the team sprints, allowing both to advance. Results posted, along with photos from Becky Robertson.
Minnesota Section 2 Championship Coverage
February 6, 2024Elm Creek was host to the Minnesota High School Section 2 Championships Tuesday, as temperatures soared into the 50s by the afternoon events. The Minnetonka duo of Evie Malec and Nina Fedje went 1-2 in the girls freestyle pursuit, helping to secure a spot for their team at the State Meet. Washburn's Chloe Angerman took third with teammate Zoe Wagner in fourth, leading Washburn to the team title. In the boys freestyle pursuit, Anders Westanmo, Bloomington Jefferson, and Edina's Jack Haerter put on a close race, with Westanmo pulling ahead in the final 300 meters. Sam Scott, Minneapolis Southwest was third. The Bloomington Jefferson boys won the team title, with Edina also advancing. Team sprint titles were won by Eden Prairie girls and Burnsville/Shakopee boys. Results linked in and photos from the freestyle pursuit posted.
Minnesota Section 1 Championship Coverage
February 6, 2024Section 1 held their championship event Tuesday at Hyland Lake. Winona/Cotter's Anna Gilmer used a top classic performance to hold off Lakeville's Faye Braun for the girls pursuit title, with Emily Percival, Eastview/Rosemount taking third. Tommy Simmons, Prior Lake/New Prague, logged the fastest classic and skate legs to collect the boys title with Hastings' Josiah Trost using a strong freestyle leg to move up to second, Luke Poppinga, Eagan, finishing third. Team sprint victories were earned by Winona boys and Eastview/Rosemount girls. Overall team titles went to Prior Lake/New Prague boys and Winona/Cotter girls. Also qualifying for state were the Winona/Cotter boys and Eastview/Rosemount girls teams, and the sprint teams of 196 boys and Prior Lake/New Prague girls. Full results linked in, plus photos from the classic distance races.
Wisconsin State Sprint Championships Recap
February 5, 2024The Wisconsin State Sprint Championships for the Nordic High School League were held over the weekend at Ariens Nordic Center. Cathy Putman provides a full recap on the racing action!
Minnesota Section 6 Championship Coverage
February 5, 2024The Minnesota High School Sectional competition got underway Monday with Section 6 Championships at Hyland Lake, utilizing their full 5K snowmaking loop. Hopkins' Logan Drevlow took the classic lead by 14 seconds over Wayzata's Daniel McCollor, then pushed it out another nine seconds to win the boys freestyle pursuit title. Josh Frett of Breck was third. Hanna Wilsey, St. Louis Park, held a narrow six second lead going to the skate race and again posted the best time to be crowned the girls champion, Erica Kazin, Orono/Delano was second with Lila Golomb, Wayzata, third. Wayzata swept the classic team sprint titles as the tandem of Matthew Janneke/Charlie Gundale won by just three seconds and the pairing of Margaux House/Carlee Freeman topped the girls field. The St. Louis Park girls won the team title over Wayzata, having to use the first tiebreaker of top three pursuit times to collect the win. Wayzata boys had the best team score. The Hopkins boys and Wayzata girls will join them at State, along with sprint teams from Orono/Delano boys and Hopkins girls. Results linked in, along with photos from the freestyle pursuit races.
Victor C Dunder Ski Equipment Award Nominees Sought
February 5, 2024Nominations for Victor C. Dunder awards are due by March 31st. The Victor C. Dunder award is designed to get quality equipment to first year skiers in financial need.
Wisconsin State Meet Postponed
February 4, 2024In a Birkie trail update this morning, the Birkie announced the Wisconsin State Meet distance races, scheduled for Feb 10-11th, have been postponed in order to preserve the best conditions moving toward the 50th anniversary Birkie. No date/location has been announced for the State Meet. Note that the Birkie snowmaking trails are closed for the foreseeable future.
Minnesota High School Sections Preview
February 3, 2024This coming week is the Minnesota High School Sectional competition, with individuals and teams competing under some very difficult conditions for entry into the big dance: The Minnesota State Meet. We've got a breakdown on the section changes (many), locations and schedules.
Wisconsin Nordic High School Sprints Predictions
February 1, 2024The Wisconsin High School Sprint Championships are this weekend, Feb 3-4, at the Ariens Nordic Center. Ken Schoville attempts to shed some light on possible champions in this snow sparse winter.
Metro East Conference Championships Coverage
January 30, 2024Conference Championships are happening all across the state as teams prepare for sections next week. Metro East held theirs at Battle Creek on Tuesday, packing in a big day with classic and freestyle pursuit events. Ethan Albrecht, Mahtomedi, and Abigail Lindquist, Simley, won the pursuit races with the Hastings boys and Two Rivers girls topping the team pursuit scoring. Photographer Shannon Brault captured the action in the afternoon freestyle pursuit races.
Coleraine JNQ Classic Results
January 21, 2024Under warming temperatures, the JNA/CCSA racing picked up again Sunday with classic mass start races on the snowmaking trails at Mt Itasca in Coleraine. Canada continued to reign this weekend, with Cedric Martel, U18, taking mens 10K and Clara Hegan, U20, the women's. Alexander Bertonneau, CSS, U20, was second overall in the 10K with U16 star Logan Drevlow racing up take third! Hanna Koch, U18, was best of the Americans taking second with another Canadian, Mya Marshall, third. Winners of the 5K U16 races were Peter Hackney and Linnea Ousdigian. The CCSA 15K races were being held this afternoon.
Coleraine JNQ Freestyle Results
January 20, 2024Junior Nationals qualification, along with the collegiate CCSA series, resumed on Saturday with freestyle racing action at Mt. Itasca in Coleraine. In the men's 7.5K, Colin Freed, MTU, bested Matt Liebsch by just eight seconds with NMU's Kristoffer Arm Karsrud only two additional seconds back in third. Top U20 male was Wes Campbell in 5th; Canadian Cedric Martel had the best U18 finish in 12th. Clara Hegan from Thunder Bay won the women's 7.5K race (and was the top U20!), Anabel Needham, MTU, second with Victoria Klevan Dybwad, NMU, third. Top U18 result was claimed by Hanna Koch in 13th. Champions of the 5K U16 races were Anders Decker and Linnea Ousdigian. Sunday will feature classic mass start races.
Moose Nordic Junior Nationals Scholarships
January 19, 2024Moose Nordic will be giving out two scholarships for Team Midwest athletes attending Junior Nationals in Lake Placid this year. The application deadline is January 31st.
Minnesota High School Rankings - Round 3
January 16, 2024The Minnesota Coaches Association has released their third round of high school Nordic Skiing rankings. Wayzata's Daniel McCollor and St. Paul Highland Park's Hannah Koch remain the top ranked skiers. Brainerd boys take over of the top of the team rankings, with Duluth East girls continuing as number 1.
ABC Relays Coverage
January 13, 2024Nearly 250 high school skiers hit the trails at the Vasaloppet Nordic Center in Mora for the always exciting ABC Relays on Saturday. The Sartell girls squad shined brightest on the day, not only coming in first but second as well (A and B teams!), with Minneapolis Washburn (A) best of the rest. The Blaine boys (A team) stood a top of the podium with Minneapolis Washburn (A) just three seconds ahead of Minnehaha Academy (A). Top splits on the day: Emma Jamison, Sartell, classic; Lily Jamison, Sartell, freestyle; Edward Sobiech, Little Falls, classic; Jack Jendro, Andover, freestyle. Full results linked in, photos from Shannon Brault posted!
Saint Paul JNQ Classic Sprints Coverage
January 13, 2024Battle Creek hosted classic sprint races Saturday as part of the Junior National Qualification series. The sprint course utilized much of the Prairie loop, including the infamous A climb. Miles Miner collected the U20/U18 title, just ahead of Anders Westanmo and Josh Frett. Sydney Drevlow dominated the girls final, finishing a full 10 seconds ahead of the field as Hanna Wilsey took second and Lydia Kraker third. The U16 champions were Logan Drevlow and Elsa Lindfors. Results linked in, video recaps from the U20/U18 races posted.
US Nationals: Classic Sprints Results
January 7, 2024The 2024 US Cross-Country Ski Championships drew to a close on Sunday with classic sprints as the final event. The Midwest was well represented once again among the senior women, with Alayna Sonnesyn showing her sprinting prowess as the second overall finisher and first American. She would finish just behind Karianne Olsvik Dengerud of Norway who had won the freestyle sprints earlier in the week, while another Midwesterner, Merle Richter, would finish just behind the two of them in third. All together nearly a third of the women who qualified for the heats had some tie to the Midwest, including Margie Freed who also reached the final, finishing 6th, and Erin Bianco and Renae Anderson who both reached the semifinals, finishing 10th and 11th respectively. Luke Jager was the top American in the men's final, winning outright over Tom Mancini of France and another American, Michael Earnhart. And picking up another nod as the best of the Midwest senior men, John Schwinghamer ended his day in the quarterfinals, finishing 16th, while Reid Goble also broke into the top-20, finishing 18th. Finally, the winners among the junior crowd included Finegan Bailey and Maeve Ingelfinger, with Ingelfinger also mirroring her result in the freestyle sprints.
Marshall Holiday Ski Camp Set for Jan 13-15
January 6, 2024The Marshall School Holiday Ski Camp will be held, on snow, the weekend of Jan 13-15 at Spirit Mountain Nordic Center. The camp is open to all skiers ages 5-12, with rental equipment, sledding, and treats all included. Registration is now open.
Mesabi East Invite Coverage
January 6, 2024Nearly 900 skiers hit a custom course along the downhill basin at Giants Ridge Saturday in the Mesabi East/Giants Ridge Invite. Starting off with classic racing, Fergus Falls' David Ronnevik notched the best time for the boys with Lance Hastings, Brained, second and Daniel Gladkov, Wayzata, third. Erica Kazin, Orono, strided to the girls classic title, Della Bettendorf, Proctor/Hermantown, second and St. Paul Central's Elsa Lindfors third. Freestyle racing was in the afternoon with Mounds Park Academy's Eddie Snider having the best skate time, Time Tzeutschler, St. Paul Highland Park, second and Eli Knapp, Brainerd, third. For the girls, Mounds Views Linnea Ousdigian bested last season's State champion Lydia Kraker of Duluth East, with Greta Henderickson, Duluth East, third. The Brainerd boys won the team title (just 3 points ahead of Wayzata), Duluth East the best girls team, and Duluth East having the best combined team score as well. Full results linked in, photos by Shannon Brault posted.
US Nationals: Freestyle Distance Coverage
January 5, 2024Friday marked the second distance competition of the 2024 US Cross-Country Ski Championships, a mass-start freestyle race with the senior athletes racing 20K and the junior athletes 10K. The senior women's race would only be decided by a handful of seconds with Haley Brewster taking the victory, and with it the title of national champion. Kendall Kramer and Margie Freed would finish behind her, completing the all-American podium, which landed Margie Freed her second all-American podium finish of these Championships, a fantastic showing by the Midwesterner. Also representing the Midwest well were Erin Bianco, Renae Anderson, and Alayna Sonnesyn who each broke into the top-20 with 12th, 16th, and 17th place finishes respectively. In contrast to the senior women's competition, the top finisher in the men's race, John Steel Hagenbuch, would do so by a healthy margin of 40 seconds over the next fastest skier, Tom Mancini of France. Rounding out the senior men's overall podium was Great Britain's Joe Davies, and the next two skiers, Peter Wolter in 4th and Elijah Weenig in 5th, would complete the all-American podium with Hagenbuch as the national champion. A 21st place finish by Reid Goble was the highlight of the Midwest senior men, while junior titles in today's distance event went to Neve Gerard and Jack Lange, with Lange claiming his second title of these Championships. One final event, classic sprints, awaits athletes on Sunday.
US Nationals: Freestyle Sprints Coverage
January 4, 2024The 2024 US Cross-Country Ski Championships continued on Thursday with the crowning of the national champions in freestyle sprints. A strong day for the Midwest women, a third of the qualifiers for the heats had some tie to Minnesota, Wisconsin, or Michigan. In the senior women's final the Midwest's own Alayna Sonnesyn earned the title of national champion as the first American to finish, placing second overall to Karianne Olsvik Dengerud of Norway. The third and fourth skiers in the final, Hayley Brewster and Alexandra Lawson, joined Sonnesyn on the all-American podium. Two other Midwesterners also made it as far as the semifinals: Erin Bianco, who finished 7th, and Merle Richter, who finished 10th. There was no foreign influence on the overall podium in the men's final, with the top three finishers comprising the all-American podium of Will Koch, the national champion, and Logan Diekmann and John Steel Hagenbuch. Two Midwest representatives qualified for the heats in the senior men's competition, with John Schwinghamer making it as far as the semifinals, finishing 11th, and Kristoffer Alm Karsrud advancing to the final, finishing 6th. Lastly, top results in the junior sprints came from Maeve Ingelfinger and a Michigan Tech skier, Wes Campbell. Another set of national champions will be crowned on Friday following mass-start freestyle races.
US Nationals: Classic Distance Coverage
January 2, 2024The skies were clear and the weather comfortably warm for the start of the 2024 Cross-Country Ski Championships on Tuesday. The opening event of the competition in Midway, Utah was a 10K classic race which saw the women's field take to the trails first. Tilde Baangman of Sweden crossed the line with the fastest time in the individual-start event, while Sydney Palmer-Leger posted the next fastest time as the top American and national champion. Third overall went to Karianne Olsvik Dengerud of Norway, and just behind her was Margie Freed who proudly represented the Midwest as the runner-up to the national champion. Completing the all-American podium was Nina Schaumburger who finished 7th overall as the top junior. Additional standout results by skiers with ties to the Midwest included Renae Anderson in 14th, Hannah Rudd in 16th, Alayna Sonnesyn in 19th, and Sarah Goble in 20th. For the men's race, the overall podium consisted of Andreas Kirkeng of Norway, Joe Davies of Great Britain, and Luke Jager who was the top American and national champion. Joining Jager on the all-American podium where Peter Walter and David Norris who finished 4th and 7th overall, while Jack Lange was the top junior in 15th. Skylar Patten would claim the best result for the Midwest men, finishing 29th. Freestyle sprints will be the focus on Wednesday and Thursday for the second event of the 2024 US Cross-Country Ski Championships. Results posted, along with a selection of photos by Tryg Solberg.
Biathlon: 12 Athletes to Compete at 2024 Youth/Junior World Championships in Estonia
January 1, 2024The World Junior and Youth Trials wrapped up on Sunday at Mt Itasca in Coleraine with athletes earning the right to represent the US in upcoming championships overseas. From the Midwest, Alexandra Rud and Matej Cervenka will be competing at the Youth and Junior World Championships in Otepää, Estonia beginning in late February and Evelyn Hurdrik headed to the Junior IBU Cup and Junior Open European Championships in Jakuszyce, Poland at the start of February.
Biathlon: World Junior and Youth Trials - Day 1
December 29, 2023Hard work, including a lot of snow hauling, allowed Mt Itasca to salvage their snowmaking course and host the first day of competition for World Junior and Youth qualifications on Friday in Coleraine. Top Midwest results: Matej Cervenka 6th MJ; Eric Anderson 4th MY; Kasia Bosek 3rd WJ; Evelyn Hudrlik 2nd WY.
2022-23 Season Highlights
May 1, 2023Catch highlights plus full results and photos from the 2022-2023 high school racing season.