Minnesota State Meet Recap
February 26, 2019With the Minnesota State Meet still fresh in our minds, we look back over the big day and some interesting stats.
The weather was perfect for the morning freestyle races with temps in the upper teens and a well groomed Silver course. Returning state champion Garrett Beckrich, Grand Rapids, came out swinging, posting the fastest time on the course (even after being sick earlier in the week). But the competition was close on his heels, with five skiers within 30 seconds: Peter Moore, SPA, Cooper Lennox, Mora, Aidan Ripp, C-E-C, Tryg Solberg, White Bear Lake, and Alex Nemeth, St. Cloud Cathedral-Sartell. On the girls side, Lucinda Anderson, Robbinsdale-Armstrong, out skated returning champ Mara McCollor, Wayzata, by 12 seconds to lead the skate field. Stillwater’s Libby Tuttle was the only other skier within 30 seconds Anderson.
The lunch time break at the State Meet turned into waxing panic-fest as snow started pouring down. By the time the boys hit the trail, over an inch of fresh snowl had fallen, with more coming down. Beckrich took off from the start gate, but it wasn’t long before Moore, Lennox, and Nemeth tracked him down. From there, a cat and mouse battle was had down the trails at Giants Ridge to the finish, with Moore taking the lead into the stadium with the rest in hot pursuit. Moore claimed the title in solid fashion, with top ranked Nemeth coming up one second short of the title, and just fending off Lennox for second, Beckrich resigned to fourth.
As good as the boys race was, the girls provided a showcase of why they are truly the top two skiers in the Midwest. Anderson was joined by McCollor at the front by the time the duo reached the headwall near the top of the course. But Anderson did not relent and doggedly stuck with McCollor, and in fact, regained the lead coming into the stadium. At this point, it’s worth remembering that last female to repeat as State Champion was Jessie Diggins. As the skiers hammered up the finishing stretch, the crowd riveted to the duel, McCollor began to overtake Anderson, crossing the line just feet ahead for the victory. It was a scene worthy of the two talents, and it drew instant comparisons to the 2010 State Meet where Diggins came from behind to win over Annie Hart. Tuttle cruised in for third.
In the team competition, there was some early excitement as at half time those tough Forest Lake boys had skated their way to the lead, four points ahead of the favorite St. Cloud Cathedral-Sartell. But in the second half, the St. Cloud Cathedral-Sartell gang got their kick on -- lead by the strong performance of their fourth place skier Ben Boelter who moved up 8 places, as well as the leader Alex Nemeth, collecting another 4 points, to overcome the Forest Lake squad by 10 points. Robbinsdale-Armstrong boys came in third, just a single point ahead of the Stillwater boys.
On the girls side, Robbinsdale-Armstrong team left no doubt they were the one and only, opening a commanding 26 point lead in the skate and then bumping that score even higher to win by 28. But the competition for rest of the podium was fierce, with Stillwater taking an 8 point lead over St. Paul Highland Park, Forest Lake just another 4 points back. The St. Paul Highland Park girls showed their cross-country running endurance had paid off, along with some good waxing skills, to overtake Stillwater and take second by 3 points. Which left an incredible battle between conference rivals (and perennial superpowers) Forest Lake and Stillwater -- and, of course, they tied in points, thus going down to the total time of the top four skiers, where Stillwater won by just six seconds.
Movers and Shakers
While the battles for the overall titles are the main theme on the day, there are always great performances hidden within the numbers. Matt Bourne, MPA, gets the gold star with an impressive classic race. In fact, Bourne was the fastest strider on the day and used that speed to move from 15th all the way up to 5th! Luke Mackinnon, Minnetonka, was another in the top 25 to fly by skiers in the classic, going from 25th to 13th. On the girls side, the big top 25 mover was Hopkin’s Kaelin Jackson, swooshing from 24th all the way to 11th!
Some people like to compare the afternoon classic pursuit races to NASCAR as so many skiers can be on the same track and in tight packs. If that’s the case, some of the best “drivers” on the day: Philip Dirnberger, Hopkins, passing a dizzying 44 skiers in the process of going from 106th to 62nd! Not far back, Matthew Egger, Edina, passed 35 going 117th to 82nd. And Elias Roll, Stillwater, passed 27 to finish 98th. Not to be out done, the girls field had their own passing maniacs: Annabelle Stang, Forest Lake, went from 114th to 75th, taking out 39 skiers along the way; Anna Schumann, Eastview, weaved around 32 to move up to 77th. And Julia Nielsen, Andover, Elena Munger, Hopkins, and Erika Peterson, Mpls South, all moved 25 places or more.
Young and the Restless
Traditionally in this sport, it's the older, more developed skiers that dominate the top of the results. However, there are always some whippersnappers (still years out from their drivers exam) that make a real impression. There were a total of nine 8th grade girls in the field this season including two in the top 25 with Jordan Parent, Forest Lake, 17th and Margo Nightingale, MPA, 24th (and already the second go around for both!). The boys field had just one 8th grader: Davis Isom, St. Paul Highland Park, finished 99th as part of a competitive squad.
Keep an eye these elite 7th graders: Daniel McCollor, Wayzata, while near the back of the field this season, something tells us he’ll be near the front within a few years and certainly Chloe Erickson, Forest Lake, finishing 102nd as a 7th grader bears watching.
Predictions
We’re not one to shy away from our failures -- and in fact, that’s part of what makes the State Meet so great; you never know who will shine on that given day. Reviewing our State Meet predictions ...
Boys: We picked Beckrich, Nemeth, Moore, and the real order was almost the exact reverse -- Moore, Nemeth, and Lennox. So while close might count in darts, we missed it on this one.
Girls: Thank you ladies -- McCollor, Anderson, Tuttle, exactly as we called it! Trifecta.
Boys team: First was first -- the St. Cloud Cathedral-Sartell boys were our call as the winners and they came through, but after that it was a crapshoot: we predicted Ely and Mpls Southwest, and instead it was Forest Lake and Robbinsdale-Armstrong.
Girls team: Oh so close…. Robbinsdale-Armstrong was the easy winner, but then we had Forest Lake beating St. Paul Highland Park, and it was nearly reversed with St. Paul Highland Park second and Stillwater third on the tie breaker with Forest Lake.
Looking Forward
The State Meet can be an emotional experience for many of the seniors, knowing it’s their last trip to the big show. But it’s also exciting to reflect on the potential of the remaining field. First and foremost are the St. Paul Highland Park girls, who will return all seven of their skiers and will be the number one ranked squad next fall (and if there is any doubt these girls are having fun, check out their Uptown Funk video). However, both Stillwater and Forest Lake lose only one skier to graduation, so HP will have their work cut out this summer! On the boys side, Ely is one to watch for next season as they will also return every skier from their sixth place squad. St. Cloud Cathedral-Sartell and Forest Lake boys are expected to be right back in the mix next year, both losing only two seniors.
For individuals, Libby Tuttle appears have a clear path to the title, but Molly Moening will be another year older and another year stronger, providing a real contender. Cooper Lennox, perhaps with a little more offseason strength training, could be tough to beat next season, but there are a half dozen returning candidates in the wings ready to up their game this summer.
For all those dreaming of moving into the top 25 next season, or perhaps even the podium, don’t delay in making your summer training plans. Good things come to those that train hard -- and train smart.