CXC Congress and Club Excellence Conference this Weekend
April 23, 2019Cross country club leaders from around the Central Region will have an opportunity to play a role in the future of the sport during Central Cross Country Skiing's annual CXC Congress. The event features three days of workshops and meetings set for April 26-28 in Eau Claire, WI, and is free and open to all interested parties.
Coaches Association Spring Meeting this Saturday
April 11, 2019The annual Minnesota high school Nordic skiing coaches association meeting is this Saturday, April 13th, at the Vasaloppet Center in Mora. There will be an opportunity for Level 100 Coaches Education with CXC's Joe Haggenmiller earlier in the morning, before the coaches meeting. Please RSVP.
Victor C. Dunder Award Nominations Sought
March 17, 2019Nominations 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.
Junior Nationals: Team Relays Results
March 16, 2019Saturday was the final competition of the 2019 Junior Nationals in Anchorage, Alaska, featuring the 3x3K team relays. Midwest finished strong with the U16 boys team of Victor Sparks, Drew Sampon and Adrik Kraftson claiming victory as well as a second MU16 team taking third place and the U20 girls taking third place.
Junior Nationals: Classic Coverage
March 15, 2019Friday was the big mass start classic races at Junior Nationals in Anchorage, Alaska. Leading the day for the Midwest again was the U20 girls, as Hannah Bettendorf took second place in the 10K event. The U16 boys really shined as well with Caden Albrecht taking 2nd and Jasper Johnston 3rd (and six in the top 10)! Other top 20 results: FU20 - Luci Anderson 6th, Regan Duffy 8th, Mae Barnes 14th, Cece Boyle 15th; MU20 - Anders Sonnesyn 13th, Luke Mackinnon 16th, Jackson Adler 17th; FU18 - Emma Albrecht 5th, Libby Tuttle 6th, Sarah Olson 9th; MU18 - Henry Snider 12th, Cooper Lennonx 13th, Matt Bourne 14th, James Schneider 19th, Eli Gore 20th; FU16 - Molly Moening 4th, Lauren McCollor 7th; MU16 - Isak Nightingale 5th, Victor Sparks 6th, Adrik Kraftson 8th, Drew Sampson 10th, Owen Williams 13th, Noah Erickson 17th, Stas Bednarski 18th. Results linked in along with photos from Jackie Schneider.
Junior Nationals: Classic Sprint Coverage
March 13, 2019Classic sprints were the featured event on Wednesday at Junior Nationals in Anchorage, Alaska. Minnesota native Anja Maijala, racing for Alaska this year, won the U20 title, with Luci Anderson scoring 3rd. Other skiers making the semi-finals: FU20 - Hannah Bettendorf 9th, Cece Boyle 10th; MU20 - Jackson Adler 8th, Luke Mackinnon 10th, Anders Sonnesyn 12th; FU16 - Molly Moening 8th; MU16 - Drew Sampson 7th, Caden Albrecht 10th, Jasper Johnson 12th. Results linked in, along with photos from Jackie Schneider.
Junior Nationals: Freestyle Coverage
March 11, 2019Junior Nationals opened on Monday with warm conditions in Anchorage for the freestyle individual start races. The Midwest came out swinging, scoring a number of podiums! Luci Anderson and Mara McCollor took 1st and 2nd in the FU20; Libby Tuttle scored 3rd in the FU18; Adrik Kraftson was 3rd in the MU16; Molly Moening 3rd in the FU16 division. Other top 20: MU18 - Peter Moore 9th, Alex Nemeth 20th; MU20 - Jackson Adler 10th, Gus Schatzlein 11th, Anders Sonnesyn 12th; FU18 - Emma Albrecht 5th, Sarah Olson 11th, Alice House 17th; FU20 - Hannah Bettendorf 8th, Regan Duffy 10th, Mae Barnes 15th, Cece Boyle 20th; MU16 - Victor Sparks 4th, Jasper Johnston 7th, Stas Bednarski 10th, Drew Sampson 10th, Isak Nightingale 14th, Owen Williams 15th, Caden Albrecht 18; FU16 - Lauren McCollor 17th. Results linked in, along with photos of the Midwest kids from Jackie Schneider.
Borah Teamwear: Post Season Custom Nordic Program
March 10, 2019Borah's goal is to make sure all of their customers are kitted out in the best looking and highest performing custom Nordic apparel available before the first snowflake hits the ground. So, for the 2019/2020 season, Borah is offering a 10% discount along with a custom lazer band (one band per race suit or jacket), for all orders placed before the end of the school year.
Junior Nationals Opens in Anchorage
March 10, 2019Junior Nationals held their opening ceremonies on Sunday in Anchorage, Alaska, with racing action scheduled to begin on Monday starting with freestyle distance events. CXC will be carrying livestreaming, Superior Timing will have live results, and we'll be posting photos each night from the days events.
CXC Names Championship Teams
February 27, 2019CXC has posted the final rosters for Junior Nationals, U16 Championships, and Canadian Nationals competitions.
Minnesota State Meet Recap
February 26, 2019A look back on the 2019 Minnesota State Meet including our list of movers and shakers, young guns, and favorites for next season. Plus see how we did in our predictions. And we've released our expanded stats on the State Meet results.
Junior Teams Announced: Junior Nationals, U16 Champs, Canadian Nationals
February 17, 2019After the conclusion of the Mayor's XC Challenge races, the end of the JNQ series, the junior trip teams were announced. This includes the Junior Nationals, NENSA U16 Championships, and Canadian Nationals teams. Note: There may be further changes to the teams as some athletes may decline.
Mayors XC Challenge SuperTour/JNQ Freestyle Coverage
February 17, 2019The three day Mayor's XC Challenge event wrapped up on Sunday with another day of great course conditions and weather. Temps were in the 20s for most of the races, with a dusting of snow coming down near the end. Midwest's own Matt Liebsch, holding down full-time job and full-time father, still managed to crank out the fastest 10K skate on the day, topping NMU's Zak Ketterson by 5 seconds for the victory, with Akeo Maifeld-Carucci, Craftsbury Green Racing, third. In the women's 5K, it was an all-Midwest poduim as Nicole Schneider, NMU, edged out Alayna Sonnesyn, SMS T2, by 7 seconds with Schneider's teammate Abby Jarzin in third, just a 2/10 second back! Top U16 results went to Adrik Kraftson and Molly Moening. Results linked in, photos online from the women's 5K by Jackie Schneider.
Mayors XC Challenge SuperTour/JNQ Classic Coverage
February 16, 2019Another day of perfect trail conditions for the Mayors XC Challenge races at Theodore Wirth on Saturday. The men's 20K classic started off the morning, racing five laps with some of the best climbs on the course. Ben Lustgarten and Zak Ketterson eventually broke off the field and brought the race down to a sprint finish, Ketterson pulling ahead in the final meters. Mathias Rolid was the best of the rest. In the women's 15K race (4 laps), Alayna Sonnesyn pushed off the front with Kaitlynn Miller and Elizabeth Guiney, with Miller breaking away in the final kilometer to take the win, Sonnesyn second, Guiney third. The U20/U18 boys race brought out all the best from the Minnesota and Wisconsin State Meets. Alex Nemeth pushed to the front by the end of the first lap (3 laps total) and held off Cooper Lennox for the win, Kai Meekis taking third. The U20/U18 girls also was stacked with high school stars and on Saturday, it was Regan Duffy that shined the brightest, moving up the field each lap to take the victory ahead of Luci Anderson with Hannah Bettendorf third. In the U16 races, Victor Sparks outstretched Roger Anderson for the win, and Molly Moening dropped Lauren McCollor on the last big climb to take the victory. Results linked in, photo albums posted.
Mayors XC Challenge SuperTour Sprints Coverage
February 15, 2019Friday kicked off a weekend long SuperTour and JNQ/CCSA combo event at Theodore Wirth, with the freestyle sprints test driving the 2020 World Cup course and stadium. For the most part, the day was a big success with great course conditions and exciting action. The Midwest's own Alayna Sonnesyn continued to improve her fast twitch, taking the women's final is an extremely tight finish over Becca Rorabaugh and Erika Flowers. In the men's final, an errant PistenBully added a twist of SkiX to the event, with Canadian Antoine Briand capturing the win over Tyler Kornfield and Forrest Mahlen. Saturday will bring out the juniors and collegiate skiers for mass start classic races.
Minnesota State Meet Coverage
February 14, 2019Perfect conditions on Thursday for the Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing Championships at Giants Ridge. Garrett Beckrich, Grand Rapids, secured the early lead in taking the morning freestyle race a full 18 seconds ahead of SPA's Peter Moore, with 5 other skiers within 10 seconds of second place! Lucinda Anderson, Robbinsdale-Armstrong, opened a 12 second led on Mara McCollor, Wayzata, in the girls freestyle with Stillwater's Libby Tuttle just 7 seconds behind. At the halfway point, Forest Lake boys and Robbinsdale-Armstrong girls were at the top of the team points. Snow came down, heavy at times, for the afternoon races. Peter Moore overtook Garrett Beckrich by the midway point of the classic, and it became a barnburner to the finish as Mora's Cooper Lennox and St. Cloud Cathedral/Sartell's Alex Nemeth entered into the fray! Moore pulled ahead to take the victory, Nemeth edged Lennox at the line with Beckrich a close fourth. The girls pursuit race proved even more exciting as Luci Anderson was caught my Mara McCollor by the half way point, but Anderson stuck with her and took the lead coming into the stadium, with McCollor pulling out all the stops to pass Anderson in the final 25 meters to repeat as State Champion. Libby Tuttle took third. The team races echoed the excitement of the day, seeing the St. Cloud Cathedral/Sartell boys come back to win by 10 points over Forest Lake, Robbinsdale-Armstrong third. The Robbinsdale-Armstrong girls skied strong to take the team title, St. Paul Highland Park moving up to take second by just three points over Stillwater! Results linked in, along with big photosets from all the races.
Minnesota State Meet Preview
February 12, 2019Thursday is the big wrap up of the Minnesota high school Nordic skiing season: the State Meet! Conditions and weather are looking fantastic, and the competition should be intense. We've put together our annual preview of top contenders and our predictions.
Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing Rankings - Final Round
February 11, 2019With sections in the books and the State Meet just days away, we take a final crack at the Minnesota high school Nordic ski rankings. Lots of shuffling in the last round as sections provided some amazing results.
Wisconsin State Meet Classic Pursuit Coverage
February 10, 2019The Wisconsin High School Nordic Skiing Championships wrapped up Sunday with some exhilarating classic pursuit races. In the boys event, Jackson Adler, Ashwaubenon over took Saturday's leader, Drake Hacker, Peak Nordic and then held off a hard charging Nick Niemi, Ironwood, to take the pursuit title. Olivia Dreger, Wausau, hammered out a strong classic leg to take the lead from Isabel Seay, Peak Nordic, with Blackhawk's Alice House posting the fastest classic time coming in just 11 seconds back. Ashwaubenon boys and Wausau girls collected the team titles. Results linked in along with photos from the middle and high school races on Sunday.
Wisconsin State Meet Freestyle Results
February 9, 2019The Wisconsin High School Nordic Skiing Championships had day 1 of their competition on Saturday with 6.5K freestyle races. Drake Hacker, Peak Nordic, took the win in the boys race, holding a 9 second lead over Jackson Alder, Ashwaubenon, with Nick Niemi, Ironwood (guest), in third, another 12 seconds back. Isabel Seay, Peak Nordic, topped the girls field, posting almost a 30 second margin over the returning champ, Olivia Dreger, Wausau, with Alice House, Blackhawk, in third. In the team standings, Peak Nordic and Ashwaubenon boys are tied with Lakeland 3 points back; Wausau girls lead Lakeland by 3. Sunday will be classic pursuit racing to conclude the State Meet.
Charlie Banks Relays Info Posted
February 8, 2019The Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing Coaches Association hosts the annual Charlie Banks Relays every season on the day before the State Meet. The relays are open to any skier not participating in the State meet. Meet detail and registration form posted.
Minnesota Section 7 Championships Results
February 7, 2019As tradition, Minnesota high school Section 7 wrapped up sections week racing on the trails at the State Meet venue, Giants Ridge, on Thursday. Cold weather and fresh snowfall required a little extra grit on an already tough course. The 2018 State Champion, Garrett Beckrich, Grand Rapids, won the boys title with a dominated skate leg, putting him up a full minute on the field, but Aidan Ripp, CEC, and Jasper Johnston, Ely, tore into that lead in the classic pursuit, cutting it down to just over 35 seconds. As expected, Duluth East's Gretchen Haggenmiller topped the girls field, winning by over a minute. Ely boys took the team title, with Marshall School topping CEC by 4 points to head to their first State Meet. Duluth East girls placed first in the team competition with Grand Rapids taking second, just 4 points ahead of Ely.
Minnesota Section 2 Championships Coverage
February 7, 2019Another section meet, more snow ... Minnesota high school Section 2 championships were held at Theodore Wirth Thursday under a constant snowfall, providing challenging course conditions. It was a day of upsets as Minnetonka's Luke MacKinnon held a slight lead over Henry Hall, Minneapolis Southwest, after the classic leg, then busted it open in the skate race to win the title by over 30 seconds. In the girls race, Edina's Morgan Richter strided to the the classic lead then extended it in the pursuit to also win by over 30 seconds. Minneapolis Southwest swept the team titles with Eden Prairie boys and Edina girls advancing as well. Results linked in along with photos from the pursuit races.
Minnesota Section 4 Championships Coverage
February 6, 2019High drama at Hyland Lake Wednesday afternoon as the Section 4 championships featured many tight finishes. MPA's Matt Bourne took the half time lead after the classic race then held off a strong challenge from White Bear Lake's Tryg Solberg (fastest skate time), to win the boys title. Libby Tuttle, Stillwater, posted the top times in classic and skate to win the girls race by almost a minute. Forest Lake swept the team titles, with Stillwater performing the second sweep, MPA boys narrowly missing the team trip to State by 4 points. Results linked in, along with photos from the pursuit races.
Minnesota Section 5 Championships Coverage
February 6, 2019Well groomed courses, along with some changes to the layout, made for a solid day of racing for the Section 5 championships on Wednesday at Theodore Wirth. Sarah Olson, Blaine, carried a good lead into the afternoon pursuit race, then extended it to almost two minutes in taking the girls title. Cooper Lennox, Mora, had a similar build up in the morning classic, but the afternoon skate race saw Maple Grove's CJ Young dig into the lead, posting the fastest skate time, but it was not quite enough to close the gap to Lennox, who won the pursuit by 35 seconds. The team titles went to Champlin Park boys and Andover girls, with Mora earning both boys and girls second place finishes by margins of just a few points. Results linked in, photos from the classic races are posted.
Minnesota Section 1 Championships Coverage
February 5, 2019Section 1 skiers battled the elements as well as the competition Tuesday at Hyland Lake as fresh snow fell for most of the meet. Winona's Anni Skillicorn took a narrow one second lead over Hastings Linnea Urban in the morning classic, then extended it to almost 20 seconds in the afternoon freestyle pursuit to take the girls title. Burnsville's Matthew Berg put together a pair of strong races to take the boys victory by nearly 30 seconds. Team titles went to the Prior Lake boys and Eastview girls with Winona taking second for both boys and girls squads. Results linked in and photos from the classic races posted.
Minnesota Section 3 Championships Coverage
February 5, 2019Section 3 skiers faced tough conditions Tuesday with several inches of fresh snow on the trails by the start of the afternoon pursuit races at Theodore Wirth. St. Paul Highland Park girls crushed all competition, placing all seven of their skiers in the top nine and notching a perfect team score of 394! Molly Moening was the queen bee, taking first by over a minute. St. Paul Central girls came in second. Peter Moore, SPA, was racing on another level, flying to a two minute margin of victory in the boys pursuit race. The St. Paul Highland Park boys were nearly as impressive as the girls, placing all seven skiers in the top 10 to easily take the team title. Minnehaha Academy boys earned second place and the right to head to the State Meet next week. Results linked in, photos from the freestyle pursuit races are up.
Minnesota Section 8 Championships Results
February 5, 2019Returning to Camp Ripley, Section 8 teams faced off on Tuesday. The Nemeth brothers of St. Cloud Cathedral-Sartell dominated the day, finishing first (Alex), second (Zach), and third (Will) in the afternoon pursuit race. Wren Scott-Lumbar, St. Cloud Tech, took the girls title by over a minute. The Cathedral-Sartell boys won the team title with Little Falls advancing as well. Bemidji won the girls team title with Brainerd edging out Alexandria by a single point to move on to State.
Wisconsin State Meet Prognostications
February 4, 2019Ken Schoville is back this year to give us his take on this weekend's Wisconsin High School Championships, held at the Birkie Trailhead in Cable.
Minnesota Section 6 Championships Coverage
February 4, 2019Kicking off high school sections week in Minnesota, Section 6 showcased plenty of talent and some exciting races on Monday at Theodore Wirth. In the morning freestyle race, Armstrong's Luci Anderson and Mound-Westonka's Charlie Reinhardt grabbed the half time lead with strong performances. But Wayzata's stars showed their mettle in the afternoon classical pursuit. James Schneider erased his 17 second deficit and hammered home to win by almost six seconds. Mara McCollor whittled away an eleven second lead by Anderson just past the half way point of the classic pursuit, McCollor going on to win by eight seconds. The Armstrong girls and Wayzata boys won the team titles with Wayzata girls and Armstrong boys advancing to state as well.
Minnesota Sections Preview
February 2, 2019The busy month of February really ramps up this coming week as Minnesota high school section competitions are held. We've posted our look at the sections favorites, as well as dates and locations. Best of luck to all the teams!
Related:
Waxing Recommendations         |
World Junior/U23 Championships - Lahti, Finland: January 24-26th Recap
January 26, 2019The World Junior and U23 Championships concluded on Saturday, and with a huge exclamation point as the US mens WJC team captured the gold medal in a dominating performance and the US womens WJC team skied to an incredible 4th place. Caroline Brisbois has a full recap of the last three days of competition.
Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing Rankings - Round 3
January 22, 2019Round 3 of the Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing rankings are out, with some serious changes! While Mara McCollor, Wayzata, and Alex Nemeth, St. Cloud Cathedral-Sartell, hold the number one spots, the teams shuffle a bit as the Robbinsdale-Armstrong girls improve to take the girls mantle and the St. Cloud Cathedral-Sartell boys look solid at the top of the boys field.
Cable JNQ Classic Distance Coverage
January 20, 2019Cold temperatures delayed the start by two hours on Sunday morning, but things heated up once the start gun went off for the Gitchi Gami Games 10K classic races. St. Scholastica men swept the podium in the senior race with Emil Book Bratbak (Norway) taking the victory followed by Nicholas Matelich and Jack Christianson. Peter Moore, Endurance United, was the best of the junior field finishing 4th overall. In the senior women's race, LNR juniors did the sweeping as Luci Anderson dominated the field winning by nearly a minute with Emma Albrecht second, Libby Tuttle third. Sadie Peterson, UWGB, was the best of the collegiate field in 4th overall. U16 titles were won by Lauren McCollor and Caden Albrecht. Results linked in, photos posted from Jackie Schneider.
Cable JNQ Classic Sprints Coverage
January 19, 2019Enduring single digit temperatures and a challenging course, skiers competed in classic sprint races Saturday in the Gitchi Gami Games in Cable, WI. Jake Ajax, UWGB, and Luci Anderson, LNR, won the senior sprint finals, U16 victories were earned by Jasper Johnston, Ely, and Lauren McCollor, Wayzata. Results linked in along with photos from Jackie Schneider.
CSS Socks For the Sisters
January 16, 2019St. Scholastica skiers are running a fundraiser with Saints "For The Sisters" socks. If you place your before the weekend, choose "pick up" and write "Cable JNQ" in the pick-up notes and you can get them at this weekend's JNQ event.
Unconference Championships
January 16, 2019Conference championships are coming up at the end of January, but some schools are no longer in a specific conference. But don't despair, Mora is hosting 'Unconference Championships' for all those teams -- Tuesday, January 29th at the Vasaloppet Center.
ABC Relays Results
January 12, 2019A very competitive field for the 2019 edition of the ABC Relays at Theodore Wirth Saturday. Mounds Park Academy boys A team topped Forest Lake A and Robbinsdale-Armstrong A, the race for second place separated by a single second. Robbinsdale-Armstrong A girls handily won the girls title with Stillwater A and Andover A rounding out the podium. Top times on the day: Classic - Will Omodt, Robbinsdale-Armstrong and Libby Tuttle, Stillwater; Freestyle - Matt Bourne, MPA and Luci Anderson, Robbinsdale-Armstrong.
Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing Rankings - Round 2
January 10, 2019With some big events in the books, we take another crack at the Minnesota High School Nordic Ski Rankings. Mara McCollor and Alex Nemeth continue to top the field, but the St. Cloud Cathedral-Sartell boys move to number one team alongside the Stillwater girls.
NNF: World Junior, U23 and U18 Championship Teams Announced
January 9, 2019The competition teams for the World Juniors/U23 World Championships, as well as the Nordic Junior Competition (U18 Nations) have been announced. The Midwest will have Ian Torchia and Daniel Streinz from NMU along with Alayna Sonnesyn from SMS T2 competing at the U23 Championships while Mara McCollor of Mpls Ski Club will race in the World Junior Championships. Both events are being held in Lahti, Finland in late January.
Mesabi East Invite Results
January 5, 2019Over 875 skiers hit the trails at Giants Ridge on Saturday for the annual Mesabi East Invite. While some of the best regional juniors are competing at US Nationals, there was still plenty of stars shining in the competitive field. Mora's Copper Lennox won the boys 5K classic, Celeste Alden, St. Paul Highland Park was the girls 5K classic champion, for the morning races. In the afternoon, Garrett Beckrich, Grand Rapids, fresh off USBA Trials, took the boys 5K freestyle by over a minute, while Molly Moening made it a title sweep for the St. Paul Highland Park girls with her victory in the 5K freestyle. Forest Lake boys and St. Paul Highland Park girls won the team titles.
Madison JNQ Weekend Results
December 23, 2018The Madison JNQ weekend wrapped up Sunday with classical sprints. Some of the top performances of the weekend: Luci Anderson, FU20, 1st skate, 2nd classic; Mara McCollor, FU20, 3rd skate, 1st classic; Jackson Adler, MU20, 2nd skate, 3rd classic; Caden Albrecht, MU16, 2nd skate, 2nd classic; Victor Sparks, MU16, 3rd skate, 1st classic; Sudie Hall, FU16, 2nd skate, 2nd classic; Mia Case, FU16, 1st skate, 3rd classic.
WSNL Votes to Move to Great Lakes Division
December 21, 2018The Wisconsin Nordic Ski League announced on Friday evening that based on a recent survey of the coaches, they have voted to move Wisconsin out of the Midwest junior division and into the Great Lakes division, starting next season (pending approval).
Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing Rankings - Round 1
December 17, 2018Our first round of in-season rankings is out! The Houghton JNQ races play a major factor in shuffling the individual rankings. Alex Nemeth, St. Cloud Cathedral-Sartell, takes the top boys ranking as Mara McCollor, Wayzata, solidifies her number one girls position. Stillwater continues as the top ranked teams.
World Cup Junior Racing Opportunity
December 16, 2018Juniors, ever dreamed of racing at a World Cup event? The Quebec World Cup will offer a special Rising Stars juniors race on March 23, 2019 featuring a 10K classic mass start race (separate mens and womens events)! The race has a limited field with registration opening on morning of January 15th.
Houghton JNQ/CCSA Freestyle Coverage
December 16, 2018Sunday on the trails at Michigan Tech skiers competed in mass start freestyle race for the Houghton JNQ/CCSA. Both mens and womens races came right down to the wire. In the women's 10K, Sarah Goble, MTU, outsprinted NMU's Nicole Schneider for the victory with Julie Ensrud, NMU, third. Mara McCollor was again the top non-collegiate junior, finishing 5th. The men's race saw NMU's Zak Ketterson best teammate Ian Torcia for the win with another NMU skier, Mathias Aas Rolid finishing third. Alex Nemeth was the top junior again on Sunday, taking 10th overall. Results linked in, photos featured from Jackie Schneider and Chris Schmidt.
Maplelag Invite Coverage
December 15, 2018Jay Richards reports: St Paul Highland Park was host to the Natural Snow Season Opener 4.1km skate race under sunny skies and balmy conditions on the Maplelag trails this morning that included skiers from Chaska/Chan, Fergus Falls, Richfield and Brainerd. St Paul Highland Park swept both the individual and team titles with individual honors going to Nathaniel Alden in the boys race who edged out Nick Scheller from Chaska by one second. Anna Schmidt won the girls race, leading St Paul Highland Park to a top five sweep of the girls varsity.
Houghton JNQ/CCSA Classic Coverage
December 15, 2018The Junior National Qualifier season kicked off on Saturday with classic races on the trails at Michigan Tech Univ in Houghton. The event also marked the first official collegiate (CCSA) race of the season. Number one ranked high school skier Mara McCollor put in a devasting race, taking the overall womens 5K title by 18 seconds. MTU's Sarah Goble was second followed by Nicole Schneider in third. The men's 10K was a close battle with NMU taking the top five, Kjetil Baanerud first, Zak Ketterson second and Ian Torchia third. Alex Nemeth posted the top junior time, finishing 13th overall. Results linked in, photos from Jackie Schneider and Chris Schmidt posted.
Mesabi East Invite Information
December 11, 2018Details on the 2019 Mesabi East Invitational have been posted. Mesabi is the biggest single day high school meet in the nation! Registration deadline is Dec 31st.
Midwest Junior Trip Staffing Announced
December 5, 2018The Midwest region coaching and support staff for Junior Nationals, the U16 Championships, and the Canadian Nationals has been announced. Julia Curry, head coach, and Chris Harvey, trip leader, will drive the Junior National squad, Bjorn Hanson directs the U16 Championships team, and Bruce Manske will be in charge of the Canadian Nationals trip.
TCNSC Meet Results
December 4, 2018Highland Park coach Brad Moening reports: The Twin Cities Nordic Ski Conference kicked off their season Tuesday with a 3.1K freestyle race at Wirth Park. Charlie Reinhardt of Mound Westonka won the boy's race in a time of 7:33. Molly Moening of Highland Park won the girl's race with a time of 8:35. The Highland Boys and Girls won the team races.
MInnesota High School Preseason Nordic Skiing Rankings
December 2, 2018Some of the first high school races will happen this week, so it's time for our first crack on the Minnesota high school Nordic Skiing rankings! Not surprisingly, returning State champions Mara McCollor, Wayzata, and Garrett Beckrich, Grand Rapids, are the favorites, with perennial favorite Stillwater topping both the girls and boys team rankings.
SuperTour: West Yellowstone Weekend
November 28, 2018The SuperTour series starts this weekend with races in West Yellowstone, MT. Saturday, Dec 1st, is freestyle sprints, Sunday, Dec 2nd, is 10K and 15K interval start freestyle races. CXC will be offering free livestreaming this weekend: sprint heats 12:45 pm Saturday; freestyle races starting at 11 am Sunday.
Lilydale Rollerski Time Trial Results
November 27, 2018Kicking off some high school racing action on Tuesday (albeit rollerskiing), Highland Park and Henry Sibley posted the first results of the season (and hopefully some snow karma). Cole Johnson, HP, and Anna Schmidt, HP, posted the time times.
Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing Opening Day Coverage
November 12, 2018The Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing season officially started on Monday with the opening day of practice. Coaches from around the state sent in photos from their first day of practice -- a number of snow, as excitement for the season was running high!
13th Annual Marshall Holiday Ski Camp
November 12, 2018Marshall School will hold it's annual Holiday Ski Camp Dec 26-28. The camp is designed for skiers ages 5-12 and offers three afternoons of skiing and fun, supervised by the Marshall Nordic Ski Team Coaching Staff along with instruction from the members of Marshall Nordic Ski Team and Alumni.
LNR Presentation on JNQ and Collegiate Racing This Friday
November 6, 2018LNR Coaches Chris Harvey and Piotr Bednarski will be hosting a presentation on Junior National Qualifying and Collegiate Racing this Friday evening, Nov 9th, at the Trailhead at THeodore Wirth. This presentation is open to all parents and junior skiers.
Minnesota State CC Meet Coverage
November 3, 2018A cool and damp Saturday for the Minnesota High School State Cross-Country Championships at St. Olaf College in Northfield. The boys AA race was a barn burner with lead changes and eventually a tight four person finish as Roseville's Acer Iverson took the victory followed closely by Andrew Brandt, Wayzata and Maxwell Manley, Edina. Washburn's Emily Covert dominated the girls AA field, leading from start to finish (with a smile), Farmington's Lauren Peterson best of the rest as teammate Anna Fenske was third. Team titles went to the Edina boys and St. Michael/Albertville girls. In the afternoon A races, Geno Uhrbom of Greenway/Nashwauk/Keewatin topped Mora's Cooper Lennox with Perham boys taking the next three spots to secure yet another team title! The Ping sisters of Winona's Cotter High School finished 1-2, Grace and Lauren, for the girls with Morgan Gehl of Murray County Central/Fulda, third. Matching the boys, the Perham girls also took the team title.
NNF: Drive for 25 Underway, Ambassadors Needed
October 21, 2018The annual major fundraising campaign for the National Nordic Foundation, the Drive for 25, has begun. While in the early stages, they could use your help: donate today and/or become an ambassador!
Minnesota Coaches Association Meeting this Saturday
October 9, 2018The Minnesota High School Nordic Ski Coaches Association annual Fall Meeting is this Saturday, Oct 13th, at the Vasaloppet Nordic Center in Mora, MN. There will be a vendor fair before the meeting, and a post-meeting lunch.
CXC: Call for Spring Junior Trip Coaches Applications
September 30, 2018Volunteer coaches are being sought for the Midwest Junior Nationals, U16 Junior Championships, and U18 Canadian Nationals trips coming up next spring.
Endurance United Junior Cup Meeting Set for Thursday
September 23, 2018Endurance United is hosting an information meeting on junior racing this Thursday, Sep 27th, at their offices in St. Paul. Athletes and parents are encouraged to attend.
Nordic Combined: USA Nordic Announces 2018/2019 Junior National Team
May 31, 2018USA Nordic has announced that 23 athletes from around the country have been named to the 2018/2019 USA Nordic Junior National Teams in the disciplines of Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined. Included on the roster are two Minnesota siblings, Aiden and Charolette Ripp of Cloquet, MN. Jumpers from Wisconsin, Illinois also made the squad.
Giants Ridge Summer Training Camp Set for June 7-10
May 9, 2018Coaches Jason Kask and Ellen Anderson will be leading a special multi-day summer training day at Giants Ridge, focused on northern skiers. Rollerskiing, mountain biking, trail running, bounding, and swimming are just some of the activities planned. Package includes lodging, meals and coaching. Register soon, camp is nearly full!