High School Racing Highlights

Some of the highlights submitted by coaches and volunteers from the past week of high school racing action...

Jessie Diggins Update

From Deb Diggins: Jessie and Joe Dubay are headed to the Scandinavian Cup races in Estonia. They will be leaving the 24th and are returning a day earlier than the rest of the US team (Feb. 4th) so that they can both be at their High School Section meets.
They are both prequalified for the Junior Olympics in Anchorage in March by qualifying for the Scando trip. Jessie is not racing the remaining JO qualifier races; instead focusing on her training plan and schoolwork before being gone for 10 days.
The Scandinavian Cup races are on Feb. 1-3 in Otepaa, Estonia.

Jan 15 Hayward Nordic Ski Team Invite at Birkie Trail

The Hayward Invitational was held under the lights and in near perfect conditions for it's 5th Anniversary at the Double O Trail Head. Eight teams and about 150 racers in the HS and MS divisions competed in a 5.5k and 2.75k skate race. The Boys individual champion was Dylan Mcgarthwaite from Hayward in 16:48 and the Girls individual champion was Molly Burger from Hayward in 18:36. The top three Boys teams were Lakeland 3rd, Ashland/Washburn 2nd, and Hayward 1st. The top three Girls teams were Lakeland 3rd, Spooner 2nd, and Hayward 1st.

Jan 15 Little Falls Camp Ripley Invite at Camp Ripley

Under blue skis and with excellent conditions over 400 skiers from 16 teams converged on Camp Ripley's Biathlon trails to compete in a 5K Freestyle event on Tuesday, Jan 15. In a much anticipated girls race with 7 skiers having appeared in the top 25 rankings, it was Alexandria's Missy Erickson rising to top on this day to best Little Fall's Melissa Kempenich. Little Falls captured the team title with 5 girls in the top 11. On the boys side Ottertail's Conrad Roberts pulled off the win over St. Cloud Tech's Sam Anderson, but Tech's depths was enough to win the Boys team title in a very tight race.