Minnesota High School Sections Preview

With the first season under the new sections and State Meet format which incorporate team sprints, things should hopefully go a bit smoother this year. And perhaps most exciting this season, at least in the Twin Cities, is Battle Creek's snowmaking operations now provide for a third guaranteed venue for section racing!

One interesting note on the competition this year:  The top returning skiers from last year's State championships, Sydney Drevlow, Hopkins, champion, and Davis Isom, St. Paul Highland Park, second place, will not be competing in sections, and subsequently the State Meet.  Both skiers are top juniors in the United States, scoring excellent results at US Nationals competition in early January and will now be representating the US at the U18 Nordic Junior Competitions being held in Jyvaskyla, Finland February 17th to 19th.

The section format and advancing:

• 5K classic and 5K freestyle races (the latter race a pursuit format start) along with two-person freestyle team sprints
• Each team can race five skiers in the 5K classic and freestyle pursuit races, and just two in the two-person team sprints
• The team sprint consists of two skiers, each skier doing two laps of a 1.2-1.5K course, alternating each lap, in relay format
• Skiers can not participate in both the pursuit races and team sprints
• While all five skiers in the pursuit races will generate points, only the top three from each team will count toward their pursuit team score.  Points start at 80 points for first team and decrease by one point for each finisher
• Team sprint scores start at 159 points and decrease by three points for each finishing two person pairing
• Team score is calculated adding together the pursuit team score and the team sprint score.   Maximum team score would be 396 points (237 pursuit + 159 team sprint)
• The top two teams advance (5 pursuit skiers + 2 team sprint skiers)
• The top four pursuit individuals not from the advancing teams qualify
• The top two-person sprint team that is not from the advancing teams also qualifies
• A total of 40 skiers (20 boys and 20 girls)

Got all that?   At the State Meet, the events are spread out over two days, with the sprints races the first day and then classic and freestyle pursuit races held on the second day.   For almost every section, it gets a lot crazier as all of the races – classic and freestyle pursuit, plus team sprint heats and finals, happen in just one day!

Warnings  

• Classic technique is typically strictly enforced at sections and the State Meet.  Skiers have been disqualified in the past, so make sure you are up on what’s legal (and what’s not).   In addition, sections will have a designated classic only technique zone that will require either striding or herringbone technique (can not double pole in that zone).
• All fluorocarbon waxes/additives are banned for high school competition, including sections and the State Meet.

Schedule

A typical section meet schedule:

• Morning -  Classic individual start
• Late morning - Team sprint heats
• Early afternoon - Team sprint finals
• Mid afternoon - Freestyle pursuit start
• Late afternoon - Awards

Of course, every section has their own schedule and things like weather and logistics could impact the starting times.  Make sure you check the section schedule (links below) to confirm exact times, etc.

Dates, Locations and Teams

• Monday, Feb 6th
  
  • Section 6 - Hyland Lake
    
    • Benilde-St. Margaret's, Blake, Breck, DeLaSalle, Coop: Heritage Christian Academy/Providence Academy/West Lutheran/RiverTree, Hopkins, Minneapolis Edison, Minneapolis Patrick Henry, Mound Westonka, Coop: Orono/Delano, Robbinsdale Armstrong, Robbinsdale Cooper, St. Louis Park, Wayzata.
• Tuesday, Feb 7th
  
  • Section 1 - Hyland Lake
    
    • Coop: Burnsville/Shakopee, Eagan, Hastings, Coop: Lakeville North/Lakeville South, Northfield, Park, Coop: Prior Lake/New Prague, Coop: Rosemount/Apple Valley/Eastview, Simley, St. Thomas Academy, Coop: Winona/Cotter.
  • Section 2 - Theodore Wirth
    
    • Eden Prairie, Edina, Holy Family Catholic, Minneapolis Southwest, Minneapolis Washburn, Minnetonka, Coop: Bloomington Jefferson/Bloomington Kennedy, Coop: Chaska/Chanhassen, Coop: Jordan/Belle Plaine, Coop: Richfield/Academy of Holy Angels.
  • Section 3 - Battle Creek
    
    • East Ridge, Math & Science Academy, Coop: Minneapolis South/Minneapolis Roosevelt, Minnehaha Academy, St. Paul Academy and Summit, Coop: St. Paul Central/Open World Learning, St. Paul Highland Park, Two Rivers, Woodbury.
  • Section 8 - Maplelag (day 1)
    
    • Alexandria Area, Bemidji, Coop: Brainerd/Pequot Lakes, Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Coop: Little Falls/Pillager, Moorhead, Coop: Sartell/St. Cloud Cathedral, St. John's Prep, TrekNorth, Wadena-Deer Creek, Willmar.
      
      
• Wednesday, Feb 8th
  
  • Section 8 - Maplelag (day 2)
  • Section 5 - Theodore Wirth
    
    • Coop: Andover/Legacy Christian Academy, Anoka, Blaine, Champlin Park, Coon Rapids, Coop: Elk River/Zimmerman, Irondale, Maple Grove, Osseo, Coop: Park Center/Totino-Grace, Parnassus Preparatory, Rogers, Sauk Rapids-Rice, Coop: St. Cloud Apollo/St. Cloud Tech/Rocori.
  • Section 7 - Giants Ridge
    
    • Coop: Cloquet/Esko/Carlton, Duluth Denfeld, Duluth East, Ely, Grand Rapids, Coop: Hibbing/Chisholm, Coop: Marshall/Lakeview Christian Academy, Coop: Mesabi East/Mountain Iron Buhl/Eveleth-Gilbert/Virginia, Mora, Coop: Proctor/Hermantown, Coop: Two Harbors/Cook County.
      
      
• Thursday, Feb 9th
  
  • Section 4 - Battle Creek
    
    • Forest Lake, Coop: Great River/Liberty Classical Academy/Avalon/Twin Cities Academy, Mahtomedi, Mounds Park Academy, Mounds View, North, Roseville Area, Coop: Spring Lake Park/St. Anthony Village/Centennial, St. Paul Como Park, Stillwater Area, Tartan, White Bear Lake Area.