NewKortelopet Results
February 21, 2025The Kortelopet races on Friday proved big drama on Main Street as the men's skate race came down to a sprint finish with Eli Andre just holding off the late charge by James Kyes for the victory, Bridger Nelson coming in just a few seconds later in third. Kristen Monahan used some veteran skills to breakaway from Helen Townley to solo in for the women's title, as Anna Peikert scored third. In the classic race, Anna Gilmer pulled ahead of Claire Swanson for the women's crown, Annelise Baird rounding out the podium in third. And on the men's striding side, perennial Korte champ Murray Carter claimed another title with Hayward's own Neel Dums second and Peter Hackney in third.
Coleraine JNQ Classic Interval Start Results
February 16, 2025Junior National Qualifying wrapped up Sunday with interval start classic races in some crisp temperatures at Mt. Itasca, in Coleraine, MN. In the 10K U20/U18 Men's race, Anders Westanmo (Loppet Nordic Racing, U20) won by over 30 seconds, followed by Eddie Snider (Minneapolis Ski Club, U20) in second and Peter Hackney (Loppet Nordic Racing, U18) in third. For the 10K U20/U18 Women's race, Chloe Angerman (Loppet Nordic Racing, U20) took first place, followed by U18 finishers Elsa Lindfors (Endurance United) and Avery Rich (Loppet Nordic Racing). Aksel Skustad (Ely Nordic) and Evie Malec (Loppet Nordic Racing) won the U16 5K races.
Coleraine JNQ Classic Mass Start Results
February 15, 2025The final Midwest JNQ competition started off Saturday at Mt. Itasca with exciting mass start classic races. In the 7.5KM U20/U18/U16 Girls race, Lila Golomb (Minneapolis Ski Club, U18) dominated, winning by over a minute. Evie Malec (Loppet Nordic Racing, U16) was second with Annelise Baird (North XC/DXC, U18) in third. Top U20 skier was Anna-Britta Helmer (North XC/DXC) in 5th. In the Boys race, Reid Thompson (Big Thunder Nordic, U16) took first just nine seconds ahead of Eddie Snider (Minneapolis Ski Club, U20) with Eli Andre (Loppet Nordic Racing, U18) only six seconds behind in third. Owen Kalmes (Minneapolis Ski Club) was the top U20 in 6th.
Minnesota State Meet Pursuit Coverage
February 13, 2025Another crisp start to the racing on Thursday but bright sunshine had it feeling much warmer. Living up to their top billing, Mounds Views Linnea Ousdigian and Hopkins Logan Drevlow, both repeated as champions. Ousdigian put 27 seconds in the field in the freestyle leg, with Proctor/Hermantown's Della Bettendorf eating into that lead during the classic pursuit by 12 seconds as she finished second. Wayzata's Lila Golomb posted the fastest classic time to move onto the podium in third. Drevlow used a similar formula, dominating the boys freestyle field by 40 seconds and extending it by almost another 10 in classic. Anders Westanmo, Bloomington Jefferson/Kennedy, held off a hard charging Eddie Snider, MPA - who had the fastest classic time - as they finished second and third, 6/10 of second separating them. The Washburn girls stringed together the numbers to take the team title, Minnetonka second, St. Paul Highland Park. The Wayzata boys captured the team title by over 11 points, Ely second and MPA third. Results linked in, big photosets posted, along with video recaps.
Minnesota State Meet Team Sprints Coverage
February 12, 2025While delayed slightly due to cold temperatures, the Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing Championships got underway on Wednesday with the team sprint competition. The boys final proved to be a real thriller as St. Paul Central and Ely took the race right to the line with Central's pairing of Edward Brandt and William Poppleton taking first in a photo finish, Ely settling for second, and Orono/Delano third. In the girls final, the SPA pairing of Maren Overgaard and Inga Wing broke away half way through the race and never looked back, winning by nearly 30 seconds. Proctor/Hermantown came in second, St. Paul Highland Park third. Results linked in, video recaps coming tonihgt.
Minnesota State Meet Preview
February 10, 2025The Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing Championships are this Wednesday and Thursday at Giants Ridge, in Biwabik. We've posted a quick summary of the schedule, favorites, and resources.
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Minnesota High School State Meet Schedule Update
February 10, 2025With cold weather in the forecast for Biwabik this week, organizers have revised the schedule for Wednesday sprints and Thursday individual competitions to allow for warmer temperatures.
MNHSNSCA: Final High School Rankings
February 9, 2025The Minnesota High School Nordic Ski Coaches Association (MNHSNSCA) has released their final round rankings for the Minnesota High School Nordic ski season. Last season champs Linnea Ousdigian and Logan Drevlow remain number one, with St. Paul Highland girls and Brainerd boys staying in first.
WNSL State Distance Championships Coverage
February 9, 2025The Wisconsin Nordic Ski League State Distance Championships (aka. Wisconsin State Meet) were held this weekend at the Birkie trailhead in Cable. Saturday was the first half: freestyle races. Bay Nordic's Connor Reckinger posted the top time (and only sub-19) with Hayward's own Neel Dums second and CVN's Jack Dahlby third. On the girls side, Rochester guest skier Anna Peikert had the fastest time with Peak Nordic's Krin Blegen and Riley Grossklaus finishing second and third. Sunday's classic pursuit provided maximum excitement as both races had their lead changes. In the girls, Blegen erased Peikert's lead and kept on going, taking the pursuit title. Bay Nordic Onika Colassacco moved up from fifth to finish 11 seconds back in second. Grossklaus held her placing to round out the podium in third. For the boys, it was Dums catching Reckinger with the pair skiing together into the second lap before Dums pulled ahead to win by just four seconds. Dahlby maintained his position to finish third. Top classic times on the day when to Blegen and ANST's Ben Buchmann (4th in pursuit). Peak Nordic girls has the top team result, while Bay Nordic was best for the boys. Results linked in, plus photos and video recaps from the pursuit races.
Wisconsin State High School Distance Championship Predictions
February 6, 2025Ken Schoville shakes his crystal ball and reveals the picks for the Wisconsin high school Nordic skiing Distance Championship contenders! The titles will be handed out this Saturday and Sunday at the Birkie Trailhead in Cable.
Minnesota Section 2 Championship Coverage
February 6, 2025Racing on Theodore Wirth's snowmaking trails Thursday, Minnesota High School Section 2 Championship titles were decided. Chloe Angerman helped lead the Minneapolis Washburn girls to the team title, taking first in the girls pursuit. Evie Malec, Minnetonka, was second, with Zoe Wagner, Washburn, third. Minnetonka girls were the second place team, just four points back. Anders Westanmo, Bloomington Jefferson, had the only sub-13 minute classic and sub-12 minute skate to take the boys pursuit victory, Jace Haerter, Edina, took second with Peter Hackney, Minnetonka, third. Washburn boys competed the sweep of the team titles with Edina in second. Team sprint titles when to the Washburn boys and Minnetonka girls, with Eden Prairie boys and Minneapolis Southwest girls, punching their ticket to State as well. Results linked in, photos from the freestyle pursuit races coming later tonight.
Minnesota Section 4 Championship Coverage
February 6, 2025Minnesota High School Section 4 Championship was held on Thursday under a bright sky and some very gusty winds at Battle Creek. Returning State champion Linnea Ousdigian, Mounds View, showcased her dominating form in winning the girls pursuit title by nearly two and half minutes. Stillwater's Stella Powell topped the rest of the field, taking second with Norah Hushagen, Forest Lake, third. On the boys side, Mounds Park Academy (MPA) snared the top two places with Eddie Snider and Eli Andre, as Stillwater's George Nelson came in third. Team sprint victories were earned by Irondale boys and Stillwater girls, with Forest Lake girls also advanced their sprint team to State. MPA boys won the team title by a single point over Stillwater, while the Stillwater girls team took first with Mounds View in second. Full results linked in, photos from the classic races posted.
Minnesota Section 7 Championship Coverage
February 5, 2025Home to the Minnesota State Meet, Section 7 skiers once again got a chance to preview the courses as they battled for Section 7 Championship titles on Wednesday at Giants Ridge. Perennial rivals Ely and Duluth East had a great showdown for the boys with Ely winning it all: team title, team sprint title, and two skiers in the top three pursuit (4 in the top 7), for a four point margin over Duluth East. Dylan Durkin won the pursuit with Duluth East's August Capps second by two seconds over Aksel Skustad. There was an even tighter battle between Duluth East and Proctor/Hermantown as Proctor/Hermantown's sprint team took the three point margin of victory over Duluth East to give them the team title by a single point. Della Bettendorf lead the way for Proctor/Hermantown, taking the girls pursuit title as Marshall's Naida Huchinson was second and Duluth East's Carolina Arvold third (Duluth East posted 5 in the top 8!). Mora team sprinters, both boys and girls, earned their place at State as the best non-advancing teams. Results linked in, plus some contributed photos by Jake Richards and Amy Broadmore.
Minnesota Section 5 Championship Coverage
February 5, 2025Minnesota High School Section 5 Championships raced across the firmly packed snowmaking trails at Theodore Wirth on Wednesday. Elk River/Zimmerman girls had a strong performance, taking the team title and dominating the individual pursuit with three skiers in the top 5 including champion Claire Swanson and second place Mary Peterson. Rogers Cara Back held on for third. Coon Rapids Lachlan Demmer crushed the skate field by over 50 seconds enroute to the boys pursuit title, Kenton Prudhomme, Maple Grove, earning second and Osseo/PC/TG's Quinlan Rundquist striding into third. Blaine boys won the team title with Coon Rapids boys second, and Maple Grove girls team also advancing. Team Sprint champions were the Blaine boys and Coon Rapids girls, with the Coon Rapids boys pairing also heading to State. Full results linked in, plus photos from the freestyle races.
Minnesota Section 1 Championship Coverage
February 4, 2025A chilly second day of racing for Minnesota's High School Sectional week, Hyland Lake played host to another Championship on Tuesday with Section 1 taking to the course in Bloomington. On the team sprint side of the competition the Winona coop team of Winona/Cotter/Hope Lutheran secured both the boy's and girl's titles. In the individual competition Anna Gilmer, also of the Winona coop team, skied away with the girl's title after a dominant morning classic leg allowed her to finish the afternoon's freestyle race over a minute up on the rest of the field. Finishing second in that race was Faye Braun of Lakeville Nordic, the coop team of Lakeville North/Lakevile South, while Gilmer's teammate Calla Pike finished third. The boy's title went to Eric Anderson of Lake City who finished the pursuit race with 17 seconds to spare, while second and third went to a pair of Winona coop skiers, Tanner Benson and Kellen Groth. Both the boy's and girl's team titles went to the Winona coop team, sending both teams to State, while the RAVE coop team of Eastview/Rosemount secured second in the boys standings, Prior Lake second in the girls, earning State berths for both runner up teams as well. RAVE's girl's sprint team and Lakeville Coop's boy's sprint team also advanced to State as the fastest sprint teams not associated with either of the advancing teams. Results are linked in, with photos from the afternoon freestyle races.
Minnesota Section 8 Championship Coverage
February 4, 2025Jay Richards reports: A frosty morning greeted skiers and spectators alike with temperature well below 0 at Maplelag for the Section 8 Championships. But it wasn't cold weather that delayed the start -- instead, a bus getting stuck at the end of the driveway held back traffic for over 30 minutes. Dominating performances highlighted the day by both boys and girls individuals and team in the boys. Annelise Baird, Brainerd, three peated as Section champion taking a convincing win over Jackie Johnson of Moorhead and Kasey Soderholm, Alexandria. Andrew Berndt, Sartell/Cathedral, opened the boys racing with a convincing skate win by nearly 40 seconds. He held off two members of the strong Brainerd team in the classic pursuit, Gabe Hallgren and Owen Robertson. Team titles went to Brainerd for the boys and Alexandria for the girls, edging out Fergus Falls in a tie breaker. Moorhead boys took second to earn their first ever trip to state as a team. Sprint victories went to Sartell/Cathedral for girls and Brainerd for the boys; runners up were the Bemidji boys and Fergus Falls girls. Results linked in along with some photos from Jay Richards.
Minnesota Section 3 Championship Coverage
February 4, 2025A cold day of racing Tuesday as temps struggled to climb past the single digits for Minnesota Section 3 racing at Battle Creek. Blake's Jack Rudolph (9th grade) used a strong classic leg to take the boys pursuit title with St. Paul Central's Peter Schulz moving up to second place and South Tigers Dylan West in third. Hanna Koch, St. Paul Highland Park, collected the girls title as Elsa Lindfors finished second and Eleanor Mody, St. Paul Academy came in third. St. Paul Academy girls edged out top ranked Highland Park for the team title by a single point, with St. Paul Central boys posting a 15 point victory for the boys title, Highland Park the runners up. Team Sprint titles went to St. Paul Central boys and SPA girls, with SPA boys and St. Paul Central girls earning a team sprint spot at State as well. Results posted, plus photos from the classic races.
Minnesota Section 6 Championship Coverage
February 3, 2025Minnesota's High School Sectional competition kicked off Monday with Section 6 Championships at Hyland Lake, utilizing their full 5K snowmaking loop with a fresh coating of snow on top. Wayzata's Lila Golomb led the way to the team title as she dominated classic and freestyle races, winning the pursuit crown by nearly two minutes. Golomb's teammate Claire Britton secured second place with Daphne Grobstein, Hopkins, taking third. Reigning State Champion Logan Drevlow, Hopkins, used a strong classic performance and posted the only sub-12 minute skate time to win the boys pursuit. Hudson McMillan, Wayzata, was second, and a tie breaking finish for third between Hopkin's Bridger Nelson and Wayzata's Charlie Gundale. Wayzata boys competed the team sweep for the titles, with Hopkins sweeping as the runner up team and earning a place at State. Team Sprint titles went to Wayzata boys and Hopkins girls, plus Orono/Delano boys and St. Louis Park girls will be headed to State. Results linked in, along with photos from the morning classic races.
Wisconsin State Sprint Championships Results
February 2, 2025The Wisconsin Nordic Ski League held their sprint championships this weekend at the Ariens Nordic Center. On Saturday, teams paired up skiers for classic team sprints. The ANST team of Ben Buchmann and Jacob Shobe won the boys title, while Peak Nordic's pairing of Krin Blegen and Sydney Loehrl won the girls. Sunday was the individual freestyle sprints. Jack Dahlby, Chippewa Valley Nordic, took first place in the boys final, followed by Connor Reckinger and Franklin Richard, both from Bay Nordic, in second and third respectively. Krin Blegen, Peak Nordic, won the girls final, followed by Stella Meza, Lakeland, second and Elsa Oestreich, Wausau Nordic United, third.
Minnesota High School Sections Preview
February 1, 2025Minnesota sections run Monday thru Thursday this week as skiers compete to earn their place at the State Meet later this month. Twin Cities skiers take note of the snowmaking venue schedules and plan your outings accordingly.
Minneapolis JNQ Freestyle Coverage
January 26, 2025The Minneapolis JNQ races wrapped up Sunday with mass start freestyle races at Theodore Wirth. The Greggs completed another family sweep as Caitlin won the women's 10K in dominating fashion while Brian had a more cagey race, marking moves in the lead pack and then pulling ahead in the final 250 meters for the victory. Chloe Angerman finished second overall in the women's race and was the top U20 finisher with Inga Wing third and top U18 while in the men's race, two Canadians rounded out the podium with Kendyn Mashinter and Adam Heale while Logan Drevlow was the top U18 in 5th and Eddie Snider U20 in 6th. In the 5K U16 races, Jack Rudolph and Linnea Ousdigian collected the titles. Results linked in, plus video recaps of the 10K races.
Minneapolis JNQ Freestyle Sprints Results
January 25, 2025A big turnout on Saturday for a long day of freestyle sprint racing at Theodore Wirth as skiers competed for Junior National Qualifying points. Minnesota high school state champions reigned in their respective divisions as Logan Drevlow won the U20/18 boys final and Linnea Ousdigian took the U16 girls final. Hanna Koch dominated the girls U20/U18 final and Jack Rudolph won the U16 boys final. Sunday will feature mass start freestyle races.
MNHSNSCA: Round 3 High School Rankings
January 19, 2025The Minnesota High School Nordic Ski Coaches Association (MNHSNSCA) has released their third round rankings for the Minnesota High School Nordic ski season. Returning champs Linnea Ousdigian and Logan Drevlow continue at top of the rankings, with St. Paul Highland girls overtaking Washburn while Brainerd boys remaining first.
Ariens Nordic JNQ Freestyle Results
January 19, 2025Ariens Nordic hosted 5K freestyle JNQ races on a crisp Sunday in Brillion. The day's fastest times came from U18 skier Anders Giese (Norge Ski Club) with 12:33.8 in the men's field and U18 skier Krin Blegen (Peak Nordic) with 14:22.8 in the women's field. Division winners included: Connor Reckinger and Onika Colassacco (both Bay Nordic) in U16, and Sawyer Hansen and Ashley Derenne (both Bay Nordic) in U14. Bay Nordic showed impressive depth, claiming four division victories on the day.
ABC Relays Coverage
January 18, 2025St. Paul Central claimed a nail-biting boys' team victory at the 2025 ABC Relays in Mora, edging Winona by just one second (35:47 to 35:48), while Minneapolis Washburn took the girls' team title in 39:53. In individual racing, Tanner Benson (Winona) won the boys' freestyle in 8:13 and Anders Decker (Armstrong) claimed the classic title in 8:38; Chloe Angerman (Minneapolis Washburn) dominated the girls' freestyle in 9:07 while Anna Gilmer (Winona) took the classic race in 9:58. The event featured 33 teams across boys and girls divisions, with each team fielding four skiers for the 3.2km relay segments. Results posted, along with photos by our photographer Shannon Brault.
Ariens Nordic JNQ/CCSA Classic Results
January 18, 2025Northern Michigan University's Victoria Dybwad Klevan and College of St. Scholastica's Leevi Tarjanne captured the overall victories Saturday at the Ariens Nordic JNQ/CCSA Invite, with times of 37:16.0 and 32:20.6 respectively. Dybwad Klevan led a strong NMU women's performance, while Tarjanne edged out NMU's Luke Fricker by just 6.4 seconds in the men's race. The U20 and U18 categories saw impressive performances from emerging talents, with UW-Green Bay's Lillian Franzen and Zaine Braaten taking top honors in their respective U20 divisions, while Lakeland Nordic's Stella Meza and Hayward Nordic's Neel Dums claimed the U18 titles.
Mesabi East Invite Results
January 11, 2025Utilizing the same man-made snow course as the previous season, the Mesabi East Invite still drew well over 750 skiers to race on Saturday at Giants Ridge. Owen Kalmes, Mounds View, took the boys 5K classic win, just 5.5 seconds ahead of Wayzata's Hudson McMillan while Eddie Snider, MPA, dominated the boys 5K freestyle event. On the girls side, Della Bettendorf, Proctor Hermantown, finished just 4.7 seconds in front of St. Paul Highland Park's Hannah Koch for the classical title, as Elsa Lindfors, St. Paul Central won the freestyle race just over 6 seconds ahead of Washburn's Chloe Angerman. Team score champions were the Brainerd boys and Highland Park girls. Full results linked in.
US Nationals: Freestyle Sprints Results
January 7, 2025Tuesday was the fourth and final day of competitions in Anchorage, Alaska for the 2025 US Cross-Country Ski Championships, and despite temperatures well above freezing the show would go on for the day's planned freestyle sprints. Although a national title was not up for grabs in the final event of the Championships, that did not deter athletes from competing like it was which was especially evident in the senior women's final. With just 4 hundredths of a second separating the two, Team Birkie's Mariel Merlii Pulles would take the win over Erica Laven of Sweden, while just a couple seconds back from them was the third place finisher, Kate Oldham, who was the first American. Oldham was joined on the all-American podium by Luci Anderson, another Team Birkie athlete and a Midwesterner, and Samantha Smith. A slightly more decisive race, the senior men's final finished with Michael Earnhart crossing the line first, followed by Walker Hall a half second back from him, and Carl Rune, another Swede, hot on Hall's heels. Earnhart and Hall would take the top two steps on the all-American podium, while Reid Goble, also a Midwesterner, would be promoted to the third and final step after finishing 4th overall. To note: two more athletes with Midwest ties made it at least as far as the semifinals—Kristoffer Alm Karsrud of Northern Michigan University in 8th, and Erin Bianco in 9th. Wrapping it all up, top junior times went to Mia Stiassny and Justin Lucas who both won with almost exactly 2 seconds to spare.
US Nationals: Classic Distance Results
January 5, 2025The third of four days of racing at the 2025 US Cross-Country Ski Championships in Anchorage, Alaska took place on Sunday, with the focus of the day being a mass-start classic race. Senior skiers were subjected to a 20K course which largely led to close finishes across both the men's and women's competitions. Junior skiers on the other hand, had half that distance to handle. Andreas Kirkeng of Norway was once again the fastest of the senior men's field, winning out by just under 10 seconds over the top American and second place finisher, John Steel Hagenbuch, with Luke Jager finishing just behind him in third as the second fastest American. Finishing 5th, Will Koch completed the all-American podium, while Team Birkie's Christopher Kalev was the top Midwesterner in 12th. An even closer contest, the seniors women's race was decided by less than 3 seconds with Kendall Kramer crossing the line just ahead of Erica Laven of Sweden. A little over 30 seconds back from those two were Lauren Jortberg and Kate Oldham who, along with Kramer, made up the all-American podium. Narrowly missing the podium in a sprint finish with Jortberg and Oldham, Erin Bianco was the top Midwest woman in 5th, while Renae Anderson and Emma Albrecht also had strong showings in 7th and 14th respectively. Junior titles on the day went to Jack Leveque and Lena Ponduska. Another rest day will take place tomorrow before the final event of the 2025 US Cross-Country Ski Championships on Tuesday: freestyle sprints.
US Nationals: Classic Sprints Results
January 4, 2025Day 2 of the 2025 US Cross-Country Ski Championships afforded athletes an opportunity to flex their fast twitch muscles with classic sprints on the menu in Anchorage, Alaska. Erica Laven of Sweden was the top finisher of the senior women, winning the women's final by nearly 5 seconds over Mariel Merlii Pulles of Estonia, with Samantha Smith finishing third as the top American and national champion. The Midwest's own Erin Bianco joined Smith on the all-American podium in second, finishing 5th in the final, while Nina Seeman stood a step down in third after finishing 6th. Again represented well in the women's field, the Midwest had an additional seven skiers who made the heats which included Emma Albrecht and Renae Anderson who both made the semifinals, finishing 8th and 11th respectively. The senior men's final was a much closer contest with Andreas Kirkeng of Norway just edging out Luke Jager for the win, although Jager would still earn the title of national champion as the top American. Finishing third was Michael Earnhart who was also the second American, and the third and final spot on the all-American podium went to Murphy Kimball who finished 5th. Kristoffer Alm Karsrud of Northern Michigan University led the way for the Midwest men in 10th. Both of the junior competitions came down to tight finishes, with Dane Karch and Neve Gerard ultimately emerging victorious in their respective men's and women's finals. Looking ahead to the third day of racing at the 2025 US Cross-Country Ski Championships, Sunday will feature a mass-start 20K classic race for the senior skiers, and half that distance for the juniors.
US Nationals: Freestyle Distance Results
January 2, 2025The new year presented new opportunities for national champions to be crowned as Thursday marked the start of the 2025 US Cross-Country Ski Championships. An individual-start freestyle event covering 10K on the trails at Kincaid Park opened the competition in Anchorage, Alaska, and John Steel Hagenbuch would be the first to take home a title, winning out by less than a second over Andreas Kirking of Norway in the men's race. Joining the pair on the overall podium was Walker Hall in third who was the second American, while Luke Jager rounded out the all-American podium in third as the fourth overall finisher. The women's race shook out much more decisively, with Kate Oldham taking home a title with over 10 seconds to spare. Kendall Kramer would join her on the overall podium as the second overall finisher and second American, while Erica Laven of Sweden also claimed a spot on the overall podium in third. Finishing 4th overall as the top Midwest athlete on the day, Luci Anderson would complete the all-American podium in third, topping off a host of impressive finishes by Midwest women which included Erin Bianco in 11th, Emma Albrecht in 14th, Margie Freed in 17th, and Michaela Keller-Miller in 19th. Reid Goble posted the fastest time of the Midwest men, finishing 9th overall. Of the juniors, Lucas Wilmont was the fastest man in 26th, while Samantha Smith was the fastest woman in 12th. After a day off tomorrow the competition continues on Saturday with classic sprints.
MNHSNSCA: Round 2 High School Rankings
December 28, 2024The Minnesota High School Nordic Ski Coaches Association (MNHSNSCA) has published their second round rankings for the Minnesota High School Nordic ski season. Returning champs Linnea Ousdigian and Logan Drevlow hang one to the number one spot, with Washburn girls and Brainerd boys still the favorites.
Coleraine JNQ: Individual Classic Results
December 22, 2024Sunday was the second and final day of Midwest JNQ racing in Coleraine, MN where skiers were greeted with warmer temperatures than the day before. Logan Drevlow (U18) of Loppet Nordic Racing cruised to victory in the men's 7.5K race, winning the individual-start classic competition by 20 seconds over yesterday's sprint champion, Declan Hutchinson (U23) of Saint Michale's College, while Oliver Miatke (U20), also of Saint Michael's College, rounded out the men's podium in third. Opting to compete in the U18/U20/Sr division, Loppet Nordic Racing's Linnea Ousdigian (U16) proved she made the right decision, winning the women's race by just under 10 seconds over her teammate, Sydney Drevlow (U20), with a virtual tie splitting third between Zoe Devine (U20) of Saint Michael's College and Hanna Koch (U20) of Minneapolis Ski Club. The top U18 skier in the women's competition was Elsa Lindfors of Endurance United, and Reid Thompson of Big Thunder Nordic had the top time in the U16 boy's 5K race. Results are linked in.
Coleraine JNQ: Freestyle Sprints Results
December 21, 2024With temperatures in the teens the second batch of Midwest JNQ racing got underway on Saturday with a round freestyle sprints at Mount Itasca. Declan Hutchinson (U23) of Saint Michael's College was the fastest of the Men's field, besting Loppet Nordic Racing's Logan Drevlow by three seconds, who in turn bested his teammate Anders Westanmo (U20) by three seconds. Loppet Nordic Racing put two more on the podium in the women's competition, with Helen Townley (U18) taking the top spot over her teammate Sydney Drevlow (U20) by two seconds, and Elsa Lindfors (U18) of Endurance United joined them a second later in third. Winning the U16 girl's final in dominant fashion was Linnea Ousdigian, while Jack Rudolph came out on top after a tight finish in the U16 boy's final. Both represented Loppet Nordic Racing. Results are linked in.
Holiday Relays Coverage
December 17, 2024A seasonal staple, Holiday Relays was held at Battle Creek on Tuesday for its second year following its reboot. With well over 100 relay teams participating across all competitions, there was plenty of excitement in the air, but perhaps none more than for the crowd from St. Paul Central who took home the title in both the boy's and girl's races by sizable margins. Second was also decisively decided in both races with the Stillwater boy's and girl's teams securing their spot on the podium while also picking up a third place position in the girl's race via their second team. Coming from behind, Irondale would lay claim to the final spot on the boy's podium in third. Results are up and linked in, plus video recaps of both the boy's and girl's varsity races.
Cable JNQ: Classic Coverage
December 17, 2024Nearly a week of racing at the American Birkebeiner trailhead wrapped up on Tuesday with 20K classic mass start races. In the men's event, APU's Luke Jager topped John Steel Hagenbuch, SVSEF, and Brian Bushey, UU, in a tight finish that saw 13 skiers finish within 36 seconds. Erica Laven, UU, continued a strong run with a victory in the womens event, just ahead of Tilde Baangman, Univ of Colorado, with Nina Seemann, BSF, taking third. Full results linked in, along with photos from the men's race by Jackie Schneider.
Cable JNQ: Freestyle Results
December 15, 2024Sunday featured freestyle interval 10K races at the trails at the American Birkebeiner start area. John Steel Hagenbuch (Senior) of Sun Valley SEF took the overall victory with Will Koch, University of Colorado (U23) second, and Remi Drolet (Senior), SMS T2, third. Tabor Greenberg from the University of Vermont led the U20 competitors, finishing 13th in the total rankings. Among the youngest racers, Logan Drevlow of Loppet Nordic Racing was the top U18 athlete, crossing the finish line in 36th place overall. On the women's side, Erica Laven (U23) from the University of Utah dominated, finishing first overall, the only skier to finish in under 25 minutes. Tilde Baangman, University of Colorado, topped the Senior category, securing second place. Nina Seemann (U23), BSF Pro Team, was third. Nina Schamberger, University of Utah, led the U20 group, placing fourth overall. In the U18 division, Elsa Lindfors of Endurance United lead the way, finishing 31st overall. Connor Reckinger and Linnea Ousdigian had the top U16 times in the 5K event. Full results linked in.
Hoigaards Relays Coverage
December 14, 2024Twin Cities racing picked up again Saturday morning with the annual Hoigaards Relays events at Elm Creek. The duo of Matt Liebsch/Jakob Ellingson topped the master field with Anders Sonnesyn/Luc Golin taking second and Jacob Dean/Joe Thuente in third. The pairing of Lillian and Emma Jamison had the best time in a sparse women's field. Caitlin Gregg and Andrew Brown teamed up to win the mixed field. The high school races featured teams ranging from two to four skiers for the 6 x 1.5K format. The Jamison gals hit the course again to take a second victory, with Cecilia and Madelynn joining Lillian and Emma. Erik Olsen/Finn Rodefeld combined for the best boys time. Full results posted, along with photos from Shannon Brault!
Cable JNQ: Classic Sprints Results
December 14, 2024The Gitchi Gami Games classic sprints featured a large field as over 500 skiers participated in a full day of racing. Erica Laven and Graham Houtsma took the open division victories with Elsa Lindfors and Tabor Greenberg winning the junior sprint finals. In the U16 division, Minnesota high school champ Linnea Ousdigian and Canada's Reid Thompson were the winners. Results linked in.
ABR Opener High School Race Coverage
December 9, 2024Dale Fanney reports: About 100 high school skiers from the WNSL and the UP raced in the ABR Opener on Saturday. Snow and race conditions were excellent on the ABR 5k course. MadNorSki skiers Sasha Gusev and Kyra Vander Zanden placed First and 4th with Peak Nordic skiers Krin Blegen 2nd and Riley Grossklaus 3rd. In the boys race, Cole Mirek from Peak Nordic won a photo finish over Neils Stringer, MadNorSki, and Ben Dahlby, CVN. Results posted along with photos from Jonathon Rulseh.
Mesabi East Invite Details Posted
December 5, 2024The huge Mesabi East Invite meet is scheduled for January 11th! Registration is now open with a deadline of Jan 6th. Full details on the event in the press release.
Holiday Relays Set for Dec 17th
December 4, 2024The high school Holiday Relays will be racing Tuesday, Dec 17th at Battle Creek West. True relay format, 4x2.5K with two classic and two freestyle legs. Up to 15 teams will be able to compete, register your high school team today!
Wisconsin Nordic Ski League Matching Fundraising Effort
November 18, 2024The Wisconsin Nordic Ski League organizes events for 5th-12th grade athletes, including a high school and middle school skiing championship with over 450 participants from 25+ teams. Help support the league as they have a matching fundraising offer for donations received by Jan 15th!
U of M's ESPI Releases Report on Survey of Midwest Nordic Coaches
November 11, 2024The 2023-24 winter season in the Upper Midwest faced significant challenges due to warm temperatures and low snowfall. The Univ of Minnesota's Equitable Sport and Physical Activity Innovations (ESPI) Lab has published their survey of over 100 Midwest Nordic ski coaches. The survey revealed widespread disruptions to training, increased costs, and logistical challenges. Despite these difficulties, coaches remained resilient and adapted, though many expressed concerns about climate change's future impact. The report also contains number of suggestions.
MNHSNSCA: Preseason High School Rankings
November 11, 2024The Minnesota High School Nordic Ski Coaches Association (MNHSNSCA) has published their preseason rankings for the Minnesota High School Nordic ski season. Returning champs Linnea Ousdigian and Logan Drevlow get the number one spot, with Washburn girls and Brainerd boys the early favorites.
2023-24 Season Highlights
May 1, 2024Catch highlights plus full results and photos from the 2023-2024 high school racing season.