Coaches Association Meeting this Saturday in Mora

April 13, 2016

Just a reminder, the Minnesota Nordic High School Nordic Association annual spring meeting is this Saturday, April 16th, at the Vasaloppet Nordic Center in Mora, MN. Big topics including a yet another proposal for changes to the section and state meet format, and voting on nominees for the coaches Hall of Fame, as well coach, assistant coach and volunteer of the year awards.

MNSCA Spring Meeting Set for April 16th

April 7, 2016

The annual spring Minnesota High School Nordic Coaches Association Spring Meeting is scheduled for Saturday April 16th at the Mora Nordic Ski Center. A number of topics are on the agenda, including discussion of changes to the State Meet, nominees for the coaches Hall of Fame, as well coach, assistant coach and volunteer of the year awards. RSVP for lunch.

Midwest Junior and Youth Committee Spring Meetings

April 6, 2016

The Midwest Junior and Youth Committee Spring Meetings are scheduled for Sunday, April 24, at Dooley's Pub in Eau Claire, WI. The meetings are open to the public, voting is limited to coaches who are licensed and represent a registered CXC club or high school team.

Victor C. Dunder Ski Equipment Award Deadline Extended

March 29, 2016

Coaches have until April 14th to submit nominations for the annual Victor C. Dunder awards. The awards benefit first year skiers by helping them obtain the equipment they need, and is sponsored by local ski shops and the Coaches Association.

USSA: Ketterson Scores Two Top 10 Results in OPA Cup

March 14, 2016

In the final weekend of racing at the U.S. Spring OPA trip in Toblach, March 11-13, Minnesota State High School Champ Zak Ketterson scored two top ten finishes in the U20 men category. Julia Kern led the U.S. team with two podium results!

Junior Nationals Coverage

March 13, 2016

A summary of the 2016 Junior Nationals coverage we featured. Find the final Alaska Cup and Club Championship scoring linked in with the hill climb results.

Junior Nationals: Hill Climb Coverage

March 12, 2016

Junior Nationals wrapped up Saturday with a new event, a team hill climb up to the top of Mt. Telemark. Skiers were sent off in groups of three, based on their relay team, and then were scored on the total time of the trio. Awards were also given to the top skier (King of the Hill) in each division. Midwest U20 women were strong again, taking 1st, 2nd, 4th and 6th! U20 Men also made the podium with a 3rd place, just 8 seconds out of first, and the U16 girls rocked it, taking first. King of the Hill titles were earned by Midwest stars Kelly Koch, U16, and Michaela Keller-Miller, U20. Results linked in, along with photosets.

Junior Nationals: Freestyle Sprints Coverage

March 11, 2016

A long day of changing conditions challenged racers at Friday's Junior Nationals freestyle sprint competition. Midwest racers had their strongest finish in the women's U20 category, gathering the past 3 Minnesota State High School champions in one place, with Sarah Bezdicek skating to 1st and Abigail Drach 3rd. Teammates Mattie Watts and Margie Freed followed in 4th and 5th. Second place podium finishes also went to both Abigail Jarzin for the U16 women and Amanda Kautzer for U18 women. Other top Midwest results: Anders Sonnesyn 9th place MU16, Kelly Koch 7th and Siri Bohacek 8th FU16, Nick Gardner 4th and Tamer Mische-Richter 10th MU20, Michaela Keller-Miller 12th FU20. Results linked in, and nearly 900 photos posted.

Junior Nationals: Freestyle Sprints Start Lists Posted

March 11, 2016

Junior Nationals will be hosting the rescheduled sprint races beginning early Friday morning at Telemark, with qualifiers beginning at 7:30 am and the first set of heats at 10 am.

Junior Nationals: Freestyle Races Coverage

March 10, 2016

The Junior National ski course for Thursday's events was in remarkable good shape, with fast conditions, after a herculean effort the last two days by organizers and an army of volunteers. The Midwest hit the podium again in the U20 women as Abigail Drach was 2nd and Mattie Watts 3rd. Other top Midwest results: Nick Gardner 5th U20, Tamer Mische-Richter 6th, Will Bodewes 7th U20; Xavier Mansfield 8th U18; Michaela Keller-Miller 4th U20, Sarah Bezdicek 6th U20, Margie Freed 9th U20; Kelly Koch 4th U16; Anders Sonnesyn 9th U16. Results linked in, along with photosets from all the events.

Junior Nationals: Freestyle Start Lists

March 9, 2016

After two days of shoveling and rescheduling, the freestyle races are being run Thursday on the Telemark Trails. U20 boys will ski 4 x 3.7K course, U18 boys and U18/U20 girls, 3 laps, and the U16 kids will do 2 laps. Racing action is scheduled to begin at 9:30 am.

USSA: Ketterson Top 20 in OPA Cup

March 9, 2016

Julia Kern (Stratton Mountain School) led the USA with a third place finish as the first two races of the U.S. Spring OPA trip kicked off March 5-6 in Germany. Zak Ketterson (LNR Racing) finished 17th in the U20 division for the top American mens result.

Midwest Junior Championships Coverage

March 8, 2016

The Midwest Junior Championships & Festival went off without a hitch this March 4-6 at Theodore Wirth Park. Hundreds of youth skiers ages 15 & under came together for one last weekend of races, relays and recreational events. The last stop of the CXC Youth Cup series, the Championships were a sunny highlight of the season! Results and some photos from Karen Brown are posted.

Junior Nationals: Wednesday Sprints Rescheduled, Freestyle Races Moved Up

March 8, 2016

The sprint races originally scheduled for Wednesday at Telemark have been postponed until Friday, and distance skate races moved up to Thursday (interval start) in the hope for cooler temperatures and more time for course prep. Official training on the race courses have been canceled (skiers will use other trail systems), as organizers work on shoring up the base. Stay tuned for further information as it becomes available.

Junior Nationals: Classical Races Coverage

March 7, 2016

Junior Nationals began their week long competition on Monday morning with the classical distance races. Colder than expected temperatures overnight put a glaze on the trails, generating a 30 minute delay. But temperatures quickly rose throughout the morning, making for some tough racing conditions (with plenty of snow still). The Midwest had a strong day with a number of podium appearances: Nick Gardner 1st U20; Xavier Mansfield 3rd U18; Abigail Drach 1st U20, Mattie Watts 2nd U20; Abigail Jarzin 3rd U16. Also scoring top results: Will Bodewes 4th U20, Corey Rouw 8th U20, Jake Ajax 10th U20; Margie Freed 5th U20, Allison Ternes 7th U20, Ingrid Thyr 9th U20, Kristine Keller-Miller 10th U20; Renae Anderson 4th U18, Erin Moening 6th U18; Kelly Koch 6th U16; Anders Sonnesyn 4th U16. Results linked in, along with photos from all the races.

Junior Nationals Preview

March 2, 2016

Junior Nationals are being held in the Midwest this year, at Telemark, and fire up on Monday! We've got a full preview of the event, including a review of the courses, some of the Midwest favorites (with final team roster), and links for resources including livestreaming by CXC. Go Midwest!

NJC U18: Team Relays

February 28, 2016

The Nordic Junior Countries Competition (Scando Cup) wrapped up Sunday with relay races. The girl relay teams did quite well posting a 5th and 10th place results, finishing less than eight seconds off the podium in a very close race! The US boys fielded two strong teams, placing 5th and 8th overall.

WJC/U23: Juniors Place Well in Relay Finals

February 26, 2016

The WJC/U23 Championships wrapped up Friday on an adjusted schedule do to the warm weather and tough snow conditions. The US womens relay squad was composed of Julia Kern, Katharine Ogden, Vivian Hett and Sarah Bezdicek which combined for an 8th place finish. The mens team featured Ian Torchia, Cully Brown, Henry Harmeyer and Zak Ketterson and skied to an 11th place result.

WJC/U23: Ogden and Torchia Lead the US in Freestyle Races

February 25, 2016

As the warm weather continues in Romania, freestyle races were the featured event on Thursday. Katharine Ogden notched another 13th place, and the Midwest's own Ian Torchia scorched a 15th place for the top US results. Other Midwest skiers: Adam Martin 29th, Vivian Hett 30th, Felicia Gesior 38th, Nicole Schneider 40th, Kyle Bratrud 43rd, Kris Bourne 45th, Sarah Bezdicek 46th, Zak Ketterson 60th, Leo Hipp 74th. Competition concludes Friday (updated schedule) with 4x2.5K relays.

WJC/U23: Martin and Odgen Post Top US Results in Classical Events

February 23, 2016

Another warm day of competition in Romania for the World Junior Championships and U23 competition. Wisconsin native Adam Martin posted the top performance for the US mens squad, finishing 23rd. Katharine Ogden cracked the top 15 for the US women, finishing 13th. Other midwest results: Kyle Bratrud 29th, Kris Bourne 40th, Felicia Gesior 42nd, Ian Torchia 43rd, Vivian Hett 48th.

Midwest U16 Championships Team Named

February 23, 2016

CXC has announced the members of the Midwest U16 Championships team that will be participating in the events at Black Mountain in Rumford, ME, March 11-13.

WJC/U23: Hanneman and Kern Lead U.S. in Freestyle Sprint

February 22, 2016

The FIS Nordic World Junior and U23 Championships kicked off on Monday with a 1.3k freestyle sprint in warm, wet and sloppy conditions. Logan Hanneman (Anchorage, AK, Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks), a U23, and Julia Kern (Waltham, MA, U.S. Ski Team D Team/Stratton Mountain School), a junior, led the U.S. men and women in 15th and 16th, respectively. Top Midwest skiers: Ben Saxton 25th, Sarah Bezdicek 36th, Felicia Gesior 39th, Zak Ketterson 51st.

Victor C. Dunder Nominees Sought

February 17, 2016

The Victor C. Dunder Ski Equipment Award provides some quality ski equipment for in-need for first year skiers. Coaches need to submit nominations by March 31st.

Midwest Junior National Team Announced

February 15, 2016

Following the conclusion of the JNQ series on Sunday, the Midwest Junior National Team was announced. This first draft includes athletes that prequalified, and some that may have to decline because of other obligations (NCAAs, Euro trips, etc.). Watch for a final list next week, that should reflect a number of changes to the team composition.

Minnesota State Meet Recap

February 14, 2016

Another great Minnesota High School State Meet is in the books! We reflect back on this year's event, highlighting some of the exceptional performances, the movers, some extended team scoring, and check in on our predictions.

Mayors Challenge JNQ/CCSA Freestyle Coverage

February 14, 2016

A light dusting of snow kept speeds a little slower on Sunday for the freestyle races on the man-made snow loop at Theodore Wirth. The mens 10K race turned out to be fairly close as the top six all finished within 30 seconds, with NMU's Ian Torchia first, David Norris of APU second, and Kyle Bratrud, CXC third -- and elite junior Zak Ketterson fourth. In the womens 5K, SMS stars Annie Hart and Erika Flowers topped the field with Rosie Frankowski, APU, third. U16 titles went to Kelly Koch and Anders Sonnesyn. Results linked in, photos posted, including sets from Karen Brown and Jackie Schneider. And, we've added some images from the SkiCross events.

Michigan High School Championships: Day 2 Results

February 13, 2016

Dan Wiitala reports: Day 2 of the Michigan High School Championships featured bomb-proof trail conditions for the classic pursuit and classic sprint races. Mitchell DeLong continued to be the strong man this year with victories in both events. Mary Lyon of Traverse City won the girls pursuit and Bethaney Wright of Marquette was first in the sprints. Copper Country won the overall team championship with Marquette second. Copper Country won the boys competition with Traverse City winning the girls team event.

Joes Ski Shop: Birkie Buster

February 13, 2016

Joe's is breaking out the deals in advance of warm weather for the Birkie: Swix Cera Nova waxes at 50% off.

Bike Dr: Birkie Prep

February 13, 2016

The Bicycle Doctor has their full Birkie press going, with upcoming wax clinics, wax service, and weekend events.

Mayors Challenge JNQ/CCSA Classical Coverage

February 13, 2016

After delaying an hour due to cold weather, the mass start classical races at Theodore Wirth got underway as skiers competed for final JNQ points, as well as CCSA. In the mens 15K, Adam Martin, NMU, won a sprint finish over APU's David Norris and Tyler Kornfield. The womens 10K also came down to the line as red-shirt NMU skier Kris Bourne edged teammates Vivian Hett and Nicole Schneider. Margie Freed and Patrick Acton were the top high school skiers. Ryan Mead and Regan Duffy won the 5K events. Results linked in, plus great photos from Jennifer Brisbois, Jackie Schneider and Karen Brown!

Michigan High School Championships: Day 1 Results

February 12, 2016

Dan Wiitala reports: In a cold, windy and snowy Al Quaal Recreation area in Ishpeming on Friday, Copper Country took top honors for boys and girls, with Mitchell DeLong and Gretchen Haggenmiller winning the freestyle format races. Copper Country leads the boys team scoring with Marquette second and Traverse City Third. Traverse City girls currently on top followed by Copper Country and Marquette. Racing continues Saturday.

Minnesota State Meet Coverage

February 11, 2016

Once again, cold temperatures overnight caused a delay to the start of the Minnesota State Meet. The Ridge courses were in fine shape for the races, with firm trails. In the morning skate races, Margie Freed, Eastview took the lead with Highland Park's Erin Moening rocketing to second and Armstrong's Hannad Rudd in third. For the boys, Zak Ketterson crushed the field for the skate, with Patrick Acton and Xavier Mansfield third. In the afternoon classic pursuit, Margie Freed held off Erin Moening for the victory, with C-E-C's Anja Maijala moving up to take third. Zak Ketterson elevated his legend status by double poling the boys classic race (no kick wax) to extend his winning margin to over a minute, with Patric Acton just holding off Xavier Mansfield in a near photo finish. The team titles went to the Armstrong girls and Minneapolis Southwest boys. Results linked in, along with photosets from the morning skate races and video recaps of the classical pursuit events.

Charlie Banks Relay Results

February 10, 2016

Single digit temperatures greeted the teams for the Charlie Banks Relays on Wednesday at Giants Ridge. Grand Rapids girls and St. Paul Highland Park boys relay teams posted the top times for the event.

Minnesota State Meet Preview

February 9, 2016

The annual Minnesota high school Nordic skiing championship is this Thursday, Feb 11th at Giants Ridge. Cold weather may once again play a role, keep an eye out for updates. We've got a breakdown on the favorites individuals and teams to watch, along with our usual commentary and predictions - plus guest predictions from last year's state meet champions!

Skinnyski.com High School Rankings - Final

February 7, 2016

It's already that time... The Minnesota high school Nordic season comes to an end on Thursday with the State Meet. So we took a hard look at the recent results and have published our final rankings of the season. Margie Freed and Zak Ketterson remain our top picks, but the contenders have been shuffled. The Wayzata boys take over the number one team ranking, while Robbinsdale-Armstrong girls survive a close call with Wayzata. Wednesday we'll publish our State Meet Preview!

Wisconsin State Meet Results

February 7, 2016

The Wisconsin high school level racing season wrapped up this weekend in Cable with two days of racing to determine the state champions. Mack Fitzpatrick, Lakeland, took a sizeable lead after the classical races Saturday and held on to win the boys title with teammate Will Bodewes second, and Russell O'Brien, Madison, squeaking out third in a sprint finish with Michael Jarzin, Ashwaubenon. Abby Jarzin, Ashwaubenon, won the girls title, starting with a slim lead after classic over teammate Alissa Niggemann, Jarzin extended her margin in the skate pursuit on Sunday. Wausau's Olivia Dreger was third. Team titles went to the Lakeland boys and Ashwaubenon girls.

Wisconsin Nordic High School Championship Predictions 2016

February 4, 2016

Ken Schoville brings us up to speed with the favorites at the Wisconsin High School Nordic Championships, being held this weekend in Cable.

Section 4 Coverage

February 4, 2016

An epic day of racing on the trails at Hyland for the Section 4 championships. For the individuals, comeback was the theme of the meet, as both Hanna Torvi, Roseville, and Jack Christianson, Mounds View, started off in third place for the skate pursuit, and reeled in the competition for the victories (matching their conference championships a week ago). The team competition was a nail biter, as the Stillwater girls took first with Forest Lake edging out Roseville by a single point for second. The boys battle was even closer, as the Forest Lake boys pulled off the victory over rival Stillwater after going to the tie-breaker -- an incredibly slim 4 second margin of victory. Results online now, posts coming later tonight.

Section 7 Coverage

February 4, 2016

Racing on the State Meet courses at Giants Ridge, Section 7 titles were decided Thursday. C-E-C's Anja Maijala used an impressive skate race to launch herself into the girls title, winning by over 30 seconds over Anna Johnson, Mesabi, with Erin Bianco, Ely, third. In the boys race, Sam Olson, Proctor/Hermantown, chased down Ely's Seth Prigge and finished just two seconds ahead, with Prigge's teammate Cole Helms in third. The Ely and Duluth East squads, both girls and boys, collected the top two team scores. Results linked in, plus great photos from Joe Bianco.

Section 2 Coverage

February 4, 2016

Section 2 championships were held on the snowmaking loop at Wirth on Thursday. The girls race featured a slate of upcoming stars as only one senior (no juniors) was in the top five. Edina sophmore Triana Willmert stood atop the podium, followed by a pair of freshman from Mpls Southwest, Kasia Bednarski and Lily Richmond. Edina girls won the team title in a tie breaker over Eden Prairie! Number one ranked Zak Ketterson bested the boys field by two minutes with Mpls Southwest William Kerker 2nd, and Kevin Jeter, Eden Prairie, 3rd. The Mpls Southwest and Eden Prairie boys proved to be the two dominated squads on the day. Results linked in, photos from the classic race coming this evening.

Section 5 Coverage

February 3, 2016

Skiing on the fresh snowfall from Tuesday, and under a brilliant blue sky, the Section 5 schools competed for State Meet advancement at Theodore Wirth today. Mora's Sadie Peterson dominated the girls race, taking a minute lead after classic in the morning and extending it nearly another 30 seconds during the freestyle for the girls title. Andover and Champlin Park girls were the top two teams, Champlin Park edging out Maple Grove by 4 points. As expected, Xavier Mansfield, St.Anthony/SLP, rocketed to a sizable margin of victory during the skate pursuit to post the boys top time. The Mora and Champlin Park boys earned their trip to State. Results linked in, photos from the skate pursuit races posted.

Section 3 Coverage

February 2, 2016

Also racing Tuesday in the middle of a major winter storm, Section 3 titles were decided at Theodore Wirth Park. Erin Moening, Highland Park, took the early lead after the morning classic, but it was Rocky-like performance by East Ridge's Megan Schiferl (starting in 4th) to make up a 46 second deficit and power on to win by over 30 seconds! Minnehaha Academy dominated the boys race with Sam Meyers cruising to the boys title, followed by teammates Tyler Radke and Bennett Pope. The Highland Park and East Ridge girls along with the Minneahaha Academy and St. Paul Central boys earned the right to compete at State. Results online, along with snowy photos from the freestyle pursuit.

Section 1 Coverage

February 2, 2016

Section 1 skiers faced off at Hyland Lake on Tuesday, battling not only each other but a major winter storm as well. The girls classic race got in clean, but just as the boys lined up the storm broke over Bloomington, dropping significant snow for the remainder of the meet. Kelly Koch, Burnsville, strided to an early lead of nearly a minute in the classic race, but Margie Freed, Eastview, came on hard in the skate to make up the gap and then double it for the victory. Eastview girls won the title by just four points over Burnsville. Eagan's Patrick Action also used a strong skate performance to take the boys title, as his team took first, with the Burnsville boys collecting second. Results linked in, photos from the classic races posted.

Section 8 Coverage

February 2, 2016

Racing on the trails at Maplelag, the NW and central teams of Minnesota squared off in the Section 8 championships Tuesday. Kendal Hendrick collected the girls title and helped led the way for her team as Little Falls placed five skiers in the top 7 for the team title. St. Cloud Cathdral-Sartell was second, besting Bemidji by 4 points. Hunter Zupko, Little Falls and Robb Pike, Brainerd, had another tight match with Zupko holding Pike by 5 seconds for the boys title. The Brainerd and Bemidji boys both advanced to State. Results linked in, plus a number of photos from Jay Richards.

Minnesota High School Nordic Academic Award Entries

February 1, 2016

MHSNSCHA coaches, its time to submit your skiers for the Nordic Academic Awards. Entries are due by Monday, Feb 8th.

Section 6 Coverage

February 1, 2016

Section 6 opened the Minnesota Sections competition with some highly competitive battles on Monday at Wirth. Anders Sonnesyn took a strong classic time and stretched it into a minute victory for the boys title as his teammates went 2nd, 4th and 5th to easily take the boys title. St. Louis Park boys edged out Robbinsdale Armstrong by 2 points for the second ticket to State. In the girls race, Hannah Rudd, Robbinsdale Armstrong echoed Sonnesyn's performance, showing she will be a favorite for the State Meet with her victory today. Wayzata's squad, led by Michaela Keller-Miller's second place performance, came within 4 points of toppling top ranked Robbinsdale Armstrong, the section champs. Results linked in and photosets posted.

Skinnyski.com High School Rankings - Round 5

January 31, 2016

A bit of a rush job this week, and without the clarity we had hoped for from conference championships, we crank out our fifth round of the Minnesota High School Nordic ski rankings. Most of the changes are in the team rankings. Let sections do the talking!

Peter Westra Sprint Results

January 31, 2016

Held right after the Twin Cities Championships, the Peter Westra Sprints at Wirth on Saturday gave some high school skiers a final tuneup before sections actions this week. Forest Lake skiers came away with the top prizes as Jenna Parent and Ryan Mead took the sprint titles (along with giant cookies!).

Minnesota Sections Preview

January 30, 2016

The Minnesota State High School sectionals, which determine the teams and individuals that will compete at the State Meet, are being held this coming week across Minnesota. Check out our spectator guide and picks for the favorites, plus notes on classical technique rule violations. Scheduling note: Theodore Wirth will be booked out nearly every day next week.

More Conference Championship Results

January 28, 2016

On Wednesday, Armstrong girls swept the first five places and Xavier Mansfield took the NWSC Championship by over 1:30, while Zak Ketterson crushed the Metro West by 3 minutes; Thursday saw Hopkins girls nearly upset Wayzata with Claire Benton topping the Lake Conf field, and a double upset in SSC as Nate Blichfeldt and Kelly Koch took the titles.

Tuesday's Conference Championship Results

January 26, 2016

Most Minnesota high school conferences are holding their championship races this week. Some highlights from Tuesday: Hanna Torvi, Roseville, and Jack Christianson, Mounds View, won over strong competition in SEC; Mpls Washburn's Andrew Sell peaks well taking 2nd in Mpls Conf; Ingrid Thyr, Breck, wins by two minutes in IMAC.

Skinnyski.com High School Rankings - Round 4

January 25, 2016

Finally - some solid data from last weekend's JNQ races help to sort out the contenders, and validate many of the leaders, in the latest round of our Minnesota High School Nordic ski rankings. No changes at the top: Zak Ketterson and Margie Freed rule, along with the Robbinsdale Armstrong girls and Stillwater boys.

Telemark JNQ/CCSA: Freestyle Coverage

January 24, 2016

The Telemark JNQ/CCSA series wrapped up Sunday with mass start freestyle races. The womens 10K proved to be an exciting battle with a half dozen skiers in the mix right into the big downhill. In the end, it was a sprint finish between MTU's Andrea Lee and redshirt NMU skier Kristen Bourne, Lee taking it by a tenth of a second, with UAF's Anne-Tine Markset collecting third. In the mens 15K, the trio of NMU skiers Jake Brown, Adam Martin and Ian Torchia broke away by mid-point and finished together, Martin - Torchia - Brown. Abby Jarzin took control of the U16 girls race and skied in solo for the victory with Kelly Koch holding off Rana Kraftson to round out the podium. The U16 boys was much closer with Peter Moore taking over the lead from Ryan Mead in the last 1/2K for the win, Kieran Mullen third. Results linked in, lots of photos now online.

Telemark JNQ/CCSA: Classical Coverage

January 23, 2016

Beautiful conditions Saturday for the first distance JNQ of the season, racing on the tough trails at Telemark. Adam Martin narrowly edged out NMU teammate Ian Torchia for the mens 10K classical victory. Felicia Gesior, NMU, strided to the front of the womens 5K classical field. Racing continues on Sunday with mass start freestyle events. Results linked in, along with photosets from the 10K and 5K races.

South Suburban Conference Sprints Results

January 20, 2016

Brian Abery reports: The South Suburban Conference held it's Freestyle Sprint Championships on Tuesday at Valleywood G.C. with several skiers who had scored well at the recent JNQ sprints taking part. The Eastview Girls team swept the podium with Margie Freed taking 1st, Annika Martel 2nd, and Kylie Kraemer in 3rd. The 8th place finish of Sydney Hedberg sealed the team win for Eastview. In the Boys race,. Eagan's Patrick Acton skied to victory with Lakeville South's Tyler Haroldson in 2nd and Prior Lake senior Mitch McDonald in 3rd. True to its early season form, Eagan took the boys team title.

Chippewa Valley Invite Results

January 20, 2016

Ted Theyerl reports: The second annual Chippewa Valley Nordic Invitational was held at Tower Ridge in Eau Claire, WI on Tuesday evening with 121 skiers from Chippewa Valley Nordic (Eau Claire, WI), Winona, Red Wing, and Rochester doing a "Boarder Battle" 4.7k mass start skate race under the lighted loops. In the boys Varsity race, CVN skier Ben Theyerl won in 12:00.4, with CVN teammate David Ecker .4 seconds behind holding off Winona's Jake Williams by 10 seconds for second and third. In the girls Varsity race, Winona 8th grader Anni Skillicorn won by 12 seconds over Rochester skier Aly Welch, with Zoe Smith of CVN in third. Using Wisconsin team scoring of 3 skiers, Winona won both the boys and girls varsity races.

Skinnyski.com High School Rankings - Round 3

January 19, 2016

Our third go at the rankings, and honestly, almost no changes as the data was pretty light for the past week. A few notables and minor tweaks, as we await the Telemark JNQ showdown this weekend.

Wausau JNQ: Classical Sprints Coverage

January 16, 2016

Despite the crisp temperatures, Greenwood Hills Golf Course was home to the first JNQ event of the season as juniors racing for classical sprint titles. Zak Ketterson dominated the U18/U20 boys field, with Tamer Mische-Richter taking second, Russell O'Brien third. The U18/U20 girls field provided some top notch competition with a star packed finale as Hannah Rudd came in first, followed by Erin Moening and Dottie Anderson. U16 titles went to Anders Sonnesyn and Abigail Jarzin. Results linked in, plus photos from Mindy Benton.

Detroit Lakes Invite Coverage

January 14, 2016

Jay Richards reports: Five inches of fresh snow greeted skiers during the 17th annual Detroit Lakes Nordic Ski meet. Moderate temps and no wind made for great racing conditions at sophomore Hunter Zupko of Little Falls held off the Brainerd duo of Robert Pike and Evan Schreifels in the boys Varsity continuous pursuit. In girls varsity, eyes were on Norwegian exchange student Celine Kjernsval skiing at the new Moorhead program but it was ninth grader Molly Lange of Little Falls who took the convincing win over Morgan Sagedahl from Bemidji. Team titles went to Brainerd for the boys and Little Falls for the girls.

SSC Meet at Valleywood

January 13, 2016

Brian Abery reports: The South Suburban Conference took advantage of the moderate temperatures Wednesday afternoon to hold a 5.6 KM classic event at Valleywood G.C. Fresh from competing at the Senior Nationals, Eastview's Margie Freed skied to a 56 second win over Prior Lake's Maria Berg with Burnsville Sophomore Kelly Koch, also just back from Houghton, taking 3rd. The Eastview Girls, placing 3 skiers in the top 5, took the team title with Burnsville in 2nd. The Boys race turned out to be a three skier dual with Eagan Junior Patrick Acton besting Ryan Steger, his teammate, by 17 seconds to take the win with Burnsville's Nate Blichfeldt in 3rd another 24 seconds back. Eagan took the team win with Lakeville South and ISD 196 tying for 2nd.

USSA: U23 and Junior Worlds Teams Named

January 13, 2016

USSA has posted their official announcement of the U23 and Junior World Teams, which include five skiers from Northern Michigan University (six if you include next season's member Zak Ketterson).

Mesabi East Lost and Found

January 12, 2016

A collection of found and lost items from the Mesabi East Invite last weekend at Giants Ridge.

Skinnyski.com High School Rankings - Round 2

January 11, 2016

With some fresh data and major competitions, we take a new crack at the Minnesota Nordic high school rankings. Margie Freed takes over the top ranking for the girls, and Anders Sonnesyn moves up to second for the boys (behind Zak Ketterson). The Robbinsdale-Armstrong girls and Stillwater boys hold the top team positions.

Mesabi East Invite Results

January 9, 2016

Crisp temperatures and near perfect conditions on the Minnesota State Meet courses provided a great test for the field of 950 skiers at the Mesabi East Invite at Giants Ridge Saturday. Anders Sonnesyn, Wayzata, strided to the boys top classical time, just three seconds ahead of Ely's Seth Prigge with Joe Rauzi, Duluth East, just another second back. The Northern girls dominated the classic field as Hannah Bettendorf, Proctor/Hermantown, Erika Fox, CEC, and Erin Bianco, Ely, filled out the podium. In the afternoon skate races, just three seconds separate the award winners as William Kerker, Mpls Southwest, finished first with Jack Christianson, Mounds View, second and Mitch Delong, Copper Country (MI) third. Amanda Kautzer, Benilde-St.Margarets, proved to be the queen of freestyle as she posted a victory margin over 38 seconds over Stillwater's Rana Kraftson, followed by Duluth East's Sophie Farrow. Team titles went to the Wayzata boys and Duluth East girls.

Loppet Invite Results

January 9, 2016

Attracting one of their largest fields to date, 18 teams competed at Wirth on Saturday in the Loppet Invite. Erin Moening, Highland Park, dominated the girls field with a winning margin of over 45 seconds. Patrick Acton, Eagan, held off conference rival Nate Blichfeldt for the boys victory. Team titles went to the Robbinsdale-Armstrong girls and Eden Prairie boys.

US Nationals: Mass Start Freestyle Coverage

January 7, 2016

Thursday at US Nationals in Houghton, MI, featured the exciting mass start freestyle races. Warm temperatures made for fast conditions and enjoyable spectating. In the first race, Ian Torchia and Zak Ketterson pulled away for a 1-2 finish in the Men's 10K. Lars Hannah of Denver followed in 3rd. A pack of 10 skiers led the men's 30K for much of the race, with Tad Elliott breaking away in the final 2K, chased by Brian Gregg. Elliot and Gregg finished 1-2 followed by Canadian Michael Somppi. Adam Martin was the 3rd American finisher (4th place overall). In the women's 20K, the field fractured early with a group of 4 breaking away in the last 5K. Caitlin Patterson, Chelsea Holmes, and Katharine Ogden posted the top 3 finishing times, with Anne Hart skating to 4th. In the final race of the day, Hannah Halvorsen led the pack to the finish, followed by Vivian Hett (2nd) and Julia Kern (3rd). Nicole Schneider (4th) missed the podium by 3 seconds. Results linked in, along with photosets from all the races.

Mora Invite Results

January 6, 2016

Peter Larsen reports: After much shoveling and plowing 1km of raceable track was groomed at the Vasaloppet Nordic Center for the Mora Invitational on Tuesday. Varsity racers completed 1 km sprint races throughout the evening spread out by 2.7km Junior High races and 3.7km JV races. After a full evening of racing under lights, the Mora Boys had 5 of 6 "A final" racers and were the Boys team champion. The Mora Girls with had 3 of 6 "A final" racers, ended up on the top of the results for the girls. Individual varsity champions were Tom Woolhouse and Sadie Peterson, both of Mora.

TCNSC/IMAC Invite Results

January 5, 2016

Brad Moening reports: Twin Cities Nordic Ski Conference and the Independent Metro Athletic Conference competed in an 8K skate race in near perfect weather at the Como Golf Course on Tuesday January 5. Venerable meet manager Bob O'Hara pulled together another outstanding event. Minnehaha won the boy's race and St. Paul Highland Park won the girl's race. Central Senior Spencer WareJoncas and Minnehaha Senior Elsa Ubel were individual champions.

Finn Sisu: 12 Days of Finn-mas

January 5, 2016

Finn Sisu celebrates the New Year with 12 special Finn-mas deals on wax, clothing, ski gear, and sauna accessories running though Friday, Jan 8, plus a chance to win a free Birkie entry from Fits socks.

US Nationals: Freestyle Sprints Coverage

January 4, 2016

Monday brought the competitors right back to the Michigan Tech trails for a long day of freestyle sprint qualifying and heats. The womens sprint final brought a surprise challenger as Annie Hart narrowly missed upsetting reigning champ Jennie Bender, with Caitlin Patterson taking third. The mens final was equally exciting as sprint specialized Dakota Blackhorse Von Jess was beaten by Reese Hanneman with Julien Locke third. Other top Midwest results: Brian Gregg 7th, Michael Somppi 8th, Zak Ketterson 2nd junior; Sarah Bezdicek 2nd junior, Vivian Hett 3rd junior. Results posted, along with some photosets.

South Suburban Conference Opener Results

January 2, 2016

Brian Abery reports: The South Suburban Conference kicked-off its long delayed season on Saturday with 5 Km Classic and Freestyle Races at Valleywood. On the Girl's side, Prior Lake/New Prague skier Maria Berg took the title in the classic race with Eastview Seniors Annika Martell and Kylie Kraemer taking 2nd and 3rd. Martell and Kraemer came back to take 1st and 2nd in the afternoon freestyle race with Berg in 3rd. The Eastview Girls easily took both team races. The boys races were dominated by Eagan's Patrick Acton who skied to a 45 second win over team mate Ryan Steger in the classic race with Winona/Cotter's Jake Williams in 3rd. Acton continued his winning ways by besting Burnsville's Nate Blichfeldt in the Freestyle race by 21 seconds with his team mate Steger taking the third spot on the podium. Placing three skiers in the top 10 in both the morning and afternoon the Eagan boys team skied to victory in both races.

Short-Notice: Spooner Holiday Invite

December 24, 2015

Spooner High School is hosting a high school and middle school race on Tuesday, Dec 29th. Registration is due by Saturday, Dec 26th.

Mesabi East Registrations Due by Dec 31st

December 23, 2015

Just a reminder that registration for the huge Mesabi East Invite, Jan 9th, is due by the end of the month. And if your team plans to attend the pasta feed Friday night, those forms are due as well.

Skinnyski.com High School Rankings - Week 1

December 21, 2015

Based on very little data, we attempt the first Minnesota high school rankings of the regular season. With some strong results last weekend, Hannah Rudd, Robbinsdale-Armstrong, takes over the number one spot for the girls, with Zak Ketterson, Bloomington Jefferson, the boys leader as a dogfight shapes up for that second position. Stillwater boys and Robbinsdale-Armstrong girls are the top teams.

Midwest Junior Nationals Crew Announced

December 21, 2015

CXC has announced the 2016 Junior National coaching staff, along with the waxing techs. Leading the crew again this season is Chris Harvey as head coach, and Andy Keller as trip leader. Wax techs are Jason Kask, glide, and Scott Putman, kick.

Maplelag We are Snow Excited Invitational Coverage

December 19, 2015

Brad Moening reports: Teams from Champlin Park, Mound Westonka and Highland Park kicked off Minnesota's natural snow high school racing season. The first race was a 3.8K skate race around Skater's Waltz and the second was a 3.2K classic around the Sukkerbusk Trail. Team titles went to Champlin Park boys and Highland Park girls. Highland's Gabe Pfeiffer won the boy's skate race, Champlin's Ian Ivens won the classic. Highland's Erin Moening won both girl's races. After the racing, all teams then did some serious damage to Maplelag's cookie jars. Results and photos posted.

Make Snow East Metro Invite Coverage

December 19, 2015

Nearly 200 high school skiers turned out Saturday morning for the Make Snow East Metro Invite at Trollhaugen. Starting in the pre-dawn hours, the girls raced under the lights in single digit temperatures. As the sun rose, along with the temperatures, the boys took to the track for the three lap course. The Kraftson family ruled the morning as Rana Kraftson won the girls race, and brother Shad bested the boys field. Results and photos posted. Stillwater swept the team titles in a close battle with rival Forest Lake.
Note: Adult/youth race on Sunday at Trollhaugen cancelled, open skiing instead.

Granite Ridge Conference Meet Coverage

December 15, 2015

Holding one of the first high school races on snow this season, the Granite Ridge COnference teams competed on the slopes of Powder Ridge Tuesday afternoon. Mora's Sadie Peterson cruised to the girls victory, 1:14 ahead of teammate Mikaela Obert. Tom Woolhouse, Mora, posted the top boys time with CHS/Sartell's Alex Nemeth taking second just in front of Mora's John Swinghamer. Mora swept the team titles. Results posted, along with photosets.

Hoigaards Relays Coverage

December 12, 2015

The Hoigaards Relays salvaged a tough winter by moving the event to the Afton Alps downhill area, a move which proved to be quite popular as a near record field participated on Saturday morning. The masters race started before sunrise under the downhill lights, with the young duo of Tamer Mische-Richter and Zak Ketterson scoring the victory in a tough battle over Andrew Brown and Nick Powers. The Mische-Richter/Ketterson tandem decided one race wasn't enough, and jumped the junior field for their second victory. Results are posted along with video recaps of both races.

South Suburban Conference Coverage

December 12, 2015

Holding one of the latest rollerski races of the season, the South Suburban Conference got their competitive juices flowing Friday afternoon with a rollerski time trial at Cleary Lake. Maria Berg, Prior Lake, posted the top girls edging out Margie Freed, Eastview, and Kelly Koch, Burnsville. Eagan's Patrick Acton topped the boys field with teammate Ryan Steger second, followed by Prior Lake's Mitch McDonald in third. Full results plus photos posted.

National Nordic Foundation Allocations

December 10, 2015

Wondered where your National Nordic Foundation donations are being spent? The NNF outlines some of the major allocations for this season.

Elm Creek Wednesday Night Field Sets Record

December 9, 2015

More than 75 skiers turned out for a jam packed evening of racing at Elm Creek for the Wednesday Night Series. High school skiers provided the extra boost, with Sam Myers of Minnehaha Academy winning both the skate and classic races, just holding off Shad Kraftson, Stillwater, in the skate and his own teammate, Tyler Radtke in the classic. Stillwater star Siri Bohacek won the girls skate just in front of teammate Rana Kraftson, while Libby Tuttle, Mahtomedi, posted the fastest classic time for the girls.

Holiday Relays Forms Posted

November 30, 2015

The popular high school Holiday Relays will be held Tuesday evening, Dec 22nd at Theodore Wirth. The event features a new continuous relay format, combining the classical and freestyle event into one relay. Event details and registration spreadsheet are now posted.

Mesabi East Meet Details Posted

November 23, 2015

Organizers have released the full meet information packet for the 2016 Mesabi East Invite, to be held Jan 9th at Giants Ridge. Mesabi East is the single largest one day high school meet in the nation.

Spotlight: Ely Nordic

November 16, 2015

A cool and damp afternoon for the opening day of practice of the mighty Ely Nordic ski team at their home field of Hidden Valley ski trails. The went through a series of agility drills, dryland technique progression drills and then ended with some ski walking/moosehoofing. Orange was the theme of the day as deer hunting season is still in progress.

2015-16 Minnesota High School Nordic Season Preview

November 8, 2015

While the warm weather might make it seem like ski season is still far off, Minnesota high school Nordic practice kicks off Monday! And in our usual excitement for junior racing, we've got a season preview including our pre-season rankings to get the smack talk started.

Minnesota State CC Results

November 7, 2015

Once again, near perfect conditions Saturday for the Minnesota high school Cross-Country Championships at St. Olaf College in Northfield. In the morning AA races, the Hasz sisters Bethany and Megan of Alexandria finished as the top two runners for the third straight season. The boys AA race was won by Jaret Carpenter of Wayzata in a very competitive field. Team titles went to the Edina girls and Hopkins boys. In class A, Winona Cotter's Grace Ping made history in becoming the youngest CC champion (age 12) in taking the girls title by almost a minute (and posting third fastest time of both A and AA classes). La Crescent's Zack Emery won the boys race. The Perham girls and Mora boys collected the team titles.

USSA Seeking Coaches for the U18 and WJC/U23 World Championships

October 16, 2015

USSA is looking for coaches to help with the U18 Trip (NJC) in Estonia late February, and the WJC/U23 Championships in Romania, also late February. You'll be working with the best juniors the US has to offer.
- Feb 22-29 Nordic Junior Countries Competition (JNC - U18 Trip)
- Feb 18-29 Junior World / Under-23 Championships (WJC/U23 Trip)
Application deadline is Nov 8th!

Fall Coaches and State Meet Format Meetings

September 23, 2015

The Minnesota High School Nordic Coaches Association Fall Meeting is set for Saturday, October 24th in Mora. There will also been a meeting on October 5th, in the Twin Cities, to discuss possible State Meet formats.

Midwest Wax Coaches for 2016 Junior Nationals Announced

August 25, 2015

In charge of the Midwest fast skis for the 2016 Junior Nationals, Head Kick Wax Scott Putman and Head Glide Wax Jason Kask were announced recently by CXC Skiing. Applications are still being taken for the six coaching positions. The 2016 Junior Nationals will be in Cable, WI.

International Junior Camp 2015 Recap

August 16, 2015

Zak Ketterson provides an extensive recap and some commentary on his two weeks in Scandinavia, participating in the elite International Junior Camp and training with some of the best juniors in the world.

Heroes of Tomorrow: International training camp in Norway

August 5, 2015

One of the biggest training camps for junior skiers is taking place in Norway, Aug 6-14, with 135 athletes and 25 coaches from 15 nations. Included in the group are Midwest stars Zak Ketterson and Alayna Sonnesyn, as well as development coach Bryan Fish.

Spotlight: Vakava Juniors

July 31, 2015

Friday morning we caught up with the Vakava Juniors program for a skate workout at the Battle Creek Ravine. Five coaches, including the founder Ahvo Taipale, put the juniors through a battery of drills including a harrowing cornering/awareness test, then worked on skate technique drills, each tailored to the subgroup skill sets.

Spotlight: Nordicwerks

July 30, 2015

Nordicwerks training program, under the direction of head coach Deno Johnson, was out Thursday evening for a classical rollerski workout near Scandia. After some warm up loops near the starting area, the group rollerskied over to some quiet backroads and then participated in an individual start time trial. Once all the skiers had completed the course, they skied a warm down then headed back to the start area for some sprints and agility work.

LNR/EU Time Trial Coverage

July 30, 2015

Loppet Nordic Racing and Endurance United juniors held a rollerski time trial Thursday morning on the quiet backcountry roads near Afton. After being rescheduled due to a rainout on Tuesday, the conditions Thursday morning were perfect with bright sun and temps in the low 70s. Abigail Drach and Zak Ketterson posted the top times in the 7K distance.

Spotlight: Endurance United Juniors

July 14, 2015

Endurance United is running a full slate of training programs this summer, with east and west side workouts in the Twin Cities for the juniors. On Tuesday morning, coaches Jake Morgan and Tom Jorgenson had the east side group on the hills of Battle Creek. After a warm up run, skiers worked on foot speed, bounding, and striding. Eventually moving to one of the major climbs, the group did a number of 45 second intense bounding intervals before finishing with a warm down run and strength and stretching drills.

Spotlight: Minneapolis Ski Club

July 13, 2015

Olympian Kevin Brochman has his training programs rolling again this summer, with sessions on both sides of the Twin Cities, as well as St. Cloud. We caught up with his Elm Creek group early Monday morning as they worked on strength, classic technique, and some distance classic rollerskiing.

REG Camp Coverage

July 7, 2015

The Midwest Regional Elite Group (REG) Camp is going on this week in Cable. We dropped in Tuesday to catch the group for their agility testing in the morning, as well as the strength testing in the afternoon.

REG Camps

July 2, 2015

Regional Elite Group training camps are happening across the nation this summer. CXC spotlights these special opportunities, with the Midwest REG Camp being held next week in Hayward.

2017 Nordic Junior Worlds Coming to Utah

June 30, 2015

The International Ski Federation (FIS) has awarded the 2017 FIS Nordic Junior World Championships and FIS U23 World Cross Country Championships to Utah's Olympic venues in Park City and Midway. The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association put forward the joint bid with the Utah Olympic Park and Solider Hollow, both of which will host events throughout the championships.

NNF Funds International Junior Camp

June 17, 2015

The National Nordic Foundation (NNF) has announced financial support for the International Junior Camp, August 6-14, in Norway. The new junior camp is designed for rising cross country skiers, with Midwest stars Alayna Sonnesyn and Zak Ketterson earning spots on the roster.

USSA Expands Membership Options

June 15, 2015

The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) is rolling out a new expanded membership structure. The new structure will diversify the existing membership base with a host of new categories designed to make the sports more affordable and accessible. USSA membership pricing has also changed, with general and entry-level memberships starting as low as $15.

Midwest Junior National Wax Techs Application

June 10, 2015

The Midwest Junior National Committee is seeking candidates for the positions of head glide and kick wax coaches for the 2016 Junior National competitions next March in Cable, WI. Application deadline is July 14th.

Spotlight: LNR Advanced Group

June 9, 2015

The summer junior training officially fired up this week in Minnesota, with warm weather to boot. Tuesday morning brought the Loppet Nordic Racing Advanced Group to Afton for a session of classic rollerskiing on the quiet country roads. Coach Piotr Bednarski rode with the girls group while David Chamberlain strided with the boys.

2014-15 Season Highlights

May 1, 2015

Catch highlights plus full results and photos from the 2014-2015 high school racing season.