High School Nordic Coaches and Volunteer Nominations Due May 1, 2017
April 26, 2017Nominations for the Minnesota High School Nordic coaches and volunteers of the year for last season, are due before Monday, May 1st.
2017 Collegiate Tally Board
April 5, 2017We've fired up our annual collegiate tally board, highlighting the plans of Midwest high school seniors has they make decisions on their secondary education and skiing plans.
MN Coaches Assn Spring Meeting Recap
March 30, 2017A brief recap on the Minnesota High School Coaches Association spring meeting, covering a wide range of topics including wax truce, ski club involvement, pole length, rule adjustments, banquet, and Victor C Dunder deadline.
Endurance United Junior Scholarship Program
March 22, 2017For athletes interested in the D-team junior program, Endurance Athlete is offering some financial assistance (funded in part from the 55K rollerski event). Funds are limited, so get your application in today.
U16 Nordic Championships Recap
March 18, 2017Kris and Bjorn Hanson provide a recap on the recent U16 Championships in Maine, where the Midwest kids scored some top results.
Junior Nationals Coverage
March 13, 2017A full recap of our 2017 Junior Nationals coverage from Lake Placid. Thanks again to all the individuals and organizations that helped underwrite the trip!
U16 Nordic Championships Results
March 12, 2017A Midwest crew of U16 skiers and support staff have been out at Titcomb Mountain, in West Farmington, Maine, competing this week in the U16 NENSA Nordic Championships. The team has scored some impressive results, including: Alice House 2nd and Lauren Lackman 3rd along with Matthew Clarke 3rd and Cooper Lennox 4th in the 5K freestyle race. In the 5K classical race, Lauren Lackman was 5th, Anni Skillicorn 8th and boys Nick Parent 7th. And wrapping things up on Sunday, the mixed relay team of Alice House, Nick House, Anni Skillicorn, and Cooper Lennox, took second place.
Junior Nationals: Relays Results
March 11, 2017Junior Nationals in Lake Placid, NY, wrapped up its week run with a day of relay racing on Saturday. The team of Abby Jarzin, Hannah Rudd, and Margie Freed won the FU20 title by 10 seconds over NE, and IMD. Earning podium honors: MU16 (Schneider, Nameth, Moore) 2nd; MU18 (Sonnesyn, Acton, Golin) 3rd; FU18 (McCollor, Anderson, Maijaja) 3rd. New England won the Alaska Cup title with the Midwest finishing fourth. The LNR girls won the club championship title!
Junior Nationals: Classical Coverage
March 10, 2017The Midwest scored one of their best days yet at Junior Nationals racing classical distance events on Friday. Mara McCollor, U18, and Hannah Rudd, U20, both scored impressive podium spots, both taking third place. Other top 10 results: Margie Freed, 9th U20; Xavier Mansfield, 5th U20; Erin Moening, 8th U18, Jenna Parent, 10th U18; Luc Golin, 9th U18; Libby Tuttle, 7th U16; Peter Moore, 6th U16, James Schneider, 9th U16. Results posted, plus photos from all the races.
Junior Nationals: Classical Sprints Coverage
March 8, 2017A long, and wild, day of racing Wednesday at Junior Nationals as skiers competed in classical sprint races. Warm, sunny weather made for snowcone conditions, except for a brief snowsquall. The Midwest did well in the qualifying rounds, advancing a lot of skiers to the heats. Margie Freed, U20 girls, was the lone skier to make the sprint finals, finishing 5th.
Junior Nationals: Freestyle Races Coverage
March 6, 2017Competition got underway Monday at Lake Placid in the 2017 Junior Nationals with freestyle races. After some crisp temperatures over the weekend, warmer weather moved in providing very good racing conditions. While no podiums, the Midwest team scored a number of top ten performances, including: Sarah Olson, 6th U16 girls; Peter Moore, 5th U16 boys, Alex Nameth, 9th U16 boys; Luci Anderson, 5th U18 girls; Margie Freed, 6th U20 girls, Hannah Rudd, 7th U20 girls. Racing picks up again on Wednesday with classical sprints.
Junior Nationals: Day 2
March 5, 2017On Sunday in Lake Placid for the Junior Nationals competition, the Midwest team was able to finally ski the competition loop at the Olympic Jumping Complex. The loop consists of a very long climb from the base of the ski jumps to near the top of the jump towers, then winds back and forth before descending back to the stadium. In the evening, the opening ceremonies were held at the Olympic ice rink, known for the Miracle on Ice victory by the USA hockey team in 1980. Competition begins on Monday with the freestyle races!
Midwest Junior Championships Coverage
March 5, 2017Racing to avoid a final meltdown, the Midwest Junior Championships condensed their weekend racing into a single big Saturday. Photographer Jennifer Brisbois captured some of the action.
State Meet Proposal Tabled, Spring Meeting Update
March 3, 2017The proposal for a new Minnesota High School State Meet that would including sprints has been tabled by MSHSL (not rejected though). Efforts will now be redirected toward possible state meet venues.
Junior Nationals Preview
March 2, 2017A brief guide on the upcoming Junior National competition, March 5-11th, in Lake Placid, NY, including a look at the Midwest team.
Minnesota Spring High School Coaches Meeting Coming March 11th
February 27, 2017The annual Minnesota High School Nordic Coaches Association Meeting will be held Saturday, March 11th at the Vasaloppet Center in Mora. Topics on the agenda include state meet proposal status, waxing truce, pole length, state meet banquet review, and Victor C. Dunder Award updates.
Minnesota State Meet Recap
February 20, 2017We recap the Minnesota High School Nordic Championships breaking down some numbers in the team competition and looking at the top movers, as well as fact-checking our state meet predictions.
Midwest Junior National and NENSA U16 Teams Named
February 19, 2017With the completion of the Junior National competition this past weekend, the Midwest Junior National and NENSA U16 Championship preliminary teams have been named. Expect some changes/additions to the list over the coming week, as some decline and U20 collegiate skiers may be added.
Minneapolis JNQ Classical Races Coverage
February 19, 2017Theodore Wirth provided an oasis of snow one more time for the Minneapolis JNQ classical distance races on Sunday. The U18/U20 boys started the show at 8 am with glazed tracks - very fast conditions. The race proved to be one of the most exciting on the day as Madison's Cullen Chosy broke away on the final lap, only to be chased down by Xavier Mansfield on the final climb - an inadvertent miss of the lap vs finish lane left Mansfield soloing in for the victory. John Schwinghamer was third. Abigail Jarzin took control of the U18/U20 girls race in the final lap to take the title, Renae Anderson held with her for much of the race to finish second, with Mara McCollar third. The U16 titles went to Henry Hall and Kaelin Jackson. Results posted, along with photos from the JNQ races.
Minneapolis JNQ Classical Sprints Coverage
February 18, 2017After reasonable 40F weather for the morning qualifiers, temperatures soared into the upper 50s by the time the sprint heats were wrapping up at the Mayors Challenge JNQ classical sprints Saturday at Theodore Wirth. In the mens U18/U20 final, Andrew Bailey strided away on the final climb to take the win with Xavier Mansfield and Ryan Steger taking second and third. The womens U18/U20 final had Anna Johnson leading the final charge and taking the victory in front of Abigail Jarzin, with Mae Barnes edging out Renae Anderson for third. U16 titles went to Peter Moore and Isabel Seay. Results posted, along with photos from the sprint heats.
Michigan State Championship Preview
February 16, 2017Dan Wiitala provides a breakdown on the Michigan High School State Championships being held this weekend in Traverse City.
Minnesota State Meet Coverage
February 16, 2017A beautiful morning for racing at Giants Ridge Thursday for the Minnesota High School Nordic Championships. Temperatures were in the 20s with a firm, fast skate deck for the freestyle races. Patrick Acton, Eagan, took the early lead in the boys race with a slim five second lead over Foss Kerker, Minneapolis Southwest, with Xavier Mansfield, Spring Lake Park/St.Anthony, just 15 seconds back. The northern girls rocked in the skate, with Anja Maijala, CEC, taking first, Erin Bianco, Ely, only four seconds behind, and tied in third was Anna Johnson, Mesabi East and Lucinda Anderson, Robbinsdale-Armstrong. In the boys pursuit, Mansfield came from third place to overtake Acton and Kerker for the victory, with Acton again second and Kerker third. The girls race was a near repeat of the Section 7 championship as Bianco made up the margin to Maijala and won by six seconds, with Erin Moening, St. Paul Highland Park, moving up from 7th to take third. The Ely girls pull off the upset in taking the team title, as Minneapolis Southwest repeats as boys champions. Results posted, along with over 1000 photos from the four races.
Skinnyski.com High School Rankings - Final
February 13, 2017We take one last crack at trying to sort out the Minnesota High School Nordic ski rankings before the State Meet on Thursday. Kelly Koch and Xavier Mansfield remain on top along with the Mpls Southwest boys and Robbinsdale-Armstrong girls teams. Watch for our State Meet Preview (and predictions) later this week.
Wisconsin State Championships Coverage
February 12, 2017Two days of racing at the Birkie Start trailhead decided the Wisconsin high school state championships this weekend. Madison's Cullen Chosy took the boys lead after the 7K freestyle on Saturday and held it through the classical pursuit on Sunday. Lakeland's Kieran Mullen rocketed from 5th place after skate to second overall during the classical pursuit, with Jackson Alder, Ashwaubenon, moving from 8th up to third. Ashwaubenon's Abigail Jarzin dominated the girls field, taking a nearly minute lead after Saturday and expanding it to an even two minutes at the end of the classical pursuit. Wausau's Olivia Dreger held for second place with teammate Lauren Lackman moving up from fifth to third. The Lakeland boys and Wausau girls won the team titles. Results linked in, along with big photosets from the classical pursuit.
Glitter is Go!
February 10, 2017Stillwater's Siri Bohacek has led an effort to allow the use of glitter at the Minnesota State Meet, which was tentatively approved on Friday!
Section 4 Coverage
February 9, 2017Firm conditions for racers in the Section 4 Championships Thursday at Hyland Lake. Stillwater swept the team titles with rival Forest Lake taking second. In the boys individual race, Shad Kraftson held off Mounds Views Mark Ousdigian by five seconds for the victory. Forest Lake's Regan Duffy started the freestyle pursuit 16 seconds behind teammate Jenna Parent and finished ahead by five for the girls title. Results posted, plus photosets from the morning classical races.
Section 2 Coverage
February 9, 2017Section 2 schools competed at Theodore Wirth for Thursday for the right to advance to the State Meet. Minneapolis Southwest dominated the meet with Foss Kerker and Kasia Bednarski both easily taking the individual titles, and the school sweeping the team titles. Edina took both the girls and boys second place team placings. Results linked in, photos coming tonight.
Section 7 Coverage
February 9, 2017Racing on the State Meet course at Giants Ridge, Section 7 titles were decided on Thursday. Ely's Erin Bianco overcame an 11 second deficit to CEC Anja Maijala to take the girls title. Alex Kelling, Grand Rapids, posted the top skate and classic times to collect the boys victory. Ely girls and Grand Rapids boys won the team titles, with Duluth East taking runner up for both boys and girls. Results linked in, photos coming this evening.
Wisconsin State Championships Predictions
February 8, 2017Ken Schoville shares with us his breakdown on the Wisconsin State Championships (high school), which is scheduled for this weekend, Feb 11-12 at the new Birkie start area.
Section 5 Coverage
February 8, 2017Section 5 held their championship on Wednesday using the Twin Lakes and part of the snowmaking trail at Theodore Wirth for a fast single lap course. Champlin Park edged out Mora boys by a single point to take the team title, while Maple Grove bested Andover by two points for the girls title. Top ranked Xavier Mansfield, Spring Lake Park/St.Anthony, skied away from the field for the boys individual title, Champlin Park's Ian Ivens taking best of the rest. Blaine's Sarah Olson won the girls pursuit, over a minute ahead of Andover's Lauren Johnson. Results posted, along with photosets from the pursuit races.
Section 6 Coverage
February 8, 2017While the temperatures Wednesday morning were in the single digits, bright sunshine and a very firm trail made for fast racing for the Section 6 championships at Hyland Lake. Wayzata's Anders Sonnesyn crushed the freestyle opener and held off teammate Luc Golin in the classical pursuit to top the boys field. The girls race setup for an exciting afternoon as the top four girls all started the classical pursuit within six seconds. Hopkins Renae Anderson pulled ahead of the pack to be the clear winner, with Mara McCollor coming in second. The Wayzata boys placed four in the top five to easily take the team title, with Robbinsdale-Armstrong boys besting Orono by a single point for second place. The Robbinsdale-Armstrong girls won the team title, with Hopkins a close second just three points behind. Results posted, along with photosets from the freestyle races.
Section 1 Coverage
February 7, 2017An icy early morning mist and soft conditions at Hyland on Tuesday for the Section 1 championships. Eagan's Patrick Acton spotted his teammate Ryan Steger a 15 second lead after the classical then came roaring back in the skate to take the boys individual title by just 12 seconds. Number one ranked Kelly Koch, Burnsville, hammered the girls field, taking an impressive 1:06 lead after classical and extended it to almost two minutes in the freestyle pursuit for the victory. Team titles went to the Burnsville girls and Eagan boys, with Eastview girls and Winona boys taking second. Results posted, along with photosets from the classical races.
Section 3 Coverage
February 7, 2017Section 3 championships were held on the snowmaking loop at Theodore Wirth on Tuesday. The boys race came down to a nailbiter as St. Paul Highland Park's Harrison Pretel chased down SPA's Peter Moore during the freestyle pursuit, setting up a sprint finish which Moore won by inches. Erin Moening, Highland Park, took a lead from the morning classical race and extended it during the freestyle pursuit to capture the section title. St. Paul Highland Park swept the team titles, with St. Paul Central boys and Henry-Sibley girls earning starts at State with second place finishes. Results posted, along with photos from the freestyle pursuit races.
Section 8 Coverage
February 7, 2017Racing in mid-winter conditions at Maplelag Resort, Section 8 held their championships on Tuesday. Kendal Hendrickson and Hunter Zupko, Little Falls skiers, dominated their respective divisions, posting the top times in both skate and classical to win the individual titles. Little Falls also qualified both their teams for State, with the girls taking first with Bemidji second, and the Little Falls boys finishing second to the team champs Brainerd. Results linked in, plus photos of the classical pursuit by Jay Richards.
Minnesota Sections Preview
February 5, 2017The Minnesota High school Sections are this week, Tuesday thru Thursday, across the state. Read our take on each section, and review a few rules and reminders for these final meets. Note: Hyland and Wirth snowmaking trails will be occupied all three days for sections.
Skinnyski.com High School Rankings - Round 4
February 5, 2017One last crack at the Minnesota high school rankings before sections has Kelly Koch and Xavier Mansfield still riding the top of the rankings, along with Minneapolis Southwest boys and Robbinsdale-Armstrong girls as top teams.
NNF: U18 Nation's Trip Day 11/Wrap Up
February 1, 2017The National Nordic Foundation sponsored U18 Nation's Trip wrapped up on Wednesday with flights home. Read a final recap and misc notes from the trip.
World Junior Championships - Freestyle Races
February 1, 2017World Junior Championships on Wednesday in Soldier Hollow featured freestyle format races. Sweden's Ebba Andersson took the womens 5K victory, with American Katharine Ogden placing 5th, less than 7 seconds off the podium. Russians swept the mens 10K podium, led by Vladislav Vechkanov, with Hunter Wonders the top American at 16th.
Coaches Association Updates
February 1, 2017President Doug Boonstra highlights the Charlie Banks changes, standing on wax usage and pole length for the State Meet, and possible new scheduling for the annual Sprint Meeting.
U23 World Championships - Classical Sprints
January 31, 2017On Tuesday it was the U23 athletes turn at classical sprints. Sweden's Anna Dyvik was the best of the womens field, winning by over 3 seconds, while Norway's Fredrik Riseth won the mens final. For the US, Cole Morgan advanced to the semifinals and Nicole Bathe was the top Midwest skier, earning a spot in the quarterfinals.
NNF: U18 Nation's Trip Day 10
January 31, 2017The U18 Nation's Trip wrapped up their final day in Norway with a trip to a world class Nordic training facility with snowmaking and then an afternoon hike around Trondheim.
NNF: U18 Nation's Trip Day 9
January 30, 2017Day 9 of the U18 Nation's Trip visited two legends: the Meraker ski area and Olympic gold medalist and World Championship Frode Estil.
Duluth Invite/JNQ Freestyle Race Coverage - Day 2
January 29, 2017Day 2 of racing at Duluth Marshall was again on skate skis, with conditions not allowing for classic tracks to be set. In the 10K, Patrick Acton notched the top U18 time and the fastest time of the field. Jack Christianson was the fastest U20 male, and Kyle Marshall posted the best collegiate result. The U16 5K field was led by Peter Moore, just seconds in front of Saturday's 5K champ, James Schneider. Abigail Jarzinen skated the fastest women's 10K of the day and led the U18 category. Dottie Anderson was the top U20 skier with Carolyn Lucca topping the collegiate field. The U16 women's race gave top honors to Sarah Olson.
NNF: U18 Nation's Trip Day 8
January 29, 2017The Junior Nordic Competition (U18 Nations) wrapped up on Sunday with a pair of exciting relay races. The team will be spending two more days in Norway, skiing and sightseeing, before flying back home.
Duluth Invite/JNQ Freestyle Race Coverage
January 28, 2017Duluth's Marshall School played host to this weekend's JNQ, starting with individual start skate competition on Saturday. Nicole Schneider and James Schneider made the 5K race a family affair, snagging the top female and male spots of the day. The fastest 10K boys time went to Gaspard Cuenot of Michigan Tech.
NNF: U18 Nation's Trip Day 7
January 28, 2017The second day of racing on the U18 Nation's trip featured freestyle 5K and 10K events, with the US team scoring a number of top twenty results.
NNF: U18 Nation's Trip Day 6
January 27, 2017Racing action finally got underway for the U18 Nation's Trip with classical sprints Friday evening in Norway. The US squad qualified nearly all of the team for the sprint heats, with two boys advancing to the semifinals before getting bumped out. Saturday will feature freestyle distance races.
NNF: U18 Nation's Trip Day 5
January 26, 2017The U18 Nation's trip in Norway started to heat up on Thursday as skiers and coaches made their final preparations for the first races - classical sprints - on Friday evening.
NNF: U18 Nation's Trip Day 4
January 25, 2017The U18 Nation's trip skiers were back on snow in Norway Wednesday morning, then headed north in the afternoon for an adventure along the fjord. Official training opens Thursday, first races are Friday evening!
Skinnyski.com High School Rankings - Round 3
January 24, 2017The Cable area JNQ races last weekend provided some better comparison data for us to take another crack at the individual and team rankings for Minnesota High School Nordic skiing. No changes at the top, as Xavier Mansfield and Kelly Koch hold the individual rankings, with Mpls Southwest boys and Robbinsdale-Armstrong girls in charge.
NNF: U18 Nation's Trip Day 3
January 24, 2017The first full day in Norway, the U18 Nations trip skiers got some on-snow time at the race venue, Knyken Skisenter.
NNF: U18 Nation's Trip Underway
January 23, 2017Athletes from across the US made their two day journey (with time changes) Sunday-Monday to Orkdal, Norway, for the Junior Nordic Countries Competition (U18 Nations Trip). LNR has coach Chris Harvey acting as team leader, and rising Robbinsdale-Armstrong star Lucy Anderson is one of athletes that will be competing this weekend.
Cable JNQ/CCSA Freestyle Race Coverage
January 22, 2017Another slugfest on Sunday as skiers took to the trails at the new Birkie start area for mass start freestyle races under warm, soft conditions. In the mens 20K, Gaspard Cuenot, MTU, pulled ahead to take the victory followed closely by NMU's Adam Martin and Fredrik Schwencke. In the womens 15K, Nicole Schneider, NMU, broke away from the field to win by just over 30 seconds with Felicia Gesior, CXC, and Sophie Schimpl, NMU, rounding out the podium. Erin Moening returns to form to take the junior girls 10K in a near photo finish over Mara McCollor, with Abigail Jarzin third. Xavier Mansfield resumed top shelf for the boys, William Keker and Patrick Acton coming in 2nd and 3rd in the 10K. U16 titles went to Olivia Dreger and Noah Bodewes. Results linked in, along with photos from Jennifer Brisbois and Jackie Schneider.
Cable JNQ/CCSA Classical Race Coverage
January 21, 2017Like most of the region, the trail conditions at the new Birkie start were warm and wet for the JNQ/CCSA classical races on Saturday. In the men's 10K, Adam Martin topped the field, over 30 seconds ahead of teammate Fredrik Schwencke with Kyle Bratrud third. Luc Golin from Wayzata HS had an impressive day taking 8th overall as the top junior! Felicia Gesior, CXC, bested the women's field with NMU's Vivian Hett and Nicole Schneider finishing 2-3 (NMU gals took 8 of the top 10 places). A great performance by Ashwaubenon's Abigail Jarzin, taking 8th overall and posting the fastest juniors time in the 5K race. Results linked in now, photos coming later tonight.
Three Rivers Rennet High School Results
January 21, 2017Will Robertson reports: Slushy conditions on Friday didn't deter skiers from the Three Rivers High School Rennet at Hyland. The event included a mass start 6K skate and mass start 6k classic for both boys and girls. Winona senior Logan Swenson skied away from the pack to take the boys' classic race by almost 30 seconds while Chan-Chaska freshman Nicholas Scheller pulled away in the final kilometer to take the skate title. On the girls' side, eighth-grader Brianne Brewster (Lakeville South) skied to a commanding 30-second victory in the skate race while Prior Lake senior Gabi Brinkley got the victory in the classic race. St. Paul Highland Park took home the team titles for both the boys and girls race.
Skinnyski.com High School Rankings - Round 2
January 16, 2017It's about time! Finally, we crank out a new set of Minnesota High School Nordic Ski rankings. Kelly Koch takes over the girls top position with Xavier Mansfield holding on tight for the boys.
USSA: USA Names U23 Cross Country Worlds Team
January 16, 2017USSA has named a team of 10 athletes to represent the USA in the upcoming Under 23 Cross Country World Championships, to be held Jan 30-Feb 5 at Soldier Hollow in Utah. Midwest athletes earning their place on the team include Adam Martin, NMU, Alayna Sonnesyn, UVM, and Nichole Bathe, UAF.
Iola Invite Results
January 15, 2017John Burke reports: The Iola Skate Invite was held Sunday at the Iola Winter Sports Club and unveiled a new challenging course for the varsity skiers, drawing some rave reviews from the skiers and coaches alike. For the boys, Lakeland and Ashwaubenon fought to a tie in the team competition but Lakeland prevailed on tie-breaker criteria. They were led by Luke and Noah Bodewes in 4th and 5th place and Kav FitzPatrick rounded out their team scoring in 7th place. The individual winner was Cullen Chosy who easily outdistanced the field to take the race. Two Ashwaubenon skiers finished in the next two spots with Jackson Adler beating his teammate, Timothy Spaulding for second. For the ladies, the Wausau Nordic United team continued their winning ways but it was a tight competition for second with three teams within a point of each other. Abby Jarzin of Ashwaubenon won the girls race with Olivia Dreger of Wausau Nordic United and Isabel Seay of Peak Nordic following in 2nd and 3th place.
Mesabi East Invite Results
January 14, 2017After being postponed by a week due to cold weather, the Mesabi East Invite went off Saturday afternoon at Giants Ridge using a condensed interval start format. Wayzata boys took the team title ahead of Stillwater and Mora; a strong Stillwater girls squad topped the field with Mesabi East and Forest Lake rounding out the top three. Taking the freestyle titles were Mitch DeLong, Copper Country (Michigan), and Stillwater's Libby Tuttle. Striding to classic victories were Luc Golin, Wayzata, and Hannah Bettendorf, Proctor. Even with the rescheduled date, more than 750 skiers turned out.
ABC Relays Coverage
January 14, 2017ABC Relays drew over 250 skiers for some fast racing on the snowmaking trails at Theodore Wirth Saturday morning. Armstrong boys and Henry-Sibley girls won the relay titles. Posting top splits: Ben Olson boys classic, Tres Green boys freestyle; Lucy Anderson girls classic, Dottie Anderson girls freestyle. Results posted along with photosets.
USSA: Junior World Cross Country Team Named
January 13, 2017Twelve cross country ski racers have been named to the team that will represent the USA at the Junior World Championships Jan 30-Feb. 5 at the Soldier Hollow Nordic Center. The team is missing a Midwest representative for the first time in quite a while -- Minnesotan Abigail Drach tied for the final women's position, but lost out on the tiebreaker.
US Nationals: Freestyle Sprints
January 12, 2017The racing action at Soldier Hollow on Thursday wrapped up with freestyle sprint qualifiers. This final event was not considered part of the championships, but held as a part of selection criteria for the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. Posting top times on the day were Dahria Beatty (Canada), Hannah Halvorsen, and Caitlin Gregg for the women, and Jesse Cockney, Julien Locke, and Knute Johnsgaard, all Canadians, were top three men. Logan Hanneman was the first American, finishing 4th.
US Nationals: Classical Sprints Coverage
January 8, 2017A day of ups and downs at US Nationals Sunday as the weather threw a curveball, bringing in damp conditions that made kick waxing difficult, and glazed the trails for some fast conditions. A number of skiers took spills, resulting in some wide variations in the results. The men's senior finals saw another Midwest native, Kevin Bolger, collect a national title as sprint champion! NMU's Fredrik Schwencke made it to the finals as well, finishing 6th. Jennie Bender won another womens title. Annie Hart skied strong, making the women's final and finishing 5th. Wayzata native and NMU skier Nicole Schneider qualified for the junior sprints and rode that all the way to the final, taking the junior girls title! Canadian Ryan Jackson won for the junior boys. Other top Midwest results: Ben Saxton top qualifier, mens quarterfinals, Andrew Egger and Luke Brown mens quarterfinals; Rosie Frankowski, Felicia Gesior, Nichole Bathe, womens quarterfinals; Zak Ketterson and Will Bodewes junior men quarterfinals; Abigail Jarzin, junior girls quarterfinals. Results linked in, plus photos from Jackie Schneider and
Karen Brown.Loppet Invite Coverage
January 7, 2017The Loppet Invite gave a test drive to a possible new State Meet format on Saturday morning at Theodore Wirth. The day started with team sprint semi-finals, then classical 5K and freestyle 5K, before finishing with the team sprint finals. Krista Holmstrom, Burnsville, and Ryan Steger, Eagan, won the classical races, Sarah Olson, Blaine, and Patrick Acton, Eagan, were the skate champs. Minneapolis Southwest swept the sprint relay finals. Results linked in, along with some big photosets.
Mesabi East Invite Postponed to Jan 14th
January 5, 2017Due to forecast cold weather, the Mesabi East Invite scheduled for this Saturday has been rescheduled to next Saturday, Jan 14th. Teams will need to re-register for the event.
NNF Announces $106K in Cross-Country Ski Funding
January 2, 2017The National Nordic Foundation is excited to kick off the New Year by announcing $106,000 in cross-country funding, allocated by the Board of Directors for five different winter 16/17 Pillar Projects. Projects include the U18 Nordic Junior Countries Championship, U23/World Junior Skiing Championships, addition US Ski Team support for World Cup and World Championships, and live streaming coverage of the U23/World Juniors.
Biathlon: Teams Named for Youth/Junior International Competition
December 30, 2016The U.S. Biathlon International Competition Committee has announced the Youth (U19) and Junior (U21) Biathlon World Championship Team, as well as the team for the IBU Junior Cup and the IBU Junior European Championship. Several Minnesota athletes earned team selections: Amanda Kautzer, Vasek Cervenka, Siena Ellingson, and Cameron Christiansen.
SEC Conference Meet Coverage
December 20, 2016The powerhouse SEC conference held their first battle of the season on Tuesday at Elm Creek. Shad Kraftson, coming off just one day of rest from the weekend JNQs, still managed to pull ahead in the freestyle portion of the 10K skiathlon format event to take the victory for Stillwater. Siri Bohacek, Stillwater, controlled the girls skiathlon from the opening 500 meters and won the girls race by just over 15 seconds. Both team titles also went to Stillwater. Results and photos posted.
Skinnyski.com High School Rankings - Round 1
December 19, 2016With the opening JNQ, and not much other data to work with, we take a crack at our first round of in-season rankings. Xavier Mansfield and Erin Moening still hold the top spots, but there has already been some shuffling in the top ten individuals.
Houghton CCSA/JNQ: Freestyle Distance Coverage
December 18, 2016Another snowy day in Houghton with very crisp temperatures as skiers raced in freestyle distance events for the JNQ/CCSA series on Sunday. In the mens 15K, Kyle Bratrud returned to top form taking the title just ahead of Adam Martin, NMU, with Zak Ketterson, also NMU, third. In the womens 10K, Annie Hart completed the weekend sweep dominating the womens race, as Abigail Drach edged out Vivian Hett, NMU, for second place. In the best of the high school racers, Xavier Mansfield was 7th overall for the boys with Abigail Jarzin 9th for the girls. In the U16 races, Sarah Olson and James Schneider led the field.
Houghton CCSA/JNQ: Classical Sprints Coverage
December 17, 2016With fresh snowfall the weekend JNQ/CCSA series opened Saturday with classical sprint events. As expected, Northern Michigan dominated the tally board, but it was a pair of Midwest seniors from SMS, Ben Saxton and Annie Hart that captured the sprint titles with freshman Zak Ketterson and sophmore Sarah Bezdicek taking second and top collegiate honors. In the U20/U18 JNQ sprint final, Jack Christianson, CSS, pulled away from the field for the boys victory while Jenna Parent, Nordicwerks, topped a tough field for the gals. In the U16 final, Henry Hall beat Noah Bodewes by a hair (photo) and Leah Rudd won an all-LNR final for the girls.
Metro East Conf Results
December 14, 2016Scoring the first conference racing results of the season, Metro East skiers competed Tuesday at Lake Elmo in a 5.6K freestyle event. Jamie Herridge, Henry-Sibley, dominated the field with a time of 17:31! Trevor Caflisch, Hastings, posted the best boys time at 18:40. St. Thomas boys and Henry-Sibley girls won the team scoring.
CXC Year End Fundraising Drive
December 8, 2016CXC is hoping you'll show your support this holiday season with a donation to their year-end fundraising driving. This is a 1:1 challenge grant, so if they can raise $30,000 they'll get a dollar for dollar match from generous benefactors.
Mesabi East Invite Forms Now Available
November 30, 2016The huge Mesabi East Invite has published the event information, including online registration. The mega-race is scheduled for Saturday, Jan 7th, but teams will need to submit their forms before Christmas break to ensure a spot on the starting line.
CXC On Snow Juniors Camps Registration Closes Friday
November 15, 2016Registration for CXC's On Snow Juniors Camp in Ironwood, Nov 22-27, closes this Friday, Nov 18th. The junior camp will feature on-snow technique and strength sessions, race preparation and strategies for the December JNQ races.
Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing Preview and Preseason Rankings
November 14, 2016With the official start to the Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing season we post a season preview, touching on a few changes on tap, and then take our first crack at the rankings.
Spotlight: Cloquet-Esko-Carlton Practice
November 14, 2016The Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing season kicked off Monday with the opening day of practice. We visited the growing program at Cloquet-Esko-Carlton (C-E-C) where Hall of Fame coach Glen Sorenson along with assistant coaches Ben Croft, Brent Smith and Arne Maijala herded the latest crop of more than 40 skiers through sign up, general practice and racing info and even a few hill bounding demonstrations. C-E-C has two top ten State Meet returning skiers in Anja Maijala and Erika Fox, along with a solid boys team seeking their own State Meet appearance.
Endurance United JNQ Informational Meeting Nov 14th
November 10, 2016Endurance United will be hosting an informational meeting on the Junior Nationals Qualification series competition this coming Monday, Nov 14th in St. Paul. Any juniors (and parents) interested in learning more about the JNQ series are encouraged to attend.
Minnesota State CC Meet Coverage
November 5, 2016Above average temperatures, almost balmy by afternoon, made for a great day of spectating, but a little rough on the racers in the 2016 Minnesota State High School Cross-Country Championships, held at St. Olaf College in Northfield. The opening event, the boys class A race, featured a very tight battle with Mound Park Academy's Declan Dahlberg taking the victory as the top seven all finished within 10 seconds. Tierney Wolfgram, Math and Science Academy, sailed away with the girls class A crown, winning by over 30 seconds. The Mora boys and Fairmont girls took the team titles. In the afternoon boys AA race, Edina's Patrick Roos used an impressive final kick to move from third to first and the win. Eighth grader Anna Fenske, Farmington, pulled away from teammate Lauren Peterson in the final kilometer to top the girls AA field. Wayzata boys added another team title to their trophy case, with Edina taking the girls victory.
NNF: Cosmic Shift in US Skiing
November 3, 2016Noah Hoffman shares his appreciation for the National Nordic Foundation (NNF), and how it has made a huge impact in the growth and development of Nordic racing.
World Junior Championships and U18 Nation Trips Staffing
November 1, 2016Staff positions for the World Junior Championships (WJC) and the Nordic Countries Junior Competition (U18) are posted. The WJC will be held at Soldier Hollow, Jan 26-Feb 5, with the U18 in Orkdal, Norway (near Trondheim), Jan 22-Feb 1. Application deadline is Nov 12th.
- World Junior Championships application
- Nordic Countries Junior Competition (U18) application
Marshall Holiday Ski Camp
October 31, 2016The 11th Annual Marshall Holiday Ski Camp will be held Dec 28-30 at Snowflake Nordic Ski Center in Duluth.The camp is designed for kids ages 5-12 and is supervised by the Marshall Nordic Ski Team Coaching Staff with instruction provided by the members of Marshall Nordic Ski Team and Alumni.
MN HS Nordic Ski Coaches Fall Meeting Recap
October 29, 2016There was a strong turnout Saturday morning in Mora for the annual Minnesota High School Nordic Ski Coaches Association Fall Meeting, where a spirited discussion was held on a new State Meet proposal, along with approval of a new waxing policy. Read a full recap, including some initial plans for changes to high school skiing policies at Wirth this winter.
Drive for 25 Matching Grant Challenge
October 20, 2016Make your donate worth double -- contribute now to the NNF Drive for 25 campaign and help them earn a $25,000 match grant. And check out their great promotional video!
MN High School Fall Coaches Meeting Update
October 17, 2016The Minnesota High School Fall Coaches meeting is coming up at the end of the month, and they are requesting RSVPs for those planning to attend.
State of MN HS Skiing Round Table Meeting Oct 16th
October 13, 2016Doug Boonstra, Eden Prairie coach and President of the Minnesota High School Nordic Ski Coaches Association is hosting a round-table discussion this Sunday evening, Oct 16th, at Eden Prairie high school. A wide range of current events are on the agenda.
Drive for 25 Begins!
October 10, 2016The National Nordic Foundation kicked off their Drive for 25 event on Monday. The event is the primary fundraiser for NNF, supporting junior and elite skier development across the US and internationally as well. Become an ambassador or find your favorite skiers on the fundraising list and kick in today!
Ramsey County High School Scheduling Meeting Oct 19th
October 11, 2016Ramsey County will hold their fall high school coaches practice and meet scheduling meeting on Wednesday, Oct 19th, at the Parks and Rec Dept. The high school meet scheduling is done at the meeting, so it is important for team coaches to be in attendence.
MN High School Coaches Awards and Inductees
October 2, 2016The Minnesota High School Nordic Coaches Association has announced the 2016 awards for Coach, Asssitant Coach. and Volunteer of the Year, as well as the Hall of Fame Inductees. There will be a recognition ceremony at the annual Fall Coaches Meeting Oct 29 in Mora.
MNHSNSCA State Meet Proposal Updates
September 30, 2016Doug Boonstra, President of the Minnesota High School Nordic Coaches Association (MNHSNSCA) has posted revisions to the State Meet proposal that features a new Team Sprint and multi-day format. And find details on the State of MN HS Skiing round-table discussion, planned for Oct 16th.
Minnesota State HS Coaches Association Fall Meeting and Proposals
September 20, 2016The Minnesota State High School Nordic Coaches Association has scheduled their annual Fall Meeting for Oct 29th, at the Vasaloppet Center in Mora. Ahead of the meeting, they have released details on the new State Meet format (with Team Sprints), and are hoping to hold a roundtable meeting in mid-October to discuss the State of MN HS Skiing. Check out the proposal details and fall meeting agenda for more details.
CXC Seeking Applicants for Junior Nationals, U16 Championships Trips
September 16, 2016The Midwest Coaches Committee is opening the application process for both the 2017 Junior National Championships in Lake Placid, NY as well as the U16 NENSA Trip in Farmington, ME. This application process is for Head Wax Coaches, Assistant Wax Coaches, Age Group Coaches, and Support Staff.
Minnesota Coaches Association Website Overhaul
August 11, 2016The Minnesota High School Nordic Ski Coaches Association website has been completely revamped. Two important proposals to check out:
State Meet Proposal - New proposal introduces a team sprint element, used for qualifying for sections and at the State Meet.
Wax Truce Proposal - A proposal to limit the use of expensive flurocarbon waxes in regular conference meets.
Update: The State Meet proposal is undergoing additional revisions, watch for a new proposal later this fall.
Spotlight: Nordicwerks Program
July 18, 2016On a warm Monday evening Nordicwerks training program hosted a combined workout and rollerski time trial with Endurance United elite members. After an easy warm up rollerski tour around the time trial course, the teams got down to business with an interval start skate rollerski time trial. Endurance United's Jack Christianson passed Tamer Mische-Richter in the final meters to post the top time on the evening. Fellow teammate Erin Moening raced to the top time for the women. After the time trial wrapped up, skiers finished with a warm down on the quiet backroads near Scandia.
Wisconsin High School Nordic Championship Venue Change
July 5, 2016The Wisconsin State High School Nordic Championships have announced they will help christen the new Birkie start area with their big event scheduled their for early February.
Spotlight: Loppet Nordic Racing Summer Juniors
June 29, 2016Loppet Nordic Racing (LNR) is one of the largest programs in the country. We caught up with them Wednesday morning in south Minneapolis. The group did a overdistance rollerski, splitting into a number of small groups with coaches to pair up skiers with similar abilities. Most of the advanced and immediate girls headed east, crossing the Mississippi River and skiing to downtown St. Paul, lead by Olympian Caitlin Gregg and head coach Piotr Bednarski. Most of the groups finished the 2-3 hour workout with some running and short drills.
Spotlight: Endurance United Juniors Summer Program
June 23, 2016A surprisingly cool morning Thursday for a Endurance United juniors summer workout in Afton. The group started off with an easy warm up rollerski along River Rd, before the big focus: 5-7 skate rollerski L3 intervals up the Afton coulee.
Spotlight: Minneapolis Ski Club Summer Juniors Program
June 14, 2016Most of the Twin Cities summer junior training programs kicked off officially this week. We caught up with the Minneapolis Ski Club east side juniors on Tuesday morning. Coach Kevin Brochman led the group through some strength training drills, then skiers put on the classic rollerskis and warmed up on the Greenway trail before splitting into two groups. The advanced group wound their way down to the base of the Franklin hill, then worked on classic technique before wrapping up with a distance ski.
CXC: Top Junior Skiers Will Come Together for the 2016 REG Camp
May 19, 2016The 2016 Regional Elite Group camp is scheduled for July 5-11 in Marquette, bringing together over 20 of the top Juniors from the Midwest.
Moose Valuable Skier Nominations
May 14, 2016Moose Nordic is seeking nominations for their Moose Nordic Moose Valuable Skier of the year. This award will be presented to a Nordic athlete who lives the four core values of sportsmanship, humility, empowerment, and integrity. The winner will be announced at the Moose Nordic Picnic on Tuesday, May 31st.
Head Coaches for Junior Nationals and U16 Championships Announced
May 14, 2016The head coach and trip leaders for the Midwest and Great Lakes teams for Junior Nationals, as well as the U16 Championships, have been named. Piotr Bednarski and Andy Keller will lead the Midwest squad, while Tom Wood and Nick Baic direct the Great Lakes team.
Midwest Junior Committee Meeting Recap
May 2, 2016The Midwest Junior Committee Meeting was held in late April in Eau Claire. Among the topics discussed were the JNQ schedule, bylaw amendments on scoring, team composition, and waxing restrictions, and election of new head coach, Piotr Bednarski. Read the full meeting summary for more details.
MN Spring Coaches Association Meeting Minutes
May 2, 2016The annual spring Minnesota High School Nordic Ski Coaches Association meeting was held back on April 16th at the Vasaloppet Center in Mora. The meeting covered a broad range of topics, including a proposal for on a new State Meet format, as well as one to limit high school conference racing to non-fluro waxes. Doug Boonstra was named the new president. Full meeting minutes posted.