Junior Nationals Cancelled Due to Coronavirus Concerns
March 12, 2020Junior Nationals competition is the latest casuality of the coronavirus outbreak as organizers announced on Thursday morning the cancellation of the remaining events.
Junior Nationals: Freestyle Sprints Coverage
March 11, 2020Wednesday at Junior Nationals featured freestyle sprints races. Another sparse day on the podium for the upper Midwest -- Gus Schatzlein was the lone Midwest representative scoring a third place finish in the boys U20 final. Molly Moening, FU16, also made the sprint finals, taking fifth. Results linked in, along with photos from Jackie Schneider.
Junior Nationals: Classic Coverage
March 9, 2020Junior Nationals opened on Monday in Soda Springs, CA, with classic format racing. Johanna Craig (Great Lakes) skied to the only podium for the upper Midwest teams, taking third place in the girls U20 division. Top ten performances on the day: Anabel Needram 5th (FU20), Cooper Lennox 7th (MU20), Morgan Richter 8th (FU20), and Molly Moening 6th (FU16). Other top Midwest results - MU18:Roger Anderson 12th, Colin Freed 16th; MU20: Gus Schatzlein 11th, Henry Snider 13th, James Schneider 14th; FU18: Libby Tuttle 23rd; FU20: Emma Albrecht 12th, Alice House 13th; FU16: Margo Nightingale 13th, Jordan Parent 14th; MU16: Adrik Kraftson 20th. Results linked in, photos from Jackie Schneider.
Central Regional High Performance Coach Sought
March 7, 2020The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF), Central Cross Country Skiing (CXC), and the Loppet Foundation are working in cooperation with the intent of creating a regional high performance team based out of The Trailhead, at Theodore Wirth Park, in Minneapolis. They are currently seeking candidates for the head coaching position. Deadline for application is March 22nd!
Junior Nationals Livestream Coverage
March 7, 2020Livestreams of the Junior Nationals competition this coming week in Truckee, CA, can be watched via the XCOUNTRYLIVE package. And as an added bonus, subscribers have a chance at a pair of Salomon skis! Racing action starts Monday, March 9th at 11 am.
World Juniors: Junior Men Gold, Junior Women Silver at World Championships
March 6, 2020It was a historic day for Team USA at the 2020 FIS Junior Cross Country World Championships, as the junior men defended their team relay gold and the junior women’s relay team took the silver medal in Oberwiesenthal, Germany.
Endurance United Junior Program Training Now Open
March 5, 2020Registration for Endurance United's spring, summer and D-team junior Nordic ski training programs is now open.
Victor C. Dunder Award Nominations Sought
March 5, 2020Nominations for Victor C. Dunder awards are due by March 31st. The Victor C. Dunder award is designed to get quality equipment to first year skiers in financial need.
CXC Names Championship Teams
March 2, 2020Central Cross Country Skiing (CXC) has named the Midwest and Great Lakes division teams for Junior Nationals, as well as the U16 and U18 NENSA Championship squads. The teams were selected through a series of qualifying events over the past three months. Junior Nationals is set for March 7-14th in Truckee, CA.
World Juniors: Schumacher Grabs Gold in Exciting 10K Classic
March 2, 2020US junior star Gus Schumacher further cemented his legacy, taking a victory at the World Juniors in Oberwiesenthal, Germany, on Monday. While the 10K classic race was an individual start event, the leaders all went out in the final four positions, with Schumacher starting last, thus providing one exciting finish! The US men had a strong day as Ben Ogden was 9th, Luke Jager 10th, and Johnny Hagenbuch 25th. On the women's side, Sophia Laukli scored 13th with Minnesotan Mara McCollor 60th.
World Juniors: Kern Takes Sprint Bronze at U23 World Championships
March 1, 2020Julia Kern won the bronze medal in the freestyle sprint at the FIS U23 Cross Country World Championships in Oberwiesenthal, Germany, Saturday. Sweden went 1-2 with Emma Ribom winning the gold, and Johanna Hagstroem taking the silver.
Mayor's Challenge Classic Coverage
February 17, 2020Racing Monday at Wirth, the Mayor's Challenge wrapped up the JNQ season with classic technique events. Adam Martin posted a scorching fast 10K time of just over 22 minutes to take the men's victory. Kaitlynn Miller collected the victory in the women's 5K. Top U20 skiers were Gus Schumacher and Canadian Anne-Marie Petitclerc. U18 titles went to Cooper Lennox and Libby Tuttle, and fastest U16 times on the day belonged to Adrik Kraftson and Molly Moening. Results linked in, photos from Jackie Schneider posted.
Mayor's Challenge Freestyle Sprints Coverage
February 16, 2020The Loppet Foundation began their final push to the World Cup with the Mayor's Challenge freestyle sprints Sunday at Theodore Wirth. The course setup provided the organization another chance to dry-run their World Cup layout. In the senior heats, mens U20 sensation Gus Schumacher posted the top qualifying time and took each heat in route to winning the title. On the women's side, Becca Rorabaugh bested Erika Flowers in the finals. Many juniors raced in the senior heats, thus providing some opportunity for others in the junior heats. Junior titles were earned by Charlie Grabow and Lauren Loppnow, U16 titles for Adrik Kraftson and Molly Moening. Results linked in, photos by Jackie Schneider posted.
Minnesota State Meet Recap and Stats
February 15, 2020With the State Meet in the books and a day to catch our breath and look over the numbers, we present our meet recap and expanded stats breakdown. Read up on the big movers and interesting team stats, plus see how our predictions panned out.
Minnesota State Meet Coverage
February 14, 2020Quite a long day at Giants Ridge Friday for the Minnesota high school Nordic skiing championships. Cold weather delayed and compressed the morning races and some issues with results delayed the afternoon pursuit races even further. Libby Tuttle, Stillwater, grabbed the early lead by posting the top skate time in the morning freestyle race. But it was St. Paul Highland Park's Molly Moening putting on a stunning classic pursuit to overtake Tuttle and win the overall title! Tuttle finished second with Forest Lake's Jordan Parent third. On the boys side, Roger Anderson, Robbinsdale-Armstrong, got the pursuit head start after taking the freestyle race. Starting fourth, Henry Snider of MPA, strided his way up to Anderson, and the two came into the finish together, Snider just edging ahead for the pursuit victory. CJ Young, Maple Grove, rounded out the podium in third. St. Paul Highland Park girls beat out Forest Lake by 12 points for the team title, Stillwater taking third. Forest Lake and Minneapolis Southwest tied on points with Forest Lake winning the tie-breaker based on time (8 seconds difference!), St. Paul Highland Park was third. Results are up along with big photosets and even video highlights!
Minnesota State Meet Champions: Where Are They Now?
February 12, 2020With the 2020 Minnesota State Meet on Friday, we had Luke Brown take a roll call of the last 20 years of State Meet champions, checking in to see where they are now, the memories they have from that big day, and more. Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!
Minnesota State Meet Preview
February 11, 2020The Minnesota High School State Nordic Skiing Championships are this Friday at Giants Ridge. We offer our take on the ones to watch, including predictions for top three individuals and teams. Best wishes to all the skiers!
Frankowski: Skiing Beyond High School
February 10, 2020Olympian and World Cup skier Rosie Frankowski shares her thoughts on options available to post-secondary skiers including the perks of a collegiate skiing program, gap years, and even going straight to an athletic career.
Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing Rankings - Final Round
February 10, 2020We take our final crack at sorting out the Minnesota high school Nordic ski rankings! No major changes at the top, but definitely some movers that should help generate one exciting State Meet this Friday. Watch for our State Meet Preview on Wednesday.
Minnesota State High School Meet Rescheduled to Friday
February 10, 2020Due to forecast cold weather Thursday, the Minnesota high school state Nordic skiing championships have been rescheduled to Friday, Feb 14th. Note: The Charlie Banks Relays have been cancelled.
Wisconsin State High School Championships Day 2 Results
February 9, 2020The Wisconsin State High School Championships wrapped up on Sunday with freestyle pursuit competition. As expected, Johanna Craig of Lakeland, held off all challengers as she again posted the top time on the day to take the freestyle title and overall pursuit victory. Alice House, Blackhawk, and Mia Case, Lakeland, held their same positions to complete the girls podium. Eli Gore, Madnorski, overcame the three second deficit and went post the top freestyle time and collect the pursuit title with Ryan Thieme, ANST, sticking second and Jakob Craig, Lakeland, taking third. The Lakeland girls easily won the team title, the ANST edging out Lakeland for the boys title by just two points.
Wisconsin State High School Championships Day 1 Results
February 8, 2020Day 1 of the Wisconsin high school state championships were held Saturday at the Birkie trailhead, with classic format events. Johanna Craig, Lakeland, hammered the girls field by a whopping 1:15 to take what looks like an insurmountable lead into Sunday's freestyle pursuit. Alice House, Blackhawk, and Mia Case, Lakeland will be doing the chasing. On the boys side, Ryan Thieme, ANST, collected the boys classic victory but with less than a three second margin of victory, he'll be closely pursued by Eli Gore, Madnorski, and Jakob Craig, Lakeland, in what should be a very excitement conclusion on Sunday.
Minnesota High School Canoe Racing League
February 7, 2020The Minnesota Canoe Association is announcing the formation of a High School Canoe Racing League this spring. Supporting the formation of new youth clubs, the MCA is offering a number of $500 grants.
Minnesota Section 4 Championships Coverage
February 6, 2020Hyland Lake was the site for the Section 4 Championships Thursday as the high school sections wrapped up. Libby Tuttle, Stillwater, showed top form in taking the girls pursuit title by almost a minute with Forest Lake's Jordan Parent and Margo Nightingale, MPA (both freshman) taking second and third. MPA's Henry Snider won boys pursuit with Ethan and Noah Erickson, Forest Lake, rounding out the boys podium. Forest Lake swept the team titles, with Stillwater collecting the runner up positions. Awaiting full results, photos from the freestyle pursuit posted now.
Minnesota Section 7 Championships Results
February 6, 2020Racing on the State Meet course, Section 7's Championships provided some exciting racing action on Thursday. Grand Rapid's Elsa Viren grabbed a narrow one second margin in the morning girl's freestyle race, with Ely's Zoe Devine second and Duluth East's Gretchen Haggenmiller another eight seconds back. In the pursuit, it was Haggenmiller's turn to shine, hammering out an impressive 30 second best classic leg to take the section title by 22 seconds over Devine, with Viren third. Ely's Jasper Johnston skated to the only sub-14 minute time in the morning and then posted the best classic time to win the pursuit title by 30 seconds over Sam Stertz, Grand Rapids, with Benjamin Bauer, Cloquet-Esko-Carlton, following in third. The Duluth East girls and Ely boys won the team titles, with the Ely girls edging out Mesabi East in a tie-breaker for second to join the Cloquet-Ekso-Carlton boys heading to State. Results linked in (looking for community photos?)
Minnesota Section 6 Championships Coverage
February 6, 2020Near flawless conditions Thursday as Section 6 held their championship at Theodore Wirth. The morning's freestyle race saw Wayzata's Colin Freed and Robbinsdale-Armstrong's Roger Anderson tie for the top time, ensuring a fantastic afternoon classic pursuit. Anderson showed the better set of heels, pulling away to win by over 30 seconds. Tommy Brandes, Robbinsdale-Armstrong was the best of the rest, taking third. Wayzata's Lauren McCollor used a stellar freestyle race in the morning to spot herself a 47 second margin to take into the afternoon classic pursuit. McCollor easily claimed the title while teammate Ingrid Halverson moved up from third to second, edging out Robbinsdale-Armstrong's Sophia Pung by a second. Wayzata girls and Armstrong boys won the team titles, with Hopkins girls and Wayzata boys earning the running up bids. Resulted linked in along with photos from the morning freestyle races.
2020 Wisconsin High School Nordic Championship Prediction
February 6, 2020Ken Schoville is back with his annual breakdown on the Wisconsin high school Nordic skiing Championship contenders! The big event is this Saturday and Sunday at the Birkie Trailhead in Cable.
Minnesota Section 5 Championships Coverage
February 5, 2020Another day of fast racing on the man-made snow trails at Theodore Wirth as Section 5 held their championship Wednesday. Maple Grove's Christina Bolcer posted the only sub-15 minute classic time in the morning for the girls, then cruised in the freestyle pursuit to take the title by almost a minute and a half. Coon Rapids Abby Ellenbecker was second, Mora's Johanna Schwinghamer third. Cooper Lennox, Mora, opened the morning classic with a 31 second margin of victory and added a bit more to that lead in the freestyle pursuit, taking the boys title over Maple Grove's CJ Young, Nicholas Kjome of Osseo in third. Maple Grove swept the team titles with Elk River/Zimmerman girls and Champlin Park boys earning runner up bids to State. Results linked in along with photos from the afternoon pursuit races.
Minnesota Section 3 Championships Coverage
February 4, 2020Theodore Wirth turned all red on Tuesday as St. Paul Highland Park dominated the Section 3 championships. Leaving nothing to doubt, Molly Moening and Cole Johnson swept their classic and freestyle pursuit races in clear fashion to collect their section titles. Teammates Celeste Alden and Anna Schmidt rounded out the girls podium, while Calvin Boone and Otto Schmidt did the same for the boys. Team titles (obviously) went to St. Paul Highland Park, with the St. Paul Central girls and Minneahaha Academy boys earning a trip to State as well. Results linked in, along with photos from the pursuit races.
Minnesota Section 1 Championships Coverage
February 4, 2020Hyland Lake was the venue for Section 1 racing on Tuesday, providing a very firm and fast race course. In the girls race, Brianne Brewster, Lakeville, took the classic race by six seconds over Anni Skillicorn of Winona, with Gabby Kraemer, Eastview, just 4/10s of a second back! Brewster's margin was just enough to take the girls pursuit title, holding off a charging Kramer who finished second, Skillicorn third. In the boys race, Magnus O'Connor, Prior Lake, was the first skier out, and posted the top classic time by nine seconds over teammate Tom Beyer with Jonas Trombetta, Winona, third. Trombetta passed Beyer in the pursuit, but neither were fast enough to overtake O'Connor, who won the pursuit title. Teams advancing to State: Eastview and Rosemount girls; Prior Lake and Eagan boys. Results linked in, plus photos from the classic races.
Minnesota Section 8 Championships Results
February 4, 2020Jay Richards reports: Maplelag Resort was host to Section 8 Nordic Ski Championships under a beautiful sunny day. Temperatures down to negative double digits set the deck up hard overnight making for fast conditions but warming up quickly and softening the snow as the day passed. In the girls race, Moorhead freshmen Abbie Ishaug who has come on in the Section the second half of the year, put a dominating performance in the skate race, building up a 30 second lead, and was able to hang on for the overall pursuit title over a chasing Gwendoline Youso from Bemidji, Kaisa Bosek from Alexandria and favorite Wren Scott-Lumbar from St. Cloud Tech. Ishaug's strong performance led the Moorhead girls team to it's first ever title in just five years of existence. Brainerd girls took the second spot by just one point over Alexandria. In the boys race, it was the Nemeth brothers from Sartell Cathedral stealing the show at the top as both brothers posted the same time in the skate race. The classic pursuit race saw little change in the top 10 as the Nemeth boys battled for the top spot with Zach taking the win over Will by 11 seconds after Will caught an edge on a corner near the end of the race. Jackson Grant of Little Falls took the third spot 20 seconds back from Will. Just like the girls, the racing was tight as the overall title went to defending Section and State Champs Sartell Cathedral. Second place saw a tie between Little Falls and Bemidji with Little Falls taking the win by just four seconds on the combined time of the top four skiers.
Minnesota Section 2 Championships Coverage
February 3, 2020Minnesota high school Nordic skiing sections got underway Monday with Section 2 racing at Theodore Wirth on some fast trails. Minneapolis Southwest's Sudie Hall took the morning classic victory to spot herself an 11 second margin for the pursuit race. But it was the Edina duo of Morgan Richter and Maggie Wagner that hunted Hall down by the halfway point of the 5K skate. Wagner eventually gapped Hall to take the surprising victory, Hall holding on for second with Richter third. On the boys side, Jacob Rochell-Share, Minneapolis Southwest, took the early lead with a classic victory by eight seconds over teammate Victor Sparks. In the afternoon pursuit, Sparks skated his way up to Rochell-Share with the pair leading the field until Sparks pulled away for the victory in the final stretch. Charlie Grabow collected third, completing the podium sweep for Southwest. The team competition was intense for the girls as Edina took first but Minneapolis Washburn and Eden Prairie tied on points, Eden Prairie winning the tie-breaker. Minneapolis Southwest boys handily won the title with Minneapolis Washburn second. Results linked in, plus photos from the afternoon pursuit races.
Minnesota Sections Preview
February 2, 2020Minnesota high school Nordic skiing sectional competition is this week! We breakdown all the sections and preview the favorites. Plus a new set of rankings as been posted!
Cable JNQ/CCSA Classic Races Coverage
January 26, 2020The Gitchi Gami Games wrapped up the Cable JNQ/CCSA meet on Sunday with individual start classic races. The men's 10K podium was an all-Norwegian party as NMU's Kjetil Banerud and Mathias Rolid finished 1-2 with CSS's Emil Book Bratbak losing to Banerud in a photo finish to collect third. MTU's Sarah Goble continued her strong season taking the women's 10K, teammate Oda Hovland, Norway, second and NMU's Malin Boergesjoe, Sweden, third. Top U16 juniors were Noah Straka and Sylvia Meza. Results linked in along with photos from Jackie Schneider of the 10K races.
Cable JNQ/CCSA Freestyle Sprints Coverage
January 25, 2020The Great Lakes Junior National Qualifying division along with a few of the CCSA collegiate teams competed in freestyle sprint races, the Gitchi Gami Games, at the Birkie Trailhead Saturday. Maria Schoening, UWGB, had a dominating day taking each of her heats and winning the women's final by four seconds over Mae Barnes, CSS, with Annika Viren, CSS, third. Jackson Adler, UWGB, edged out teammate Sam Myers in the men's final with Jack Christianson, CSS, third. U16 titles went to Owen Williams and Ashley Grossklaus. Results linked in, along with photos from Jackie Schneider.
Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing Rankings - Round 4
January 20, 2020Finally, a fresh batch of rankings for the Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing scene. With a lot of action in the books, there has been some significant shuffling in the rankings! Lauren McCollor, Wayzata, takes over the top girls spot, Cooper Lennox, Mora, just barely holds the boys ranking. St. Paul Highland Park girls and Forest Lake boys remain on top.
Coleraine JNQ/CCSA Classic Results
January 19, 2020Second day of racing at Mt. Itasca in Coleraine, MN, featured classic mass start events. The men's 20K came down to a battle of two Norwegians, as Mathias Rolid, NMU, and Emil Book Bratbak, CSS, were separated by just over two seconds as Rolid took the victory. MTU's Reid Goble collected third for the second straight day. NMU swept the women's 15K podium with Hilde Eide, Norway, first, Molly Miller, Canada, second, and Malin Boerjesjoe, Sweden in third. In the 10K junior races, Henry Snider and Lauren McCollor pulled off amazing victories. U16 titles were repeats of Saturday: Adrik Kraftson and Margo Nightingale the champions again.
Coleraine JNQ/CCSA Freestyle Results
January 18, 2020The Midwest division of the Junior National competition competed along with the Central Collegiate Ski Association (CCSA) in freestyle races on the trails at Mt. Itasca in Coleraine, MN, Saturday. In the women's 5K, Sarah Goble, MTU, took the victory 13 seconds ahead of Swiss native Nadine Matter, NMU, with NMU's Katerina Hyncicova, Czech Republic, in third. The men's 10K saw Norwegians Kjetil Banerud and Mathias Rolid, both of NMU, take first and second with Reid Goble, MTU, third. Top juniors on the day: Anabel Neednam, FU20; Libby Tuttle and Lauren McCollor tied as the best FU18; Henry Snider, MU20; Jasper Johnston, MU18. In the U16 division, Adrik Kraftson and Margo Nightingale had the top times.
U23 World Championship Team Announced
January 15, 2020With US Nationals conclusion the previous week, US Ski and Snowboard has finally announced the U23 World Championship team that will be competing in Oberwiesenthal, Germany, at the end of February. The Midwest will be strongly represented by Zak Ketterson (NMU), Sarah Goble (MTU) and Amanda Kautzer (MTU). The Junior Championship and U18 teams were previously announced, with Mara McCollor earning a spot on the Junior squad.
Detroit Lakes Invite Results
January 10, 2020Jay Richards reports: Maplelag Resort was host to the 26th Annual Detroit Lakes Invitational on Thursday which included most of the schools from Section 8. The unique 9km continuous pursuit featured separate classic and skate courses and provided an opportunity for racers to preview segments for the upcoming Sectional race. In Varsity boys race, Nick Youso took top honors over Jackson Grant of Little Falls followed by Jack Lee of Moorhead. Girls Varsity saw 9th grader Abbie Ishaug of Moorhead taking the win followed by Elle Juranek and Lililiana Schaeffer, both of Brainerd. Team titles went to the Little Falls boys and Brainerd girls.
US Nationals Classic Sprints Coverage
January 7, 2020US Nationals in Houghton, MI, wrapped up on the Mich Tech trails Tuesday with classic sprints. Canadian Julien Locke won the men's sprint final, with Hunter Wonders second overall and the US Champion, Luke Jager third. Hailey Swirbul added to her Nationals haul, taking the women's title with Caitlin Patterson second and Alayna Sonnesyn third. Junior titles went to Lane Myshrall and Emma Albrecht. Results linked in, photos by Chris Schmidt featured later tonight.
U.S. Teams Named for World Junior Championships and U18 Championships
January 6, 2020Based on the results from US Nationals, US Ski and Snowboard has named the teams for World Junior Championships in Oberwiesenthal, Germany and the U18 Scandinavian Championships in Falun, Sweden. Making the World Junior team from the Midwest is Mara McCollor!
US Nationals Classic Race Coverage
January 5, 2020A snowy Sunday for the mass start classic races at US Nationals in Houghton, Michigan. In the men's 30K, a lead pack of roughly 25 broke apart on the final lap as Erik Bjornsen and Kyle Bratrud pulled away, Bjornsen out double poling Bratrud to take the men's title. Bratrud was second, and two more Midwesterners were in the top 5 as Ian Torchia took third, Adam Martin fifth. The women's 20K saw star Hailey Swirbul pushing the pace and taking the victory with Caitlin Patterson edging out Finland's Riitta-Liisa Roponen for second. Rosie Frankowski was the top Midwest in 5th. In the junior womens 7.5K race, the trio of Sydney Palmer Leger, Sophia Laukli, Kendall Kramer made a decisive move in the opening 2K and went on to finish in that order. Former Minnesota state champ Mara McCollor made a great late charge, finishing 5th at the line. And in the final event on the date, the junior mens 10K featured one of the World Junior Championship gold medalists, Luke Yager, taking the win as JC Schoonmaker was second, Zanden McMullen third. LNR's Roger Anderson was the top Midwest skier in 18th. Results linked in, along with nearly 800 photos from the four events and another 325 images from Jackie Schneider.
Mesabi East Invite Results
January 4, 2020Nearly 900 skiers turned out for the biggest high school meet in the nation at the Mesabi East Invite Saturday. Taking to the challenging terrain of the Giants Ridge trail system, skiers competed in 5k classic and freestyle events. Taking top honors on the day, Anni Skillicorn, Winona, and Adrik Kraftson, Stillwater for the classic races; Jordan Parent, Forest Lake, and Jasper Johnston, Ely for the freestyle events. Team titles were swept by the Forest Lake crew.
US Nationals Freestyle Race Coverage
January 3, 2020Near perfect conditions on Friday with temps in the 20s at the Michigan Tech trails in Houghton for the US Nationals freestyle individual start races. Kyle Bratrud secured yet another national championship title with a rocket fast performance, besting yesterday's sprint star Gus Schumacher by 13 seconds, with another Midwest native, Ian Torchia and Erik Bjornsen tying for third. In the women's race, Olympic medalist Riitta-Liisa Roponen topped the field, with Caitlin Patterson best of the US, and Alayna Sonnesyn standing on another podium in third. Results linked in, along with photosets posted.
US Nationals Freestyle Sprints Coverage
January 2, 2020Opening day of US Nationals saw Midwesterners take to the podium in the freestyle sprint competition. Alayna Sonnesyn (SMS) continues to show herself strong in all competitions, Thursday sprinting to second place in the womens' final as Hailey Swirbul (APU) won with Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury) third. In the men's final, junior sensation Gus Schumacher (AWS) took the victory while Minnesota native Ben Saxton (SMS) notched second, and Bill Harmeyer (UVM) was third. In the junior heats, James Kitch (Harvard) won the final heat for the guys (Anders Sonnesyn third), Waverly Gebhardt (UVM) for the gals. Results linked in along with photosets.
CXC Year-End Fundraising Drive
December 30, 2019CXC's end-of-year drive is wrapping up but still needs your support to reach their goal! Help sustain and expand ski opportunities for all ages and abilities through their youth and junior athlete support, club development, coaches' eduction, Nordic Rocks program, and adaptive program.
Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing Rankings - Round 3
December 29, 2019After a little holiday break, we dive into the recent results and crank out a new set of rankings. A little shuffling in the individuals, but Cooper Lennox and Libby Tuttle remain firmly entrenched at the top. The Forest Lake boys and St. Paul Highland girls hold the #1 spot.
Minnesota World Cup: Team Ticket Sales Promotion
December 27, 2019World Cup organizers for the March 2020 event in the Twin Cities are seeking to help increase the spectator field with a new promotion. Any high school, collegiate, or community ski clubs thatsells 100 or more World Cup tickets will be given their own space in the World Cup course interior to use for their own benefit. And the team that sells the most tickets receives a special Grand Prize.
XCountryLive: Livestream of US Nationals and More
December 24, 2019XCountryLive will be livestreaming all the events from US Nationals in Houghton, MI, in early January. A single season pass provides access to the coverage, along with Kortelopet, American Birkebeiner, and US Junior Nationals!
Houghton JNQ/CCSA Classic Distance Coverage
December 22, 2019The weekend series on the Michigan Tech trails in Houghton wrapped up Sunday with classic distance races. Ian Torchia stretched out the lead pack en route to taking the men's 10K victory with NMU's Kjetil Banerud second and Zak Ketterson third. Alayna Sonnesyn won the women's 10K, a full 40 seconds ahead of NMU's Malin Boerjesjoe with Sophia Mazzoni third. Cooper Lennox and Libby Tuttle posted the top high school times. U16 5K winners were Molly Moening and Adrik Kraftson. Results linked in, along with photos from Chris Schmidt.
Houghton JNQ/CCSA Freestyle Sprints Coverage
December 21, 2019Warming up the courses for US Nationals in January, skiers took to the Michigan Tech trails on Saturday for freestyle sprint races. Zak Ketterson, sporting his US Ski Team suit, hammered out the fastest qualifying time and then bested the men's final field for the title. Alayna Sonnesyn had an equally strong performance, crushing the qualification field and then taking the women's final. Alex Nemeth and Elsa Viren won the U20/U18 sprints, Adrik Kraftson and Molly Moening took the U16 finals. Results linked in now, along with photos from Christopher Schmidt.
CXC Year-End Fundraising Drive
December 20, 2019CXC's end-of-year drive is underway! Help sustain and expand ski opportunities for all ages and abilities through their youth and junior athlete support, club development, coaches' eduction, Nordic Rocks program, and adaptive program.
TCNSC/Mpls Conf Meet Coverage
December 18, 2019Brad Moening reports: The Minneapolis Ski Conference and the Twin Cities Nordic Ski Conference skate raced on the Skyline Trail at Wirth on Tuesday. A broken sewer pipe at the start/finish line provided a unique ambiance with many skiers deciding to go with their #2 skis. The 2K loop was full (looked like the Birkie) with about 350 racers. Senior Calvin Boone from Highland Park won the boy's race, leading his team to a first place finish. The Central Boys finished second. Highland Sophomore Molly Moening darted around the traffic to win the girl's race with teammate Celeste Alden right behind. The Highland girls finished first and the Washburn girls were second. Results posted, along with some race video.
Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing Rankings - Round 2
December 16, 2019The season's first Junior National Qualifying races were held last weekend in Duluth, and that combined with some early season meets, has given us some data to rework the rankings. While nothing has changed at the top, there are a number of significant moves in the individual rankings this week.
Duluth JNQ Classic Sprints Coverage
December 15, 2019Crisp morning temps forced the delay of events on Sunday but once the action got underway, there was some tight competition in the classic sprints at Grand Ave in Duluth. Cooper Lennox, Mora, posted the top qualifying time and kept those fast skis running all the way to the mens U18/U20 title. Mae Barnes of St. Scholastica absolutely crushed the womens U18/U20 sprint field, posting a qualifying time 12 seconds faster than the rest of the field, and then winning the final by almost four seconds. U16 titles went to Owen Williams, Iola, and Jordan Parent, Forest Lake. Results linked in now, photos coming later tonight.
Duluth JNQ Freestyle Coverage
December 14, 2019The Midwest Junior National Qualifying racing got underway on Saturday with mass start freestyle races in Duluth, utilizing the new Grand Ave facility. In the women's race, Libby Tuttle powered away from the field to take the victory by 30 seconds with Hannah Bettendorf second, Lauren McCollor third. In the U18 and above men's race, College of St. Scholastica swept the podium with Emil Book Bratbak first, August Schatzlein second, and Nick Matelich third. Cooper Lennox was the top high school and U18 skier, finishing 5th overall. In the U16 division, Noah Straka and Jordan Parent collected the titles. Results linked in and photos from Jackie Schneider and Hansi Johnson posted!
Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing Rankings - Round 1
December 8, 2019It's finally here -- we post our first round of Minnesota high school rankings! Coming as no surprise, King and Queen are Cooper Lennox, Mora, and Libby Tuttle, Stillwater. Teams starting out at the top are the St. Paul Highland Park girls and Forest Lake boys.
High School Racing Underway!
December 4, 2019The Minnesota high school racing season is underway and the SEC conference scores the first post results of the season! Racing at Como golf course on Tuesday, Libby Tuttle, Stillwater, narrowly edged out Jordan Parent, Forest Lake, for the victory, with Ella Niznik, Forest Lake third. The boys race was even closer as Forest Lake's Ethan Erickson bested Stillwater's Adrik Kraftson by a single second, with Nick Parent of Forest Lake taking third.
Both NWSC groups were in action on Wednesday, you'll find all these results in our high school section.
Mesabi East Invite Info Posted
December 3, 2019The big Mesabi East Invite, the largest high school meet in the nation, is scheduled for Jan 4th at the Ridge. Full meet information has been posted including registration details and the popular spaghetti feed.
St. Scholastica Open House Event Dec 13-14
December 2, 2019With the season's first JNQ/CCSA race in Duluth at the Grand Avenue venue next weekend, Dec 13-14, the College of St. Scholastica will be hosting an open house event for prospective students and families on both Friday and Saturday evenings. RSVP requested.
Minnesota Skiers Snowbound in Yellowstone
November 29, 2019Duluth area skiers are getting an extra day on snow in West Yellowstone as some bus drivers are opting to delay the return trip home due to the weekend storm.
Annual Fall Coaches Assn Meeting this Weekend in Mora
October 23, 2019The annual fall Minnesota State High School Nordic Skiing Association meeting will be held this Saturday, Oct 26th, at the Vasaloppet Nordic Center in Mora. The big topic on the agenda this fall is the approval of a new State Meet format which will include team sprints! Other topics include waxing restrictions, access to man-made snow, adaptive skiers inclusion, and season dates.
New Moon: Tuesday Evening Dryland Workouts
October 19, 2019New Moon is offering a free community workout (and potlock dinner) on Tuesday evenings, beginning this Oct 22nd and running into late November. Come out and kickstart your Nordic ski training with a fun group workout.
Minneapolis World Cup Tickets are Now on Sale!
October 18, 2019Dreaming of seeing all those famous elite skiers racing in your backyard? The World Cup is coming to Minneapolis in March and tickets are on sale now. Limited numbers available, so don't delay!
Endurance United Junior Cup Meeting Tuesday Evening
September 20, 2019Interested or planning to race in the Junior Cup races this winter? Or wondering what the Junior Cup races are? Attend an info meeting on Tuesday evening, Sept 24th at the EU Offices in St. Paul.
MSHSL Considering Admission Fees for State Meet
September 19, 2019Facing an over $400K deficit, the Minnesota High School League is considering charging admission fees for events that have traditionally been free, including cross-country running and Nordic skiing championships.
US Biathlon Nominates 2020 Youth Olympic Games Athletes
August 27, 2019Six young biathlon athletes have been nominated by U.S. Biathlon for spots on the team for the Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020. Included in the six is Minnesota native Kaisa Bosek, from Alexandria.
Midwest Coaches Sought for Spring Trips
August 27, 2019Coaching and support positions have been posted for the spring junior trips including Junior Nationals, U16 Championships and U18 Trip. Applications are due by Oct 1st.
Ringer Roll Set for Friday, August 9th
August 2, 2019The annual Ringer Roll rollerski race at Baker Park will be this Friday morning, August 9th. The event features the top juniors and masters from around the area, competing on a 10K asphalt trail course. Registration is open now.
CXC: Dan LaBlanc Named CXC Youth Director
August 2, 2019Central Cross Country Skiing has named Dan LaBlanc as it's new youth director. LaBlanc will oversee an award-winning youth sports program including CXC's Nordic Rocks for Schools and Parks.
National U16 Camp Coverage
July 24, 2019The National U16 Camp is being held this week in Duluth, with top juniors from across the United States training along the North Shore, based out of the College of St. Scholastica. On Wednesday morning, the group hit the Munger State Trail to work on classic rollerski technique through a series of four stations. In the afternoon, the group used the Scholastica fieldhouse to execute a strength test session (pullups, situps, pushups, box jumps and dips).
CXC: Athletes Invited To Regional Elite Camp
July 6, 2019The top elite junior athletes in Central Region will have a unique training opportunity this July. Invited athletes will take part in a six-day Regional Elite Group Camp under the leadership of both Central Cross Country Skiing and U.S. Ski Team staff.
CXC: Introductory Summer Camps for Aspiring Racers
May 29, 2019Central Cross Country Skiing's summer camp lineup features a wide array of programs from newcomers to elite. Foremost among the programs coming up this summer is the annual series of Igor Legacy Camps designed for newcomers to cross country ski racing offering skills, camaraderie with friends and fun.
CXC Congress Recap
May 7, 2019Clubs and leaders from around the Central Region came together for a weekend of collaboration at the Central Cross Country Skiing's CXC Congress April 25-28 in Eau Claire. The four days of meetings and workshops were highlighted by the presentation of awards to regional coaches and officials.
2019 Collegiate Tally Board
May 5, 2019We've fired up the collegiate tally board for the class of 2019. Let us know your college plans so we care share with the rest of the skiing community!
NNF: Join the Board
May 1, 2019The National Nordic Foundation is seeking candidates for their board of directors! Help support junior development across the US by lending your experience and expertise to this valuable organization. Application deadline is May 12th.