Looking determined, Cook County sophomore Cecilia Chmelik gets off to a good start in the girls’ 5.5K junior varsity race. Cecelia finished strong in the event, crossing the line in 28 minutes and 28 seconds to take 42nd place. Photos courtesy of Becky Bartol
On Thursday, December 19 the Cook County contingent of the Two Harbors/ Cook County Nordic ski team set out to its first meet of the season on a beautiful, starry morning. The small but enthusiastic team joins with the Two Harbors contingent as a cooperative team. As we’ve had good snow since Thanksgiving, our team has been putting in time on skis, practicing at Pincushion. Now it was time to re-connect with our Two Harbors teammates.
After arriving at the Pine Valley Recreation Area in Cloquet, team members, coaches and parents were able to get in a practice ski and reported the course “beautiful” with perfect temperatures and snow conditions. Our skiers were looking forward to getting their first recorded times of the season.
The Two Harbors/Cook County team did not field any varsity boys, so our varsity girls were the first ones out. Cedar Gordon (TH) and Leah Christiansen (TH) were the top finishers for the Two Harbors/ Cook County team in the 5.5K race. They placed 25th and 27th respectively out of a roster of 37 skiers. Kudos to these girls who serve as captains on the Two Harbors team. They were very helpful in mentoring the younger team members.
Olya Wright navigates a downhill on the Cloquet crosscountry ski trail at a recent high school and junior high Nordic skiing event. Olya, an 8th grader, placed 13th in the 2.5K junior high race. Photos courtesy of Becky Bartol
Cecilia Chmelik (CC), a sophomore, was the only team member to ski for the junior varsity (JV) girls. This is CeCe’s second year on the team. She was consistent throughout the 5.5K course and finished strong in 42nd place with a time of 28:28. Cecilia serves as one of the team captains for Cook County and enthusiastically encourages her younger teammates during practice sessions.
Danny Berka, a freshman, has been looking forward to his second year skiing by getting out there and competing. Danny also skied 5.5K for junior varsity boys. Although his enthusi- asm got him a little winded initially, coach Dave Bartol observed him regroup at the midpoint to continue to an energetic finish. Danny finished 35th with a time 25:04.3. The top finisher for any TH/CC skier during this day of racing was Ian Thorpe (TH) who finished 12th in the JV boys’ race.
Our junior high girls competed well in their first race with the team. They skied a 2.5K course. Olya Wright (CC, 8th grade) placed 13th in 11:46.8, while Martine Redshaw (CC, 8th grade) placed 19th with a time of 12:13.9. Coach Bartol observed that both girls easily maneuvered around several other skiers. They were the top finishers in this race for the TH/CC team, placing in the top quarter out of 73 participants.
The TH/CC team had the most participants in the junior high boys’ race. They also skied the 2.5K distance. Kaleb Berka (CC), a seventh-grader, was the top racer from the TH/CC team. He skied an excellent race throughout and finished in 16th in 11:37.6. This also placed him in the top quarter of 67 skiers.
Rounding out our Cook County team was Naomi Tracy-Hegg, seventh grade, who served as our team photographer. We are looking forward to her participation in future meets.
Head coaches for this year are Dave and Becky Bartol; technical coach is Dr. Kurt Farchmin; and assistant coach is Jeanne Wright. The team would like to especially thank ISD 166 and the North Superior Ski and Run Club for supporting this dedicated team. Thank you also to the businesses such as Caribou Highlands, who purchased wreaths during our wreath sale. The proceeds are used to purchase team equipment and help ensure that any skier can participate by providing ski equipment.
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