With a lot of snow and well-groomed trails, Pincushion was a splendid place to hold a high school cross country ski meet. A large contingency of high school Nordic skiers descended on the Pincushion trails to take part in the Cook County Invitational Nordic ski meet held last Saturday. Above, Lance Bartol, wearing singlet 113, starts his 5.7km classic ski race. This was the first high school cross country ski meet held at Pincushion in five years. Staff photo/Laurie Johnson
The turnout was great for the Cook County Classic Invite held on Saturday, Jan. 12 at Pincushion Mountain.
More than 250 high school Nordic skiers from eight high schools participated in the high school varsity, junior varsity and junior high classic ski events held over the hilly terrain.
Jasper Johnston of Ely was the boys’ winner, skiing the 5.7-kilometer race in 17:54.3.
Gretchen Haggemiller of Duluth East was the girls’ winner over the same 5.7km course, finishing with a time of 20:35.
Cook County, who competes with Two Harbors, only had one boy in the varsity field. Lance Bartol chose to compete even though he was fighting a cold. At 5.7km, the varsity course was longer than other races he has competed in and included portions of the advanced trails.
“Lance skied technically well and had fast skis, but he did not have the lung power to push hard on the long uphills of the advanced trails,” said his mom, Becky Bartol, who also happens to be, with his father Dave, the team’s coach.
Cece Chmelik was all smiles as she double poled on a short down hill at the Cook County Classic Invitational high school Nordic ski meet held last Saturday at Pincushion. Staff photo/Laurie Johnson
Competing in the girls’ varsity were four Two Harbors skiers, Autumn Smith, who placed 38th; Leah Christensen, who finished 40th; Claire Esse, 42nd; and Brooklyn Smith, who finished 43rd.
CCHS skiers Danny Berka and Cece Chmelik were both focused and determined to race hard and consistently over the 2.7km junior high course, said Becky. “Danny knew the course well having skied it many times during practices and skied a strong race, finishing in 7th place.”
Cece raced in the 2.7km junior high girls’ race. “Her technique is improving, and she is learning how to pace herself,” said Bartol. “She is also learning when to use different techniques on the course, such as double poling or striding. With more experience, she will continue to ski faster and more efficiently.”
This was the first time in five years that Cook County held a high school Nordic ski meet, Becky said.
“Everything went smoothly,” said Bartol. “The weather was conducive for racing. The trails had an abundance of snow and were groomed expertly and the 30-plus volunteers worked well together to make it happen. We are thankful to all the volunteers and businesses that helped us create a great experience for the skiers. The race was a boon for the town as teams stopped at area restaurants and businesses before heading back home.”
Korki Nordic race
On January 15, 2019, the team competed in the Korki Nordic race, the second classic race of the season.
“Korki does not have the technically challenging hills like Pincushion trails, but the trails are narrow and windy, making passing other racers challenging,” said Bartol. “This was the third race in eight days for the Two Harbors/ Cook County team, and some had not fully recovered from Saturday’s race. There is a longer break before the next race, and the team will spend the time recovering and practicing technique.”
The kids next compete at the Snowflake Nordic in Duluth on January 25.
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