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Martine Redshaw and her teammates focused on race starts in practice sessions. Her start at the top of Spirit Mountain paid off with a 1st place finish in the JV Girls 5K Classic race. Photo submitted by Jeanne Wright
Duluth Denfeld and the Proctor Rails hosted the Spirit Mountain Nordic Invite on Tuesday, February 23. The Two Harbors/Cook County team rounded out the three-team meet, adhering to section guidelines during the pandemic season. While we were expecting freezing rain early in the day, we enjoyed 40-degree temps and partly sunny skies instead. Well, most of us enjoyed the warm temperatures. Coach Dave Bartol had a challenge on his hands trying to come up with the right wax combination for his skiers. After several trials, coach and skiers came up with the right combo, and they were off!
The meet featured a 5k classic ski for the boys’ and girls’ varsity and junior varsity teams. A 5k skate for the junior high teams followed this. The varsity and JV skiers ended with a 5k skate category, skiing the earlier course for combined overall scores.
First out for Cook County was our JV boys’ team member, Kaleb Berka. Berka started near the back of the line-up and moved up to 5th place for the classic portion of the meet. Later on, he showed his command of the skate technique by breezing through to a first-place finish. Assistant Coach Becky Bartol mentioned how proud she is of Kaleb. As an eighth-grader on the JV team, Berka is learning to bring together determination, pacing, technique and talent. It is certainly paying off as Kaleb earned first place overall for his efforts.
Emma Crook (left) and Naomi Tracy-Hegg demonstrate friendly but serious team competition powering to the finish line during the Junior High Girls 5K. Photo submitted by Jeanne Wright
Next out for the Vikings were Varsity Co-Captains Cecilia Chmelik and Olya Wright. Wright, a freshman, started the classic race mid-way through the roster of girls and moved to a beautiful second-place finish. Chmelik, a junior, finished 15th, still looking fresh and ready for more skiing. Later in the day, the girls repeated the course in skate mode. Olya once again powered through, this time with a first-place result. She had her eye on the competition, eighth-grade powerhouse Della Bettendorf from Proctor. “However I finished, my goal was to leave her breathing hard.” She certainly did that and more! Cecilia worked steadily, supporting her team with a 17th place finish. As always, Chmelik cheerfully supported her teammates throughout the day, putting up with a lot of underclassmen antics. Overall, Olya earned second place and Cecilia 17th. Congratulations on your hard work, girls!
Next up was JV participant Martine Redshaw in her second meet of the season. Redshaw, a ninth-grader, started second in the line-up in the classic race. Martine, who prefers classic skiing, passed her competition as well as a couple of varsity girls. Learning to pace herself in competition, she observed, “I wasn’t sure I should pass so many people but felt I had the energy.” Her calculation paid off with a firstplace finish. In the last race of the day, Redshaw showed improvement in her skate technique with a second-place finish for a combined first-place result.
Midway through the meet, we were treated to a fine competition between our junior high girls. Naomi Tracy-Hegg, eighth grade, and Emma Crook, 7th grade, are gaining race experience and confidence. Both girls started at the top third of the roster. A 5K skate race is a little longer than the typical junior high course, but their regular hill work at Pincushion has helped them build endurance. It was exciting to watch the two girls pass each other a couple of times and cross the finish line nearly together. Since each skier starts 30 seconds apart, however, it is elapsed time, which determines placement. Emma finished 4th and Naomi finished 10th.
For most of our skiers, this was the last meet of the season. Coach Becky Bartol noted, “It was a great race! We are impressed with how hard each skier has worked during these crazy Covid times. All their hard work, effort and skill showed in the race. The warm weather, freshly groomed trails and great skiers made for a fitting last race of the season.”
Four Two Harbors/ Cook County team members will be attending Sections at Giants Ridge on Wednesday, March 3. Cedar Gordon (12), Cecilia Chmelik (11), Cyrus Meyers (10) and Olya Wright (9), we wish you all the best!
As Emma Crook mentioned, “Skiing is my favorite activity. I love to be outdoors. I hope we have lots of pre-season snow next year so we can get lots of practice in.” Her words resonate with many of us. Our Cook County skiers will still be out on the trails and lakes for the remainder of this season. If you see us, say “hello,” and we can thank you for your support.
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