The Viking boys’ and girls’ cross country ski teams had an “up and down” first meet, with Sophomore Joey Chmelik placing 11th in the JV boys race. With the arrival of snow (finally) the kids and other cross country skiers now have enough material to train on and to race on.
The first race for the Cook County Nordic ski team was a new experience for beginner and veteran skiers alike. Due to the lack of snow, the only possible way to hold a cross country ski meet would be to hold it at the downhill portion of Spirit Mountain. The Cook County Nordic team faced their first race on man-made snow.
While on the bus to the meet, Coach Mark Summers talked strategy with team members. Because the race was being held at the downhill area, he had no idea what challenges the racecourse presented.
One bit of information was known, however. The course was one kilometer long and racers would do four laps. Nordic ski races employ interval starts, with racers leaving every 30 seconds to diminish congestion on the trail. Even with the interval starts, Coach Summers knew the short onekilometer course would soon be congested and racers could lose valuable time just navigating around the many other racers. Summers also reiterated the importance, as ever, of good technique even when tired.
The racecourse at Spirit Mountain was obscured by heavy fog, adding excitement to a few difficult curves. It also made it challenging for fans to track their favorite skiers. Cook County cheered each time a racer reappeared out of the fog!
Arriving at Spirit Mountain, darkness and heavy fog obscured the racecourse. Warming up, the team discovered that the racecourse was very unusual. It was basically a long uphill and a long, steep downhill, with a mini uphill/downhill combo thrown in for fun. A few nasty curves hidden in the fog on the downhill added some excitement. This was a race for those who weren’t afraid of hills.
The varsity boys, junior Ben Seaton and sophomore Levi Axtell, were the first to attack the hills. Both had strong starts up the hill, before disappearing into the fog. Suddenly they would speed down the hill as Cook County teammates cheered. The disappearing of racers up into the fog and then speeding down and out of it was a great spectacle for the cheering crowd.
After four laps each, Ben and Levi both posted impressive results for the first race of the season. Ben placed 12th with a time of 10:29 and Levi placed 15th with a time of 10:40.
The varsity girls, sophomore Audrey Summers and junior Mara MacDonell, were excited for their first race of the season. The hills, however, were slightly intimidating. This did not prove to be a problem, with both girls racing excellently on the tough course. After the race, Audrey commented that the race hadn’t been as bad as she thought it would be.
For the first race of the season, I had to agree.
The results reflected these sentiments with Audrey placing 12th with a time of 12:14 and Mara 20th with a time of 14:35.
The last race that Cook County racers participated in was the JV boys’ race. Sophomore Joey Chmelik, freshman Nate Carlson, and 8th grader Will Seaton are all experienced racers and had fantastic races. Joey had a strong finish, good for 11th place with a time of 12:24. Nate enjoyed the downhills the racecourse offered and finished in 13th place in a time of 12:55. Will was disappointed that he was accidentally tripped during the race (supposedly by a teammate who will be unnamed), but still had a superb race finishing in 12:56, good for 14th place.
The race at Spirit Mountain was a unique experience as well as a terrific start to the season. It was great for the racers, for the teammates who came along to cheer and see just what a ski meet looks like, and for the coaches.
Since the race, the ski team has been working hard at practice. Luckily snow has been found a little way up the Gunflint Trail. While this isn’t ideal, it’s better than what most ski teams in the state have and team members are happy to be skiing. Unfortunately the snow did not come in time for our next scheduled race, the Sawtooth International here in Grand Marais. Hopefully it will arrive for the Two Harbors Invite at Korkki Nordic.
Wish for snow and wish the ski team luck!
Leave a Reply