The snow on the course was soft at the classic ski race in Ely on Saturday, December 18, but the Cook County Nordic ski team skied strong. Ninth-grader Audrey Summers finished 24th, in the front of the pack in her varsity race.
The Cook County Nordic ski team traveled to Ely for classic-style ski race Saturday ,December 18. Conditions were cool and calm with fresh snow at the Hidden Valley course. It should have been a perfect day to race, but for some reason the trails were not holding the tracks. Everyone struggled with soft snow on the course and it took its toll. Many skiers fell and lost precious time.
Thegirls’ varsity skiers were first up and Shelby Ahrendt was No. 1 out of the chute. Having No. 1 on your bib is hard since there’s nobody to pace, chase or pass. She had a good race despite the rough course and finished 11th. Audrey Summers finished 24th but still in the front half of the pack.
Hank Bemlott and Ben Seaton raced varsity boys, finishing right next to each other as usual in 30th and 31st. Alex Ditmanson and Levi Axtell were in the medals with top 10 finishes for JV and Joey Chmelik was not far behind in his first JV race. Theenergizer bunny Cheyenne Sorlie finished her first JV race with a big smile on her face.
Many of the members of last season’s sixth grade group, dubbed “the posse,” have moved away or left the team. However, the remaining members—Cook County skier Will Seaton and Joe Rauzi, now of Duluth East, congratulated one another after the race at Ely.
Nate Carlson and Will Seaton just missed the medals at 12th and 13th in the Junior High race and Dylan Deschampe finished his first race in style.
The Ely team took the top places in all varsity and JV races. They are an impressive, dedicated team and skied well on their home course.
Overall it was a great day and everyone showed improvement over last week. Hard work, good coaching and a positive attitude show in the results of the ski team.
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