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With ample snow on the cross country ski trails the North Shore Storm has been busy preparing for the upcoming high school Nordic ski season.
Head Coach Jeanne Wright took some time from her busy schedule to answer some questions about this year’s squad which features 22 kids from Cook County and 35 kids from Two Harbors.
Q- Who are returning skiers from last year?
Returning for Cook County. Almost everyone: Valerie Hurth, Olya Wright, Martine Redshaw, Everett Hurth, Naomi Tracy Hegg, Quincy Hurth, Ethan Fish, Emma Crook, MJ Wharton, Amelia Mattson, Eero Moody, Dune Arrowsmith, and Leah Belmore.”
Q- How does the team look? (Yes, I know it’s early).
We have a young team: 13 are seventh and eighth graders. So, it is going to be fun to watch this team develop for many years to come! The team is looking pretty fit from an endurance standpoint. Many of them roller skied this summer and participated on the cross country running team. Running and skiing are complimentary sports with Cross Country skiing building upper body strength along with endurance. So, we will see these athletes getting stronger and faster every year.
Q- What are you doing for early season workouts?
Our early season workouts usually consist of two weeks of dryland training. That includes running, strength and agility training. But this year surprised us with early snow, so there have only been a couple days where we weren’t skiing. Our kids are fortunate to be on early natural snow – what a gift! And our groomers at Pincushion have been doing a great job. Many thanks to the North Superior Ski and Run Club (NSSRC), the local non-profit, that manages the trails for everyone in the community to use. And most importantly, at least to the ski team, NSSRC supports us financially. If it wasn’t for NSSRC, we wouldn’t have a High School Nordic Ski Team.
Q- When is the first meet?
December 15. It is hosted by Proctor but will most likely be held at Grand Avenue Nordic Center in Duluth.
Q- Who are the coaches on this year’s squad?
Coaches: I am the head coach. Mike Crook and Angie Robinson are returning Assistant Coaches helping five days a week. And we have two additional coaches, Patty Johnson and Rose Smith helping 1 day a week focusing on the newer skiers. Rose Smith (Thompson) used to be on the Cook County Nordic Team many years ago!
Q- Who are your captains?
The captains this year are Valerie Hurth and Olya Wright.
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