On Thursday, December 17,
nine cross-country ski teams from the Arrowhead Region converged upon a nordic oasis at Mt. Itasca in Coleraine, MN. It was the Vikings’ first competition of the 09-10 season. The results portend to a successful future for our young team.
The Viking Nordic skiers fared well on the manmade snow at Mt. Itasca in Coleraine, MN. Left: Audrey Summers wowed the crowd with a decisive first-place finish in the junior high 3k race. Below left: Ben Seaton was the third-place finisher in the junior high boys’ race. Below right: Following Ben with a seventh-place finish was Joe Rauzi.
Mt. Itasca is just about the only place in Northern Minnesota right now where ski-able trails can be found as we endure this arid start to winter. It is a facility where the U.S. Biathlon Team currently trains; therefore, a loop of at least 2.5 challenging kilometers of well-groomed, manmade snow winds through the woods.
This event was a classic-style competition, where skiers keep their skis kicking and gliding along in parallel ski tracks. Because the snow was manmade, it posed particular challenges to finding the right kick wax to apply to the kick zone under the skier’s foot on the ski. Kudos to Head Coach Mark Summers, who left several hours ahead of the team to explore waxing options, and he definitely hit upon a winning selection!
Photos by Kelly Rauzi
And now for the results, where the junior high teams deserve a large portion of the spotlight:
First of all, Audrey Summers, the only Viking junior high girl opting to race the 3k, wowed the entire crowd with a decisive first-place victory over a field of 52 skiers. She finished 31 seconds ahead of the second-place competitor from Grand Rapids.
Second, the Vikings’ junior high boys, as a team, narrowly won their 3k event, nudging past powerhouse teams Grand Rapids and Bemidji. A total of 43 skiers competed in this event. For the Vikings, Ben Seaton placed third, Joe Rauzi, seventh; Hank Bemlot, eighth; Lino Rauzi, 11th; Nate Carlson, 16th; Pete Summers, 19th; Joey Chmelik, 23rd; and Ben Resek, 36th. For Joe, Lino, Pete, and Ben Resek, it was the first time each had competed in a high school sanctioned classic ski race.
In the girls’ JV 5k competition, the Vikings again fielded only one competitor, Karlee Axtell, who finished 28th.
Three Viking boys competed with 31 other JV skiers in that 5k race. Alex Ditmanson placed 12th; Daniel Ditmanson, 22nd; and Jordan Zunker cruised in to 26th.
Finally, two of our ninth graders skied in the Varsity 5k competition and deserve recognition for their strong finishes. Shelby Ahrendt raced first, placing 16th in a field of 29. Kieran Scannell came in 14th out of 41. Both were the fastest ninth graders at the varsity level, and they are looking forward to continued and increasing success as the season continues.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
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