Jr High Championships / Zupko - Area Male Athlete

The Jr High Championships were Saturday at the Brainerd Arboretum.  The 6th-9th graders showed what the future leadership of the Flyers is going to look like!

RESULTS

Brainerd Dispatch article 

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Hunter got a great write-up on the Disptach and the Area Male Athlete honors last week!

SkinnySki's Section Preview:

• Section 8 Tue Feb 2 at Maplelag Resort (Callaway)

Hunter Zupko, Little Falls, has been holding off Robb Pike, Brainerd for most of the season, but that may come to an end at Maplelag.   Little Falls other star, Kendal Hendrickson will be the top American, but perhaps a Norwegian import, Celine Kjernsval, from the brand-new Moorhead squad, could post the top time for the section.  The Little Falls girls and Brainerd boys should prevail as section champs, with the Bemidji girls and Little Falls or Bemidji boys grabbing the second bid.

Read the entire preview HERE.

Section 8 Ski Meet

Date:  February 2, 2016

Location: Maplelag Resort, Callaway     DIRECTIONS

**The Maplelag Kitchen/Concessions will be available to both spectators and skiers for lunch during the break.

Teams: Alexandria, Bemidji, Detroit Lakes, Little Falls, Moorhead, Rocori, TrekNorth, Saint John’s Prep, Saint Cloud Tech, Willmar,Coop 60 - Brainerd/Pillager/ Pequot Lakes, Coop 162 - OTNSA -  Fergus Falls/Hillcrest Academy, Coop 394 - St. Cloud Apollo / Sauk Rapids Rice,  Coop 395 - St. Cloud Cathedral / Sartell

Schedule:  
9:15 Coaches Meeting
10:00 Girls Freestyle
11:00 Boys Freestyle
                        Break
1:30 Girls Classical
2:30 Boys Classical
Awards Ceremony

This is a 10 km pursuit race.  Skiers must ski both races to score.

Procedures:
1. Two skiers every 30 seconds.
2. Skiers will keep their same bib for both races.
3. Skiers will be issued a shoulder number to designate their order of departure
4. Classical skiers will self start by the large display clock.
5. An announcement will be made when Freestyle results are posted.
6. State Qualifiers: Top 2 teams, Top 6 pursuit finishers not on those 2 teams.
7. Awards: Top 2 teams, Top 10 pursuit finishers.
8. Tie Breaking – will be determined at coaches meeting.

Updated Schedule for Jr High Championships

Saturday, January 30, 2016          
Northland Arboretum, Brainerd

Race Format:  Individual races for (non-varsity) girls and boys 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th grades in freestyle skiing.  Participants in the Junior High meet are not to be on the Section team.

Starting Format:  Girl and boy ski Freestyle and Classic races will be interval starts of 3 skiers per 15 seconds.

Distance:  3.5 km for freestyle and classic skiing the same course.

Sprints: Sprint race of 1 km {1 skier per team, coaches should group their skiers by ability, this can be mixed gender if skiers wish} Edible prizes.

Schedule of Events:  
9:45     Coaches Meeting
10:15    Girls Classic Ski
11:15     Boys Classic Ski
12:15    Girls Freestyle Race
1:15      Boys Freestyle Race
2:15      Freestyle Sprint Races.
3:00     Awards

Awards:  Ribbons for Freestyle and Classic race first through eighth place in 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th & 9th grades, girls and boys. Edible prizes for sprint races.
 
Location of Trails:  The Northland Arboretum building is located through the DNR Paul Bunyan Trail parking lot north off of Excelsior Drive in Baxter.  Please park in the lower lot. The building can be used for warming and bathrooms, however skis and equipment should not be brought into the main floor of the building.

Granite Ridge Conference Championships - Results & Photos

The Flyers looked great at the Conference meet today!  The girls are conference champs and the following girls were named All-Conference (9 of the 12 total All-Conference awards!!):

Kendal
Amelia
Hannah
Nica
Molly
Catherine (Honorable Mention)
Christy (Honorable Mention)
Elizabeth (Honorable Mention)
Alice (Honorable Mention)

The boys took second in the conference and had the following All-Conference honors:

Hunter
Gunner
Brady (Honorable Mention)

All individual results are linked below:

GIRLS RESULTS
BOYS RESULTS

Brainerd Dispatch Coverage is linked HERE.

Photo Album I
Photo Album II  -- check back soon!

SkinnySki's Round 4 rankings were posted yesterday as well.

Nordic Ski Discounts at Touright

Touright Bicycle Shop is offering 20-30% off all new items during conferences, sections and all the way to the state tournament!

Bags, boots, gloves, SmartWool, jackets -- anything new!

Bemidji Invite Results & Photos

What a great day at Maplelag with some outstanding Flyer skiing!  Hunter and Kendal each took the number one spot and the teams finished strong with a first place for the girls and a second place for the boys -- behind Brainerd and ahead of Bemidji.

All of the individual and team results (varsity, JV and Jr High) are available on SkinnySki.  Looks like something went wrong with the Jr High girls results though.  Based on the photos, Andrea and I see the Flyers finishing in this order:
1. Grace
2. Claire
3. Adrienne
4. Maddie
5. Rachel P
6. Rachel J
7. Taylor
8. Lindy
9. Chloe
10. Katie
11. Emma

SkinnySki has also posted Round 3 of their High School Rankings.

Congratulations Molly Lange, named the Area Female Athlete by the Brainerd Dispatch!!

Brainerd Dispatch also covered today's meet at Maplelag.

Photo Album I
Photo Album II

Johnny Bread Invitational - Results (Jan 14)

Better late than never!  The PBJ race results from last week are now posted on SkinnySki.

We primarily had JV and Jr High at St. John's that day, though some of our girls varsity skied.  Most of the varsity teams were either at Maplelag or taking final exams.

Johnny Bread Invite Results

Regional Junior High Championship Nordic Ski Race - Jan. 30

Where:  Northland Arboretum, Brainerd, Mn    DIRECTIONS
When:   Saturday, January 30, 2016

Race Format:  Individual races for (non-varsity) girls and boys 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th grades in freestyle skiing.  Participants in the Junior High meet are not to be on the Section team.

Starting Format:  Girl and boy ski Freestyle races will be interval starts of 2 skiers per 15 seconds.

Distance:  3.5 km for freestyle skiing.

Classical:  A classic, untracked race of 2.5km {skiers starting in waves of their grade every 2 minutes, beginning with 9th grade} Prizes will be edible and handed out upon completion.  Skiers should announce their grade at the finish line.

Sprints: Sprint race of 1 km {1 skier per team, coaches should group their skiers by ability, this can be mixed gender if skiers wish} Edible prizes.

Schedule of Events:
9:45       Coaches Meeting
10:15      Girls Freestyle Ski
11:15       Boys Freestyle Ski
12:15      Girls Classic Race
12:45     Boys Classic Race
1:30       Freestyle Sprint Races.
2:30      Awards

Awards:  Ribbons for Freestyle race first through eighth place in 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th & 9th grades, girls and boys. Edible prizes for classic and sprint races.

Granite Ridge Conference Championship - Jan. 26

Who:    Mora, St. Cloud Cathedral, St John's Prep, and Little Falls
When:  Tuesday Jan 26, 2016
Where:  Andes Tower Hills, Alexandria, Mn   DIRECTIONS

The format is a Varsity Pursuit to help us better prepare for the Section meets.  Between the Pursuit races will be a JV Boys and Girls 5k skate race. This will be a time-your­-own race, with ribbons handed out at the finish. There will be no published results for JV races as this meet is a Conference Varsity competition. Unlimited entries in all events.

10:00     Coaches Meeting
10:30     ­Varsity Boys 5k Classic (2 skiers every 30 sec)
11:15­       Varsity Girls 5k Classic (2 skiers every 30 sec)
12:00     JV Boys 5k skate
12:45     JV Girls 5k skate
1:30      Varsity Boys 5k Skate Pursuit (start based on classic finish)
2:15­­­       Varsity Girls 5k Skate Pursuit (start based on classic finish)
3:15       Awards

Awards:   Top 10 skiers in Varsity Pursuit­ - All Conference
                  Next 4 skiers - ­Honorable Mention

Team scores based on top 4 finishers with #5 used as a tie-breaker

Bemidji Invite - Jan. 22

Bemidji Invitational - Pursuit Race

Our bus will leave early....I'm guessing around 7:00 or so but I haven't heard yet from the coaches.  Kids will be bringing that info home later this week.  Skiers should pack a lunch for the day since concessions won't be available to them.

Date:       Friday, January 22nd 2016
Location: Maplelag Resort, Callaway Mn   DIRECTIONS
Format:  Varsity Boys and Girls Pursuit 10k (limit 9 per team)
                 JV Boys and Girls 5k Freestyle-mass start
                 Jr High Boys and Girls 3.5k Freestyle-mass start
Teams:   Section 8

Times:
10:00   Coaches Meeting
10:30   Boys Varsity 5k Classic (2 skiers/15 sec)
            Girls Varsity 5k Classic  (2 skiers/15 sec)
12:00   Boys’ JV 5k Freestyle (Mass)
12:05   Girls’ JV 5k Freestyle (Mass)
1:00     Jr High 3.5k Freestyle (Mass)
1:05     Jr High 3.5k Freestyle (Mass)
1:00    Re-Bib -- Varsity skiers for Pursuit
1:30    Boys Varsity 5k Skate Pursuit
2:00   Girls Varsity 5k Skate Pursuit
3:15    Awards

Scoring: Top four skiers will score for team placement
Awards: Team Champions in Varsity Boys and Girls division-plaques.
In the event of a tie: Adding the top for times for winning team

1-3 place Medals & 4-10 place Ribbons for Varsity
1-10 place Ribbons for JV and Jr High

Each team will have a room in the basement level of the main lodge.  Only coaches are allowed on the main level.  Skiers should use the exterior stairway into the lodge.

Detroit Lakes Invite @ Maplelag (results & photos)

Great ski meet at Maplelag on Thursday!  Snow was falling, Molly and Hunter both took individual titles, and Claire and Kendal were back at it for the first time this year.  The girls team placed first and the boys took third.

SkinnySki's rundown is below.
Jay Richards reports: Five inches of fresh snow greeted skiers during the 17th annual Detroit Lakes Nordic Ski meet. Moderate temps and no wind made for great racing conditions as sophomore Hunter Zupko of Little Falls held off the Brainerd duo of Robert Pike and Evan Schreifels in the boys Varsity continuous pursuit. In girls varsity, eyes were on Norwegian exchange student Celine Kjernsval skiing at the new Moorhead program but it was ninth grader Molly Lange of Little Falls who took the convincing win over Morgan Sagedahl from Bemidji. Team titles went to Brainerd for the boys and Little Falls for the girls.

Results

Photo Album I

Photo Album II

Brainerd Dispatch Article

Will post results from the St. John's Meet when I have them.

Looking ahead....Bemidji has moved their Jan 23 meet to Friday the 22nd at Maplelag.

The Next Few Meets...

We had to cancel our meet at Camp Ripley on the 18th. There hasn't been enough snow for them to get their groomers out yet this year.

The tentative plan for this week is to send Varsity to Detroit Lakes on Thurs (Jan 14), and JV and Jr High to St Johns that same day.  If St Johns cancels, most skiers will go to DL.  Info is posted below for both meets.

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What: Detroit Lakes Invitational
When: 10:30 am Thursday January 14th 2016
Where: Maplelag Resort, Callaway, MN

Skiers should pack their own lunch.  Concessions will not be available to skiers.

The varsity race will be a continuous pursuit, starting with classic style and a quick change to skate at the halfway point of the race.

• The skiers may have assistance in the change over process.  
• If skiers use the same set of skis for both the classic and skate race, the skier must step completely out of the ski binding in the ski transition area before they will be allowed to continue the next leg of the race. 
• Each leg of the race will be roughly 5k in length.

JV skiers will ski a 5k classic race.
Jr. High skiers will ski a 3-4k classic race.

10:00   Coaches meeting
10:30   Boys Varsity
11:30   Girls Varsity
12:30   Boys JV
1:00     Girls JV
1:45     Boys JH
2:15     Girls JH

• Ribbons will be given out to the top 10 skiers in each race. 
• Jr High Race ribbons will be handed out at the finish.
• Top four skiers from each team will be counted for a team score. 
• The 5th skier will be used for a tiebreaker.

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What:  St. John’s Prep PBJ Ski Race

When:  Thursday, January 14, 2016

Where:  St. John’s Arboretum  

Team camps will be in the Field House hallway. Indoor bathrooms and concessions will be available.  All races are freestyle (skate).

Schedule: 

2:00  Coaches Meeting

2:30  JH boys – mass start 3k

2:45  JH girls – mass start 3k

3:15  JV boys – wave start 5k

3:35  JV girls – wave start 5k

3:55  Varsity boys– wave start 5K

4:15  Varsity girls – wave start 5K

Scoring: 

Top 4 skiers from each school combine to make the team score. 

Awards: 

Johnnie Bread/PBJ for 1st Place girls & boys varsity teams 

Johnnie Bread for top 5 finishers in each race.  

Brownies for places 6 – 10.

Mesabi East Invitational Results

Our team got in late last night after a cold day at Giants Ridge and a long bus ride back.  There were 66 teams skiing this year and ours did great!! Results are:

Girls Varsity: 13th
Boys Varsity: 24th
Girls JV: 11th
Boys JV: 10th

Full team and individual results can be found HERE.

The Mesabi Daily News has an article, but it's mostly focusing on Range skiers.  Brainerd Dispatch wrote about our local skiers.  SkinnySki's recap is:

Crisp temperatures and near perfect conditions on the Minnesota State Meet courses provided a great test for the field of 950 skiers at the Mesabi East Invite at Giants Ridge Saturday. Anders Sonnesyn, Wayzata, strided to the boys top classical time, just three seconds ahead of Ely's Seth Prigge with Joe Rauzi, Duluth East, just another second back. The Northern girls dominated the classic field as Hannah Bettendorf, Proctor/Hermantown, Erika Fox, CEC, and Erin Bianco, Ely, filled out the podium. In the afternoon skate races, just three seconds separate the award winners as William Kerker, Mpls Southwest, finished first with Jack Christianson, Mounds View, second and Mitch Delong, Copper Country (MI) third. Amanda Kautzer, Benilde-St.Margarets, proved to be the queen of freestyle as she posted a victory margin over 38 seconds over Stillwater's Rana Kraftson, followed by Duluth East's Sophie Farrow. Team titles went to the Wayzata boys and Duluth East girls.

Mora Invite Results

Seemed like everyone had a lot of fun at Mora on Tuesday night!  It was definitely a different experience with a flat course and night skiing.

St. Cloud Times and Brainerd Dispatch each have brief article and SkinnySki has posted results for Varsity, JV, and JH.

Good luck to the 19 skiers heading up to Giants Ridge on Friday for the Mesabi East XC Invitational!  Anyone interested in checking on the team on Saturday can view results in realtime HERE.

Mora Meet UPDATE

The earlier you get the meet info, the more likely it is to change!  :)  Here's the update:

There has been a significant change to tomorrow's schedule of races due to the deterioration of trail conditions.  For Varsity they've decided to run a series of 1k sprints instead of a mass start evening race.  These sprints will be started at about 4:30 so skiers who are planning on riding the minibus (leaving after school) with Joe will not be able to ski Varsity.  The JV race is scheduled for the evening instead.  

Bus times:

Big bus leaves at 1:45 from the High School

Minibus leaves at at 3:15 from the High School

New Race Schedule:

Fast-Track	4:00
Round 1: 10 heats	4:15
Jr High Boys	4:45
Jr High Girls	5:05
Round 2: 12 heats	5:25
JV- Boys	6:00
JV- Girls	6:30
Round 3B: 4 heats	7:00
B Final- Boys and Girls	7:15
A Final- Boys and Girls	7:25

Alexandria Invite: Results and Photos

Cold, windy, hilly, and a great day of skiing for the Flyers at Andes today!  Hunter Zupko took another first place for in the boys race and the boys team placed 3rd overall out of the 9 teams there. Amelia Kresha took 2nd in the girls race, just one second behind the top finisher.  We had 5 girls in the top 10, all 8 in the top 20 and a first place for the girls team.

Varsity, JV, and JH results are posted on SkinnySki

Photo Album I

Photo Album II

Brainerd Dispatch Article