We had a amazing section meet last week!  I was proud of every one of our skiers.  Congratulations to Owen and the Girls Team for qualifying for the state meet!  Pictures from Alicia and organization from Kevin led to the breakdown shown below.  I also attached the basics for the week ahead, but those going to state will receive a lot more information from me.  

Congratulations to the entire team on the individual and team success in the SEC Championships last week!  All of the hard work you put in throughout the season was put on display through first time 5K skiers, JV award winners, numerous All-Conference recognitions, two individual champions, and two straight years of both boys and girls teams getting 2nd place!  I was proud of how you handled yourselves, how you performed, and how you cheered for each other throughout the two day meet. 

The size of our team shrinks for the section meet, but everyone is welcome to come ski with the team on Monday and Tuesday and attend the team meeting on Friday.  Sections skiers should read the schedule carefully to make sure they hand over their race skis at the right time to be prepped for Thursday.
Sections Rosters:
Girls - Margot, Bria, Maddie, Noelle, Linnea, Emma, Betsy, Leah, Claire
Boys - Owen, Ian, Niko, Jackson, Riley, Ted, Hunter, Olen, Jack

Detailed Update for the week and the Classic Race tomorrow at Battle Creek.
Race Schedule / Start List

Mesabi Recap:
The Nordic ski team raced in the Mesabi Invite which is the largest high school race in the U.S. with over 750 skiers and 47 teams.  The Boys team was 12th and Girls was 14th. Owen Kalmes won first in the Varsity Classic, Riley Fields 63rd, and Ian Gamson was 71st while Jackson Ashbach was 31st, Hunter Miller 44th, and Olen Hammerbeck was 79th in Skate race.  Margot Derosier was 19th, Bria Mills 21st , and Maddie Dornfeld 42nd in Girls Classic while Claire Secord was 57th, Noelle Boyd 65th, and Emma Stupar 71st in the skate race. The JV Boys team was 6th and Girls was 12th.

Highlights:
- Classic Time Trial on Monday (Theodore Wirth Trail Map) - check the course route in the schedule
- Race on Tuesday is cancelled - no snow on the Irondale Trails 
- Multiple days where both Battle Creek and Theodore Wirth have races after school - (we'll optimize time at MVHS)
- Mesabi racers must check the Mesabi tab on this website, read everything carefully, and complete necessary tasks

Happy New Year!
The big event this week is the Sprint Relays tomorrow at Battle Creek.  The weekly schedule has important information related to the timing of busing and being released from class, however all of the critical details for the meet itself are on this spreadsheet. MV Nordic - 1/2/2025
- Please email Coach O right away if you're sick or for any other reason won't be able to race.  I will need to adjust the relay pairs. 

Hi MV Nordic!
I hope all of you have the opportunity to rest, relax, and enjoy time with your loved ones over this holiday break.  We have a much lighter schedule at the start of this week and then end it with the fun and excitement of the Alumni Race on Friday and leaving for Holiday Camp on Saturday morning!  Skiers are encouraged to attend a waxing session on either Monday morning or Friday morning.
Alumni Race - 4.5K skate:

• This is optional, but if you're in town I strongly encourage all current team members and as many alumni as possible to come race together. 
• 2:00 pm start in the lower stadium at Theodore Wirth
• Theodore Wirth Trail Map
• ~5.5K - full race (2 loops) OR ~3K short course (1 loop)
• To accommodate for sharing the trails, snow/weather conditions, and different ski abilities the following course was chosen. 
• The course will start in the Lower Stadium -> Green Meadow Loop -> Jim's Hill -> turn around at Coaches Corner.  If you're doing the short course, you go back into the stadium and finish.  If you're doing the full 5.5K you skip the stadium, take a right at the roundabout and do the same loop over again: Green Meadow -> Jim's Hill -> Coaches Corner -> Finish your 2nd loop by going back into the stadium. 
• I strongly suggest that everyone does the loop once as a part of their warm up so no one is confused about where to turn. 
• It is critically important that everyone stays respectful on the trails throughout the race.  Go the long way around and don't cut anyone off. 

Important Info for the week ahead:

• Holiday Camp 
  • Coach O'Neill has to give Giants Ridge a final roster on Monday.  Please see the email sent by Coach O with details of the trip and final deadline for signing up. 
• First Race - Holiday Relays
  • Schedule, Course, Parking Info, Etc.
  • Rosters announced at practice on Monday
• Team Pictures! - Wednesday after school

The schedule below will be updated throughout the week.  Please check back for more details about Thursday-Saturday.