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Steamboat Springs High School Nordic skiers continue to earn state-qualifying finishes

John F. Russell

Tennessee Pass race results

Womens 5K skate race

1 Maddie Donovan, 20:22, Vail Mountain School

2 Chelsea Moore, 21:38, Aspen

3 Katie Oldham, 21:49, Colorado Rocky Mountain School

11 Annika Malacinski, 23:28, Steamboat

42 Jenny Adler 28:09, Steamboat

49 Macayla Scheidt, 28:59, Steamboat

56 Loren Requist 30:28, Steamboat

64 Shilo Lottes, 31:24, Steamboat

69 Claire Treverse,32:45, Steamboat

95 Emily Hobson, 42:03, Steamboat

Mens 5K skate race

1 Tyler Scholl, 18:08, Middle Park High School

2 Eric Zdechlik, 18:37, Vail Mountain School

3 Franklin Reilly, 18:45, Battle Mountain

35 Tanner Richard, 22:24, Steamboat

37 Andrew McCawley, 22:47, Steamboat

38 Gabe Rabenal, 22:49, Steamboat

44 Mitch Meissner, 23:09, Steamboat

50 James Bradley, 23:35, Steamboat

52 Quinn Wellman, 23:51, Steamboat

63 Eric Phalen, 24:57, Steamboat

65 Alex Coffey, 25:01, Steamboat

68 Liam Hahn, 25:14, Steamboat

74 Dane Freckleton, 25:39, Steamboat

83 Ben Andersen, 26:26, Steamboat

89 Wyatt Reynolds, 27:12, Steamboat

— The members of the Steamboat Springs High School Nordic ski team took on the high elevations of Tennessee Pass last weekend and returned home with more state-qualifying finishes.

“We skied a really hilly, tough course at elevation,” coach Jess Wilkins said. “I got to see most of the finishes, and I could see the effort on the faces of everyone of our skiers. Some of them were unhappy with the times, but with the type of effort I saw out there I think this was a very positive experience.”

Both the boys and girls teams placed eighth out of 12 teams at the meet.



The girls were led by Annika Malacinski, who was taking part in her first race of the season. She placed 11th and finished in a state-qualifying time of 23 minutes, 28 seconds. She was followed by Jenny Adler, who finished in 28:09 to place 42nd.

In the first race of the season on Jan. 7, Adler qualified for state in the classic event, and her time on Saturday qualified her for state in the freestyle event.



Other Steamboat finishers included Macayla Scheidt, who finished 49th, Loren Requist, 56th, Shilo Lottes, 64th, and Claire Traverse, 69th.

On the boys side, it was Tanner Richard leading the team in 35th place with a state-qualifying time of 22:24.

He was followed in Saturday’s race by Andrew McCawley, who competed in both Alpine and Nordic events, in 37th place and Gabe Rabenal in 38th. Those skiers along with Mitch Meissner, 44th, James Bradley, 50th, and Quinn Wellman, 52nd, all qualified for state in the freestyle event.

Richard, McCawley, Meissner and Alder are now qualified in both the classic and freestyle events.

“That was definitely what I was shooting for at the start of the season,” Richard said of qualifying in both events. “As a team, we want to qualify as many people as possible for the state meet.”

In order to qualify for state the racers must post a state-qualifying time and must also race in two or the three races in that discipline.

Steamboat competed in a classic race Jan. 7 at Snow Mountain Ranch where several skiers qualified for state in classic ski race.

Alder, Richard, Meissner and McCawley still need to compete in at least one more classic race, and one more freestyle race to make the final state cut.

Traverse, Matai Curzon and Liam Hahn have qualified for the classic event and simply need to show up for the Feb. 4 pursuit race, which combines freestyle and Nordic, or the final regular-season race on Feb. 11 at the Frisco Nordic Center to earn the right to ski at state.

Other Steamboat skiers hoping to make the cut in freestyle will have to post a state-qualifying time Jan. 28 or Feb. 4, and those wanting to make the cut in classic will need a state-qualifying time in the Feb. 4 or Feb. 11 races.

The state championships are slated to be held in Steamboat Springs Feb. 23 and 24. Those races will include Nordic freestyle and classic races as well as slalom and giant slalom on the Alpine side.

“It’s going to be amazing,” Richard said of hosting the state meet. “I’m not sure if they have had state here before, but this has to be one of the biggest high school Nordic races our town has ever put on. We want to show the other schools in the state that we can put on a great event, and it will be fun to be a part of it.”

Richard, who is a junior in his third year with the high school team, said high school has offered him a different experience than the one he got while racing with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club a few years ago.

“They are both very competitive, but high school ski racing offers a very different team dynamic,” Richard said.

The team will be off this weekend but will return to action on Jan. 28 with an individual state freestyle race at Maloit Park in Minturn.

To reach John F. Russell, call 970-871-4209, email jrussell@SteamboatToday.com or follow him on Twitter @Framp1966


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