Jacks, Rapids defend section ski titles

The Bemidji boys and Grand Rapids girls successfully defended their Section 8 Nordic ski titles Wednesday.

Skiing at Maplelag near Detroit Lakes, Bemidji took the boys crown by 23 points over Brainerd with Alexandria another point back in third.

Grand Rapids and Otter Tail Nordic completed the top five in a nine-team field.

All seven Bemidji skiers finished in the top 17.

Justin Tyner of Brainerd won individual honors in 26.08 finishing 12 seconds ahead of Bemidji's Waylon Manske. Hans Stadem of Brainerd took third, Matt Nistler of Bemidji fourth and Ren Keyport of Alex fifth.

Bemidji had Derek Smith ninth and Chris Gustafson 12 to complete the scoring.

They were followed by Zach Claussen, James Powell and Tommy Roetman 15-16-17.

Those seven will ski at the state at Giants Ridge Feb. 16 hoping to improve on their sixth place finish in 2006.

Tyner claimed the freestyle leg over Manske by 28 seconds.

Manske won the classical leg over Stadem by 13 seconds with Tyner another three seconds back in third.

Other state qualifiers behind Tyner, Stadem and Keyport are Anders Spidahl of Otter Tail, Lars Ellefson of the Ellefson Home School, Kirk Gilbertson of Grand Rapids, Seth Johnson of Otter Tail and Steve Gromatka of Alex.

A change in the state format this year sends only the top eight from the pursuit race to the state rather than the top eight from the freestyle and classical legs as well.

Girls race

Grand Rapids took the girls race with 384 points to 361 for Bemidji which moved up one spot from last year.

Alexandria was another 10 points back in third with Brainerd and Otter Tail Nordic rounding out the top five.

Deer River, Detroit Lakes, Ellefson Home School and Long Prairie trailed.

Addie Byrne, Raynee Degrio, Kalie Mix, Kristin Eklin, Ellen Liebe, Kelly Kjorlien and Laura Schnell make up the Rapids team.

Byrne and Bemidji's Jill Smith dominated the meet with Smith wining the classical leg by four seconds overt Byrne and Byrne taking the freestyle leg by five over Smith giving her a one second edge in the pursuit finish.

Degrio was third, Missy Erickson of Alex fourth and Mix fifth.

Maggie Manske finished eighth for Bemidji with Molly Manske 15 and Brynn Stember 18 to complete the Bemidji scoring.

Laura Rogers was 21 and Jessie Bruns 25 in a field of 44.

Laura Wagner sustained breathing problems on the bitterly cold day and was unable to finish.

Smith led the state qualifiers not on the winning team with Erickson second. Others were Katherine Mueller of Brainerd, Laura Jennen of Otter Tail, Maggie Manske of Bemidji, Summer Ellefson the Home School, Hannah McAllister of Brainerd and Ann Bergstrand of Alex.

Molly Manske was two spots shy of gaining the state, a goal well within reach her next three years.

Bemidji will also enter relay teams in Thursday's Coaches Relays taking skiers who did not qualify for the state either on the boys team or as individuals.

Last year the girls were sixth and the boys seventh in 24 team fields.

The girls, with five section starters available, would seem to have a good chance of a high finish again. The boys, minus their top seven, will likely finish in the upper half if not better.

This will be the last hurrah for the boys who graduate all but Powell this year. The girls lose only Smith and Stember.

SECTION 8

NORDIC SKI MEET

at MAPLELAG

Boys' Division

Team totals: Bemidji 377, Brainerd 354, Alexandria 353, Grand Rapids 346, Otter Tail Nordic 316, Detroit Lakes 271, Deer River 246, Long Prairie 118, Ellefson Home School 94

Bemidji team: Waylon Manske, Matt Nistler, Derek Smith, Chris Gustafson, Zach Claussen, James Powell ,Tommy Roetman

State qualifiers: Justin Tyner, Brainerd; Hans Stadem, Brainerd; Ren Keyport, Alexandria, Anders Spidahl, Otter Tail Nordic; Lars Ellefson, Ellefson Home School, Kirk Gilbertson, Grand Rapids; Seth Johnson, Otter Tail Nordic; Steve Gilbertson, Alexandria

Girls Division

Team totals: Grand Rapids 384, Bemidji 361, Alexandria 351, Brainerd 348, Otter Tail Nordic 334, Deer River 271, Detroit Lakes 270, Ellefson Home School 92, Long Prairie 59

Grand Rapids team: Addie Byrne, Raynee Degrio, Kalie Mix, Kristin Eklin, Ellen Liebe, Kelly Kjorlien, Laura Schnell

State qualifiers: Jill Smith ,Bemidji, Missy Erickson, Alexandria, Katherine Mueller, Brainerd; Laura Jennen Otter Tail Nordic, Maggie Manske, Bemidji, Summer Ellefson, Ellefson Home School, Hannah McAllister, Brainerd, Ann Bergstrand, Alexandria