State Nordic Ski Racing Meet
Duluth East boys seek fifth consecutive state championship;
Hopkins girls look for second consecutive state title

Both the Duluth East boys’ and Hopkins girls’ championship teams return to defend their titles at the 2002 State Nordic Ski Racing Meet this week, each with a strong core of veterans from last year’s competition. New champions will emerge in the boys’ individual events. Anders Osthus of Duluth East, who swept the 2001 individual honors, graduated last spring. In the girls’ races, Lindsay Williams of Hastings returns to defend her pursuit and classical titles. A new champion will emerge in the freestyle race.

The state meet is scheduled Friday, Feb. 15, at Giants Ridge in Biwabik, with races beginning at 10 a.m. This is the second year the meet involves only two race categories – classical and freestyle – for both boys and girls. Team members are eligible to ski in either event or both events. The team scoring is determined by adding the scores of each team’s top four classical skiers and the top four freestyle skiers. Skiers who compete in both events are eligible for pursuit awards.

In addition to the advancing teams, each section also qualifies eight individual skiers - two are classical only, two are freestyle only, and four will ski in both races. All skiers in the meet are eligible for individual awards.

Boys’ Highlights
In the boys’ team competition, six of last year’s eight qualifying teams return. That contingent includes a very experienced four-time defending champion Duluth East (Section 7) team. The other returning teams are: Forest Lake (Section 2), fifth; Roseville Area (Section 3), third; St. Louis Park (Section 5), eighth; Hopkins (Section 6), runner-up last year; and Grand Rapids (Section 8), sixth. The other qualified teams are Hastings (Section 1) and St. Cloud Cathedral (Section 4).

Duluth East returns with four veterans from last year’s championship effort: seniors Bjorn Batdorf, Adam Van Straten, Nathan Holst, and Kai Salmela. Kurt Farchmin, Chris Lund and Jason Kask are the new members of the Greyhound squad.

In the classical race, seven of last year’s Top 10 finishers return: Dan Skold of Hopkins, runner-up; Bjorn Batdorf of Duluth East, third; Dan Whipple of Blaine, fourth; Doug Stafki of Forest Lake, sixth; Steve Scott of St. Paul Academy and Summit School, seventh; Evan Ray of St. Paul Academy and Summit School, ninth; and Nathan Holst of Duluth East, 10th. Batdorf is seeking his second title in the classical race. He won the event in 2000.

In this year’s freestyle race, five of the 2001 Top 10 non-seniors return: Bjorn Batdorf of Duluth East, runner-up; Garrett Heath of Winona/Winona Cotter, third; Dan Whipple of Blaine, fourth; Dan Skold of Hopkins, fifth; and Evan Ray of St. Paul Academy and Summit School, 10th.

Six of the Top 10 finishers return in the pursuit event: Duluth East’s Bjorn Batdorf, runner-up; Hopkins’ Dan Skold, third; Blaine’s Dan Whipple, fourth; St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s Steve Scott; Winona/Winona Cotter’s Garrett Heath, eighth; and St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s Evan Ray, 10th. The pursuit performances are determined by each skier’s combined classical and freestyle times.

Girls’ Highlights
In the girls’ team competition, five teams return from the 2001 field, including defending champion Hopkins (Section 6). The Royals return with five veterans from last year: senior Jenny Horvig, junior Courtney Dauwalter, and sophomores Heidi Loosen, Shannon Bergstedt and Ashley Pletcher. The two newcomers for Hopkins are junior Stephanie Block and eighth-grader Kalie Danielson.

Also returning from the 2001 meet are: Stillwater Area (Section 2), fourth; Roseville Area (Section 3), runner-up; Duluth East (Section 7), third; and Grand Rapids (Section 8), sixth. The other three qualifying teams are Hastings (Section 1), Elk River Area (Section 4), and Robbinsdale Armstrong (Section 5).

Hastings’ Lindsay Williams returns to defend her title in the classical race. Five additional Top 10 finishers also return: Heidi Hittner of White Bear Lake Area, fifth; Johanna Winters of Roseville Area, sixth; Laura Edlund of Forest Lake, seventh; Stephanie Howe of Forest Lake, eighth; and Sonne Nordgren of Stillwater Area, 10th.

Hastings’ Williams is also the highest returning Top 10 finisher in the freestyle race. She placed third in 2001. Six additional Top 10 finishers also return for this year’s race: Hopkins’ Courtney Dauwalter, fourth; Stillwater Area’s Sonne Nordgren, sixth; Burnsville’s Jenny Wygant, seventh; White Bear Lake Area’s Heidi Hittner, eighth; Roseville Area’s Katie Somers, ninth; and Roseville Area’s Johanna Winters, 10th.

Seven of last year’s Top 10 pursuit finishers return, including defending champion Williams of Hastings. Other returning Top 10 competitors are: Heidi Hittner of White Bear Lake Area, fifth; Johanna Winters of Roseville Area, sixth; Sonne Nordgren of Stillwater Area, seventh; Courtney Dauwalter of Hopkins, eighth; Jenny Wygant of Burnsville, ninth; and Laura Edlund of Forest Lake, 10th.

The Schedule
The boys’ 5K classical race starts at 10:00 a.m., followed by the girls’ 5K classical race at 11:00 a.m. The boys’ 5K freestyle race will begin at 1:30 p.m., and the girls’ 5K freestyle race will follow at 2:30 p.m. A combined awards presentation will follow the conclusion of the final race.