PREP NORDIC SKIING / STATE MEET
BIWABIK - Garrett Beckrich looked out his hotel window between races at Giants Ridge on Thursday, and the Grand Rapids senior had a bad feeling.
The wind had picked up, the temperature dropped and worst of all, it was snowing.
"I was hoping it wouldn't snow, because classic skiing isn't my strong point," Beckrich said.
St. Paul Academy senior Peter Moore took advantage, denying Beckrich his quest for back-to-back state Nordic titles by finishing the freestyle and classic races in a combined 30 minutes, 16 seconds. Beckrich, the top-ranked junior biathlete in the U.S., finished fourth four seconds back.
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Wayzata senior Mara McCollor defended her girls title in 34:51.
After Beckrich won the morning freestyle, Moore started the classic race 18 seconds back but passed Beckrich only 1.5 kilometers into the 5K finale.
"It was surprising, because that's only like what, four minutes into the race?" Beckrich said. "So I knew right there that I was in trouble. I looked back, and there was just a whole pack of guys coming."
Beckrich would have become the first Northland boy to win back-to-back titles since Duluth East's Anders Osthus won in 2000-01. He was unable to train Monday and Tuesday due to trouble breathing but wasn't using that as an excuse, not wanting to take any credit away from Moore.
Ely sophomore Jasper Johnston was 11th in 31:11.8, with Cloquet-Esko-Carlton senior Aidan Ripp finishing 12th in the same time. Nobody else from the Northland was in the top 30.
Both Ripp and Beckrich were competing in their third straight state meets, with Ripp's best finish being an 11th as a sophomore.
Ripp was fourth going into Thursday's finale, 25 seconds behind Beckrich, but Ripp's final high school race was a bit of a disaster. He started slipping right from the start, quickly regretting he didn't use more wax on his skies. Later, he became entangled with another skier and spun around, a calamity unlike he could remember.
"Not the luckiest race I've ever raced," the affable Ripp said, laughing. "It was a little frustrating, and it did go through my mind, 'What a great way for my senior year to end - of course.' But it was still really fun, and there was nothing else I really could have done. I just tried to enjoy myself. We're Nordic skiers. Deal with the conditions that you have and make it fun."
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Ripp, who leaves for Vermont this morning to compete in Nordic combined, said he needs a break and probably won't run track this year. Ripp said he plans on pursuing Nordic combined for at least another year.
Beckrich, meanwhile, was the top U.S. competitor at the world junior biathlon championships two weeks ago in Slovakia, finishing 20th.
"I was really proud of that, and I didn't even shoot very well," Beckrich said.
Beckrich is going to Sweden and Norway in early March and is hoping for a top-10 finish. He remains involved with the junior national development team for biathlon, with the Olympic committee letting him take free online classes.
"There's a lot of opportunities that I have, and I'm probably looking to go somewhere down that road," he said.
Duluth East's Gretchen Haggenmiller (15th) and Clara Kramer (20th) were the Northland's top girls, with the juniors helping the Greyhounds finish seventh in the team standings.
Haggenmiller, making her third straight state appearance, was visibly spent minutes after finishing. Conditions were tougher in the afternoon, and it got to her.
"It was a little rough," she said. "I passed some skiers early but just ran out of energy and gave those spots back. I was doing pretty well, and then I hit a wall. I think I was a little wiped out from the morning."
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Minnesota Nordic Ski Meet
At Giants Ridge, Biwabik
Boys
Teams
1. Sartell-St. Cloud Cathedral, 407; 2. Forest Lake, 397; 3. Robbinsdale Armstrong, 387; 4. Stillwater, 386; 5. Minneapolis Southwest, 380; 6. Ely, 336; 7. Wayzata, 331; 8. St. Paul Highland Park, 298; 9. Duluth Marshall, 273; 10. Eden Prairie, 271; 11. Prior Lake, 251; 12. Mora, 231; 13. Little Falls, 194; 14. Minnehaha Academy, 178; 15. Champlin Park, 175; 16. Winona, 173.
Individuals
(5K freestyle and 5K classic)
1. Peter Moore, St. Paul Academy, 14:30-15:46.0-30:16.0; 2. Alex Nemeth, Sartell-St. Cloud Cathedral, 14:40-15:37.0-30:17.0; 3. Cooper Lennox, Mora, 14:34-15:43.7-30:17.7; 4. Garrett Beckrich, Grand Rapids, 14:12-16:08.0-30:20.0; 5. Matthew Bourne, Mounds Park, 15:05-15:29.2-30:34.2; 6. Henry Snider, Mounds Park, 14:52-15:43.1-30:35.1; 7. Tryg Solberg, White Bear Lake, 14:37-16:10.8-30:47.8; 8. William Omodt, Robbinsdale Armstrong, 14:48-16:05.6-30:53.6; 9. Henry Hall, Minneapolis South, 14:57-15:56.8-30:53.8; 10. James Schneider, Wayzata, 14:54-16:08.4-31:02.4; 11. Jasper Johnston, Ely, 15:01-16:10.8-31:11.8; 12. Aidan Ripp, Cloquet-Esko-Carlton, 14:37-16:34.8-31:11.8; 32. Sam Stertz, Grand Rapids, 15:49-16:38.4-32:27.4; 48. James Schwinghamer, Ely, 16:00-16:55.4-32:55.4; 49. Declan Hutchinson, Duluth Marshall, 16:04-16:52.0-32:56.0; 52. Kjetil Midttun, Ely, 16:13-17:01.9-33:14.9; 60. Benjamin Bauer, Cloquet-Esko-Carlton, 16:27-16:53.6-33:20.6; 67. Jonas Hutchinson, Duluth Marshall, 16:25-17:23.1-33:48.1; 71. Nate Netiffee, Ely, 16:32-17:23.1-33:55.1; 73. Seth Kemp, Duluth East, 16:44-17:13.0-33:57.0; 80. Raif Olson, Ely, 16:44-17:28.9-34:12.9; 81. Henry Campbell, Duluth Marshall, 16:20-17:53.3-34:13.3; 85. Josh Sanders, Cloquet-Esko-Carlton, 16:47-17:34.3-34:21.3; 88. Gabriel Pointer, Ely, 16:49-17:34.5-34:23.5; 97. Jacob Gontjes, Duluth Marshall, 16:43-17:54.3-34:37.3; 123. Ethan Bremner, Ely, 17:29-18:21.0-35:50.0; 149. Gabriel Ehlers-Nels, Duluth Marshall, 19:00-19:24.3-38:24.3; 153. Peyton Marshak, Duluth Marshall, 18:35-20:32.4-39:07.4; 157. Riley Hutchinson, Duluth Marshall, 19:22-20:35.9-39:57.9.
Girls
Teams
1. Robbinsdale Armstrong, 412; 2. St. Paul Highland Park, 384; 3. Stillwater, 381; 4. Forest Lake, 381; 5. Wayzata, 369; 6. Minneapolis Southwest, 358; 7. Duluth East, 350; 8. Edina, 306; 9. Eastview, 273; 10. Grand Rapids, 269; 11. Andover, 267; 12. Winona, 261; 13. Brainerd, 208; 14. Mora, 200; 15. Bemidji, 193; 16. St. Paul Central, 147.
Individuals
(5K freestyle and 5K classic)
1. Mara McCollor, Wayzata, 16:31-18:20.0-34:51.0; 2. Lucinda Anderson, Robbinsdale Armstrong, 16:19-18:33.2-34:52.2; 3. Libby Tuttle, Stillwater, 16:38-18:30.8-35:08.8; 4. Regan Duffy, Forest Lake, 16:53-18:22.6-35:15.6; 5. Mae Barnes, Robbinsdale Armstrong, 17:04-18:34.6-35:38.6; 6. Molly Moening, St Paul Highland Park, 17:02-18:37.7-35:39.7; 7. Sara Olson, Blaine, 17:08-18:36.8-35:44.8; 8. Olivia Schwintek, White Bear Lake, 17:35-19:17.3-36:52.3; 9. Morgan Richter, Edina, 17:34-19:22.4-36:56.4; 10. Anni Skillicorn, Winona, 17:23-19:36.9-36:59.9; 15. Gretchen Haggenmiller, Duluth East, 17:48-19:34.1-37:22.1; 20. Clara Kramer, Duluth East, 18:08-19:32.7-37:40.7; 29. Elsa Viren, Grand Rapids, 18:12-20:03.9-38:15.9; 38. Lily Brown, Duluth East, 18:50-19:48.3-38:38.3; 43. Annika Viren, Grand Rapids, 18:33-20:29.1-39:02.1; 46. Lydia Skelton, Mesabi East Area, 19:02-20:05.1-39:07.1; 52. Megan Bettendorf, Proctor-Hermantown, 19:01-20:16.3-39:17.3; 53. Natalie Fultz, Mesabi East Area, 18:44-20:34.1-39:18.1; 61. Zoe Devine, Ely, 18:48-21:06.4-39:54.4 ; 68. Lucia Wyland, Grand Rapids, 19:02-21:19.1-40:21.1; 79. McKenzie Radloff, Duluth East, 19:26-21:16.9-40:42.9; 89. Molly Weberg, Duluth East, 19:56-21:05.0-41:01.0; 94. Maj-Lis Helmer, Duluth East, 19:56-21:14.7-41:10.7; 96. Kalyssa Eilrich, Ely, 19:45-21:31.3-41:16.3; 103. Grace Chandler, Duluth East, 19:50-21:42.8-41:32.8; 107. Riley Pohl, Duluth Denfeld, 20:28-21:16.0-41:44.0; 138. Samara Schlauderaff, Grand Rapids, 21:33-22:32.4-44:05.4; 144. Sanny Gangi, Grand Rapids, 21:11-23:46.1-44:57.1; 149. Hailey Lafrenier, Grand Rapids, 22:09-23:19.0-45:28.0; 151. Ada Jackson, Grand Rapids, 22:05-23:48.4-45:53.4.
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