Teacup Lake Nordic Club’s junior “I-Team” compete in Meadows race
Written by Abby Haight, January 13, 2011
As Daniel Fischer skated up the last hill of the Mount Hood Meadows 3-kilometer race, he gasped at his mother, “How close are they?”
With his teammates on his heels, 12-year-old Daniel skied under the finish banner alone, winning the junior division of the Jan. 8 Mount Hood Meadows Nordic points race. Daniel completed the rolling, 3-kilometer course in 12 minutes, 35 seconds.
The skating race was the first of the season for the Teacup Lake Nordic Club “I-Team,” young skiers at the intermediate stage of cross country experience.
The program is full with about 16 skiers from ages 9 to 13. Most of the skiers have been with the program for a couple of years, but the group grew this winter with the addition of several youths who have quickly advanced as Nordic skiers. The group is split about half-and-half with skiers from Portland and skiers from Parkdale/Hood River.
A Hood River racer, 10-year-old Isaac Beaman, followed Daniel over the finish line to take second place in 13:29. Muir Emmons, 10, of Hood River, was third in 13:34, and Gio Rojas-Bauso, 12, of Portland, was fourth in 23:05.
Two Hood River High School girls were first to finish, but 12-year-old Kristin Gray, of Hood River, was close behind to finish third in the junior girls’ division. Kristin is one of the new skiers to the program, and has transferred her cross country running experience into a strong skiing style.
Denali Emmons, 12, of Hood River, was second in 15:09, while Daniel’s sister, Valerie, 10, was just behind for third in 15:20.
Eva Miller-Hughes, 13, of Portland, was fourth in 17:34 after battling equipment problems. Another new skier, Madeline Salminen-Cunningham, 12, of Hood River, was fifth in 18:24. Osanna Drake, 12, of Portland, was sixth in 21:53. Giselle Cohen, 11, of Portland, was seventh in 23:24, and the program’s youngest skier, 8-year-old Anna Mare, was eighth in 28:15.
Two team members, Marley Schlichting and Ali Tucker, were unable to attend the race.
Over the past three years, the intermediate program has focused on helping skiers feel comfortable on the snow and develop a love for skiing. This year, coach Abby Haight has shifted the focus more to race preparation and gaining aerobic and muscular strength.
That doesn’t mean the weekly sessions don’t have a big dose of fun.
The group meets on Saturdays. A morning session usually starts with a brisk game of sharks-and-minnows, followed by some technique drills, a slalom relay and perhaps a ski jump on the Nordic Way hill.
After lunch, the group might play a game of soccer on one ski on, or simply go for a ski tour.
The skiers have made good use of the newly groomed flat area at the intersection of Nordic Way, Tea Time, Lakeside and Mountain View. Thanks, Tom and Harold!
The young skiers’ next race is the Mount Hood Meadows Sprints on Jan. 29. They will compete in their home event the next day, the 5-kilometer race at the Teacup Classic on Jan. 30.
For more information on the Teacup Lake Nordic Club junior programs, please contact Robert Schlichting (rbs@integraonline.com ) or Abby Haight (abhaight@gmail.com).
