Five Glacier Nordic Ski Team members on junior national squad
The Daily Inter Lake
Thirteen members of the Glacier Nordic Ski Team competed in Sun Valley, Idaho, Feb. 18-19 against skiers and teams from Park City, Utah, Bozeman, Boise, Idaho, Jackson Hole, Wyo., and West Yellowstone.
These races marked the last chance to qualify for the Junior National Team, which will compete in Soldier Hollow, Utah, March 5-10.
Races last Sunday featured skate technique with a sprint format. Skiers raced a hilly 1.3k loop in order to make the top 24 finishes and qualify for head-to-head rounds of quarterfinals, semifinals and finals, all on the same 1.3k course.
J1 racer Erik Anderson placed second in the sprints, Marshall Opel placed third in the J2s and Stella Holt placed third in J2s. Glacier Nordic members Anne Miller, Megan Shaver, Eric Smythe and Peter Van Horn all made it to the quarterfinals, but failed to advance.
On the same day, Jack Steele and Carl Talsma raced a 3k mass start event for J3s. In a competitive field of 20 skiers, Steele tuck skated, gained speed on the final sweeping corner and out-sprinted the others to win the event. Talsma placed a solid eighth with a strong finish.
Monday's race featured the classic technique. All skiers went 5k except the J1 and OJ boys, who kicked and glided a long, hard 15k course and the J3s who raced 3k.
Steele posted another first place finish and Anderson had a solid runner-up showing in J1 boys.
Based on the entire series of six races on three weekends, Glacier Nordic placed five members on the Junior National Team. They are Anderson, Holt, Ian Mallams, Opel and Van Horn.
Mallams missed the Sun Valley event due to illness, however he prequalified for Junior Nationals based on his results at U.S. Senior Nationals in January. Anderson also prequalified at the same event.
Classic Race
Sunday
J1 & OJ Boys Combined Age Group 15k
5. Erik Anderson; 15. Peter Van Horn; 20. Zach Heskett; 24. Eric Smythe
J1 Girls 5k
22. Clare Miller; 29. Sierra McCartney
J2 Boys 5k
4. Marshall Opel
J2 Girls 5k
8. Stella Holt; 14. Anne Miller; 16. Megan Shaver
J3 Boys 3k
1. Jack Steele; 9. Carl Talsma