On Jan. 18, the Mound Westonka High School Nordic ski team traveled to Bloomington to compete in a 5k classic race at Hyland Lake Park Reserve. Competing in overcast, 32 degree conditions against skiers from 10 schools, the White Hawks boys and girls team both finished in fifth place.

Sophomore Isaac Hays led the White Hawks boys on the glazed snow with a 16th overall finish and a time of 17:08. Sophomore Miles Lund was just 20 seconds behind in 17th place. Senior Adrian Overbo had a 32nd-place finish, and sophomores Tor Erdahl and Luke Carlson finished 46th and 50th with times of 20:40 and 22:00, respectively.

The White Hawks girls were led by junior skiers Averie Zealley, who finished in 23rd place with a time of 20:08, and Anna Wood, in 29th with a time of 21:12. Seventh grader Camryn Smith continues to provide optimism for the future with a 45th-place finish and a time of 24:35. Junior Ingrid Wulf finished 51st (26:31), followed by sophomore Stella Miner at 57th (28:02), eighth grader Annika Hagen (30:12), and ninth graders Nora Hughes (30:17) and Sophia Kravchenko (30:45).

Seventh grader Stella Johnson finished first in the 4k JV skate race with a time of 18:16, and Henry Ruegemer placed first in the boys 4k JV skate race with a time of 19:45.

After the race, coach Sue Harrison expressed her pride in the team's performance, sharing with the team that "getting from the start to the finish line takes grit and courage as well as ski skills."