The Mound Westonka Nordic ski team hit the trails at Battle Creek Regional Park for their first classic ski race of the season on Dec. 18. The trails at Battle Creek, well-covered with man-made snow, were exceptionally fast and icy, causing the racecourse to be altered and shortened from 5K to a 2.8K race. The White Hawks skiers pushed through the challenges and showed early signs of promise and improvement on their classic skis.  

The boys varsity team competed first, earning fifth place out of 11 teams, including several of the top high school teams in the Twin Cities. Pacing the way for the varsity boys was senior captain Isaac Hays, coming in 19th place with a time of 8:45. In next for the White Hawks were the trio of junior Leif Hagen in 36th place, senior captain Miles Lund in 37th place, and senior Tor Erdahl in 38th place. Completing the varsity team were senior Luke Carlson, senior Andrew Finley, senior Ted Owens, sophomore Sawyer Bruch, and junior Leon Kravchenko. 

The girls varsity team raced next, skiing to fifth place out of eight teams. Leading the way for the girls varsity was junior captain Ava Daum, finishing in 21st place with a time of 11:46. Bringing young promising depth to the White Hawks were freshman Elise Hays in 23rd place, freshmen Stella Johnson in 34th place, and eighth grader Louisa Johnson in 35th place. Junior Sophia Kravchenko completed the girls varsity team in 41st place. 

The White Hawks finished the meet with three middle schoolers competing in JV: seventh graders Rylan Gusenius and Lillian Lundgren, and eighth grader Madison Nelson. 

After the meet senior captain Miles Lund shared, “The race was a tough way to kick off our classic racing season, but it was a great learning experience. I now know exactly what the focus of my training should be; technique is key.” 

The team will be traveling to Ironwood, Michigan in early January for their annual Nordic training trip. The White Hawks skiers are eager to get their skis on fresh natural snow in Michigan, as well as Wisconsin, as they make time to ski on the famous Birkiebeiner ski trails near Hayward, Wisconsin on their way to Michigan.