The Westonka Nordic ski team raced at the Section 2 Nordic Championships held at Theodore Wirth Park on Feb. 6. On a cold, blustery day, the 145 area high school athletes faced strong gusting winds, delivering an added challenge to the already demanding course that winds through the rolling hills of Wirth Park. The White Hawks proved ready and capable to race against several larger area schools, including Boys & Girls Section Champion Minneapolis Washburn, Boys Section Runner-Up Edina, and Girls Section Runner-Up Minnetonka.  

Senior Isaac Hays led the way for the Westonka boys with explosive races in both the 5K classic and the 5K skate pursuit, earning his way to a 13th-place finish. With a combined time of 28:11 over 10K, Hays came within four places of advancing to the Minnesota State Nordic Meet. 

In next for the boys varsity, and earning crucial points for the team, were junior Leif Hagen in 32nd place and freshman Robbie Chilson in 34th place. Also racing for the boys varsity team were seniors Luke Carlson and Andrew Finley. 

Seniors Miles Lund and Tor Erdahl teamed together in the boys sprint relay, each racing two laps of the shorter 1K course. The two seniors culminated their Nordic season with a high-speed race that has become a fan-favorite event at the section meet.  

The Westonka boys capped off their thrilling season with an impressive finish, competing with some of the top teams and skiers in the Twin Cities area. 

The Westonka girls varsity was led by the trio of junior Ava Daum in 27th place, freshman Elise Hays in 32nd place, and eighth grader Eva Savstrom in 38th place. Also skiing for the girls varsity was junior Sophia Kravchenko. 

Freshman Stella Johnson and eighth grader Louisa Johnson raced together in the girls sprint relay. The sisters put their speed and grit on display, showing great promise for many exciting races in the future.

The young Westonka girls team ended their season with a crescendo of enthusiasm, team spirit, and remarkable improvement. With the opportunity to return their entire team, they are sure to make an increased mark in the years to come. 

Coach Jim Miner shared, “The team really had an outstanding performance at the section meet. Both relays took third in their heat and just missed advancing, and Isaac had a great finish among some of the top skiers in the state. It was exciting to see every skier on the team have one of their best finishes of the season, despite 50 mph wind gusts and mixed snow conditions.”

Just days after competing at the Section 2 Championships, members of the Westonka Nordic team served together at the Luminary Loppet on Feb. 8. The student-athletes volunteered their time serving hot chocolate and lighting luminaries along the pathway on Lake of the Isles. The event provided the team a great opportunity to support the Loppet Foundation, which promotes outdoor activities in the Minneapolis area, including at Theodore Wirth Park where this year’s section Nordic meet was held.