The Westonka Nordic ski team has kicked into high gear, racing in multiple meets in recent days. The team is maximizing the opportunities to ski as they move into the heart of their season.

Coach Jaime Lundgren shared, "The Nordic coaches are all very happy with how well our skiers are skiing at this point in the season, especially on challenging snow conditions."

The White Hawks first competed against 10 other area teams for a 5K Classic Race at Battle Creek Regional Park on January 14. With the weather at a crisp 14 degrees and trail conditions exceptionally ice, the athletes faced a challenging course. For the White Hawks, both the girls and the boys raced to earn third place overall, following Saint Paul Central and Highland Park. 

The Westonka boys were led by senior captain Leif Hagen with a hard-earned sixth-place finish in 14:18. The rest of the boys clustered closely together, providing them with a strong scoring varsity team: sophomore Robbie Chilson in 21st place in 16:20, eighth grader Rylan Gusenius in 25th place in 17:00, sophomore Jacob Chilson in 29th place in 17:36, and eighth grader Carter Savstrom in 32nd place in 18:00. 

The Westonka girls were led by senior captain Ava Daum, racing to an 11th-place finish in 17:14. In next, and providing solid depth for the White Hawks, were sophomore Elise Hays in 23rd place in 19:59, freshman Eva Savstrom in 25th place in 20:53, freshman Louisa Johnson in 30th place in 21:53, and eighth grader Abigail Kreger, 40th place in 24:08. 

Next up, the White Hawks traveled to Mora, Minnesota on January 17 to compete in the ABC Relays. On a cold and blustery day, athletes from 23 schools around the state competed in a unique relay event, forming relay teams of four athletes: two skiing classic style and two skate style. 

For the Westonka boys, the top relay team of Robbie Chilson, Jacob Chilson, Leif Hagen, and Rylan Gusenius earned 25th place. For the Westonka girls, the top relay team of Ava Daum, Eva Savstrom, Elise Hays, and Stella Johnson earned 26th place. 

Two White Hawks brought home medals from the ABC Relays for placing in the top 15 of their race style: Leif Hagen for his 14th-place finish in the skate race, and Ava Daum for her 15th-place finish in the classic race. 

Coach Lundgren reflected, "Overall our Nordic teams are skiing very well. Placing third as a team at our last conference meet for both boys and girls and then taking home individual hardware from what we have been told was the largest ABC Relay event thus far! We are excited for our upcoming Conference Championship meet on Jan. 26 and then Sections on Feb. 3."