HRV NORDIC athletes had a good showing Saturday during a 4.5K classic race at Teacup, with the girls taking third and the boys taking second, sneaking in ahead of Central Oregon powerhouse Bend. Above, Daisy Dolan. Bergstrom and Fischer placed first for HRV; Bergstrom placed fourth overall with a time of 15 minutes, 58.6 seconds and Fischer placed third with a time of 18:49.7.
HRV NORDIC athletes had a good showing Saturday during a 4.5K classic race at Teacup, with the girls taking third and the boys taking second, sneaking in ahead of Central Oregon powerhouse Bend. Above, Daisy Dolan. Bergstrom and Fischer placed first for HRV; Bergstrom placed fourth overall with a time of 15 minutes, 58.6 seconds and Fischer placed third with a time of 18:49.7.
Grey jays leapt from branches, swooping in to steal bits of pastries as the main square outside the Teacup’s Ray Garey Cabin bustled with ski enthusiasts. A vibrant gathering of junior racers, coaches and their parents — all visually and verbally expressing their excitement — crowded around waxing benches, contemplating temperature and wax effectiveness.
St. Mary’s put on its annual high school 4.5K classic race at Teacup this Sunday, inviting teams from around Northwest Oregon including HRV, Bend, Summit, and Corvallis.
Paul Blackburn, president of Teacup Nordic, announced racers as they loaded into the starting chute. The boys race began at 11 a.m.; around 90 racers were sent off in 15-second increments. Representing HRV and The Teacup team, Jessie Wiley was excited to race on his home course after racing in the JNQ (Junior Nationals Qualifier) in Methow Valley, Wash., this past weekend.
When asked about the type of competition in the male category, HRV and Teacup racer Connor Truax stated, “I feel the men’s category is usually predictable with placing, but there is definitely competition for the top places.”
Central Oregon powerhouse Summit stole the show in the boys race, sweeping the first three individual spots to place first overall with just six points in the six-team race. HRV, however, had an equally impressive finish, sneaking into second place with 21 points and upsetting Bend (23). Leif Bergstrom led the charge for HRV, taking fourth place with a time of 15 minutes, 58.6 seconds. Also cracking the top ten was Wiley, who placed seventh with a time of 16:34.3.
At 11:45 a.m. the girls started — around 85 girls represented the five teams. After the race, Valerie Fischer, another Teacup and HRV racer, said, “There was definitely a strong competitive vibe among the girls in this race, but only during the race. Before and after the race, we love to ski with each other and discuss racing strategy.”
The girls placed third out of the seven teams in the race, scoring 24 points and trailing Summit (12) and Bend (15). Fischer was the top finisher for HRV and the only one of her team to finish in the top 10, placing third overall with a time of 18:49.7.
After the distance race the crowd hiked to the upper meadow where the sprint circuit had been set up around the Tea Time trail. Three racers teamed up for the three-lap relay. Each racer completed a lap as fast as they could and tagged their teammate. HRV’s Truax, Wiley, and Bergstrom “poled” an impressive second-place podium finish, sporting only thin tights — brisk in the freezing temps, but lighter nonetheless.
The HRV Nordic team wanted to give thanks to Jessica Smith-Brockley, St. Mary’s and Teacup “for putting on a fantastic race and supporting junior racers.”
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