Sunny skies over HRV’s Nordic Ski team season finale

“A big part of being in this team is taking responsibility and taking care of your gear,” team coach Joe Dolan said. Skiers typically spend 30-40 minutes each week getting their skis race ready.

Friday’s competition was a 6K skate race. Two hundred and seventeen skiers from the three leagues in the state pushed off in a mass start under clear skies and awesome views of Mount Bachelor, Broken Top and the South Sister.

Teams from Ashland, Corvallis, the Bend area, Portland and Hood River congregated in the meadow around their team tents warming up while parent volunteers handed out race bibs, prepare the course, set up food tables and urged their kids to get going.

HRV’s Frances Dickenson led the Eagle girls’ Emma Kelly and Josephine Stenn. Ethan Fowler, Sean Counihan, Sean Arpag and Kai Hawkins paced the HRV team with an impressive finish.

Friday night, the team gathered for a pizza dinner, spent some time ice skating and rested up for more racing the next day.

Saturday’s racing kicked off with a 4.5 K classic race at 10 a.m., followed by relay sprint races at 12:30 p.m. HRV girls were led by Kelly, Dickenson and Celia Acosta. Top finishing boys were Joshua Humann, Cole Cantrell and Fowler.

Overall team race results for the girls were Summit, Redmond Performance Academy, and Bend High School in first, second and third, respectively. HRV girls placed fifth out of 10 teams. HRV girls relay skiers were Acosta, Kelly and Dickenson.

Results for boys were Summit, Mountain View and Bend taking the top three spots, respectively. HRV’s boys took eighth place. HRV’s varsity relay skiers were Humann, Arpeg and Fowler.

The team headed to Pacific Middle School in Bend for an all leagues banquet and awards ceremony where freshman Aiden Cantrell was awarded most improved skier on the HRV team. 

Team coaches Joe Kelly and Holly Wood said the whole team stepped it up and skied some of their best races of the year at state championships.

“The team was supportive and encouraging to each other all season long and really skied with all their heart this weekend,” Kelly said.

“Counihan had a fantastic race on Friday but was forced to sit out Saturday’s races with a wrist injury.”

The team also missed Sophie Kaden, one of the strongest skiers on the team, who broke a toe skiing the weekend before. The team will greatly miss the leadership of graduating seniors Acosta, Lyric Emmons, Payton Bunch, and Fowler, according to Dolan.