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A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
Ripp takes second at sections, boys team just misses state
Cloquet senior Aidan Ripp skis in the classic portion of the Section 7 pursuit race Feb. 7 at Giants Ridge. Ripp took second in both legs of the pursuit race, good enough for second overall. Ripp and teammates Benjamin Bauer and Josh Sanders made it to the state meet, which was scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 14, after this issue of the Pine Knot News went to press.
Despite less than ideal conditions, Cloquet-Esko-Carlton’s Aidan Ripp took second place at the Section 7 Nordic Ski Meet held in Biwabik at Giants Ridge Thursday, Feb. 7. Garrett Beckrich of Grand Rapids claimed the overall boys top spot with Gretchen Haggenmiller of Duluth East taking first place in the girls race.
“I was very pleased with Aidan’s performance. He did what he wanted to do,” said CEC coach Arne Maijala. “And Garrett Beckrich is a very solid skier who is consistent and fun to watch,”
The boys team title went to Ely with Duluth Marshall taking second and CEC third in the eight-team field, missing the chance to advance to state by just four points.
Duluth East captured the girls title with Grand Rapids finishing second. CEC was sixth in the 10-team girls field and did not have an individual skier qualify for the girls state meet.
The top two teams, along with the next 10 racers from other teams, qualify for the state meet at Giants Ridge, scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 13, after this issue of the Pine Knot News went to press.
Beckrich had the fastest time by a minute in the morning freestyle event and then held off Ripp, who was 22 seconds faster than Beckrich in the classic race later in the day. Beckrich finished with a combined time of 34:29, while Ripp was second with 35:07. Ely’s Jasper Johnston was third with a combined time of 35:10.
Joining Ripp at the state meet for the CEC boys will be sophomores Ben Bauer, who finished ninth, and Josh Sanders, who finished 14th. Bauer came in with a combined time of 38:39 and Sanders finished in a time of 39:17.1.
“Both Ben and Josh had solid races, which paid off for us,” Maijala explained. “They both work very hard in and outside of practice. Both are great kids who keep getting stronger every year.”
One of the unsung heroes for the boys was senior Blaine Bong, who was fourth in team scoring for the ‘Jacks in the sectional meet.
“Blaine really stepped up,” Maijala mentioned. “He raced his heart out and moved into fourth for our team, which scored us points. He was able to maintain a good spot throughout the classic race.”
Despite no girls placing into the state meet, Maijala was happy with their season as well.
“Our girls worked extremely hard, especially in the skate race,” said the first-year head coach. “The conditions made them work harder than in any other race we saw this year. I’m proud that they all pushed through the poor conditions and did the best they could.”
Conditions were less than ideal because the region received nearly a foot of snow the day before the race, with the snow continuing into race day.
“Harmony Tracy has stepped it up for the girls toward the end of the season,” Maijala said. “She has made a huge contribution to the team with her classic skiing, often scoring points for the team.”
Conditions were expected to be better for the state meet Thursday despite another spate of snow that dropped on the area on Tuesday. Event organizers had a full day on Wednesday to try and prep the course for the final race of the season.
“All I expect for the skiers who made it to state is for them to show up and do their best,” Maijala said. “If that happens, Aidan should be one of the top skiers in the state, and both Ben and Josh should be right up there too.”
