CEC will return to state meet

By the narrowest of margins - one point exactly - the Cloquet-Esko-Carlton boys ski team is headed to the state meet next week, after taking second place in the Section 7 ski meet Wednesday. Duluth East took first place with 373 points, CEC with 356 and Ely with 355 points in a somewhat modified section meet at Giants Ridge in Biwabik.

The top two teams in each section advance to state, along with the top six individuals who are not on the top two teams. This is the second year in a row that the CEC boys have advanced to state as a team after nearly 30 years of sending only individual skiers.

Cloquet's Benjamin Bauer took third place Wednesday, Josh Sanders took 13th, Cale Prosen 14th, and Miles Fischer took 18th to make up the team score. AJ Maijala placed 19th, Henry Slater 27th and Jordan Chopskie took 30th. The entire boys team will advance to the state meet on March 12 at Giants Ridge.

Although the CEC girls team is not advancing - they placed seventh as a team Wednesday - Esko junior Halle Zuck will advance as an individual skier after taking 14th place at the Section 7 meet.

Read all about the section races and state tournament preparation in next week's Pine Knot News.