by Colin Criss, A Special Nordic Team Report
The Old Forge Nordic team traveled to Osceola to compete in Section III Championships on Wednesday and Friday, February 20 and 22.
Wednesday was an individual distance race, with the girls covering 7.5 kilometers and the boys covering 10 kilometers.
The waxing conditions were difficult, and it made for a tough classic test for both the athletes and the coaches.
Total domination was in store that day for the Eskimos, as all 6 boys and all 5 girls finished in the top ten of their respective races.
Highlights of the race include a season best 5th place finish for Henry Uzdavinis, as well as a season best 4th place finish for Allyson Brosemer.
All racers gave their absolute best effort, and the final team scores showed it. Going into Friday, the team had an almost insurmountable lead.
Friday brought a team relay to the table, consisting of three legs of three kilometers each.
The girls raced first. Since there are not enough girls on the team for two full relay teams, Maddie Phaneuf, Megan Greene, and Emily Greene competed as a team, and Allyson and Olivia Phaneuf each raced an individual leg.
Olivia and Allyson turned in strong splits, and the relay team cleaned up, winning the race by minutes.
All three girls on the relay team had fantastic individual times. Megan led off with a terrific scramble; Emily did more than bridge the gap and extended the lead; and Maddie Phaneuf raced fast enough to be named overall Section III Champion, for an incredible 5th year running.
The gentlemen fielded two relay teams. One was made up of Colin Criss, Eric Houck, and Adam Luban; the other consisted of Tor Ruud, Henry Uzdavinis, and Tecwyn Williams.
These teams blazed around the tough loop. Adam, the anchor leg for the first team, crossed the finish line first with the fastest split of the day, and Tecwyn was not far behind him to secure his team’s second place.
To have a school’’s only two relay teams finish first and second at the Sectional meet is an accomplishment to be proud of. It is a rarity, and truly attests to the great effort put forth by every boy on both teams.
Needless to say, both the boys and the girls did not need the lead amassed on Wednesday. Both teams were crowned Section Champions for the second consecutive year.
To give an idea of the Old Forge team’s dominance: On Friday, 26 relay teams competed in the race (boys and girls included). The fastest team time was that of Colin, Eric, and Adam; the second fastest time was Tor, Henry, and Tecwyn.
The third fastest team time of the day was that of the girl’s team of Megan, Emily, and Maddie. They turned in a race so dominant that it beat those of all the other boys teams in the competition! The only three teams Old Forge could field went one, two, three in the contest, regardless of gender.
This performance is thanks to great effort throughout the season, as well as excellent coaching.