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Inside Edge: Sandpoint Nordic racers battle stiff competition

by SHEP SNOW/Contributing writer
| January 20, 2022 1:00 AM

If you like the groomers, the groomers are great! Hopefully a couple inches of snow Thursday and Friday will soften up the off-piste. Hey, powder and going downhill is always good!

Cross Country — The Sandpoint Nordic Club was busy across the West this past weekend. Evan Brubaker, 14, competed in the Ice Badger Loppet in Missoula, Montana, on Sunday. He had a good day, finishing the 10K skate race in 42:56.85 to earn third place.

Callahan Waters and Isabella Waters raced Saturday and Sunday in the Sun Valley Nordic Invitational in Ketchum, Idaho, a Junior National Super Qualifier. Isabella just missed the podium both days with fourth-place finishes in the U14 girls 3K skate and 3K classic races.

Callahan was 11th in the U16 boys 5K skate and 13th in the U16 boys 5K classic. Junior National Qualifiers will be at West Yellowstone next on Jan. 29-30.

U14 Qualifiers — Schweitzer Alpine Racing School will be hosting giant slalom and slalom competition for U14 talent in the region this weekend. Read next week’s Inside Edge for a full report.

Independence Junior Race Series — Competition began Friday amidst the fog, but the kids fearlessly charged into the gates and had a great time. Competition resumes at 5:30 p.m. this Friday. Meet your coaches outside by the clock tower.

An administrative note: when we lose a day to weather we are unable to make it up due to the adult Starlight Series beginning the following week. We often lose a Friday night due to weather in January. We need tow results to start tracking most improved, but we do have the fastest times!

The fastest girl was Halle Wyman at 22.70, followed by Faith Stephany at 24.45 and Oline Trygstad with 26.83. The fastest boy was Cody Warwick at 23.18, followed by Olsten Trygstad at 23.92 and Logan Johnston at 24.61.

World Cup — The men raced two downhills on the Lauberhorn in Wengen this week. The Lauberhorn is grueling – the longest track on the circuit at over two minutes.

Bryce Bennett was seventh in the first race, where he hit 94 mph at one point, and 21st in the second. Ryan Cochran-Siegle was eighth in the first race, then led the men in the second downhill, finishing 15th. Travis Ganong took 20th in the first race.

Keely Cashman was the only U.S. woman in the points at the Zauchensee, Austria, super-G. The women’s speed circuit heads to beautiful Cortina next, while the men travel to the fabled Hahnenkamm track at Kitzbuhel.

Potpourri — Any comments, recommendations or contributions to this column may be sent to Shep Snow by email at shep@thesnowschool.com. Negative feedback should be sent to someone else.

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(Photo courtesy of SANDPOINT NORDIC CLUB/FACEBOOK)

Isabella Waters competes in the Sun Valley Junior National Super Qualifier this past weekend. She took home a pair of fourth-place finishes.