January 22, 2018 at 12:33 p.m.
Four Hodags crack top 10 at Hinder Binder ski race
Four Hodags crack top 10 at Hinder Binder ski race
Enter the Hinder Binder race at Camp Forest Springs just north of Rib Lake. The Hodags made the late addition to their schedule and fared well in the relatively low-key event, placing four skiers in the top 10 of the high school divisions on Saturday.
"It was imperative," coach Charil Reis said of getting another competition on the schedule. "We were going to try to get in the exhibition biathlon, but this put a little more meaning behind the training, doing a race that other people come to. It's been a really good change to the schedule to come out here and ski these beautiful trails. It's the first time we've been here, most of us. I think that was probably the best-case scenario, especially with it being on a weekend that wasn't so cold."
Warm, fast conditions greeted the skiers for Saturday's 7.5-kilometer skate. Jenna Younker led the Hodag girls, placing sixth in a 19-skier field, with a time of 32 minutes, 20.9 seconds - roughly 5 1/2 minutes behind race winner Anna Buchberger of Wausau. Freshman Zach Goodrich led the Hodag boys, coming home ninth (26:35.0) in a field of 21, roughly 3:17 behind race winner Stephen Koch of Wausau.
"From the looks on their faces and the initial commentary, I think they enjoyed the race," Reis said. "I think they had a little trouble passing. The trails here are a little bit narrow, not what they're used do, certainly not up to the CAVOC standards that we have."
Emma Hjelle finished eighth for Rhinelander (33:52.6) in the girls' race, while Gwyneth Lowry was 10th (34:06.9) Lowry led a group of five straight Hodag finishers with Emma Roberts, Abbie Henrichs, Valerie Dalka and Jaylen Janssen stringing behind.
Nicholas St. Pierre (12th), Daniel Goldsworthy (13th), Breckin Younker (15th) and Alec Lowry (16th) rounded out the Hodag contingent on the boys' side.
"I pretty much expected it to pan out that way," Reis said. "There was some back and forth in there and I know there was a tangle up with a master skier out on the trail somewhere that might have switched the lineup a little bit mid-ski, but nothing came as unexpected to me today as far as the top finishers on both the boys' and the girls' sides."
Wausau, Rhinelander and 4H Canski were the only high school teams represented Saturday with the majority of the state's top skiers at a Junior National Qualifier event in Cable.
Rhinelander was well-represented on the middle school side as well. Anna Wood, Liana Teter and Megan Lester swept the podium for the Hodags in the girls' race, finishing 1-2-3. Will Rutkowski made the medal stand with a third-place finish in the middle school boys' race.
"If we keep our numbers strong, I think they'll realize that Rhinelander will be a team to contend with the next five years," Reis said.
Rhinelander also had some notable finishes in the citizens races that took place alongside the high school competition. Northwoods Nordic Ski Club member Mark Nienstaedt won the 12K freestyle race while Snodags youth coach and Hodag Nordic Challenge race director Brian Hegge finished third. Anna Engel, a RHS Nordic alumna, finished 12th in the 24-kilometer freestyle.
The Hodags will return to competition this Saturday in the Badger State Games at Nine Mile Forest in Wausau.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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