January 27, 2022 at 10:30 a.m.
Hodag Challenge returns with large turnout
Hodag Challenge returns with large turnout
Rhinelander played host to 17 teams and 188 high school skiers last Saturday and Sunday in The Hodag Challenge at the Cedric A. Vig Outdoor Classroom.
The race, which was scrapped last year due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, drew the largest field of skiers on the season, outside of the Wisconsin Nordic Ski League state meet to be held next month in Cable.
"It was genuinely pleasurable to host a race again. It was very nice to play host to most of the skiers in Wisconsin here in Rhinelander over the weekend," Hodag coach Charil Reis said. "Everyone truly enjoys coming to Rhinelander and they cannot compliment us on our course enough. It's really super challenging. It's nothing like anything else they ski in the state. Since we homologated the course and also widened it, it's just a really fun course to ski if you don't get to ski it very much. It really does separate those who know how to ski well from those who are just starting out, or haven't quite mastered the technique."
The Hodags were down a few skiers due to illness and, as a result, only had enough skiers to field a team score in the girls' JV category, where they placed third out of seven teams. In total, the Hodags had nine skiers take time in both Saturday's 5-kilometer freestyle race and Sunday's 5-kilometer classic pursuit.
Senior Liana Teter and junior Olivia Gillen were the only two from the Rhinelander varsity girls' squad able to compete over the weekend. Teter finished 30th in the field of 50 varsity skiers completing the two races in a combined time of 45 minutes, 4.8 seconds. Gillen was 47th at 49:59.9.
The results were stronger on the JV side where freshman Brynn Teter had the fifth-fastest time in Saturday's freestyle race and wound up eighth overall at 46:35.2. Junior Juliana Smith had a strong showing in Sunday's classic race. She had the seventh-fastest time on the day to move into ninth in the final pursuit standings (47:09.8).
"Li was able to keep herself ahead of Brynn today by over a minute. Brynn is having a breakout season on the JV squad and proved that again with her fifth-place finish in the freestyle event on Saturday," Reis said. "I was just so incredibly happy for Juliana, I can't even tell you. She killed it and I think she's just going to be our representative on classic for the next three, four races. I'm really excited about how well she raced today."
Luna Grage was 30th in the JV girls' field and Maria Hubler was 41st. Emma Mankus competed in Sunday's JV classic race, taking 42nd.
Travis White (60th, 42:28.5) and Gavin Hackbarth (66th, 48:16.0) were Rhinelander's representatives in the boys' varsity division. Charlie Loomis (21st, 45:31.9) was 21st in the JV boys' field. Iain Rumney competed only in Sunday's classic race, placing 23rd.
"Travis and Gavin were struggling just a bit this weekend," Reis noted. "It could have been the cold. Travis doesn't fair too well in the cold, cold air with his lungs. Gavin, I got to hand it to that kid. He comes in with the best attitude and he's racing varsity this year. He didn't have to, but he wanted to this year and represent the Hodags. I'm proud of him.
"Iain had a nice finish. He finished behind Charlie yesterday and had to work to get around him today at the finish stretch. He did well and moved up a few spots from yesterday, which has to feel good. Charlie didn't do a bad job either. He was 21st, I was pretty happy with his finish as well."
The Hodags are gearing up for a busy stretch run to the 2022 season, beginning with the Badger State Games Saturday in Wausau. From there the team will compete in the Northern Conference Meet Feb. 1 in Suamico on the Madison State Sprint championships the following weekend before heading to Cable Valentine's Day weekend for the state distance championships.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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