Students headed to Junior Olympic ski races

By DAVID ERICKSON / Whitefish Pilot

Whitefish will be represented by four high school students at the 2008 USSA Cross Country Junior Olympic Championships in Anchorage, Alaska, from March 9-15.

Erik Anderson, Marshall Opel, Jack Steele and Stella Holt, members of the Glacier Nordic Ski team, will compete against some of the best cross-country ski racers in the nation on a world-class trail system.

"They are excited, it's really hard to get slots in this event," coach/trainer Larry Bruce said. "The race will draw more than 500 competitors."

Bruce said the four students will be undergoing just a few short, high-intensity workouts in preparation for the races. He said the most important thing is for all the students to be healthy for the trip.

There are several different types of races that the students will compete in. The 1.1K and 1.3K sprint races kick off the competition on Monday, March 10.

On Wednesday, the classic mass start, consisting of 5K, 10K and 15K competition promises to be an exciting race.

Friday marks the start of the 5K and 10K freestyle interval start. The main event on Saturday will be the 3K and 5K freestyle relay.

The fact that the young racers and their families have to pay for the trip themselves shows their dedication to the sport.

"I'm really excited, but this year is going to be the hardest year yet, I think," Anderson said. "There's a guy who placed in the Junior World Cup, which is unprecedented, and there's a guy who is a professional mountain biker. It's going to be a challenge."

This will be Anderson's fourth trip to the Junior Olympic Championships but his first visit to Alaska.

"Right now, we're basically just sleeping a lot and resting," he said. "We just want to make sure nobody is hurt or gets sick before we leave."

The students will leave Thursday (today) and begin competing on Friday.

For more information and updates on the races, visit online at www.anchoragenordicski.com.