CLOQUET–For the first time so far this season, the Ely boys Nordic ski team had to settle for second place in a competition. Both the boys and girls teams took second place at the Cloquet-Esko-Carlton Classic Invite on Thursday, Dec. 19.
The home team, C-E-C, just edged the Ely boys team, with 384 points to Ely’s 376. Grand Rapids was a distant third, with 332 points.
Ely’s Raif Olson finished at 17:25.0, right behind first-place winner Benjamin Bauer, of C-E-C, who led the field with a time of 17:11.1. Ely’s Gabriel Pointer finished in third with a time of 17:34.5.
Other Ely skiers, with place and time, included: Nate Nettifee, 5th, 17:47.8; Jon Hakala, 15th, 19:13.8; Ethan Bremner, 16th, 19:18.2; Micah Larson, 20th, 19:49.8; and Adam Williamson, 38th, 22:13.3.
Based on the top four places in the 5.5K race, the Timberwolves varsity girls lost narrowly to Mesabi East, with 368 points to 376 for the first-place Giants. Duluth East was third with 363 points.
Brooke Pasmick paced Ely with a third-place time of 20:22.5. Mesabi East’s Lydia Skelton was first, with a time of 19:47.4, followed by Duluth East’s Clara Kramer, at 20:16.9.
Other Ely girls team racers, with place and time included: Kalyssa Eilrich, 7th, 21:27.6; Zoe Devine, 11th, 0:21:54.9; Julia Schwinghamer, 15th, 22:15.3; Ana Bercher, 17th, 22:21.6; Phoebe Helms, 19th, 22:35.3; Gracie Pointer, 23rd, 23:38.6; Cora Olson, 24th, 23:41.1; and Abigail Thompson, 35th, 28:24.7.
The Timberwolves host the Ely Time Trials on Saturday, Dec. 28, at Giants Ridge, and return to the venue on Saturday, Jan. 4, for the Mesabi East Invite.