Nordic team competes at Great Nordeen

The Outlaws Nordic ski team got a chance to be part of one of the greatest athletic traditions in Central Oregon as they competed in the 15-kilometer Great Nordeen Ski race.

This is a season of change for the Outlaw skiers, as the team has a new head coach and is participating in a different league than in previous years.

Tom Blust has taken over at the helm of a successful program started by Lee Fischer eight years ago, and the team will be competing with other Oregon High School Nordic (OHSNO) member teams rather than the Oregon

Interscholastic Ski-Racing Association (OISRA)

program.

Blust's daughter Molly, a junior, won the OISRA title last year in leading the Outlaws girls team to the state championship. OHSNO, which includes Bend, Mountain View, Summit, Redmond, Crescent Valley, Corvallis and Crook County high schools, was formed last year.

"It was tough last year when all the other Central Oregon teams moved out of OISRA, so after meeting with the OHSNO leaders before this season, we decided to make the move," said Blust. "OHSNO is still developing, so we'll go through this season and see how things work out."

The Nordeen, a fund-raiser for the Mount Bachelor Sports Education Foundation (MBSEF), honors Emil Nordeen, a pioneer of Nordic skiing in the region. Both the original 36-kilometer race and the high school course began at Sunrise Lodge and ended at Wanoga Sno-Park. The event draws everyone from Olympic level skiers to recreationalists.

Nearly 300 skiers

participated.

"Typically, high school races are five kilometers, so going triple the distance was a new experience for the kids," said Blust, "but they did great."

Molly Blust (43:18) came through with a third-place overall finish to pace the Outlaw

girls. Senior Jena Rickards (47:17) took sixth place, while Erin Kanzig (59:44) placed 14th. Other finishers for the girls team included Rachel Sims (1:03:34), Janelle Hjelmstad (1:03:53), Sydney Randall (1:04:35). Isabel Smith of Summit placed first in 40:08.

Wes Ford (41:06) and Lucas Glick (41:37) placed 12th and 13th respectively for the boys team. Jack Yinger (45:35) notched a solid performance as the third finisher for the team, just ahead of Mike Calavan (46:04). Alex Yinger (49:16), Andy Thomas (53:09), Nick Anthony (54:27) and Jake Lasken (55:36) rounded out the rest of the Outlaws

squad.

"I was very impressed with our kids going the extra distance," Blust said. "Most of the kids were in the top-half of the field."

Sisters High School senior Kelly Crowther, skiing for MBSEF, won his division in 34:44. The team will resume competition January 26, at the Skadi Cup Race, at the Teacup ski area on Mt. Hood.