Edina Skiers Finish Strong at Lake Conference Meet

Edina's Nordic ski teams technically competed in their second meet of the season on Dec. 15, though Coach Andy Turnbull considered Wednesday's Lake Conference 5K freestyle event the "first real race of the season."

The boys won the varsity team competition with 536 points, beating Wayzata by five points. Six Hornets' skiers placed in the top 24 overall. Senior Ted McKlveen, who earned a place in the state meet last season, was the team's top finisher. He finished fifth overall, covering the course in 13:43.94. Five kilometers is about 3.1 miles.

Kyle Bratrud of Eden Prairie won the race with a time of 13:28.47.

"I thought the course was in good condition," Turnbull said. "We told (our skiers) to ski smart, pass slower skiers early in the slower sections and keep a quick turn over on the hills. The boys did very well, winning the race."

The Hornets girls finished fourth in the varsity team competition with 439 points. Wayzata, led by race winner Marit Sonnesyn, finished first, with 571 points. Sonnesyn's time was 16:19.03

Edina's top finisher was junior Piper Bain, who finished seventh overall in a time of 17:08.99.

"I didn't know what to expect of the girls, as we graduated our top two skiers [from] last year, but there were some flashes of brilliance," Turnbull said.

McKlveen is in his sixth year on the team and Bain her fifth.Turnbull says their dedication to the sport has paid off.

"Both are natural athletes with the drive and desire to do well," he said. "The best skiers have learned to be comfortable being uncomfortable."

Full results from the meet can be found at http://www.myvira.com by clicking on the "View Results" tab.

UP NEXT:

Edina's varsity teams do not have another meet until after the school's winter break. It is a 5K classical race at 3:30 pm on Jan. 4, 2011 at Baker National Golf Course in Medina.