Nordic ski: Alexandria girls third, boys fourth in cold conditions at CLC championship

Eric Bergerson skiing — Alexandria's Eric Bergerson skies at the CLC championships in Willmar on Feb. 1, 2022 where he teamed up with Drew Englund to take sixth in the relay potion of the meet.

By Eric Morken

February 02, 2022 at 9:35 AM

WILLMAR — The Central Lakes Conference Nordic ski teams battled some frigid conditions in strong winds at the league’s championship meet in Willmar on Feb. 1 as the Brainerd Warriors took home two team titles.

The Brainerd boys finished with 475 points, ahead of Fergus Falls (446) in second and Sartell-Cathedral in third (444). The Alexandria boys were fourth with 435 points.

The Alexandria girls team finished third with 449 points. Brainerd took the title with 475, and Sartell-St. Cloud Cathedral was runner-up with 468.

Dulce Bakker skiing — Alexandria's Dulce Bakker races to a fifth-place finish in the classic race at the CLC championships in Willmar on Feb. 1, 2022.

The Alexandria girls got All-CLC performances from Mackenzie Jurchenko in the skate race, and Jaelyn Miller and Dulce Bakker in the classic race.

“The day was very windy and cold, but being able to participate at the CLC after not being able to last year was a great thing,” Alexandria head coach Jeremy Rapp said. “The CLC format was that skiers got to choose or be delegated to doing skate, classic, or the sprint relay.”

Lauren Huber and Bobbi Nichols teamed up for the Alexandria girls in that sprint relay (4x1.2-kilometers) to finish fourth in a total time of 25:54.23 (honorable-mention All-CLC).

Miller and Bakker led the Cardinals in the classic race as Miller finished fourth (16:58.28) and Bakker was fifth (17:22.85. Juniors Teresa Bitzan (11th, 18:50.66) and Amelia Lucken (12th, 18:53.59) also skied the classic race where Brainerd’s Liliana Schaeffer won the title in 16:01.62.

Jurchenko, a freshman, led the Alexandria girls in the skate race with a fifth-place finish in 14:15.11. Junior Amanda Bergerson was ninth (14:57.83, honorable mention All-CLC), freshman Kasey Soderholm was 12th (15:21.84), and senior Lauren Englund was 15th (15:54.42). Brainerd junior Ellie Brown won the freestyle in 13:28.06.

Spenser Chinn skiing — Alexandria's Spenser Chinn races as part of the spring relay at the CLC championships on Feb. 1, 2022 in Willmar. Chinn teamed up with Ryker Bosek to finish in fourth place in a time of 22:02.57.

The boys’ duo of Ryker Bosek and Spenser Chinn were honorable-mention All-CLC finishers as they led Alexandria in the sprint relay with a fourth-place finish in 22:02.57. Brainerd’s Taite Knapp and Noah Schaeffer won in 20:26.97. Alexandria’s Eric Bergerson and Drew Englund also skied the relay and finished sixth (24:27.49).

Senior Matthew Johnson paced the Cardinals in the classic race with a time of 16:46.54 that was good for eighth place and honorable-mention honors. Sophomores Cyler Coauette (10th, 17:18.13, HM All-CLC), Luke Walsh (11th, 18:19.33) and Colton Converse (12th, 18:26.21) finished off Alexandria’s lineup in the classic race that was won by Brainerd’s Elias Knapp in 13:51.11.

1/7: Alexandria junior Teresa Bitzan races the classic portion of the CLC championship meet at Willmar on Feb. 1, 2022.

2/7: Alexandria's Ryker Bosek, pictured, and Spenser Chinn were honorable-mention All-CLC finishers as they led Alexandria in the sprint relay with a fourth-place finish in 22:02.57.

3/7: Alexandria sophomore Owen Gilbertson was 16th in 16:02.59 during the skate race at the CLC championship in Willmar on Feb. 1, 2022.

4/7: Alexandria freshman Kasey Soderholm races to a 12th-place finish in the skate race at the CLC championship in Willmar on Feb. 1, 2022.

5/7: Alexandria junior Gabe Hoven races to a 14th-place finish in the varsity skate race at the CLC championship meet in Willmar on Feb. 1, 2022.

6/7: Alexandria's Eric Bergerson, left, and Drew Englund ski during the sprint relay at the CLC championships on Willmar on Feb. 1, 2022.

7/7: Alexandria's Amanda Bergerson skis in the skate portion of the CLC championships in Willmar on Feb. 2, 2022.

Sartell-Cathedral’s Jonathan Nemeth won the skate portion of the CLC championship as he finished in 11:46.4.

Freshman Max Chinn led the Cardinals in seventh place with a time of 13:38.01 (HM All-CLC). Junior Gabe Hoven was 14th in 15:31.59. Sophomore Owen Gilbertson was 16th in 16:02.59, and freshman Trey Johnson finished 17th in 16:29.85.

CLC CHAMPIONSHIP

GIRLS TEAM STANDINGS -- Brainerd - 475; Sartell-Cathedral - 468; Alexandria - 449; Fergus Falls - 416; Willmar - 189; Sauk Rapids-Rice - 67

BOYS TEAM STANDINGS -- Brainerd - 475; Fergus Falls - 446; Sartell-Cathedral - 444; Alexandria - 435; Willmar - 204; St. Cloud - 143

By Eric Morken

Eric Morken is a sports and outdoor editor at the Echo Press Newspaper in Alexandria, Minnesota, a property of the Forum News Service. Morken covers a variety of stories throughout the Douglas County area, as well as statewide outdoor issues.