By Jack Vater

Both the boys and girls Iola Winter Sports Club (IWSC) Nordic Ski Teams took 3rd place at the Wisconsin Nordic Ski League State Distance Championships held Feb. 11-12 in Cable, Wisconsin.

Team points are scored by summing the top five racers from each team, with the lowest score winning, and in this case, was the combined score of two races. Freestyle races were held on Saturday and Classic races were held on Sunday. The high school athletes race seven kilometers and the middle school races three kilometers.

The IWSC Nordic Ski Team is comprised of athletes from around Iola including Rosholt, Amherst, Stevens Point, Wisconsin Rapids, and Appleton.

Results

In the boys’ freestyle race, Ian Anderson took 5th place and Charlie Vater took 7th.  In the girls’ freestyle race, Greta Dickman took 5th place and Josephine Kwasny took 6th. Middle school boy, Carson Wood, took 5th place in the freestyle race.

In the boys’ classic race, Huba Bodor-Gosztony took 8th place and Charlie Vater took 9th. In the girls’ classic race, Greta Dickman took 6th, and Josephine Kwasny took 10th. Middle school boy, Carson Wood, took 8th place in the classic race.

Individual racers also can medal in the combined total score of the two distance races. Vater and Bodor-Goszton took 8th and 10th, respectively, and Dickman and Kwasny took 3rd and 6th, respectively. Wood took 6th place.

The Birkie Village in Cable was a festive atmosphere filled with happy skiers, coaches, and spectators.

“It’s magical opportunity that not only inspires your best but allows high schoolers to ski where lots of history was made,” said Rae Willison, of the IWSC Nordic Team.