Nome hosts ski meet

Nome-Beltz Ski/Biathlon team closed out their first season as an official school sport with the April Fools Weekend Ski Race.

The only home meet of the season invited skiers from Brevig Mission and Teller, as well as any community members who wanted to ski, as well. Starting at the City’s snow dump facility off Greg Kruschek Ave., racers made a loop up and around Gold Hill; middle schoolers made one lap, high schoolers and community members did two.

Coach, and former club team racer, Rosa Wright said that there are a couple of experienced older racers, but otherwise the team is very young, which she finds really exciting. “The improvements they’ve made in the last month have been absolutely huge,” she said.

Older kids teaching the younger kids is not only a part of the team, but it was on display last weekend, with an elementary race put on by the older racers and a relay event with teams consisting of mixed ages and schools. Wright said that she has been really pleased this season with the kids’ attitudes. In Unalakleet for the WISA championships two weekends ago, she said the team held doors for other people, helped carry ski bags in from Bering Air and picked up trash.

“The whole goal of this is, winning is awesome, but I want them to learn race procedures and what it takes to be a good racer and a good sportsman,” Wright said.

Results:

1 Lap

Junior High Boys: 1. Talan Johnson, Nome, 9:32; 2. Granite Peacock, Nome, 10:14; 3. Carter Gray, Nome, 10:23.5; 4. Kapono Kaha’i, Nome, 11:01; 5. Jonah GrayIvanoff, Nome, 11:53; 6. Cade Fahey, Brevig, 12:33; 7. Kevin McDaniel-Farley, Nome, 13:25; 8. Cole Gray, Nome, 18:56; 9. Alex Barone, Nome, 19:17; 10. Alex Topkok, Teller, 22:18; 11. Stephen Ablowaluk, Teller, 23:16; 12. Jason Straub, Brevig, 23:56. 1 Lap

Junior High Girls: 1. Sadie Fry, Nome, 10:23. 2. Chelsea Olanna, Brevig, 18:10; 3. Sonya Olanna, Brevig, 24:29; 4. Arianna Olanna, Brevig, 26:19; 5. Arica Tocktoo, Brevig, 27:11

2 Laps

Community Race Men: 1. Tobin Hobbs, 15:00; 2. Sam Schmidt, 15:14; 3. Jeff Collins, 16:12; 4. TJ Wright, 16:51; 5. Tristen Hobbs, 17:11; 6. Charlie Painter, 23:21; 7. Jovan Dull, 24:14; 8. Lahka Peacock, 27:46; 9. Pohaku Kaha’I, 28:48 2 Laps

Community Race Women: 1. Mallory Conger, 18:16; 2. Rebecca Siegel, 23:02; Jessica Smyke, 24:31 (1 lap); Katie Fry, 24:54 (1 lap)

COMMUNITY RACE— High schoolers and community members pushed off for the start of their two lap race on Friday, April 1.

AND THEY’RE OFF— Middle schoolers from Brevig Mission, Teller, and Nome push off at the start of an April Fools weekend ski race.

FIRST ACROSS THE LINE— Talan Johnson crosses the line first in the middle school race.

COMMUNITY RACE WINNER— Tobin Hobbs speeds to victory in the community race.