The Strathcona Nordics took the mainland by storm this past weekend, sending 25 racers to Whistler Olympic Park’s cross-country ski trails for their first race of the season.
With fresh snow and blue skies, the team could not have asked for better conditions, nor a keener crew; all the Nordics placed in the top 10, with 20 athletes leaving with medals.
Head coach Andrea Stapff says, “It was a fantastic start to our 2015/2016 racing season and I’m really proud of our group of athletes. Our racers set out to make an impression, and they all succeeded in doing so.”
Comox Valley competitors had a great showing, with Hugo Henckel, Naomi Swift, Carson Damery, Aiden Noble, Matthew Salmon and Connor McGrady all winning their respective categories.
Hailing from Campbell River, Gavin Chatterton and Emmy Stapff both placed first in their age groups while Anna Chatterton had an excellent race and placed third.
Stapff says that her athletes have been training hard since May. "It's really great to be on snow and put all that preparation into action. This race was a good primer for some of the bigger races coming up.”
The next race for the Strathcona Nordics Dec. 12-13 at Sovereign Lakes in Vernon where they will be going head-to-head with the best athletes from across the province, as well as teams from Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and the Yukon.
Visit StrathconaNordics.com for more information about events and programs.