By Matt Smider, Revelstoke Nordic Ski Club
Revelstoke Nordic skiers continued a string of successful events at last weekend's BC Championships in Kamloops. The three-day competition was attended by more than 400 athletes from across the province, plus a strong team from Washington.
Kamloops' Overlander Nordic Ski Club played host to the event on the Stake Lake trail network. A team of 38 Revelstoke Nordic skiers dawned bibs and asserted their position as a top club with a best ever second place at the championships, trailing only the dominant Larch Hills team from Salmon Arm.
The trails at Stake Lake are known for their short, steep climbs and sharp descents — a challenging departure from our more gradual (albeit lengthy) climbs and descents at Macpherson. Benign weather conditions made for simple waxing, with a stable mix of sun and cloud, limited precipitation and temperatures hovering around 0 C at race time.
Skiers began the championships with a mass start classic race on Friday. Ruby Serrouya, Jaclyn Elliott, Kate Granstrom, Rory Luxmoore and Robyn Thomas led the way for Revelstoke earning B.C. championship honours with first place finishes. Top Revelstoke youth results included:
Nicholas Gill - 3rd, atom boys 3, 1km
Tobin Gill - 3rd, peewee boys 2, 2km
Isobel Wilson - 2nd, peewee girls 2, 2km
Ruby Serrouya - 1st, bantam girls 1, 2.5km
Maeve MacLeod - 3rd, bantam girls 1, 2.5km
Meya Musseau - 3rd, bantam girls 1, 2.5km
Jaclyn Elliott - 1st, midget girls 2, 3.5km
Emily MacLeod - 2nd, midget girls 2, 3.5km
Elliot Wilson - 2nd, midget boys 1, 5km
Erik Brosch - 2nd, juvenile boys 2, 7km
Kate Granstrom - 1st, Junior girls 1, 7km
On Saturday, skiers raced an individual start skate event on the same trails. Top Revelstoke youth results included:
Tobin Gill - 2nd, peewee boys 2, 2km
Isobel Wilson - 3rd, peewee girls 2, 2km
Ruby Serrouya - 2nd, bantam girls 1, 2.5km
Jaclyn Elliott - 2nd, midget girls 2, 3.5km
Elliot Wilson - 3rd, midget boys 1, 5km
Kate Granstrom - 2nd, junior girls 1, 7km
On Saturday evening, a banquet was held to recognize accomplishments of skiers throughout the BC Cup Series. Revelstoke Nordic skiers collected an impressive 14 aggregate medals:
Tobin Gill - 3rd, peewee boys 2
Natalia Morrone - 2nd, peewee girls 2
Ruby Serrouya - 1st, bantam girls 1
Meya Musseau - 3rd, bantam girls 1
Nyssa Thomas - 3rd, bantam girls 2
Elliot Wilson - 3rd, midget boys 1
Jaclyn Elliott - 2nd, midget girls 2
Kate Granstrom - 2nd, junior girls 1
Sunday's finale saw athletes compete in three-person classic relays with numerous local teams earning top five placings. The team of Natalia Morrone, Isobel Wilson and Breena Wolgram finishing second in the peewee girls race.
February's marathon of Nordic events continues this weekend, with skiers aged 10-13 travelling to Kelowna for the B.C. Midget Championships. The rest of the team will enjoy some well-deserved recovery time prior to next month's national championships.