BIWABIK, Minn. — Zaine Braaten earned a sixth-place finish to lead the Moorhead boys Nordic skiing team on Saturday at the Mesabi East Invitational at Giants Ridge.
Braaten finished the classic race in 16 minutes, 50.0 seconds for sixth place to help lead the Spuds boys to a 16th-place finish (363 points) out of 50 teams. Moorhead's Kolton Doucette was 75th (20:01.7) in the classic and Frederic Hauge finished 94th (21:10.4).
Max Rogers led the Spuds boys in the freestyle race, finishing in 17:53.3 for 27th place. Trygve Rux was 43rd (18:28.4) and Nathan Helgeson placed 67th (19:49.8).
Abbie Ishaug paced the Spuds girls with a 43rd-place finish in the classic race, completing the course in 22:26.0. Ava Nelson was 52nd (22:48.4) and Siri Overturf placed 83rd (24:59.2). In the freestyle, Moorhead's Kennedy Olson finished 77th in 24:12.0. Jamie Raske notched an 80th-place finish (24:15.1) and Julia Smithmeyer was 89th (25:14.8). Moorhead finished 28th out of 52 teams with 272 points.
Duluth East was the top boys team with 479 points and St. Paul Highland Park claimed the girls title with 503 points.
1. Duluth East 479; 2. Forest Lake 474; 3. Wayzata 462; 4. Washburn 448; 5. Elk River/Zimmerman 426; T6. St. Paul Highland Park 418; Stillwater Area 418; T8. Little Falls 412; Rogers 412; 10. Maple Grove 410; 16. Moorhead 363
1. St. Paul Highland Park 503; 2. Duluth East 494; 3. Stillwater 478; 5. Brainerd 441; 6. Ely 432; 7. St. Louis Park 426; 8. Washburn 422; 9. Elk River 408; 10. Bemidji 406; 28. Moorhead 272.
1. Alexander, Washburn, 16:00.2; 2. Miatke, Duluth East, 16:21.5; 3. Waddick, Washburn, 16:25.1; 4. Kyes, Duluth East, 16:33.5; 5. Saldin, Stillwater, 16:40.9
Spuds: 6. Braaten 16:50.0; 75. Doucette 20:01.7; 94. Hauge 21:10.4
Freestyle top five; Spuds
1. Morse, Duluth East, 15:40.6; 2. McCollor, Wayzata, 15:50.4; 3. Erickson, Forest Lake, 15:52.0; 4. Ostergren, St. Paul Central, 16:02.6; 5. Brown, Maple Grove, 16:09.8
Spuds: 27. Rogers 17:53.3; 43. Rux 18:28.4; Helgeson 19:49.8
1. Hansen, Math & Science, 18:14.7; 2. Zimpel, Elk River/Zimmerman, 18:20.5; 3. Bettendorf, Proctor/Hermantown, 18:38.8; 4. Devine, Ely, 18:46.4; 5. H. Koch, St. Paul Highland Park, 19:17.7
Spuds: 43. Ishaug 22:26.0; 52. Nelson 22:48.4; Overturf 24:59.2
Freestyle top five; Spuds
1. Moening, St. Paul Highland Park, 18:30.5; 2. Parent, Forest Lake, 18:34.1; 3. Schaeffer, Brainerd, 19:07.9; 4. Johnson, Duluth East, 19:21.7; 5. Holmes, Stillwater, 19:43.6
Spuds: 77. Olson 24:12.0; 80. Raske 24:15.1; 89. Smithmeyer 25:14.8
