WILLMAR - Willmar's Nordic ski teams sure like hosting their own events.
Both boys and girls teams won in the three-team Willmar Invitational Thursday afternoon in the school's first home meet in two years. The boys won the meet with 390 points, just ahead of St. Cloud Apollo at 372. The girls race featured plenty of drama as the Cardinals edged the Eagles 388-381. St. John's Prep followed in third place in both races.
Laura Christianson led a trio of Cardinal girls to sweep the podium, crossing the finish line in 20:04.00 at Swan Lake. Parker Cook followed in second place ahead of Marina Moyers.
On the boys side, Willmar's Andrew Haugen was the first to finish at 18:01.00, just ahead of teammate Daniel Halvorson.
"It was different doing it on the lake but still challenging because there's no downhill rest.Times were a little higher because (the skiing) is all you that has to do the 5K," said Willmar head coach Brad Haugen. "There's no hills because we're on the lake so that's where the training comes in and you have to fight. Willmar responded great to it. That's where we practice so skiing once or twice around there is nothing for them. We knew the terrain so we knew what to expect."
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Though the Cardinals featured winners in both events, it required a team effort to earn the winning point totals over St. Cloud Apollo, which was hot on Willmar's heels.
"Both the (No.) 1 and (No.) 2 boys pace the team very well," Haugen said. "From that, the team knows what they need to do and where to be and in a meet like the one today it takes good results from the three and four guys. What solidified us for the girls was having the top three finishers but we needed a good result from Joely Palmer, too, and she delivered for us."
It's been an up-and-down season for the Cardinals but Thursday's success could spark the team moving forward.
"The idea of having a home race is big for the psyche, period," Haugen said. "I'd do it on the lake again if that's what it took to get my kids a home meet. They enjoyed it, they could show off where they ski. Everyone likes to ski where they know because they know every nook and cranny. They can say, 'I know where that little soft snow is or that icy spot is. I know how wide to get,' so they feel confident."
Willmar Invite
Boys
Team scoring
(1) Willmar 390 (2) St. Cloud Apollo 372 (3) St. John's Prep 184
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Individual
TOP FIVE - (1) Andrew Haugen, W, 18:01.00 (2) Daniel Halvorson, W, 18:17.00 (3) Andrew Theisen, SCA, 18:35.00 (4) Ethan Logeman, SCA, 19:50.00 (5) Ethan Haines, W, 20:30.00
WILLMAR - Haugen; Halvorson; Haines; Blake Gibson 21:00.00; Erik Heen, W, 21:35.00; Marquis Christenson, W, 21:48.00; Connor Olson, W, 24:30.00
Girls
Team scoring
(1) Willmar 388 (2) St. Cloud Apollo 381 (3) St. John's Prep 361
Individual
TOP FIVE - (1) Laura Christianson, W, 20:04.00 (2) Parker Cook, W, 20:18.00 (3) Marina Moyers, W, 20:37.00 (4) Julia Karls, SCA, 21:25.00 (5) Rachel Warner, SCA, 21:32.00
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WILLMAR - Christianson; Cook; Moyers; Joely Palmer 25:14.00
