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Strathcona Nordics battle through heavy rain

The Strathcona Nordics hosted the Teck BC Midget Championships at Mount Washington last weekend
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Emmy Stapff (24) of the Strathcona Nordics races in the 2014 Teck BC Midget Championships hosted by Strathcona Nordics at Mount Washington last weekend.

The Strathcona Nordics hosted the Teck BC Midget Championships at Mount Washington last weekend.

Twelve nordic clubs including 128 athletes, ages 9-13 from across B.C., made the pilgrimage to Vancouver Island to compete.

According to Tim McGrady, MC for the event and Strathcona Nordics coach, “The BC Midget’s strikes the perfect balance of competition and fun.”

This was evident in the spirit of the young racers.

Saturday, skiers competed in a classic technique 2-km race and in a four-person relay. Sunday kicked off with 300m skate technique sprint qualifiers that set the stage for the competitive King’s Court event.

Conditions were tremendous.

Despite heavy rain, volunteers along with the fantastic support from Mount Washington staff, created a course that was worthy of a provincial championship. By race time on Sunday, the sprint course was in tiptop condition.

Young athlete Theo Lemay commented ‘While conditions were warm, which could have made for some challenging conditions, the coaches tuning and waxing of skis was impeccable.”

The Larch Hills club from Salmon Arm took top spot to win the aggregate team award, followed closely by the local favourites the Strathcona Nordics.

Hollyburn from Vancouver finished third. Clubs from Revelstoke, Pemberton, and Kelowna all had strong showings, and the host club was pleased to have racers come from Rossland, Prince George, Whistler, Squamish and Kamloops.

Cross Country BC, the provincial governing body for cross-country skiing in British Columbia, is a not-for-profit, club-based organization of more than 16,000 members. Cross Country BC offers programs and services to support the continuous development of cross country skiing for all ages and abilities, from introductory experiences to international excellence.

Teck Resources Ltd. is the title sponsor of Cross Country BC’s Skier Development Program, thereby supporting excellence in sport and providing youth with experiences that will help them prepare for the future.

Official race results from the weekend are available at www.crosscountrybc.ca