Glacier strong at first qualifier

This season’s solid roster of veteran and up-and-coming skiers has put the Glacier Nordic Ski Club on the map as a small but mighty team to contend with in the Intermountain division.

Two skiers earned top-5 results at the first Junior National qualifier in Jackson, Wyo., last week, led by a second-place finish from Connor Gray in the J0 sprints.

“Everyone stepped up and skied well,” coach Robin Brooks said. “It was a strong qualifier for us.”

Gray blazed through the sprint brackets. After taking first place in the quarterfinals, the Whitefish High School freshman was second in the semis and second again in the finals.

“He’s a good sprinter and really thrives when he goes head-to-head with racers,” Brooks said. “He skied smart and strategically.”

The second-place finish in the sprint and his ninth-place finish in the 5K freestyle gives Gray a jump-start on earning a trip to Junior Nationals this spring.

“He’s right on track,” Brooks noted.

Jack Steele, one of the top J1 racers in the nation, put down a solid weekend despite carrying some jet-lag from his recent trip to Maine to compete in the Senior Nationals. The Whitefish High School senior was fifth overall in the 10K for J1 racers, and he made the “B” finals of the sprints.

“Jack didn’t have a chance to ski the course before the race,” Brooks explained. “With all the traveling he’s done lately, he was feeling a little tired. But he still skied really well in the skate race. The sprint wasn’t what he hoped for, but he did well going through the heats.”

Steele will take this week off from intense training in preparation for the second qualifier next week at Soldiers Hollow in Utah.

“I want him to rest this week so he can perform like he’s capable of,” Brooks said.

Brooks noted the performance of Fischer Gangemi in Jackson. The sophomore was 11th in the 10K skate, only 1:15 back from the top finisher.

Carl Talsma took 22nd place in the 10K, and freshman Henry Holt was 12th in the 5K skate to round out the club’s strong weekend.

Conditions at the Trail Creek Nordic area in Jackson were “interesting,” Brooks noted.

“We didn’t get rain at the venue, but it was really warm,” she said. “It’d snow for a little bit, then be sunny, then cloudy. The wax changed dramatically throughout day.”

She said they altered the course slightly this year because of moose problems.

“In order to prevent conflicts with moose, they had to keep the races in an open area,” Brooks said. “It was all pretty gradual, nothing steep, but long gradual climbs.”

The next race at Soldiers Hollow will feature more climbing, Brooks said. The venue hosted the Nordic races during the 2002 Winter Olympics.

“It should suit our team well,” Brooks said about the hilly course.

The team leaves for Utah on Jan. 26.