HAYWARD – The 29-kilometer Kortelopet cross-country ski race held in Hayward Feb. 22, yielded podiums for Ashwaubenon Nordic Ski Team (ANST) skiers Daniel Huhtala (Ashwaubenon) and Ryan Thieme (Bay Port).
The 2,500-plus Kortelopet field is second in size only to the main event, the American Birkebeiner, among North American Nordic competitions.
In 2019, skiers ranged in age from 13 to 80-plus.
Huhtala, Thieme and teammate Alex Lukens (Ashwaubenon) started in the elite classic wave. Racing in the front pack, Huhtala reacted at the 15-kilometer mark when three skiers broke free. Thieme moved with Huhtala and the last 10 kilometers belonged to the ANST duo.
The pair charged down Main Street in Hayward for the final stretch of the race, with Huhtala holding off Thieme to win the Classic Korte by less than a second.
The classic podium with Huhtala on the top step and Thieme in second repeated the Classic Korte result in 2018 where Ashwaubenon’s Jackson Adler won the race and Kyle Thieme (Bay Port) took second.
Alex Lukens (Ashwaubenon) shaved more than 20 minutes off his 2018 classic time and finished strongly in 10th place.
Other top-50 results included Kevin Johnson (Ashwaubenon, 22nd), Beckett Chambers (De Pere, 27th) and Mason Vinoski (Ashwaubenon, 35th).
Spirit Hess (Green Bay East) finished 13th in the women’s Classic Korte and Ellena Gallegos placed 38th.
William Murphy took an impressive 12th place in the Kortelopet Skate race.