By Cathy Putman
For the Press Times
ASHWAUBENON – The Wisconsin Nordic Ski League announced on Sunday, March 3, Ashwaubenon Nordic as the runner up for top team in the state, an honor that compiles individual male and female sprint and distance racing and team relay sprints. This is a repeat honor for the program.
Skiers who anchor the boys varsity team include senior Owen Wick (Ashwaubenon) who tied for first in the overall individual rankings and junior Ben Buchmann (Ashwaubenon) who was ranked sixth.
Girls varsity has the overall second and third ranked high school women, Notre Dame’s Paige Beining and Lauren Carlton.
On March 2-3 at the State Distance meet held in Cable on a ribbon of man-made snow, Beining stood atop the podium for her classic finish and on the second step for freestyle. Carlton was third in classic and fourth in freestyle. Freshman Ella Swanson (Wrightstown) scored for the girls, placing them in third place in the overall team competition.
Wick was seventh in the classic and fourth in freestyle for the boys varsity at State.
Buchmann was tenth and seventh respectively on an icy and hilly course at the Birkie Trailhead. On Saturday, March 2, freshman Jacob Shobe scored for the team by placing 22nd.
Freshman Charlie Van Gheem was the third scorer in the freestyle with his 14th place on Sunday, March, 3. The boys varsity was third for the weekend.
Junior National competition begins on March 7, in Lake Placid, N.Y. with Wick, Beining and Carlton attending for the Great Lakes division. Several of the freshman skiers will travel to Nordiq Canada Nationals in Quebec beginning March 9.