Team NordicSkiRacer top team at Relays
Sun, Mar 20, 2005 - By Mike Muha
It was the race of the year - the race that would decide the Team Trophy for the Michigan Cup. With four teams still in contention, it came down to the last race, held on the last day of winter...
But that's a different story...
The relays were held on great snow in cloudy conditions, with temperatures in the upper 20's. Strait Striders brought out 15 teams in their bid to win the Michigan Cup. The Cross Country Ski Headquarters and Team NordicSkiRacer.com were close behind in number of teams, with 12 and 11 teams each. Other teams pulled togther as many relays teams as they could.
Competition was fierce. No one wanted to let their team down. Many racers said their leg was a 'real lung burner.'
The relay race started near the road crossing, went backwards around Rolling Hills, then continued around the flat Partridge Alley trail before finishing near the road for the tag zone and finish line. The first leg of the race was classic; the second and third leg were freestyle. Conditions were quite fast on the approximately 4 Km course.
Forty-seven teams started the relay - the biggest turnout in Michigan Cup history. There were nine relay cateories:
- Females with combined ages of 0-59
- Females with combined ages of 60-149
- Females with combined ages of 150+
- Males with combined ages of 0-59
- Males with combined ages of 60-149
- Males with combined ages of 150+
- Coed, with combined ages of 0-59
- Coed, with combined ages of 60-149
- Coed, with combined ages of 150+
The winning team in each category received 600 points; the second place recieved 540, third place received 480 points and so on, down to tenth place (60 points).
Team NordicSkiRacer.com took away the most points (3,780), winning four out of the nine categories and having several other high-placed finished. XCHQ was not far behind, with 3,480 points, followed by the Strait Striders with 3,240 points.
After the race, it was chicken and hot dogs, baked beans, and lots of beer for everyone!
Unofficially, Team NordicSkiRacer.com took enough points from the relay to win the Michigan Cup Team Trophy.
Photos from the race:
- The Start
- The first leg
- Tag, you're it!
- Bringing it home...
- The finish
- Plus: http://www.nordicskiracer.com/Racing/2005/RelaysMore1/Photos.asp
- and http://www.nordicskiracer.com/Racing/2005/RelaysMore2/Photos.asp
| Bib | Team Name | Points | MI Cup Team | Skier 1 Skier 2 Skier 3 | Category | Race Time |
| Unknkown MI Cup Team | ||||||
| 143 | Mo-Jo-Jr | - | ? | Shifert, Joseph Frye, Jimmy Harwood, Mo |
M 60-149 | 0:47:56 |
| Cross Country Ski Shop | ||||||
| 142 | Mud-Stuffins | 420 | CCSS | Green, Jamie Fultz, Dick Mills, Fred |
M 150+ | 0:44:10 |
| 147 | A Team | 300 | CCSS | Smith, Robert Harwood, Jim Fairman, Robert |
M 60-149 | 0:40:17 |
| Total Points: 720 | ||||||
| Grand Rapids Nordic Ski Team | ||||||
| 137 | Slippery Dogs | 360 | GRNST | Blodel, Randel Camp, Don Seaman, Mike |
M 60-149 | 0:39:50 |
| 140 | 2 Guys & a Gal | 360 | GRNST | Nolan, Dan Herrick, Louise Picard, Steve |
C 60-149 | 0:48:18 |
| 141 | Turbo-Dogs | 300 | GRNST | Mueller-Brumbaugh, Carole Love, John Byak, Christopher? |
C 60-149 | 0:50:23 |
| 102 | GRNST PBS | 540 | GRNST | Johnson, Peter West, Bob Smigiel, Steve |
M 150+ | 0:44:08 |
| Total Points: 1,560 | ||||||
| NordicSkiRacer.com | ||||||
| 135 | Joann's Team | 600 | NSR | Nizio Frank Ruffner, Spencer Cavaletto, Joann |
C 150+ | 0:51:33 |
| 131 | JM squared | 600 | NSR | Houle, Julia Muha, Mike Heidinger, Mike |
C 60-149 | 0:42:02 |
| 136 | Whopthupin | 320* | NSR | Sorgenfrei, Allen Kuhl, MacKenzie Robinson, Ryan |
C 60-149 | 0:45:55 |
| 129 | Classy Ladies | 600 | NSR | Creitz, Lexanne Allen, Linda Dawson, Karen |
F 150+ | 0:54:17 |
| 127 | Bad Company | 480 | NSR | Tikh, Leo Dawson, Ken Kaltz, Bill |
M 150+ | 0:44:09 |
| 126 | Rocket Dogs | 360 | NSR | Heady, Doug Kessler, Randy Sexton, Ron |
M 150+ | 0:44:56 |
| 134 | NSR #10 | 300 | NSR | Feldkamp, Tim Haefner, Bill Cornell, Doug |
M 150+ | 0:46:50 |
| 128 | Kuhl & the Gang | 600 | NSR | Fanslw, Dave Stevens, Andy Kuhl, Steve |
M 60-149 | 0:36:37 |
| 133 | Canamer | 240 | NSR | Dufour, Yvon Madorski, Mark Tarnow, Aaron |
M 60-149 | 0:41:38 |
| 123 | Out Your Backdoor | - | NSR | Potter, Jeff Worrel, Greg Motowski, Dan |
M 60-149 | 0:48:49 |
| 138 | NSR-Jukka | - | NSR | Schmude, Mark Ljubic, Bobby Pietila, Jukka |
M 60-149 | 0:50:01 |
| Total Points: 3,780 | ||||||
| Ohio Nordic | ||||||
| 101 | LIAP-Ohio | 420 | Rachitskiy, Anton Rachitskiy, Val Rachitskiy, Olga | C 60-149 | 0:47:06 | |
| Total Points: 420 | ||||||
| Straits Striders | ||||||
| 118 | No Whining | 480 | Straits Striders | Bogart, Beth McGraw, Harriet Van Dam |
F 150+ | 1:00:45 |
| 116 | D-T squared | 600 | Straits Striders | Gephart, Daniella Goble, Tracy Hardin, Tracy |
F 60-149 | 0:44:21 |
| 113 | Thundering Herd | 600 | Straits Striders | Berndt, Detlef Hardin, John Mendyk, Marv |
M 150+ | 0:43:46 |
| 108 | Burt Lake Brusiers | 240 | Straits Striders | Kurz, Mark VandeKopple, Bob Johnson, Max | M 150+ | 0:48:26 |
| 103 | Flying Oosiks | 120 | Straits Striders | Meyer, Jim Moore, Jeff Moore, Joel |
M 150+ | 0:49:30 |
| 132 | Stormy | - | Straits Striders | Hayes, Bill Baker, Steve Stormzand, Mark |
M 150+ | 0:53:15 |
| 110 | Top Striders | - | Straits Striders | Matthews, Paul Byer, Rick Wright, Hap |
M 150+ | 0:53:27 |
| 105 | Old Crows | - | Straits Striders | Aspenleiter, Barry Irish, David Boal, Ellis |
M 150+ | 0:54:08 |
| 119 | Mum's the Word | 540 | Straits Striders | Mendyk, Connie Beatty, Barb Lund, Lorraine |
F 150+ | 0:54:18 |
| 115 | Old Farts | - | Straits Striders | Ahrenberg, Bill Sharp, Sam Gilbert, Darwin |
M 150+ | 1:04:05 |
| 106 | Nordic Snow Monsters | 480 | Straits Striders | Paull, Denny Goble, John Weingartz, Chris |
M 60-149 | 0:37:20 |
| 109 | Next Year | 120 | Straits Striders | Buday, Mark VanDam, Stephen Putalik, Greg |
M 60-149 | 0:45:38 |
| 121 | Doull Demons | 60 | Straits Striders | Kelly, Kevin Atkins, Dave Doull, James |
M 60-149 | 0:45:47 |
| 114 | Team Taint | - | Straits Striders | Ellonte, Mike Farley, David Deegan, Jack |
M 60-149 | 0:48:11 |
| 145 | Black Bears | - | Straits Striders | Austin, David McGraw, Vaughn Beatty, Spencer |
M 60-149 | 0:49:06 |
| Total Points: 3,240 | ||||||
| Traverse Nordic Ski Club | ||||||
| 122 | TNSC | 540 | TNSC | Brundage, Bill Baic, Milan Onthank, Cliff |
M 60-149 | 0:37:01 |
| Total Points: 540 | ||||||
| XC Ski Headquarters | ||||||
| 125 | Wolf | - | XC Ski Hdqtrs | Stevenson, Marvin Wells, Richard Caldwell, Jack |
M 150+ | 1:03:20 |
| 124 | 2 G's & a G | 600 | XC Ski Hdqtrs | Gulledge, Catarina Timm, Alexandra Weir, Morgan |
C 0-59 | 0:49:48 |
| 111 | Dude & 2 Chicks | 540 | XC Ski Hdqtrs | Patterson, Britta Patterson, Kaitlyn Temkin, Daniel | C 0-59 | 1:02:27 |
| 139 | Due Less See More | 540 | XC Ski Hdqtrs | Weir, Debi Rushford, Tom Patterson, Diane |
C 150+ | 1:08:00 |
| 144 | Desparte Skiers | 540 | XC Ski Hdqtrs | Caldwell, Ben Peterson, Gussie Laprad, Jeff |
C 60-149 | 0:45:00 |
| 117 | Golden Girls | 420 | XC Ski Hdqtrs | Merwyn, Carol Calwell, Beth Kerekes, Anna |
F 150+ | 1:04:56 |
| 120 | Lajog | 180 | XC Ski Hdqtrs | Timm, Larry Geigue, John Merwin, Greg |
M 150+ | 0:49:27 |
| 112 | Tom Jones+ | 60 | XC Ski Hdqtrs | Neier, Rick Matson, Bill Jones, Tom |
M 150+ | 0:51:15 |
| 130 | Vote for Pedro | 420 | XC Ski Hdqtrs | Peterson, Curt Brady, Kip Mitchell, Rob |
M 60-149 | 0:38:40 |
| 107 | Franks Folly | 180 | XC Ski Hdqtrs | Kanaby, Larry Rynalski, Frank Johnson, Nick |
M 60-149 | 0:42:37 |
| 146 | Moonstone | - | XC Ski Hdqtrs | Weir, Rick von Wallmenich, Theo Cook, Tim | M 60-149 | 0:46:52 |
| 104 | 3 Omegas | - | XC Ski Hdqtrs | Temkin, Mike Ernst, Dale Theofoldt |
M 60-149 | 0:48:37 |
| Total Points: 3,480 | ||||||
*Team NordicSkiRacer.com did not receive the full 480 Michigan Cup points for the Whopthupin team because one of the legs was not a member of the team.