January 26-27
Submitted by VHS Nordic Ski Team Coach
The Valdez Nordic Ski Team had an exhilarating weekend racing against tough competition on their home ski trails. Teams from West Valley, Lathrop, Hutchison, Monroe, North Pole, and Palmer traveled to Valdez, bringing together a total of 116 skiers, including 15 Buccaneer skiers. Fortunately, the snowstorm held off just long enough for the team to complete the weekend races!
Morgan Hamilton, Rafe Caruthers
Day one kicked off with a thrilling sprint relay race, where skiers formed 29 relay teams of 4 to ski a 4×1.5k classic sprint race. Despite the challenge of navigating fast-spreading slickness, our team showed resilience. Three of our skiers had to withdraw from the relay due to sickness, but Ice Cold sophomores Gray Odencrans, Gabe Caruthers, and James Humphrey stepped up admirably, skiing two legs each for their teams. Kassidy Ferguson and Jackie Kagak also impressed in their first high school race after putting in hard work during practice. The entire team excelled over the fast and fun 1.5k course, followed by a well-deserved spaghetti feed and raffle courtesy of Beaver Sports at the High School cafeteria.
Gray Odencrans, Rafe Caruthers
The highlight of the weekend was Saturday’s individual 8k freestyle technique race. Despite sickness affecting three more skiers, ten Buccaneer skiers confidently took to the line, leveraging their home trail advantage. Impressively, skiers who raced both last year and this year on the same course collectively shaved off 32 minutes and 58 seconds from their combined time! Senior Rafe Caruthers, still recovering from illness, delivered a strong performance in his final Valdez Invite, securing 15th place. Gray Odencrans achieved a personal record, finishing 18th, while Morgan Hamilton led the girls’ team with a commendable 29th place. James Humphrey showcased remarkable improvement with a total time drop of 11 minutes and 27 seconds from last year’s race. Every team member demonstrated growth in their skiing abilities, progressing from their first race to continually improving through dedicated practice sessions during the cold and dark first half of the season.
Ezekiel James, Braiden Williams
A special thank you goes out to the numerous individuals who generously donated their time, resources, and talents to help us host this ski race at home. We extend our gratitude to the Parks Maintenance Department for maintaining immaculate ski trails and starting areas. Additionally, we are immensely grateful to the bundled-up volunteers who supported the team as trail monitors, timers, photographers, event volunteers, and enthusiastic cowbell ringers! We were thrilled to host this race and recognize that it wouldn’t have been possible without the unwavering support of the Valdez community.
Great job, Bucs!
