The Sisters High School Nordic ski team returned to action on Saturday, January 14 for the Diamond Lake 5k Skate race, and the young team came away with strong results.

Ella Eby cracked the top half of the field on the way to 11th place in a time of 20:20 in the girls race, which was won by Kinsey Olarrea of Mountain View in a fast time of 16:35.

Olarrea’s efforts helped the Cougars win the team title over La Pine, Caldera, and Ashland. With Eby as the only racer for Sisters, the team was incomplete.

Corbin Fredland reached the finish line first among Outlaws in the boys race, placing seventh overall in 15:01. Spencer Tisdel came through next in 12th (15:39), followed by John Berg (17:27), Cooper Merrill (18:18), and Jack Turpen (19:56).

Zachary Shockey of Mountain View won with a time of 12:18.3 as the Cougars swept the top six places to easily win the team title with six points. The Outlaws ended up in second place with 24 points to beat South Eugene (27), La Pine (45), and Ashland (51).

“These kids improved by the day and I can’t be more pleased with their spirit and competitiveness,” said Coach Jeff Husmann.

JACK TURPEN

Ella Eby turned in a strong race for the Outlaws in Nordic competition at Diamond Lake.

Coach Tiffany Tisdel concurred, saying, “This was the first skate race for all of our athletes, and they were excited to test their abilities in the skate discipline. Everyone skied with enthusiasm and a lot of heart.”

Skate skiing is quite technical and both coaches have been impressed with the team’s willingness to take on the challenge to get better.

“There is a lot of learning that occurs with anything new, and our racers gained valuable insight into areas to improve their technique for future races,” said Tisdel.

The Outlaws were scheduled to host the Hoodoo Night Sprints January 16. Results will be in next week’s Nugget.