Anderson captures Nordic Skiing title; Mpls. Southwest claims team crown
Posted: Friday, March 12, 2021 - 5:11 PM
Friday, March 12, 2021
Just more than a year ago, Robbinsdale Armstrong’s Roger Anderson was edged out of an individual championship during the Minnesota State High School League’s Boys Nordic Skiing State Meet at Giants Ridge. He finished runner-up to Mounds Park Academy senior Henry Snider, who captured the pursuit title by six-tenths of a second. Another duel was predicted going into the 2021 state meet, this time against Wayzata senior Colin Freed.
Anderson, a senior, didn’t leave anything to chance. He compiled a two-run time of 20 minutes, 11.1 seconds during a sun-splashed day on a fast course that culminated the League’s season. He had the fastest time of 10:38 during the 4-kilometer classical race and then returned about 90 minutes later to record a time of 9:33.1 in the 4K freestyle. His two runs gave him a four-second margin over Freed, who was runner-up in 20:15.2.
It was Anderson’s second victory over Freed this month. He used a strong performance in the classical race to set the stage for an equally strong freestyle event in defeating Freed during the Section 6 championships on March 1.
With the state championship at stake, Anderson’s time in classical race gave him a two-second advantage over Minneapolis Southwest’s Victor Sparks. Bloomington Jefferson junior Jonathan Clarke was in third position following the classical race. Anderson, one of the final skiers in the first pod of each race, turned in the third fastest time in the freestyle with a clocking of 9:33.1. Freed, whose specialty is the freestyle, had the best time with a 9:25.2. Despite that blazing run, it was only enough to climb into second following a sixth-position spot after a time of 10:50 in the classical. Freed placed fifth overall during the 2020 state meet.
Minneapolis Southwest junior Cooper Camp was third overall in a time of 20:28.6 and Little Falls senior Jackson Grant was fourth in 20:29. Ely senior Jasper Johnston was fifth overall in 20:30.
In the team title chase, top-ranked Minneapolis Southwest captured the crown with 416 points. That was three better that runner-up, Forest Lake. Wayzata and Eden Prairie were third and fourth, respectively, while Robbinsdale Armstrong wound up fifth. As season ago, Minneapolis Southwest and Forest Lake tied for the team championship, but Forest Lake was awarded the title on criteria.
It is the third state championship for the Lakers since 2016. In 2016 and 2017, Minneapolis Southwest won back-to-back titles. Scoring for the Lakers were Camp, Sparks, junior Miguel Fresco-Hanlon and junior Owen Lindseth.
