Nordic Skiing State Meet: 2024 Girls Pursuit Recap
Posted: Wednesday, February 14, 2024 - 6:39 PM
Mounds View ninth-grader Linnea Ousdigian captured the Minnesota State High School League's Nordic Skiing Girls Pursuit Championship on Wednesday, Feb. 14 at Giants Ridge in Biwabik.
Just more than a month ago, Mounds View ninth-grader Linnea Ousdigian won the highly-regarded Mesabi East Invitational with a victory at Giants Ridge in Biwabik. In that dandy multi-skier duel, she defeated veteran high school skiers Della Bettendorf of Proctor/Hermantown, Duluth East’s Lydia Kraker and St. Paul Highland Park’s Hanna Koch.
Was a repeat in store for five weeks later at the Minnesota State High School League’s Nordic Skiing State Meet? It was, and it didn’t disappoint.
Starting from a fourth-place position following her performance in the classical race, in the deciding freestyle race, Ousdigian reeled in her competitors by catching two opponents on her first lap and then maneuvered past Koch on the final lap to capture the Pursuit championship in a time of 27 minutes, 43.8 seconds. Koch, a junior, was five seconds behind in second place.
Rounding out the top five were Wayzata sophomore Lila Golomb, St. Louis Park senior Hanna Wilsey and Kraker, a senior. Kraker was the Pursuit runner-up a season ago.
Ousdigian, who finished in 32nd place during the 2023 state meet, is achieving success while skiing on the U16 national circuit.
