Sara Sandstrom, Nederland. Seventeen student athletes on the Nederland High School Nordic Ski Team have been waxing up their skis practice after practice and for a few meets during this Covid Nordic season. 

The season started with a lot of questions. Would a Nordic season be allowed? Will the school be able to find a coach and hire a coach? Will there be any meets?

The season was approved and the high school hired Elaine Vardamis, a coach with an amazing background in Nordic skiing. 

Because of the lack of snow and the pandemic the season started with virtual practices. The coach provided training guides and stressed the importance of physical and mental health. 

Maya Beauvineau is a senior who is on a Nordic team for the first time this year. She has loved being on the team and working with Coach Elaine Vardamis. Beauvineau has played other sports in high school and says, “This has been the best team dynamics I have had in high school.” 

She says that her teammates are very supportive of each other. They are a team and not divided by grade or ability. They work together. 

Beauvineau says they are encouraged to race in a way that makes them feel proud of themselves. They are learning a sport that can go beyond high school. She also appreciates that the coaches have fun and create an atmosphere of positivity. One day the wrong wax, for the conditions, was applied to the skis. This could have been devastating and brought great frustration. Instead the coaches approached it with good humor and the life lesson that not everything works out perfectly. 

During a Nordic ski meet the course is approximately five kilometers. The athletes must compete in all types of weather. And each place they go the course is different. In Leadville, Colorado, the course is very flat and the altitude is high. When Nordic skiers come to race at Eldora the course is very hilly. Nordic skiers learn both classic and skate styles of skiing. 

The 2021 Nederland High School Nordic Ski Team members are seniors Maya Beauvineau, Meagan Figgins, Ely Nitsch; juniors Eirwen McClish, Townes Bakke, Ben Nichols, Zach Weiner, Paul Masters, Bella Lynch, Natalie Taylor; sophomores Megan Hess, Lucas Schalz, Mackenzie Weber, Mazlan Finch, Annabel Ivey; freshmen Lee Whinston, Loic Masters. 

The Nordic State competition was held in Breckenridge, Colorado. 

Women’s Skate ski, 3Km

Bella Lynch, 0:09:31

Eirwen McClish, 0:10:55

Annabel Ivey, 0:11:12

Mackenzie Weber, 0:11:30

Maya Beauvineau, 0:12:03

Megan Hess, 0:12:48

Men’s Skate ski, 3Km

Loic Masters, 0:09:07

Paul Masters, 0:09:22

Ben Nichols, 0:10:20

Townes Bakke, 0:10:25

Women’s Classic ski, 5Km

Mackenzie Weber, 23:56.7

Eirwen McClish, 24:48.3

Maya Beauvineau, 25:02.8

Annabel Ivey, 25:20.6

Megan Hess, 25:22.4

Men’s Classic ski, 5Km

Loic Masters, 18:27.3

Ben Nichols, 22:05.6

Townes Bakke, 22:43.0