Sixty young skiers converged at Bull Mountain Ski Area Sunday for the third annual Williams Lake Elementary School Ski Tournament.
Nine skiers from Quesnel and another eight from 100 Mile House joined 43 from Williams Lake schools Nesika, Cataline, Columneetza, Sacred Heart, Maranatha, Mountview and Chilcotin Road.
Williams Lake skiers were split into three teams — the Jackalopes, the Sasquatches and the Wolverines — in order to make the event more equal, fair and fun, race organizer Rob Sutton said.
“The day went very well,” Sutton said. “We got six to eight inches of new snow Friday night and groomers worked through Saturday morning and night getting the trails ready for Sunday’s ski tournament.
“It started out a little brisk Sunday morning but warmed up nicely when the sun came out at around 11 a.m.”
Team Wolverine won the Williams Lake trophy for most points (175), while team Sasquatch finished in second (163) and the Jackalopes placed third (147).
Members of the Wolverines were: Lilly Reedman, Zinny Jukic, Tori Lee Ball, Tobin Kruus, Erik Svenson, Nadia Wallin, Lena Sheppard, Austin Ball, Michaela Ketter, Livia Seabourne, Launa Power, Kayden Fraser, Jake Sutton, Lauryn Marklinger and Grace Turner.
The best out-of-town team trophy went to Quesnel with 115 points, while 100 Mile House finished in second with 55 points.
The day started out with a warmup at the staging area around the stadium.
The first event was a distance classic mass start race by age category in both boys’ and girls’ groups.
“Some older groups did a more challenging race route called ‘mousetrap,’” Sutton said.
“The second race was a free technique obstacle course sprint in the stadium where kids went out in heats of six skiers at a time to ski around cones, under hoops, climb a short hill, slalom turn, before going under hoops again and stepping over straw bales then sprint to the finish line. They all had a lot of fun.”
The third and final race event of the day was the team relay race (free technique) around the stadium in teams of four.
Sixteen relay teams competed altogether, before participants rallied at the warming hut for a lunch and awards ceremony.
Challenge racers in the older age groups received gold, silver and bronze medals, while survivor ribbons were handed out to the remaining competitors. Other racers received cookie medals donated by Taylor Made Cakes for first, second and third place, while participation ribbons were awarded to the rest of the skiers.
“Lots of volunteers came to help setup, run the events during the day and take down the course and stadium,” Sutton said. “It sounds like everyone wants to see this ski tournament continue in the coming years and the teams from Quesnel and 100 Mile wish to come back again, for sure.”
Top three results in each race class are as follows:
Girls Classic 4-6 Years
1.) Friday Borsato-Stobbe (Quesnel)
2.) Anna Burkey (Jackalope)
3.) Tori Lee Ball (Wolverine)
Boys Classic 4-6 Years
1.) Gavin Reedman (Sasquatch)
2.) Tobin Kruus (Wolverine)
3.) Emmit Ketter (Sasquatch)
Girls Classic 7-6 Years
1.) Rome Borsato-Stobbe (Quesnel)
2.) Lily Fraser (Sasquatch)
3.) Johana Ketter (Jackalope)
Boys Classic 7-8 Years
1.) Erik Svenson (Wolverine)
2.) Landon Bailey (Sasquatch)
3.) Carter Bohme (Quesnel)
Girls Classic 9-10 Years
1.) Kayden Fraser (Wolverine)
2.) Liam Gilroy (Jackalope)
3.) Lucas Wakefield (100 Mile)
Girls Classic 11-12 Years
1.) Lauryn Marklinger (Wolverine)
Boys Classic 11-12 Years
1.) Timu Kruus (Sasquatch)
2.) Jeff Obexer (Jackalope)
3.) Kaydin Sheppard (Sasquatch)
Girls Classic Challenge 7-8 Years
1.) Nadia Wallin (Wolverine)
Boys Classic Challenge 7-8 Years
1.) Cooper Seabourne (Jackalope)
Girls Classic Challenge 9-10 Years
1.) Anika Wallin (Sasquatch)
2.) Jessabelle Atkinson-Trelenberg (Jackalope)
3.) Livia Seabourne (Wolverine)
Boys Classic Challenge 9-10 Years
1.) Jake Sutton (Wolverine)
2.) Remi Giroux (Sasquatch)
3.) Daelin Riplinger (Jacklope)
Girls Classic Challenge 11-12 Years
1.) Grace Turner (Wolverine)
2.) Laura Balkwill (Quesnel)
3.) Ciara Reid (Sasquatch)
Boys Classic Challenge 11-12 Years
1.) Ethan Reid (Jackalope)
2.) Reese Hamelin (Quesnel)
Girls Free Technique 4-6 Years
1.) Anna Burkey (Jackalope)
2.) Friday Borsato-Stobbe (Quesnel)
3.) Tori Lee Ball (Wolverine)
Boys Free Technique 4-6 Years
1.) Gavin Reedman (Sasquatch)
2.) Emmit Ketter (Sasquatch)
3.) Tobin Kruus (Wolverine)
Girls Free Technique 7-8 Years
1.) Nadia Wallin (Wolverine)
2.) Jordyn Meville (100 Mile)
3.) Brianna Aaslie (Quesnel)
Boys Free Technique 7-8 Years
1.) Oi Moliner-Clark (Sasquatch)
2.) Cooper Seabourne (Jackalope)
3.) Carter Bohme (Quesnel)
Girls Free Technique 9-10 Years
1.) Anika Wallin (Sasquatch)
2.) Jessabelle Atkinson-Trelenberg (Jackalope)
3.) Elizabeth Puhallo (Quesnel)
Boys Free Technique 9-10 Years
1.) Remi Giroux (Sasquatch)
2.) Jake Sutton (Wolverine)
3.) Daelin Riplinger (Jackalope)
Girls Free Technique 11-12 Years
1.) Grace Turner (Wolverine)
2.) Laura Balkwill (Quesnel)
3.) Ciara Reid (Sasquatch)
Boys Free Technique 11-12 Years
1.) Reese Hamelin (Quesnel)
2.) Ethan Reid (Jackalope)
3.) Jeff Obexer (Jackalope)