THUNDER BAY – SPORTS – The last day of the Haywood 2015 Ski Nationals wrapped up on a high note for local Thunder Bay Skier Michael Somppi. Somppi won the prestigious 50 km mass start event, traditionally the last and most anticipated event of the year, by almost thirty seconds over Olympian and World Cup athlete Ivan Babikov. After skiing a comfortable 47 kilometers Somppi picked up the pace, and was untouchable for the last few kilometers. This win secured his position as the over Open Mens’ aggregate Champion. Kevin Sandau (NST) finished third, Graeme Killick (Olympian, NST) finished fourth and NDC Thunder Bays’ Scott Hill finished fifth. NDC Thunder Bay’s Evan Palmer-Charrette, of Lappe, finished his first fifty kilometer eigth, and teammate Bob Thompson finished tenth.
Joey Foster of Hardwood Hills, won the Junior Mens’ 30 km race followed by Ricardo Izquierdo-Berner of Quebec and Luke Brown finished third. NDC Thunder Bay’s Julian Smith finished sixth ahead of fellow NDC Thunder Bay skier Sam Greer in seventh and David Askwith in ninth.
Cenrine Browne of Quebec took the Senior Womens’ 30 km title just a toe length ahead (0.366 seconds) of Emily Nishikawa. Darhia Beatty of Whitehorse finished third, only thirty seconds off the leader. Andrea Lee, former NDC Thunder Bay, athlete finished in the top 10 in ninth place.
NDC Thunder Bay’s Jenn Jackson proved that she is fully recovered from a fractured leg earlier in the season with a commanding win of the Junior Womens’ thirty kilometer event. After a comfortable first portion of the race, she made her move and picked up the pace with just over five kilometers left, and no one could touch her. Maya MacIsaac-Jones finished second, well enough to secure her place as the aggregate Champion, putting Jackson as Second overall. Sapei Carrier-Laforte finished third. Sadie White of NDC Thunder Bay also had a great race, finishing on the podium in sixth.
Zak Ketterson of Minnesota won the Junior Boys 15km race, followed by Antoine Blais of Quebec and Ryan Jackson of Ontario. Thunder Bay’s Fergus Foster (Big Thunder) finished fifth. Antoine Laforte of Quebec one the Juvenile Boys’ 10km race. He was followed by Sam Hendry of Canmore and Finn Dodgson of Hardwood Hills.
Hannah Mehain of BC won the Junior Girls 7.5 km race, followed by Zoe Williams of Nakkertok, and Eliza-Jan Kitchen of BC. Kaia Andal of BC won the Juvenile Girls’ 7.5 m race, followed by Molly Miller of Bc, and Anna Goodwin of BC.
The Mass Start Distance race wrapped up a successful week of racing at Lappe Nordic Ski Centre.
