All ages, all abilities, all weather, no excuses!
Ironwood, MI and surrounding area
Team News
2012 SKI SEASON
IN REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
2011 SKI SEASON
IN REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
SUMMER TRAINING ENDS WITH BIG RACES
TG Training Ladies
spent the summer working out together. Amy, Amber, Jackie, Sandy,
Britta, and newcomer Rindy trained together most Tuesdays and Thursdays,
trail running, doing dryland progressions with the guidance of coach
Ken, and incorporating ski-specific weight training. We competed in
local running races throughout the summer, and for several of us the
season culminated with a long and challenging race.
Jackie did the Detroit Marathon with a time of 3:37:57Amy did the Whistlestop Half Marathon with a time of 1:45:47
Sandy did the Whistlestop Half Marathon with a time of 1:48:21
Britta won her age group in the Whistlestop Half Marathon in 1:48:46
Rindy did her first mountain bike race, the Crybaby Classic and had fun in the process!
Amber is recovering from some hip pains, planning her marathon debut at SISU!
Here are some photos from dryland and our races.
Announcing Windy Ridge Nature Preserve
Ken
& Jackie purchased some land in Erwin Twp. and Ken spent the summer
putting in 3.5 miles of new ski trails. Snowshoe trails are in the
works! Here are some pics from our TG members who came and helped pick
rocks and sticks to make a nice smooth surface for the snow to fall
upon.
Welcome to our newest member!
Baby Axel waited until Team Gogebic was over, 3/22/11 to make his entrance. At 9 lb 4 oz, & 21" long, he should fit into a race suit next season! Mom & baby are great! Congratulations to Amy & Kalomb.
Baby Axel waited until Team Gogebic was over, 3/22/11 to make his entrance. At 9 lb 4 oz, & 21" long, he should fit into a race suit next season! Mom & baby are great! Congratulations to Amy & Kalomb.
Britta Makes Jr. Olympics for Second Year!
by Jackie Powers
3/3/11
Team Gogebic Nordic Ski Club member Britta Schroeder will be heading to Minneapolis this weekend to represent the Great Lakes Division at the Jr. Olympics. The 16 year old Ironwood resident will be competing against the best Jr. skiers from across the nation.
To qualify for the regional Olympic team, skiers must compete in qualifying races throughout the season, earning points from the best two races in both classical and skate skiing techniques. Schroeder's first qualifying race was in here in Ironwood at the Wolverine races in early December. "What a treat to start the season off right here in our home town." says Team Gogebic head coach Ken Hazel. "Through the efforts of the Wolverine Nordic Ski Club and a small group of volunteers, 350 of the best Jr. racers in the Midwest come to Ironwood to compete every year." Britta then traveled to races in Minneapolis, Wausau, and Houghton to earn the points necessary to qualify for the team.
This is Britta's second year at the Jr. Olympics. "It is amazing to have a local high school girl achieve this level of fitness," Hazel continues. "Cross-country skiing uses every major muscle in the body and Nordic skiers have been tested to be the most fit people on the planet. That's why qualifying for the Jr. Olympics is no small feat. To get to this level of competition requires these young skiers to dedicate themselves to a year-round training program, in al kinds of weather."
Britta's training was interrupted last summer when she broke her foot playing ultimate frisbee. "The ability to overcome an injury defines an athlete," says Hazel. "Britta rose to the challenge by working through the healing process and jumping back into her training without being discouraged. This speaks to her character as well as her commitment to her goal of making the Jr. Olympic team again."
Other highlights of Schroeder's season include finishing third in the sprints and fifth in the pursuit at the Michigan State Meet in Traverse City, and a second place finish at the Jr. Birkie in Cable, WI last weekend.
Britta at JOs on the Great Lakes Division Team
Britta after her exciting 2nd place finish at the Jr. Birkie 2/25/11.
Britta was 3rd overall female in the 13K North End Classic 2/12/11.
by Jackie Powers
3/3/11
Team Gogebic Nordic Ski Club member Britta Schroeder will be heading to Minneapolis this weekend to represent the Great Lakes Division at the Jr. Olympics. The 16 year old Ironwood resident will be competing against the best Jr. skiers from across the nation.
To qualify for the regional Olympic team, skiers must compete in qualifying races throughout the season, earning points from the best two races in both classical and skate skiing techniques. Schroeder's first qualifying race was in here in Ironwood at the Wolverine races in early December. "What a treat to start the season off right here in our home town." says Team Gogebic head coach Ken Hazel. "Through the efforts of the Wolverine Nordic Ski Club and a small group of volunteers, 350 of the best Jr. racers in the Midwest come to Ironwood to compete every year." Britta then traveled to races in Minneapolis, Wausau, and Houghton to earn the points necessary to qualify for the team.
This is Britta's second year at the Jr. Olympics. "It is amazing to have a local high school girl achieve this level of fitness," Hazel continues. "Cross-country skiing uses every major muscle in the body and Nordic skiers have been tested to be the most fit people on the planet. That's why qualifying for the Jr. Olympics is no small feat. To get to this level of competition requires these young skiers to dedicate themselves to a year-round training program, in al kinds of weather."
Britta's training was interrupted last summer when she broke her foot playing ultimate frisbee. "The ability to overcome an injury defines an athlete," says Hazel. "Britta rose to the challenge by working through the healing process and jumping back into her training without being discouraged. This speaks to her character as well as her commitment to her goal of making the Jr. Olympic team again."
Other highlights of Schroeder's season include finishing third in the sprints and fifth in the pursuit at the Michigan State Meet in Traverse City, and a second place finish at the Jr. Birkie in Cable, WI last weekend.
Britta at JOs on the Great Lakes Division Team
Britta after her exciting 2nd place finish at the Jr. Birkie 2/25/11.
Britta was 3rd overall female in the 13K North End Classic 2/12/11.
Team Gogebic Receives Stormy Kromer Grant for Second Year!
3/5/10 Jackie,
The Stormy Kromer Pursuit is able to make some donations to cross country ski efforts again this year. Our goal is to help make cross country skiing better in the area and specifically helping kids get familiar with the sport. You and Ken have done a great job of getting people of all ages involved and I would like to make another $200 donation to the Team Gogebic efforts. Thanks and I hope you're enjoying the season.
Kelly Klein
Race Director
Stormy Kromer Pursuit
2010 SKI SEASON
IN REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
Kimball Inn & ABR Choose TG for Third Year!
HI Jackie,Kimball Inn again asked if they could donate their food at Taste of the Trails to a cause of our choice. We chose Team Gogebic and added our beverage donations, for a total of $344.
Thank you for all you and Ken do for the team and promoting Nordic skiing.
Eric and Angela
Proprieters, ABR Ski Trails
Ben
& Britta at the Jr. Olympics!
Ben & Britta left for Presque Isle, Maine on Wed. 3/3. The Midwest Jr. Olympic team traveled by bus to their destination. We await news from the kids.
In the mean time...Information I gleaned off the official website, www.juniorolympics2010.org.
The United States Ski Association allows a quota of 21 men and 21 women per division to compete at the JOs. Our division is the Great Lakes Division. Ben & Britta qualified by skiing the Grand View Challenge at Wolverine, the Keweenaw Nordic Festival in Houghton, and the Telemark SuperTour in Cable. Ben also competed in the SuperTour in Minneapolis and both kids competed in the Michigan state meet as well as the Jr. Birkie, for more racing experience.
The event will be held at the Nordic Heritage Center, which sounds like a pretty cool little place. It is managed and operated by the Nordic Heritage Sport Club, a non-profit corporation with a mission to re-establish skiing as a lifestyle in central Aroostook County. The club sponsors and coordinates community recreation programs for summer and winter sports and activities and hosts local, national and international competitive events for cross country skiing, biathlon and mountain biking competitions. They have a lighted ski loop and a 1K paved roller ski trail!
The town has 10,000 residents, a university and community college, and they are expecting upwards of 600 athletes to compete in the 2010 XC Junior Olympics. 300 volunteers will help pull off the event!
3/6/10
Hey, Jackie and Ken,
Ben and Britta arrived safely last night. I haven't heard what today has for them!
Hope all is well! We're leaving tonight to go to Milwaukee and visit family, then fly to Maine on Tuesday am.
LeaAnn
3/9/10
Hi Jackie,
I talked to Ben yesterday after the classic sprint race. He said they needed to finish 30 or up to advance to the quarter-finals. Ben came in 34th. He wasn’t too disappointed though since he did improve a lot from last year. Only one GLT member made the quarters but he was eliminated after that race. I don’t know how Britta placed, but Ben did say she didn’t make the quarters either.
Ben said to say “Hi” to everyone. When asked what Maine was like, he said “it’s just like home except for a lot of potato fields and huge windmills”.
Here are a couple of pics from yesterday.
Thank you,
Laura
3/10/10
Hello Jackie,
Here are a few pictures from the classic race day.
They did a great thing; it looked
like the schools bussed whole classes to the event to cheer. They also
had some sort of contest that could be entered by the kids if they got
enough autographs from the athletes, as you'll see a boy getting
Btitta's autograph right after the race. I'm sure it helped make the
racers feel even more special.
Neal
3/11/10
Hello, Jackie,
We are so very proud of Ben and Britta. Truly this is a very big pond with exceptional athletes. Today is a down day, and the kids will race tomorrow.
Yesterday, they skied a classic race, the J2 girls skied 5K, and the OJ guys did the loop 3 times for 15K. Neal and I skied that same track today on our skate skis. It was back and forth switchbacks on the mountain, and I snowplowed constantly to make the tight turns. I have no idea how they did it on their classic skis. The switchbacks made viewing fun, so we could see them on many points in the race.
The facilities here are beautiful, the kids are trying to get their homework done. And, we are taking Britta out for sea-food tonight. Otherwise, they eat with their team at the University of Maine-just a couple hundred yards from our hotel.
We'll see them race tomorrow and then fly out of here.
Overall, this little community, no bigger than ours, has done a magnificent job of hosting this event.
Greet the group-we hear the skiing is likely done there-it doesn't have many days left here, either.
LeaAnn
3/15/10
Hi Jackie,
Ben and Britta are safely home and Ben currently has “cracked the books”—it’s catch-up time. Ben had a great time at the JO’s. His goal was to improve from last year and he is happy that he met that goal. Of course, he’s already anxious to get on his roller skies and start training for next year.
Thanks,
Laura
Ben & Britta left for Presque Isle, Maine on Wed. 3/3. The Midwest Jr. Olympic team traveled by bus to their destination. We await news from the kids.
In the mean time...Information I gleaned off the official website, www.juniorolympics2010.org.
The United States Ski Association allows a quota of 21 men and 21 women per division to compete at the JOs. Our division is the Great Lakes Division. Ben & Britta qualified by skiing the Grand View Challenge at Wolverine, the Keweenaw Nordic Festival in Houghton, and the Telemark SuperTour in Cable. Ben also competed in the SuperTour in Minneapolis and both kids competed in the Michigan state meet as well as the Jr. Birkie, for more racing experience.
The event will be held at the Nordic Heritage Center, which sounds like a pretty cool little place. It is managed and operated by the Nordic Heritage Sport Club, a non-profit corporation with a mission to re-establish skiing as a lifestyle in central Aroostook County. The club sponsors and coordinates community recreation programs for summer and winter sports and activities and hosts local, national and international competitive events for cross country skiing, biathlon and mountain biking competitions. They have a lighted ski loop and a 1K paved roller ski trail!
The town has 10,000 residents, a university and community college, and they are expecting upwards of 600 athletes to compete in the 2010 XC Junior Olympics. 300 volunteers will help pull off the event!
3/6/10
Hey, Jackie and Ken,
Ben and Britta arrived safely last night. I haven't heard what today has for them!
Hope all is well! We're leaving tonight to go to Milwaukee and visit family, then fly to Maine on Tuesday am.
LeaAnn
3/9/10
Hi Jackie,
I talked to Ben yesterday after the classic sprint race. He said they needed to finish 30 or up to advance to the quarter-finals. Ben came in 34th. He wasn’t too disappointed though since he did improve a lot from last year. Only one GLT member made the quarters but he was eliminated after that race. I don’t know how Britta placed, but Ben did say she didn’t make the quarters either.
Ben said to say “Hi” to everyone. When asked what Maine was like, he said “it’s just like home except for a lot of potato fields and huge windmills”.
Here are a couple of pics from yesterday.
Thank you,
Laura
3/10/10Hello Jackie,
Here are a few pictures from the classic race day.
They did a great thing; it looked
like the schools bussed whole classes to the event to cheer. They also
had some sort of contest that could be entered by the kids if they got
enough autographs from the athletes, as you'll see a boy getting
Btitta's autograph right after the race. I'm sure it helped make the
racers feel even more special.Neal
3/11/10
Hello, Jackie,
We are so very proud of Ben and Britta. Truly this is a very big pond with exceptional athletes. Today is a down day, and the kids will race tomorrow.
Yesterday, they skied a classic race, the J2 girls skied 5K, and the OJ guys did the loop 3 times for 15K. Neal and I skied that same track today on our skate skis. It was back and forth switchbacks on the mountain, and I snowplowed constantly to make the tight turns. I have no idea how they did it on their classic skis. The switchbacks made viewing fun, so we could see them on many points in the race.
The facilities here are beautiful, the kids are trying to get their homework done. And, we are taking Britta out for sea-food tonight. Otherwise, they eat with their team at the University of Maine-just a couple hundred yards from our hotel.
We'll see them race tomorrow and then fly out of here.
Overall, this little community, no bigger than ours, has done a magnificent job of hosting this event.
Greet the group-we hear the skiing is likely done there-it doesn't have many days left here, either.
LeaAnn
3/15/10
Hi Jackie,
Ben and Britta are safely home and Ben currently has “cracked the books”—it’s catch-up time. Ben had a great time at the JO’s. His goal was to improve from last year and he is happy that he met that goal. Of course, he’s already anxious to get on his roller skies and start training for next year.
Thanks,
Laura
