Summit Tigers Nordic skier Kai Oppito skis out of the start area just east of Loveland Ski Area en route to a fourth-place finish in the 7.5-kilometer skate race on the recpath to Bakerville earlier this month. On Friday, Oppito was Summit’s top racer in fourth place at the Steamboat Springs skate.
The Summit High School Nordic ski team raced to a runner-up performance at Friday’s 5.7-kilometer skate race at the Steamboat Ski Touring Center despite being without one of its best skiers.
Tigers head coach Eva Hagen said Jonah Mocatta suffered a wrist injury while Alpine skiing Thursday that sidelined him from Friday’s race and could force him out of next weekend’s state championships at Gold Run Nordic Center in Breckenridge.
BAKERVILLE The Summit High School Nordic ski team dominated the 7.5-kilometer interval-start skate ski race on Friday, Feb. 12 in Bakerville east of Loveland Ski Area, with four boys in the top five and three girls finishing in the top six.
Considering the backcountry, powder conditions, the race was less of a skate and more of a downhill double-pole. Tigers senior Liam Goettelman (fifth place, 20 minutes and 1.7 seconds) said the conditions favored the Summit team, considering the team’s experience in downhill and backcountry racing.
“This one is definitely going to be going into the history books as a fun one,” Goettelman said.