The Duluth East boys and girls are defending team champions in today's Section 7 Nordic ski meet at Giants Ridge in Biwabik. The Greyhound boys are ranked No. 8 in Minnesota, while the girls are No. 4.
Returning individual winners are Cloquet-Esko-Carlton junior Raleigh Goessling in boys and East senior Alena Tofte in girls.
Today's event schedule: 5-kilometer classical races, boys at 10 a.m., girls at 11 a.m.; 5-kilometer freestyle races, boys at 1:30 p.m. and girls at 2:30 p.m.
* In Wednesday's Section 8 meet in Brainerd, Minn., Grand Rapids senior Addie Byrne of Bovey won a second straight girls individual 10K pursuit title in 36 minutes, 24 seconds and the No. 5-ranked Grand Rapids boys won the team championship. Leading the Grand Rapids boys was senior Kirk Gilbertson, third overall in 32:11. Battle Lake senior Conrad Roberts, ranked No. 3, was first in 31:28. Little Falls took the girls team title and Grand Rapids was second.
* In Goessling's last three races at the World Junior Biathlon Championships in Canmore, Alberta, he was 32nd in the Youth Boys 7.5K in 23:25; 46th in the 10K pursuit in 37:15.5 and was part of the last-place U.S. team in the 22.5K relay. Byrne, sixth in the Youth Girls 6K Saturday, was part of America's fifth-place 18K relay Tuesday as the leadoff skier.
