The Minnesota high school Alpine ski meet is today at Giants Ridge in Biwabik, featuring two slalom runs.
The first run is 10 a.m., with boys racing on the Helsinki course and girls on the Innsbruck course.
The second run is 1 p.m., with skiers racing opposite courses. The combined times of the two runs determine the places.
New individual champions will be crowned from last season. Burnsville senior Jack Lindsay, the 2016 boys' runner-up, returns, as does 2015 champion Elliot Boman, a Northfield senior.
Hermantown junior Austin Danelski, Duluth East senior Ryan Nordin, Hermantown senior Tyler Winberg and Cloquet-Esko-Carlton senior Thomas Heren are all back after finishing in the top 20 in 2016. Cook County-Silver Bay senior Will Lamb, third at sections last week, leads the Vikings' state-qualifying boys team.
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Orono senior Rosie Hust is the top returning girl after finishing second in 2016. Hermantown sophomore Kendra Winberg and Duluth East senior Avery Plude are back after cracking the top 20 last year. The Winberg family is well-represented, with Ashley Winberg, Tyler's younger brother and Kendra's twin sister, also competing after finishing a Northland girls-best third at sections last week.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Barnum 68, Cromwell-Wright 56
The Bombers (9-12) nabbed the Polar League win in Cromwell thanks to Daniel Gilchrist's 25 points and a strong second half.
Grand Rapids 75, Cloquet 55
Behind 19 points from Jake Skelly and 16 from Nate Seelye, the host Thunderhawks (17-5) won for the 10th time in 11 games.
Esko 65, Proctor 44
The Eskomos outscored the Rails 39-24 in the second half to win in Esko.
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Isaak Blue totaled 20 points and Adam Trapp chipped in 17 for the sixth-ranked Eskomos (18-2).
BOYS HOCKEY
CEC 4, Grand Rapids 1
The Lumberjacks may have thrown a late monkey wrench into the Section 7AA seeding by picking apart the skidding Thunderhawks in Cloquet.
Branden Matteen scored two goals and added an assist as CEC (14-8-2) avenged a 7-1 loss to Grand Rapids on Jan. 17. Eric Newman stopped 27 of 28 shots for the Lumberjacks, who could be seeded as high as third when the section playoff bracket comes out later this week.
Gavin Hain had the lone goal for No. 10 Grand Rapids (16-7-1), which has been outscored 13-3 while dropping its past three games.
Hibbing-Chisholm 6, VMIB 5
The Bluejackets claimed the Iron Range Conference title by using a four-goal first period to clip the Blue Devils in Hibbing.
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Jake Riihinen and Zach DeBoom scored two goals apiece for No. 9 Hibbing-Chisholm (17-7), which has won seven straight.
