On March 13-23 four Kimberley skiers attended the Haywood Ski National Championships in Corner Brook, NL. The skiers participated in a series of skate and classic technique races over the 10 days competing against the top skiers from across Canada.
Colin Ferrie, Nicole Perrin, MacKenzie Mclean and Molly Miller were amongst the 450 Canadian athletes who attended the race.
Colin and Nicole are experienced in racing at the National level; this was Colin’s seventh Nationals and Nicole’s sixth. Nicole’s best race was the qualifier for the sprint; she managed a strong 18th in the Junior Women category. As a 20-year-old, Colin was racing for the first time in the Open Men category, facing almost all the members of Canada’s National Team in the largest group at the Nationals. He did very well, with an aggregate placing of 14th overall and second 20-year-old. In his first 50-km race, he finished tenth, ahead of two Sochi Olympians. He also qualified seventh in the sprint, skiing 1.5 kms in three minutes.
MacKenzie attended her second Nationals and performed extremely well as a year 2000 racing up in the 1998-99 Juvenile age category. MacKenzie’s points in the overall races ranked her in 14th place in Canada in the Juvenile (1999) category and top girl born in 2000.
For Molly this was her first year racing at the National level. At the age of twelve Molly achieved great success racing up in the Juvenile category against skiers 14/15 years old. Molly came home with two bronze and one gold medal earning her the title of Canadian Champion in the 7.5 k classic mass start race. Molly’s results also earned her the Sophie Manarin Aggregate Award as a result of having the most overall race points in the Juvenile (1998/99) category, making her the fastest under 16 skier in Canada.
Molly was thrilled to receive this award from her role model, Olympian Heidi Widmer, who recently returned from the Sochi Olympic Winter Games.
Molly and MacKenzie have had a very successful race season this year. Their success would not be possible without the dedication of their coach Paul Freeze. Paul volunteers countless hours to coaching his skiers year round. Our local Club is very fortunate to have a coach of Paul’s calibre coaching the Kimberley Cross Country Ski Team.
There will be a home-coming reception honouring our Kimberley skiers on Sunday 6th April at 7:00 at All Saints Anglican Church (on Wallinger Avenue, opposite the Centex). They’re looking forward to seeing all those who have cheered them on all season.