Blake Boys Win First Title Since 1978
By Nick Clark
Sun Newspapers
(Created: Sunday, February 19, 2006 9:30 AM CST)
|
The wait is over for the Blake boys alpine ski team. Finally.
After teasing themselves with near misses at the state meet over the better part of the last two-and-a-half decades, the Bears finally got their second state championship.
The first came in 1978. Blake has been close to a second title a number of times since then, including last year when the Bears lost out to Eden Prairie by just eight points.
If Blake keeps this team together, they might not have to wait that long for a third.
The Bears had three of the top five finishers in the team competition. All three of those skiers will return next year, and two of them (ninth graders Michael Ankeny and Marc Massie) could have three more shots.
Ankeny finished first in the team competition with a combined time of 1:04.9, including a blistering run of 32.39 his second time down the hill.
Michael’s older brother Peter, a junior, placed third in the team competition with a combined time of 1:06.5. Massie was fifth with a time of 1:07.8.
Neal McKinley, the Bears lone senior, finished 13th overall. He was followed by junior Jason Briggs (17th) and sophomore Robby Gagne (31st).
Look for a complete wrap-up of the Bears state championship winning performance in the Feb. 23 issue of the Sun-Sailor.
Reprinted with permission Sun Newspapers
|
|
