The Nickel Plate Nordic Club junior racers picked up four top-10 finishes at the Teck B.C. Cup Larch Hills race in Salmon Arm.
On Jan. 7, Fred Albrechtson placed eighth out of 17 in the juvenile boys .77-kilometre skate ski (free technique) sprint. On Jan. 8 in the classic ski, Sol Jacques was seventh out of 16 in the midget boys 3.75-km classic, while Broder was 11th. Albrechtson was fifth among 15 in the juvenile boys 7.5-km event.
Murray Farbridge, coach of the Nickel Plate junior racers, said because many skiers have been cross country skiing since they were about five, when they hit their teens, they are skiing very well.
“Our team is newer on the circuit with less experience skiing, but they are athletic and have a background in other sports,” said Farbridge. “They are really coming on this year in their development and training really well. They realize what a fantastic venue they have up at Nickel Plate to ski. If they work hard they can move up the standings further in their age groups and this is building up their confidence and love of the sport.”
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Farbridge said the goal for the team was to do four races this season. They are now aiming a little higher and a top ten team overall at the B.C. Championships in Kamloops in February is achievable.
The race in Salmon Arm featured teams from Prince George to the Southern Interior, coast and Vancouver Island.
Nickel Plate is led by Fred and Simon Albrechtson, Sol and Olllie Jaques, Matthew and Jessica Broder, Olivia Selles, Benjamin and Patrick Brouwers-Geertz, John and Jake Garwah, Justin Odian and Walker Singleton and assistant coach Naemi Fichter.