White Heaven at Rib Lake USSSA Qualifier

Leave it to Braveheart Racer, Jim McDonell (photo, catching up to Pete Hulke in the 5km), to get the flavor at the second edition of the Rib Lake Qualifier: “19 degrees (F) and rolling wooded hills of heavenly groomed white stuff.” What does that yield for the racers?

How about blazing times at this popular race in the heart of a national Hot Bed of Snowshoeing, North Central Wisconsin. Of the 41 finishers in this 10km qualifier for the USSSA National Championship Event in March, 35% finished in under one hour! “Yes, individual times were 10-15% quicker than last year,” commented Mr. Braveheart, “because of better conditions.”

New 10km entrant, Pete Peter, the last racer to finish today’s race under one hour, made these observations…

“Some preparation runs on flat lakes made me struggle for a 60-minute 10Km time as measured by a Garmin 205.  I figured by adding the terrain and other elements I’d be lucky to bust 1:05 or 1:10.  The conditions at Rib Lake were wonderful with temps at 19 or 20, trails in excellent groomed condition and little wind in the woods.  Snow was plentiful and although it was groomed the shoes still sunk . . . with the force of running.  The perfect conditions enabled me to come in with a 59.48 which equaled my time on flat ground.  The event was intimate, well run and results were posted immediately in age group brackets onto a plywood message board (a fixture at this event. Ed).   A timely awards ceremony and lunch back at the ballroom was well organized.  (At the start) Mr. Braveheart was out of sight for me within minutes but as the pack strung out I managed to not be passed by anyone for virtually the entire race.  It was nice to have some other racers in sight but also nice to have the beautiful trails to myself for the most part.”

Rib Lake always has a juxtapostion of styles and traditions as noted in the photo of Kris Borchard in racing snowshoes for his 10km effort passing Ginamarie Juvurek making way in the 5km event with mountain sized wooden snowshoes. And plenty of intense racing! Check this out:

Overall male winner, Jason Bond, took the gold with a 49:28 with second place, Jared Johnston, trailing by 30 seconds. John Kann, USSSA National Champion two years running for his age category, missing third place by a handful of seconds to a younger Tom Faciszewski; Jim McDonnell won fifth by seconds over Kyle Schmidt. Jim Graupner, representing the 60+ group with his gracefulness, won the age category but took ninth from Clifford Massie by only a few ticks of the clock; Steve Heil over Gary Gottlieb by seconds. Judd Johnston crossed the line in front of Pete Peter by two seconds. Bruce Hieble edged Phillip White by seconds; Dave Sykora led Jim Baillargron, both in the 60+ group, for 19th by two clicks; Martha Lau led Cathy Ott and Sandy Korth past the finish in a margin of two seconds. And did Ray Coyer gentlemanly allow Cindy Alf to finish a second ahead in order to allow him to win ‘last finisher’?

Michelle Brost won the overall female group, well ahead of Kara Faciszewski and Kristi Speer. Interestingly, the most entries for the class were in the 50-59 age category, won by Judy Punke.

The companion 5km race had 118 finishers with Jason Fudala and Mallory Kepner winning top honors.

Jim Graupner (see photo, Right), 2008’s winner of the unofficial “Most Qualifiers Raced” award and four time USSSA National Age Group Champion, once again won and represented those of us in the 60+ class well. He offered these thoughts:
“The 2009 Rib Lake Snowshoe Adventure was run in perfect snow and weather conditions.  At 9:00 that morning, the crews were finishing grooming the trail, so that by race time the surface was firmly set.  With an overcast sky and a forecasted snowfall for the afternoon, runners had a great window of opportunity; the results confirmed it. We missed the amazing Iowa contingent which didn’t compete here this year.

I arrived at the Rib Lake race directly from a week of cross-country skiing and shoeing with family on Door County’s Upper Peninsula, hoping I could manage the 10Km (Jim is kind with understatement. Ed).  The winding and hilly course is more challenging than one might think, despite the deceiving serenity of its undulating trails over streams and through snow-quilted forests.

Still, I didn’t want to miss this first snowshoe event in the Midwest: there was bound to be a good turnout of racers and touring folks; it would be a great chance to check in with friends again, some who might want to qualify for Nationals; and, (see group photo below, L-R: Bill Langhout, Dave Sykora, John Kann, Jim Baillargron, Jim McDonell, Jim Graupner) for friends of snowshoeing legend Cindy Brochman, it would be an opportunity to dedicate our efforts in support of her as she begins her cancer therapy.

Results were efficiently run by Debbie Quednow and all of the volunteers with food available again from the Rib Lake High School band members.”

Note, too, the number of Quednows racing in today’s events. For that matter, note how many families have multiple members enjoying snowshoeing.

Afterwards, great chili, bars, coffee and door prizes (of course including snowshoes) warmed everyone in the Rib Lakes own Zondlo’s Ballroom in a rousing celebration

(phillip gary smith writes about snowshoeing and other things out of the Twin Cities, Minnesota. Write phillipgary@snowshoemag.com or visit www.ultrasuperior.com.)

Visit http://www.skiriblake.com/events/snowshoe/snowshoeadventure.htm for results and more information.

Photos courtesy of Ed Busby, with help from Jim Graupner