ELY — On a cold Friday at Hidden Valley, the Ely Nordic ski team delivered one of its most complete performances of the season, with the boys sweeping the top three places and defeating Duluth East for a second straight week, while the girls posted a strong second-place team finish on their home trails.
The results were emphatic. The reasons behind them ran deeper than the leaderboard.
“It was a special day again on the Hidden Valley trails for our whole Ely Nordic Community. I would say a majority of our skiers had the best race of their season on Friday on our home course. Friday was a little chilly and we made the best out of it,” said Ely head coach Todd Hohenstein.
Hidden Valley is the place Ely’s skiers know best and the place that has shaped how they ski. It is where the team trains, where muscles and instincts are shaped, and where skiers learn to respond to terrain that demands both power and finesse.
“We talked a fair amount about how the trails they train on mold them into the skiers they become at the end of the season,” Hohenstein said. “The steep hills make them better climbers. The rolling terrain helps them develop their transitions from one style of skiing to the next. Our team becomes the human product of Hidden Valley.”
The Ely boys put that identity on full display on Friday.
Junior Oliver Hohenstein led the way with his second first-place finish in as many weeks, posting the fastest times in both the skate and pursuit races for a combined winning time of 28:24.2. He was followed closely by teammates Aksel Skustad, second in 29:12.3, and Wyatt Devine, third in 29:36.1, completing a 1-2-3 sweep that set the tone for the day.
“Oliver had another great day on the trail. He is looking very strong at this point in the season,” Hohenstein said.
Ely’s scoring strength extended well beyond the podium. Otto Devine placed seventh overall in 30:14.0, while Brooks Brenny finished eighth in 31:08.0, giving Ely five skiers in the top eight and locking up the team victory over Duluth East.
The depth behind that front group was just as notable. Ely placed nine skiers in the top 20, with George Sponholz finishing tenth, Emory Hohenstein 14th, Grady Anderson 15th, and Blake Houde 19th, as the Wolves continued a late-season surge heading into sections. Hohenstein said Oliver, like the rest of the boys on the team, enjoys competing against the Duluth East skiers.
“They have skied against each other over the last four years, and it’s been a great rivalry between the two schools. It will come down to which team feels better on the day of Sections and we have a few guys that could really make a difference in the outcome with a strong race,” he said.
While the boys claimed the team title, the Ely girls delivered a performance that reflected steady progress and growing confidence, finishing second overall with several skiers posting season-best efforts.
Junior Molly Brophy led the Ely girls, finishing sixth overall with a combined time of 37:00.6. Her performance was built on consistency across both races and marked another step forward in a season defined by technical improvement.
“On the girls team, we were very impressed with the two races Molly Brophy put together on Friday,” Hohenstein said. “We’ve always known about her aerobic capacity from her success in running, but her skiing technique has been a work in progress. This year she has really come a long way with her technique and is able to ski more efficient which results in fast times.”
Brophy was followed by Mattie Lindsay in 11th place with a time of 38:29.1, Beck Sponholz in 12th at 38:30.4, Addison Kannas in 15th at 39:18.8, and Ivy Ohlhauser in 16th at 40:27.9, rounding out Ely’s top five scorers.
Several other Ely skiers also recorded improved times, reinforcing what Hohenstein sees as a program-wide lift as the season enters its final stretch.
“The girls team has really made a jump in the last two weeks of the season. Everyone has maintained a great balance of competition and support among teammates,” he said. “They know that the harder they work, the better they get and that raises the bar for everyone. I’m really excited to see how the girl’s team does at the Section meet on Wednesday.”
“The volunteers from the community made it all possible and showed again just how much support there is in Ely for the ski program,” Hohenstein said. “Sure, there are a few people that really just love the sport of Nordic skiing, but I don’t think that can match watching a young person challenge themselves like our skiers do. It’s inspiring. Thank you again to our amazing volunteers.”