Derek Wendland showed his potential on the Nordic ski trails as a sophomore. As a junior there was still more inside of him.

A senior for Chaska/Chanhassen this season, Wendland took the big step up the team rankings, helping lead the boys team to a Metro West Conference championship title Jan. 29.

On Feb. 3 at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis, Wendland was one of three Storm Hawks in the top 25 in the final standings. Teammate Nick Scheller qualified for his third consecutive state meet in placing eighth overall.

“We were pretty confident Nick was going to make it. It came down to whether Ben and I had a shot,” Wendland said. “It was very fast. The course was cut off a little bit, a bit shorter than what we expected. We basically thought about going out there and doing our best and see what happens.”

Chaska/Chanhassen was fifth of 10 teams with a score of 318, just six points behind Bloomington Jefferson, which sent two skiers to state in Metro West Conference champion Jonathan Clarke and Colden Longley.

The Storm Hawks were ahead of Eden Prairie and Edina from the Lake Conference.

Wendland, who described his family as “big skiers,” including his sister Isabella, joined the program in eighth grade after previously competing in Alpine.

Wendland, 21st after the morning Classic event, wound up 23rd in Section 2, a 10K time of 26 minutes, 53.9 seconds.

“One of my coaches, Eric Adams, really studied the course, let us know where to pass, where to hold off guys. It’s definitely easier to see where you are in pursuit. You see the guy in front of you and you know you have to pass them. I know I have to step it up. There’s a lot more strategy in the pursuit race,” Wendland said.

Nick Scheller sat in 13th after the morning session, right on the cut for state. His stronger race, Skate in the afternoon, produced the fourth-fastest final 5K, a split of 11 minutes, 29. 5 seconds.

Scheller was eighth overall, one of six individuals to qualify for state, in a time of 25:16.5.

“It’s his motor, his drive, his natural talent,” said Wendland of Scheller. “You could see it in ninth grade when he first got on the skis. You knew he was going to be good.”

Nick’s brother, Ben, a junior, was 24th, right behind Wendland in 27:06.8.

Wendland said watch out for Ben Scheller in 2021. He fully expects him to be competing at the state meet.

Other top finishers for Chaska/Chanhassen were senior Zach Long in 31st place (28:02.3) and eighth grader Bennett Adams in 35th place (28:36.5).

“I’d say it was a mental drive. Being my senior year,” Wendland said of his senior year push. “We decided we were going to win conference one more time, win it three years in a row.”

And Chaska/Chanhassen did just that, rallying in the afternoon session at Baker Park Reserve to beat out Bloomington Jefferson. There were some nervous times during the lunch break, but the Storm Hawks hashed out a plan.

“We didn’t really know what was going to happen next. We just knew if everybody did their part, we could win. And everyone did their part and more and it wasn’t as close as we thought it might be,” Wendland said.

Chaska/Chanhassen also won the girls title for the fifth time in six years. At sections, the Storm Hawks were eighth of 10 teams with a score of 276, one point back of Minnetonka, and within striking distance of the top five.

While Minneapolis Southwest and Washburn claimed the two boys team positions to state, the girls race belonged to the Lake Conference in Edina and Eden Prairie.

Chaska/Chanhassen’s front runners were juniors Ellen Adams and Anika Sather, 24th and 26th, respectively, in times of 32:13.5 and 32:30.1.

Other top skiers for the Storm Hawks were Meghan Pierson (33:38.7), Lilly Halvorson (34:05.5) and Izzy Roemer (34:24.5).

The 2020 Nordic Ski State Meet is Thursday, Feb. 13 at Giants Ridge in Biwabik. Scheller will compete in the freestyle portion at 11:15 a.m. before a classical pursuit at 3 p.m.

Joining him will be much of the Chaska/Chanhassen boys varsity team. They plan to cheer him on as well as compete in a new relay event, Wendland said.

SENIOR LEADERSHIP

Holy Family Catholic, the smallest school in the Section 2 field, was led by 12th graders in each race.

Tyler Franck crossed the finish line in 27:11.8 for 25th place, while Ella Haley was 62nd in completing the course in 42:32.2.

Senior Aidan Olsen (31:58), and juniors Patrick Ricke (32:06.6) and Aidan O’Donnell (34:59.9) helped Holy Family Catholic boys place ninth ahead of St. Thomas Academy 210 to 187.

HOW THE TITLES WERE WON

Through the morning Skate event of the Metro West Conference Nordic Ski Championships Jan. 29, Chaska/Chanhassen was 14 points out of first place in third place in the girls standings.

The gap was just three points and one position for the Storm Hawks boys’ team.

The afternoon Classic race saw Chaska/Chanhassen rally. With four of the top-nine Classic times, the girls team moved up the standings, scoring 268, ahead of Bloomington (263) and St. Louis Park (257).

It was the same story with the boys. Four skiers in the top nine in Classic pushed Chaska/Chanhassen ahead of Bloomington 272-264 with St. Louis Park in third at 237.

It was the fifth conference title in six years for the Chaska/Chanhassen girls and third in a row for the boys team.

Scheller and Wendland were second and third in pursuit, overall 10K times of 26:39.6 and 27:31.7. Ben Scheller (28:46.6) and Long (29:06.1) were eighth and ninth.

Bennett Adams (29:23.2) and Sam Wilmot (29:45.3) were 11th and 13th.

Halvorson moved up four positions in pursuit, placing fifth overall in 34:17.5 to lead Chaska/Chanhassen.

Sather (34.22.3), Roemer (34:29.9) and Ellen Adams (34:31.2) were fifth through eighth. Adams edged a Bloomington Jefferson skier by seven-tenths of a second, moving up from 12th to eighth with the four-fastest Classic time of 17:49.2.

Pierson (35:55.5) and Grace Stroh (36:25.5) were 11th and 15th.