**PORCUPINE SKI RUNNERS NEWS RELEASE**

Over 200 of Ontario’s top cross country skiers aged 9 to 14 were at the Ontario Youth Championships this past weekend hosted by the North Bay Nordic Ski Club. The Porcupine Ski Runners were well represented during the event collecting thirteen medals over the two-day event.

“This is our third Ontario Championships with this young team and I’m very proud of these hardworking young athletes,” said PSR coach David Vodusek. The course for both the classic and freestyle events was a challenging one that featured a gradual 1 km ascent followed with a 2 km rolling descent with intermittent climbs and curves.

On the first day of competition in the girls 2008 year of birth 3 km freestyle event, sisters Chantal and Nicole Kukulka captured gold and bronze medals respectively with teammate Claire Young placing 7th. In the 2007 year of birth Chloe Young won the bronze medal in the 3 km freestyle category with Mari Luhta placing 9th out of a field of 18 competitors. PSR newcomers Wil Little was 14th and Dylan Frappier was 15th in the boys 2005 year of birth with teammate Rowen Stinson placing 21st. In the girls 2005 year of birth, Jade Shalton was 5th while in the girls 2006 year of birth Julia Vodusek, Brielle Charette and Marissa Pladzyk were 5th, 13th and 18th respectively. In the boys 2010 year of birth boys Maxim Charette was 7th with Riley Luhta capturing first place and the gold medal in the girl’s freestyle. In the 2009 year of birth Olivia Vodusek was 4th place.

In the team relays, Maxim Charette and teammates Sofia Smith from Team Hardwood and Sofia Smith from Georgian Nordic collected the gold medal in the 2009/2010 year of birth while teammate Olivia Vodusek captured the silver medal with North Bay Nordic Harrison Rees and Braunwyn Strickland from Arrowhead Nordic. In the girls 2005/2006 event Brielle Charette and Julia Vodusek teamed up with Walden Cross Country’s Finlay Cuza to collect the silver medal with Jade Sheldan, Highlands Nordic’s Mya Marshall and Kaitlynn Morin of North Bay collecting the bronze medal. In the 2007/2008 year of birth Chloe Young and Highland Trailblazers Alex Timms and Caerlie Popp of North Bay Nordic captured the gold medal.

Chloe Young at the start of Saturday’s 3 km Freestyle event at the Ontario Championships. Chloe went onto to capture the bronze medal in the girls 2007 year of birth category.

In the second day of competition, Chantal Kukulka captured her second gold with Nicole capturing the silver medal with teammate Claire Young placing 7th. In the 2007 year of birth Chloe Young won her second bronze medal in the 3 km classic category with Mari Luhta placing 7th. In the boys 2005 year of birth, Wil Little was 15th and Dylan Frappier was 21st. Teammate Rowen Stinson placed 19th. In the girls 2005 year of birth, Jade Shalton was 5th while in the girls 2006 year of birth Brielle Charette, Marissa Pladzyk and Julia Vodusek, were 6th, 8th and 12th respectively. In the boys 2010 year of birth boys Maxim Charette was 9th with Riley Luhta capturing her second gold medal in the 2.6 km classic girls 2010 category. In the 2009 year of birth Olivia Vodusek was 5th place.

Coach David Vodusek said, “I’m very proud of our young team and we are looking forward this weekend’s PSR loppet and other ski marathon events throughout northeastern Ontario during the month of March.

For full results from the Ontario Cup races, please go here. 

Filed under: Local News