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Junior Joe Cartier will be returning to the state meet after missing it last year, and it was behind a very good time at a tough Giants Ridge course at sections last week.

Cartier, who finished ninth in the tournament with a time of 1:17.79, will be joined on the state slopes by teammate Jake Sandgren, who finished 13th in the meet with a combined time of 1:18.64.

Both have been among the top skiers this year for the Wildcats, and both knew had state tourney aspirations going into sections.

As a team, the boys finished in third place with 283 points, just 22 points behind Duluth East for second place, which would've sent the whole team to state.

Girls

The girls will also be sending two individuals to state as Sheila Stephani is making her second trip in a row after her combined time of 1:19.79 put her in eighth place in the meet overall.

Teammate Katie Rayer was just a smidge behind her, finishing in 1:19.81 in ninth place. The finish earned her her first state tourney berth.

As a team, the girls finished in fourth place, just a few points outside of qualifying the whole team. East finished in second with 318 points, Cook County finished with 300 and the Wildcats came in fourth with 298 points.

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