Ski Tigers score high in Junior Bear Chase The 6-7-year-old age group of Nordic skiers takes off in the Junior Bear Chase 1-kilometer race March 10 at Swedetown Trails in Calumet. Alan Toczydlowski of Calumet had the best time (3:56) for boys and Elena Oelfke of Houghton took first place for the girls (7:44). In the one-half-km race for ages 5 and under, Annika Wheeler of Houghton took first place for girls (3:40) and Storm Juntti of Marquette had the best boys’Äô time (3:42).  CALUMET ’Äì Wind chills and icy snow didn’Äôt keep Copper Country Ski Tigers cross-country racers from taking seven first places at the annual Junior Bear Chase March 10 at the Swedetown trails in Calumet. Moms and Dads were on hand with blankets and extra jackets for the young skiers who waited patiently in line for the start of each race.   Alan Toczydlowski of Calumet had the best time (3:56) for boys in the 1 km Junior Bear Chase race. Local winners included Ryan Tervo of Chassell (boys 12-13), Lieschen Klemp of Laurium (girls 10-11), Jay Woodbeck of Hancock (boys 8-9), Louise Oppliger of Hancock (girls 8-9), Elena Oelfke of Houghton (girls 6-7), Alan Toczydlowski of Calumet (boys 6-7) and Annika Wheeler of Houghton (girls 5 and under). The Junior Bear Chase attracted 84 racers from the local area, Marquette, northern Wisconsin and Minnesota. Participants skied in 12 categories based on age and gender. The 14-16 year-olds and 12-13 year-olds skied a 5-kilometer course, while the 10-11 and 8-9 year-olds skied a 2.5-km loop. Ages 6-7 did a 1-km circuit, while the 5-and-under group skied one-half kilometer. Karen Oppliger of Hancock, right, and Midori Neaton (in pink jacket) of Mahtomedi Minnesota, take off for the 10-11-year-old 2.5 km Junior Bear Chase race. Karen took second place in the race (9:31). Lieschen Klemp of Laurium was first (8:37). Participants paired off for the staggered start of this race. The Junior Bear Chase is sponsored by the Ski Tigers, the Copper Country's junior Nordic ski club. Ski Tigers teaches cross-country skiing to children of all ages.                         Finishes and Times of first place finishers and local racers: Boys 14-16 (5 km) 1.  James Morrison (Minocqua WI)        15:06 2.  Matt Bergeon (Green Bay WI)          17:09 Girls 14-16 (5 km) 1. Sarah Dietz (Green Bay)                     24:52 Boys 12-13 (5 km) 1. Ryan Tervo (Chassell)                        15:37 Girls 12-13 (5 km) 1. Nichole Trumper (Stillwater MN)       18:53 2. Alicia Poyhonen (Laurium)                  19:16 3. Karen Jarvey (Calumet)                      19:20 Boys 10-11 (2.5 km) 1. Caleb Gaier (Hayward WI)                 8:52 2. Keith Helminen (Laurium)                    8:53 3. Jared Dupuis (Lk. Linden)                   9:44 5. Ryan Helminen (Laurium)                  10:53 6. Joe Oelfke (Houghton)                      10:58 8. Mark Gockenbach (Houghton)          12:54 10. Cole Nichols (Laurium)                    15:17 11. Ramey Honrath (Houghton)              16:40 12. Jesse Pickens (Hancock)                  17:18 13. Kyle Luck (Hancock)                       18:37 Girls 10-11 (2.5 km) 1.  Lieschen Klemp (Laurium)                   8:37 2.  Karen Oppliger (Hancock)                  9:31 5.  Rachel Toczydlowski (Calumet)           9:47 6.  Olivia Orr (Hancock)                           9:59 7.  Julie Jarvey (Calumet)                         10:37 10. Alicia Gill (Calumet)                           16:53 11. Suzanne Brush (Lk. Linden)               17:34 12. Kate Griffith (Calumet)                       18:20 Boys 8-9 (2.5 km) 1.  Jay Woodbeck (Hancock)                    9:45 2.  Kai Sharp (Liminga)                            11:46 3.  Logan Chadde (Calumet)                    14:40 5.  Thomas Fitzgerald (Calumet)               14:57 6.  Daniel Saari (Chassell)                         15:41 8.  Karl Szyszkoski (Chassell)                   16:34 Girls 8-9 (2.5 km) 1.  Louise Oppliger (Hancock)                   10:41 3.  Abby Orr (Hancock)                            11:29 4.  Anne Jarvey (Calumet)                          12:20 5.  Ruth Oppliger (Hancock)                      12:57 6.  Madelyn Shoup (Houghton)                  13:15 9.  Jenny Isaacson (Mohawk)                    19:28 10. Jessica Kennedy (Houghton)                23:34 11. Valerie Chiang (Hancock)                    24:18 12. Jackie Kennedy (Houghton)                 25:06 Boys 6-7 (1 km) 1.  Alan Toczydlowski (Calumet)                3:56 3.  John Wheeler (Houghton)                      7:18 5.  Wayne Helminen (Laurium)                  11:49 Girls 6-7 (1 km) 1.  Elena Oelfke (Houghton)                       7:44 5.  Meghan Shoup (Houghton)                 10:51 6.  Bindu Podila (Houghton)                     11:04 8.  Lena Sutter (Houghton)                       11:42 Boys 5 and under (¬‡ km) 1.  Storm Juntti (Marquette)                      3:42 2.  Peter Rowe (Laurium)                         4:42 4.  Tobin Wheeler (Houghton)                16:56 Girls 5 and under (¬‡ km) 1.  Annika Wheeler (Houghton)               3:40 2.  Jill Toorongian (Houghton)                 4:11 3.  Isabel Sharp (Liminga)                       4:58   Click here for more Junior Bear Chase photos...                                                                              ’Äì Dean Woodbeck                                                                                March 12, 2001 (Photos by Michele Anderson)