Sleet falling on top of snow two days before the Lumberjacks invitational ski meet made for a fast race Tuesday.

In fact, Cloquet senior Aidan Ripp may have set a record for the fastest 5.5K ever at Pine Valley, finishing the loop in 13:22.6, a full minute and 15 seconds ahead of the next competitor, Sam Stertz of Grand Rapids.

The typically modest Ripp said he was fortunate Tuesday.

"I got pretty lucky, because I didn't run into anybody at any bad times," he said. "I've definitely had races where you catch slow people right as you're on a hairpin turn or whatever."

Blonde hair flowing out...