State champion skier Sydney Drevlow prepares for competition overseas

Sydney Drevlow of Hopkins has already won at cross-country skiing at a high level in Minnesota, now she will compete in Finland later this month with some of the best Under-18 skiers in the world.

Drevlow has been competitively cross-country skiing since she was in seventh grade and is quickly becoming world class at the sport.

“My parents started me when I was a baby and I hated it because it was so cold,” said Drevlow.

Drevlow has adapted to the cold and continues to get better. She won a state title last year as a freshman at Hopkins High School. She opened this season competing at the senior nationals in Houghton, MI. She finished in the top five for her age group.

“It was some of my first races of the season, so I wasn’t expecting to do well because I had just come off my running season and had only been skiing for a few weeks,” said Drevlow.

Drevlow’s results in Houghton qualified her as one of six girls to compete in Finland with the United States’ U18 Nordic Nation’s Cup team. That competition is the same week as the MSHSL state meet at Giants Ridge in Biwabik, February 14-16. Drevlow had to decide to forfeit her sophomore season for the opportunity to compete across the ocean and not defend her state title.

“I don’t know, it’s weird. I’ve never had the opportunity to go out of the country for a sport,” said Drevlow. ” I mean if I don’t make it next year, I want to go this year just to experience it.”

Drevlow also runs cross-country and competed in the Nike Nationals meet in Portland, OR. in December.