Despite missing most of the season because of injuries, Hopkins junior Logan Drevlow won his third consecutive Nordic skiing individual pursuit state title on Thursday, Feb. 12, at Giants Ridge in Biwabik.

In the team pursuit, Stillwater won its first state championship since 1996.

Drevlow had a combined freestyle/classic time of 27 minutes, 2.3 seconds to become the second Minnesotan to win three consecutive boys pursuit titles. Torry Kraftson of Hastings won the 1989, 1990 and 1991 state titles. Kraftson and Cloquet/Esko/Carlton’s Matt Fischer finished in a tie for the 1990 title.

“It means so much, especially with not being able to ski until the beginning of February,” Drevlow told Neighborhood Sports Network. “It means so much to me that I could just come out here and compete. I had so much fun out there today.”

Drevlow said he suffered a stress fracture in his sacrum in December and had to use a walker for two weeks leading up to Christmas.

“A lot of cross training. [I was] finally able to start skiing January 30 and so a lot of hours inside training,” he said.

Sartell/St. Cloud Cathedral senior Andrew Berndt finished second in the individual pursuit with a time of 27.46.3. Mounds Park Academy senior Soren Winikoff was third with a time of 27:47.2.

Stillwater senior George Nelson finished fourth with a time of 28:01.0 to pace the Ponies to their seventh overall state title. With Talbot Ward and Wyatt Wolfe’s victory in the team sprint competition on Wednesday, the Ponies finished with 383 points.

Orono/Delano, paced by Wells Huotari’s 10th-place pursuit finish, placed second in the team standings with 342 points. Ely was third with 341 points, and Minneapolis Washburn was fourth with 336 points.

Hopkins senior Bridger Nelson finished fifth in the pursuit standings with a time of 28:13.0. Drevlow (13:10.7) and Bridger Nelson (13:39.0) had the top two times in the freestyle portion.

Berndt had the top time (13:42.5) in the classic portion.

Drevlow said he plans to defend his title again next year for the state record.

“No one’s done it four times so it’d be an honor to get that done,” he said.