SMC Carnival

St. Mike's Carnival at Sleepy Hollow this past weekend. We were lucky to have 2 beautiful days with stable conditions - clear and cold. Sleepy Hollow is a fun place to ski - classic Vermont, with winding trails, hard climbs, and technical downhills, as well as some gorgeous views. Friday's skate course was one of the more challenging courses I've seen on the EISA circuit. Scott had a breakout race, finishing 29th to score his first NCAA points ever, and Hannah led the women in 37th. Good consistent skiing from a number of other people as well - Wilson scored a PR and Erin had one of her best skate races ever. I think some of our skiers were a bit timid on the downhills, which cost us some places - still a work in progress. Saturday's classic sprint relay was just plain fun (for me, at least - sounds like the skiers enjoyed it too). I was thrilled with how everyone skied - strong and springy and right in the mix with the other teams. The women in particular went after it more aggressively than we've seen in the past, which is really encouraging.

We had great support from a number of people this weekend. Several parents put together a vast spread for us on both days, including DONUTS and other tasty stuff (carrot quiche - almost enough to turn Matty vegetarian). Polasky was sadly unable to race due to a flare-up of his shoulder injury, but he was a tireless wax tech on Saturday. Classic sprint relays are pretty hands-on with regard to waxing, since you have the opportunity to re-wax people's skis after each leg if necessary, and I'm not sure how we could have weathered the madness without Dan's help. Wilson also came up big, jumping in immediately after his race was over to help us catch up on the women's skis. Thanks to all for a great weekend!

Here are a few photos courtesy of Kurt Kenney:

Jeff on one of the many long grinding climbs.

Emma out of the gate.

Maren sporting the Hattonwear.

You can always count on Matt for two things: smooth skiing and interesting facial hair.

Wilson is making a nice comeback from a few months in Peru.

Scott - spent at the end of a great effort.

Jess - always smiling.

The men enjoying a great day at the races.