Middlebury Skate

What a day! Sunny and warm - perfect conditions for the last collegiate race of the season. The women got things started with the 15k. Hannah got herself in good position in the scramble and skied comfortably in the middle of the pack for the first several kilometers. She started moving up steadily, picking people off until she was in the mid-20s, leading a train of three other skiers. After a great effort on the final lap, she was edged out at the finish by the rest of her group, finishing 28th - her second-best finish of the year, good for a couple of NCAA points. Erin had an unfortunate stumble at the start and left the stadium in last place - she raged up the first long climb and skied her way back to the middle of the pack by the end of the first lap. The effort came at a cost and she faded a bit toward the end, but she still ended up in 42nd, one of her better finishes of the year. Elissa skied smoothly in spite of an early fall for a solid 50th place finish to close out her career - a happy and sad day. We did have one major mishap in the morning, unfortunately. The Bread Loaf trails are fun to ski but a bit narrow for a skate mass start, and there were a number of tangles. One of them involved Emma and another skier - a nasty downhill crash left her with a broken ski, and her day was over. Still, a solid performance by the women to set the tone for the men's race.

The men didn't disappoint. They'd been looking forward to this race for a long time - as a team, we've had our best success in the mass start races, and the guys were ready for this one. We started well, and at first it seemed like we'd escape without any trouble, but then Chris got tripped up and fell - like Erin, he left the stadium in last. Fortunately, the pack slowed down as the trail narrowed, and he was able to ski his way back into the race. Spencer got out to a fast start with the lead pack - I was worried that he'd gone out too hard, but he was skiing comfortably and saving energy, and he was able to stay on the train as other skiers fell off the back, hovering in the mid-teens. Close behind, Scott and Niko had established themselves in the middle of a large chase pack, and Chris worked his way up to join them. As the race wore on, Scott moved up a few places into the 20s, and Chris and Niko were just outside the top 30. Things were looking good, and I started to get nervous - was this really going to happen? Every time our guys looked ready to fall off the back, they hung in there. As the snow warmed up, skis slowed down, and the hills got churned into mashed potatoes - a tough slog, especially for such a long race. Lots of skiers were struggling and losing their form, but our guys were able to hold it together, and as skiers in front of them got tired, they gradually picked up places. As the final lap began, Spencer had moved into 13th, a bit behind 10-12 but well ahead of 14th - he just focused on skiing smoothly and staying out of trouble, and he held his place to the finish for a big PR. Meanwhile, as the pack strung out, Chris had somehow latched onto a group in the mid-20s, skiing way beyond anything he'd ever done as a college skier. He had the bit between his teeth and had clearly found another gear. It was like watching a runaway truck - there was no way he wasn't going to pass the rest of his group in the final stretch. He came flying out of the woods and up the last hill for a 23rd place finish. Seconds later, Scott emerged in 28th - a Williams skier was closing fast, but Scott held him off for a PR of his own. Niko was right behind them, locking up the top-30 finish he'd been chasing all year. Somewhat overshadowed by all this excitement were fine races by Wilson (44th) and Matt (51st) - a solid finish for Wilson and a nice PR for Matt.

All in all, an absolutely stellar effort by our team. Five skiers in the top-30 - that's never happened before. Not even close, in fact - we've never had more than 2. Also several PRs (Chris beat his best previous finish by TWENTY-FIVE places). All season long, I've known that our team had the potential for this kind of skiing, but I never dared to hope that it would all come together so well. I'm so proud of everyone - what a great way to end the season!

The day's action wasn't over after the race, though - on the way home, a few of the guys (Scott, Chris, Wilson, and Spencer) did an impromptu donut challenge. Perhaps spent from their outstanding races, none of them finished the full dozen, and Spencer had a rather spectacular flameout. Wilson ended up the victor, with almost 9 donuts finished.

So, that's it for the carnival season - it's been a good one. Most of the team will ski the Rangeley Loppet next weekend, and after that we're done for real. Hopefully we'll have some decent snow in March so people can keep skiing through Spring Break!

Middlebury Classic

More exciting weather today at Bread Loaf! Some snow fell overnight, and the tracks were wet and glazed prior to the race. Intermittent snow showers kept things interesting, and finding a wax with a decent combination of kick and glide was a challenge. We were able to get it dialed in pretty well for the men's race - a heavy snow squall mid-race threatened to ruin everything, but for the most part our skiers weathered it as well as anyone. Classic PRs for Spencer, Scott, and Matt. Things settled down for the women's race, and we ended up sending them out on the same klister that the men used, with mixed results. The later starters in particular had weird conditions - they were hit by even heavier snowfall and had draggy skis. Overall, not a bad day, but not a very satisfying one either - it's tough to feel good about a race when your skis aren't perfect, even if you're skiing well. Fortunately, we have a chance to end the season on a high note - long skate races are our strength as a team, and I'm positive that we have the fitness to make this a good one.

We had some great wax testing help today from Jeff, Rainer, and Grace, who drove up to cheer on the team. Grace proved particularly adept at klister tube management - an often overlooked yet critical component of klister waxing. Thanks also to the Kenneys, who provided another fantastic lunch and more tasty, tasty donuts.

Midd Carnival Postponed

Due to the messy weather across New England yesterday, the race organizers made the decision to postpone the Middlebury Carnival by a day. Fortunately, we got the news shortly before we hit the road, so we stayed on campus last night and drove to Middlebury today. We were able to ski the course this afternoon - it was a bit soft, but not too bad considering that in the past 48 hours they got 2 feet of snow followed by a massive amount of rain. If temps drop just a bit tonight, it should set up nicely. If not, well, we'll be prepared for that too. In either case, waxing for tomorrow's classic race will be interesting. We're looking forward to the challenge. Last carnival of the year - got to love every minute of it!

NH Eastern Cups

The ECT traveled to New Hampshire last weekend for a the final two Eastern Cups of the season. Saturday's Silver Fox Trot was moved from Hanover to Gunstock due to lack of snow. As always happens when the ECT travels without a coach, the waxing was tricky - a mix of fresh natural and manmade snow, with temps rapidly warming and big differences between sunny and shady sections of the course. The team handled the challenge brilliantly - the women's skis were as good as anyone's, and the guys had it really well dialed in by the time they started. I'm told that the wax techs (Tom Cook and Dan) were calm and collected throughout the whole process. Sarah and Matt led the way with their best races of the season, and the team was solid all around.

Saturday's Cheri Walsh Memorial went off at Holderness as scheduled - it was a beautiful sunny day, and conditions were fast. Spencer and Erin hadn't gotten enough racing in at Williams, so they joined the group. Both of them posted great results - Spencer was 6th and Erin was 26th in a very tightly contested race. Sarah had another good finish, with Grace close behind. At the conclusion of the weekend, Spencer was named to the Junior National team - a great accomplishment. He'll be headed to Presque Isle in March to race against the best juniors in the country. Congratulations Spencer!

Special thanks to Tom for hosting the team at the family cabin in New London and for providing outstanding waxing support for the classic race!

Here are photos from the Cheri Walsh, courtesy of superfans Kurt and Sharron Kenney - they're everywhere!

Spencer has been on fire in skating lately - this race was no exception.

Sarah has made a triumphant comeback to racing this season - great to have her back.

Rainer slogging through the chopped up course.

Will has been working hard on getting out over his poles - lots of progress, and solid results on the weekend.

Yas has come a LONG way with her technique this year - not bad for a rookie.

Dan has been seldom seen this season due to a nagging shoulder injury that's kept him out of several races. This was a good effort for him, and a solid race to build on for next year.

Grace looking snappy as always.

Erin, slightly dazed after a hard and fast race.

Williams Carnival

Lots going on last weekend - Williams Carnival and a pair of Eastern Cup races in New Hampshire. One post won't do justice to everything - for starters, here's a wrap-up of Williams:

Prospect Mountain was in good shape - they seem to have their own little climate up there, because there was plenty of snow even though most of New England was (and is) warm and bare. Friday's classic race was pretty forgettable - strong races for Jess, Erin, and Emma, and Chris' best classic effort of the season, but otherwise nothing to get excited about. Ok, I take that back - the parents provided an amazing lunch, which was pretty exciting. Here's Chris looking very pleased with himself, probably because he scored the best seat in the house (ie, closest to the donuts).

Saturday's skate was a whole different story. As a team, we've been skating really well all year, and this race was no exception. Spencer led the way in 20th - he's come on strong after a flat January. Big PRs for Erin (37th) and Jess (46th), and the team as a whole was very solid. The race of the day belonged to Wilson - he was absolutely on fire. Huge PR of 32nd, just a few seconds from a top-30. This was exciting to see - we were expecting this season to be a chance for him to ease back into racing after a difficult 2009 season and a semester in Peru, so it was a very welcome surprise to see him break out like this. All in all, a great day that gives us some nice momentum heading into Middlebury.

Here are some photos from the classic race, courtesy of the Kenneys:

Wilson

Spencer - the hair is the result of a lost pepper bet.

Scott

Niko

Maren

Jeff

Jess was crushing it this weekend. I've noticed a trend - we have to get her parents to come to every carnival.

Hannah - get that head up!

Erin

Chris - two solid races for his best carnival of the season.

Emma
Elissa - very focused.

Dartmouth Wrap Up

What's more fun than a 3x5 relay? Hint: nothing. It's hard to tell if it was more fun to watch or to race, but a good time was had by all. Spencer got the men off to a good start - he stayed close to the top skiers and came into the exchange in the midst of a cluster of teams in the chase pack. Niko stayed on the train for about half a lap and tagged off to Scott in 11th, who battled with UVM's second team and was able to hold our place with a strong push in the last kilometer. Our second team gave a great effort and almost tracked down Colby's second team. Wilson pulled off one of the great blunders in team history by racing on someone's warmup skis by accident. This is right up there with Niko's extra sprint lap - it'll be a while (ie, never) before he lives this one down.

On the women's side, Hannah put the women right in the mix out of the scramble, and Erin and Elissa kept them close. Elissa seemed to be fading late in the race, but she found some extra willpower and was able to outsprint the anchor for Midd's second team. Jess anchored the second team and put in a huge surge of her own to keep them close. All in all, a fun day of racing with good skiing all around.

Carni crushes closed out the day - no pictures, unfortunately, but our team had its moments (most of which I didn't witness, fortunately). I'm told that Bowers might never be allowed to attend another Dartmouth Carnival - good thing he's graduating.

Here's a batch of photos from the classic race, courtesy of Sharron and Kurt Kenney:

Maren
Jess was very happy during this race.

Hannah

Erin

Elissa
Emma

Wilson

Spencer, with Tim shouting encouragement.

Niko
Scott

Chris

Matt, with Elissa in the lovely pink suit.

Dartmouth Day 1

Decent start to the Dartmouth Carnival for us. Today was a 15/20k mass start classic - a tough race on any course, and certainly on this one. As a whole, the team skied well - our best classic performance of the season. Spencer and Hannah led the way in 32nd and 36th, respectively - classic PRs for both of them. Everyone was pretty wiped out after the race, but we're fired up for the skate relay tomorrow.

Lots of photos from Kurt and Sharron Kenney - here's one of Maren: More coming after the weekend.

Athlete of the Week

In all the excitement of last weekend, I forgot to mention that Hannah was named Athlete of the Week by the Orient last week. Here's the article.

UVM Photos

Here's an assortment of photos from last weekend from Kurt Kenney and Andy Shepard:

Great carnival for Rainer - his two best races of the season. He was feeling very patriotic last weekend.

A semester in Peru didn't hurt Wilson's technique - this photo could be from the World Cup.

Saturday ended up being cold and sunny - perfect for racing. Here's Niko stretching it out.

Matt got some nice comments on his technique last weekend.

Maren toughing it out on a cold and windy Sunday.

Mr. Dragonwulf taking the kids to school.

Erin battling Dartmouth skier Ida Sargent.

Emma - get your arms out in front!

Hannah on one of the many long climbs at Trapps.

Sunday was a good day to have a tent. Ours ended up blowing away briefly as we were packing up.

Chris building speed heading into a downhill.

UVM Day 2

Another cold day at the races, this time with wind and some light snow. Our big highlight was a huge race from Spencer - he finished 17th for a big PR and our best result in 2 years. We've been waiting for the real Spencer to show up all season - he's been tired and borderline sick - so this was a relief. It was fun to watch him racing - he latched onto the skier who started behind him and drafted for the better part of the race before passing him back in the last kilometer. "I just looked at a spot on his bib and focused on good technique," Spencer told me after the race. Perfect. Elissa also had a solid comeback race after fighting illness for most of January - she was 46th for EISA skiers. Several others had good races, and the team as a whole hung in there nicely in spite of a general "flat" feeling - school and travel are catching up to these guys, and we'll need to get some quality rest this week.
EISA Results
Overall Results
Lots of great photos from this weekend - I'll post a bunch of them tomorrow. For now, here's one of Spencer and Wilson from Kurt Kenney:

Thanks to the team parents for another weekend of great support. Photos, food, waxing, cheering - you guys did it all!

UVM Carnival Day 1

5/10k classic at Trapps today - a combined carnival & Eastern Cup race. Another clear and cold day - great for racing. We had a decent showing - not amazing, but some solid performances. Emma had a PR (52nd for EISA), and Niko and Scott were both on today. Rainer had perhaps the race of the day - he was skiing with a lot of snap, and has made noticeable technique improvements in the last few weeks. I was really pleased with how the team looked today - everyone's skiing really well. When things come together, we'll see some great results. Thanks to the parents for another amazing post-race spread - just what the team needed after a cold, hard day of racing. Particular thanks to Kathy Sanville and Walt, who jumped in to serve as wax techs - they were a huge help, and allowed us to stay on top of the waxing for a big group of athletes.

Overall Results
EISA Results