Regionals Recap

What a way to finish the season! EISA Regionals 2012 (aka, the Middlebury Carnival, by way of Stowe) was an event none of us will soon forget. Friday was pretty standard - 5/10k skate on nice fast snow. We had a good showing, one of our best team performances of the year. Spencer led the men in 18th, with Kevin adding to his already impressive list of achievements with a season-best 27th place finish. The men's team performance was good enough to beat Colby (first time the men have beaten Colby in my 5 years at Bowdoin), as well as SLU and a few others - a very good day. The women skied as well as I've ever seen - all of them looked strong and snappy. I was thrilled to see them scrapping for seconds in the transitions, and above all pushing the V2 into the uphills. On the final long climb before entering the stadium, Kaitlynn V2-ed almost the whole thing, looking efficient and controlled the whole way. I watched all of the top women come through this area, and none attempted to V2 past the first few meters of the climb, so this was impressive. Another highlight that jumped out at me was how Erin battled to stay in contact with the skier who'd started 1 bib behind her and passed her at 2k - after losing 30 seconds in the first 2k, Erin kept it close and gave up only 12 seconds for the final 3k. It was a pretty rewarding race to watch as a coach - it was as if all of the little details I've been nagging people about all season came together for one morning. I couldn't be happier with how the women in particular skied in this race.

One final noteworthy item from the skate day (I can't call it a highlight): A skier from another team accidentally ran over a squirrel during warmups. The unfortunate creature wasn't quite dead, and the kid didn't know what to do with it. Fortunately, Riley came around the corner at the right moment - he took decisive action and put the poor thing out of its misery. Not a happy ending, but a weird and memorable incident at the end of a weird season. Good for Riley for doing what he had to do.

That evening, we got together with several team parents for a banquet of sorts at Pie in the Sky. The official banquet was cancelled when the carnival moved from Middlebury to Stowe, so we decided to get dressed up and have a banquet of our own to honor the seniors and thank the parents. It ended up being a pretty fun time and a good meal. Remarkably, we were joined by Drew, Chris, and Sierra, who had driven up from Bowdoin to watch the team race the next day - or, rather, Drew had driven them up, through darkness and some pretty heavy snow in the final miles, a heroic performance that marks him as a van driver to watch as his Bowdoin Nordic career continues.

Did I mention that it had started snowing on Friday afternoon? Several inches had accumulated by the time we turned in that night, and it was still going strong the next morning. We (the coaches) were actually unable to get the gear van up the access road to Trapps on our first try - not what I was hoping for on what was shaping up to be a tough waxing day. Eventually, we all made it to the venue to find ever-deepening snow on course and high winds howling across the field and parking lot. After some testing, we ruled out zeroes but were unable to find the perfect hard wax - the snow was reasonably warm and a bit wet and clumpy, so the cold waxes didn't give quite enough kick, but the mid-temperature waxes iced pretty badly, even when covered. The wind shaking our tent didn't make the job any easier. In the end, we sent the women off with wax that was a bit too warm for my comfort and hoped it would work out. The race was crazy - with the tracks nearly obliterated by falling snow, no one wanted to take the lead, so the pace was pretty sedate for a long time. Even if they'd wanted to ski faster, they would have had a hard time on the soft, sloppy snow. Most skiers were also struggling with skis that either slipped or clumped up with snow. Our skiers fell into the latter category, but they persevered and hung in for respectable finishes - Kaitlynn was 27th, Hannah was 35th, and Erin gave a gritty effort resulting in perhaps her best race of the season, a 45th place finish.

With some lessons learned from the women's race and a bit more time to test, we were able to get closer to an ideal wax for the men, but it was still tough to find the sweet spot between not enough kick and too much. The wind intensified and almost tore apart our tent as we were frantically waxing in the final minutes, but we managed to get the skis done on time, albeit less well-tested than we would have liked. Spencer pulled back at the last minute from what would have surely been a distastrous decision (to use his zeroes), and the race went off. The pace was even more laid back than the women's race - the leaders looked ridiculously relaxed. Gradually, the pack strung out, with Spencer hanging on to the end of a very large lead pack and Kevin in a chase pack not far behind. Over the next several kilometers, the lead pack broke up and then came back together several times. I've never seen anything like this at the collegiate level - normally when the leaders break away, they're gone, but not on this day. This was good for Spencer, as he patiently worked his way up from the low 20s to the high teens entering the final 5k lap. As the pack continued to splinter, he kept moving up - by the time we saw him for the final climb, he was at the head of a group just outside the top 10. He passed one more skier, held off his pursuers, and crossed the line with a career-best 11th place finish - a fine way to end a great career. Kevin hung in for 35th, and Scott delivered a vintage Longwell performance, leaving the stadium at the back of the pack and doggedly working his way through the field to finish 38th. Overall, it was a great effort by all of our skiers - determination and persistence played as much of a role as fitness and technique in this race. I'm extremely proud of how our team skied - they showed lots of heart out there. The only cloud on the day was the skis - ours were functional, but not as good as they could have been (we hit it for Spencer, but our adjustments for others were a bit off). It was a tough waxing day, and very few racers had great skis out there, but I think a slightly different call on my part could have improved our skis considerably and made a good day into a great one. Ah well - a good day nonetheless, and a weekend that all of our skiers can be proud of.

A final thanks to all of the parents and family members who supported us so well us all year long - they were out in force last weekend as usual, and they took great care of the skiers on a tough day for racers and spectators alike. A special thanks to Wilson, who once again provided outstanding waxing support. It was tough to see him out of the action for most of the season, and I know it was extra hard for him to be at the races yet unable to compete, yet he stepped up week after week for the sake of the team. Honestly, I don't know how we would have done it without his help this season - I'm sure we would have managed, but it would have been a lot tougher, and we probably wouldn't have had good skis as often as we did. Lastly, a sad farewell and congratulations to all 7 of our seniors - it's been a great run.

Of course, nothing's over just yet. A few folks are racing the Loppet at Rangeley this weekend, as well as a few other events throughout March. We'll keep the updates coming as things happen.

Craftsbury Photos

Here are some photos from the classic races at Craftsbury, courtesy of Greg Askins:

Craftsbury EC Day 2

Perfect conditions for today's skate races - a frozen, fast, hard track that softened slightly as the day went on but never got slow. This, combined with the mass start format, made for some really fun racing, both for the athletes and the spectators. Great effort by all of our skiers - Alec destroyed his previous best points for a NENSA race, and Riley had another great race that left him just short of qualifying for JNs. It's always tough to miss by such a small margin, but it was pretty exciting to see him take his racing to a new level this weekend. Lots of reasons for us all to be excited for Regionals next weekend. Many thanks to Tyler, who once again performed brilliantly as a wax tech - his efforts were a big reason that we were able to get good skis today. Thanks also to the many parents who helped make this a great weekend!

Williams Mini-Carnival & Eastern Cup Classic

This weekend's Williams Carnival was relocated to Craftsbury and shortened to a 1-day event. It's hard to believe that Prospect doesn't have enough snow to host a race, when for years they've been one of the go-to sites for other venues lacking snow. It's been that kind of winter. Fortunately, there's plenty of snow in Craftsbury, and we got the most of it today with an all-day classic racing extravaganza. Kaitlynn led the way as the 18th EISA skier. Hannah and Spencer pulled off solid races (33rd and 22nd, respectively) despite feeling off their games. Kevin had the race of the day, scoring his first NCAA points with a 30th place finish - he continues to make impressive progress every week. The Eastern Cup crew raced a 5/10k classic in the afternoon, with some solid performances. Riley was the standout, finishing 16th in what was perhaps his best classic race ever.

Today was a labor-intensive klister day, and we were lucky to have some amazing help on the wax bench today. Tyler, still out of the action with a lingering back injury, stayed on his feet for a LONG day of klister application. Wilson, rehabbing various injuries of his own, did a heroic job of waxing despite the fact that he was actually racing himself (for the first time in 3 weeks); he came to the race early with Tyler and I to wax skis for the girls and chipped in afterward for the Eastern Cup races, and even helped with a little touch-up of Spencer's skis shortly before his own start. Great, great work from both of these guys. Perhaps the most clutch performance of the day was from old friend Tim Whiton - arriving mid-morning to start testing for the Eastern Cup, he stopped by to say hi and ended up jumping right into the mix to help with adjustment's for the men's carnival race. Just like old times - outstanding!

Another day of racing tomorrow, Eastern Cup only. Mass start skate on what should be fast snow - this will be fun.

UVM Carnival Photos

We've had great skiing this past week, thanks to an amazing snow farming effort by the crew at Pineland. For the past few weeks they've been making snow whenever they can and moving it around to strategic spots on the trail system to keep conditions remarkably good on a surprisingly large number of kilometers. We're incredibly lucky to have such a great venue for our home ski area. Now it's off to Craftsbury for the shortened Williams Carnival (classic only) and the Eastern Cup Finals.

We've had several parents taking great photos these past two weekends - unfortunately, I can't seem to download many of them (this is probably related to the reason that Google icons have infested this post). I'll get this sorted out and post more pictures if I can. For now, here are some great shots of the UVM Carnival - some from Cathy Hoose and some from Greg Askins:

Dartmouth Carnival

We were back at Stowe last weekend for the Dartmouth Carnival - no snow in Hanover. This was sad, since Oak Hill is a fun and challenging course (and is also a lot closer to home). On the other hand, Trapps is a great course as well, and there was plenty of snow, so we weren't too disappointed. In Friday's 5/10k skate race, the first-years were the big story. Kevin finished 31st, just one place away from his first ever NCAA points - it's rare for us to have a first-year in this position, so this is exciting stuff. Jackson continued his impressive season with another stellar race, finishing just 29 seconds from NCAA points. Lots of other good races - Kaitlynn and Maren were their usual consistent selves, and Erin once again pulled off a solid finish despite feeling completely depleted during her warmup.

The classic day was another "not quite klister, not quite hard wax" day. This could have been rough, but it wasn't - we certainly had to scramble, but we managed decent skis, thanks in large part to Wilson (sadly still injured), who served as our third wax tech. Spencer was also a true team player, jumping in at the last minute to help make an adjustment to Steph's skis. Spencer also had our best finish of the day - he skied in a train just off the lead pack, picking off several skiers in the final kilometers to finish 18th, his best classic result ever. However, Alec had the race of the day - The Perfect Race, in fact. He skied patiently and paced himself well, moving up throughout the race for a career-best 41st place finish. Last year, Alec showed a real aptitude for the long races, and I had a feeling that he was due for a good one - it was a thrill to see him discover his inner Magnar and break out for a huge race. On the women's side, Kaitlynn posted a solid 26th place finish. Kaitlynn has a remarkable ability to get kick from minimal wax, and in this race she ended up going on a colder klister applied super thin. She had OK kick, but not quite enough for her to really glide it out on the long climbs. Nonetheless, she kept herself in the race through determination and fast skis - an impressive effort. Hannah also skied very well, and Steph gritted out a competitive finish despite clearly not feeling her best. Last year, Steph had a pretty not-fun 15k classic race at Trapps - Saturday's race was a clear indicator of how far she's come since then.

The nice thing about the Dartmouth Carnival is that the weekend ends with the traditional Carni Crush (or Carnival Crush, as some of us oldsters call it). This is always a fun time, and everyone goes home happy regardless of how the races went. Here are a few of our team's more notable crushes: a dead lobster (Maren), a dead fish (Hannah), chocolate abs (Wilson), an elegant dinosaur drawing (Alec), a romantic vocal and guitar performance (Scott), a hilarious parody of a parody song (Jackson), and a Ben and Jerry's themed poem (complete with actual pints) from our women to the SLU men. Very impressive effort by all (except for a super lame men's team that shall not be named).

Once again, we were the fortunate guests of the Miller family, who hosted the women and made another delicious meal for the whole team. Thanks so much to Deborah and Hannah for opening their home to our team yet again! Thanks also to the many parents in attendance - your support was amazing. I've been lucky to receive a huge array of photos for the past two carnivals, courtesy of Greg Askins, Cathy Hoose, and Ron Aseltine, and I'm way overdue to post them - I promise I'll get these up shortly.

UVM/Eastern Cup Recap

Another eventful weekend, this time in Stowe for the combined UVM Carnival and Eastern Cup. Trapps got warm temps and heavy rains last week, but it snowed an inch or two on Friday night, making the waxing for Saturday's classic not so straightforward. We scrambled to come up with various klister and hard wax combinations and ended up with most people's skis working decently, if not perfectly. No showstopping results, but several good races, most notably Maren, Shelby, and Hannah, who had her second-best classic finish ever (32nd EISA). The women duplicated their team finish from last week almost exactly; they were just ahead of Williams, tied with Colby, and one point behind SLU - not a bad day. Unfortunately, we were missing some key skiers: Tyler tweaked his back at Jackson last week and is gradually easing back into training; Wilson, already slowed by a nagging back problem, reaggravated a shoulder injury during Friday's pre-race workout; and Spencer sat out in hopes of staving off an impending cold. The silver lining to this was that Wilson and Tyler were available to help with waxing - their efforts made a hectic waxing day much more manageable.

Sunday was a perfect day for a skate race - it was cold and sunny, and the firm, slightly transformed snow was nice and fast. With our new and improved waxing staff, we were able to get the wax dialed in nicely, and we ended up with fast skis. The women were solid, led by Kaitlynn with one of the best skate races I've seen from her - she finished as the 32nd EISA skier. On the men's side, Spencer finished 33rd - a valiant effort from someone who was clearly still under the weather. Kevin had a breakout race to finish just 4 seconds behind in 36th. He's been working hard to tweak his form over the last few weeks, and it paid off on Sunday - a very encouraging sign for the rest of the season. Several other skiers took a big jump forward on Sunday with their best races of the season: Sierra, Drew, Scott, and Alec. However, I was most excited about Dan's race - he was on fire (in a quiet, understated, Polasky sort of way). He looked super smooth and relaxed the whole time, V2ing up almost every hill and getting tremendous glide with each push. For the last 3 years, he's been training hard and working incredibly diligently on his technique, and he's seen big improvements in both his fitness and his form, but his last 2 seasons have been sabotaged by injuries and mono. This year, he's finally in full health, and on Sunday, we finally got the payoff - a great race that was 3 years in the making. May there be several more before the season's over.

We had a lot going on besides racing this weekend. The women's team stayed at the Miller household, and Kaitlynn's mom Deborah and sister Hannah hosted all of us for a huge pasta dinner on Friday night, featuring several loaves of Hannah's delicious homemade bread. On Saturday, we were guests once again, this time as part of an alumni potluck dinner organized by Andy Shepard and Chris Badger '93. It was great to see a handful of alums (including Martha Ryan '84, captain of Bowdoin's first varsity women's ski team), and also catch up with the Shepards. Also, this week we had a even bigger than usual group of parents at the races, providing the team with all sorts of delicious post-race food. Thanks to all of you for making this such a great weekend!

Lots of photos to follow when I have a bit more time.