Thursday, March 10, 2011
NCAA Races Live
NCAA Championships got underway yesterday with the 5/10k skate - tomorrow is the 15/20k classic. You can watch a live webcast of the races here. I caught most of yesterday's races - it was pretty exciting to watch the coverage side-by-side with the live timing. Tomorrow's races are mass start, so it should be even better.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
JNs Update
Junior Nationals is well underway in Minneapolis. James has acquitted himself well so far - a respectable 23rd in the skate sprint on Monday, followed by a stellar 7th place finish in today's 15k classic (just missed 6th by a boot length - still need to work on lunges, I guess). Today's race was particularly impressive - he was right in the thick of a group of great skiers. I'm pretty sure that today's effort will earn him All-American status, although this information isn't out yet. For what it's worth, he was also faster than all of the J1s, some of whom are pretty nasty. The J1s and OJs had completely separate races, so it's hard to say how different conditions and tactics affected the times - in any case, it's clear that James is skiing at a really high level right now. Great work, James!
Results
Results
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Rangeley and the Last Day
Last Saturday saw a small but hardy crew make the journey up to Rangeley for what has become an end-of-season Bowdoin Nordic tradition: the Rangeley Lakes Loppet. Alec, Spencer, Wilson, Riley, Rainer, and Tim all raced the 50k. The day started out suprisingly cold and windy, but shortly after the start things began to warm up and the snow got decently fast. The pace was relaxed, to say the least, in the early kilometers, and several skiers stayed with the lead pack for a long time, including Spencer, Wilson, and Tim. Eventually, Tim went to the front and started pushing the pace a bit, which thinned things out somewhat, but there was still a group of 8 or 9 skiers on the train by the lap. Gradually, people started falling off the back, including Wilson and Tim, but Spencer stayed with the lead group. Finally, master skier Phil Lawson showed the youngsters who was boss, making a big move with about 8k to go and breaking up the pack on a series of hard climbs. I was sad to see Spencer get dropped, but on the other hand it's always good for the college boys to get an occasional reminder that the wily veterans can still get it done. Meanwhile, Tim used the hills to move up, and the two of them ended up skiing the last few kilometers with John Dixon from Colby. Fortunately, they both pulled away from John before the final sprint, when, unsurprisingly, Spencer outkicked Tim to lock up a respectable 5th place finish. It wasn't Spencer's best day, but it was a pretty impressive effort considering that he was fighting a bad cold and probably shouldn't have been racing (with carnivals over, he figured he might as well go for it). Wilson was not far behind, gutting out an 8th place finish that left him wrecked for the next couple days (seems like he was in the process of falling victim to the same thing Spencer had, but on steroids). Alec had the race of the day - he finished 11th in hist first-ever 50k. This was probably his best race of the season - he skied smoothly throughout the race and outlasted a number of good skiers. Riley ran a bit low on fuel, but hung in there to finish 19th, while Rainer battled his way to 49th - this was the first 50k for both of them as well. All told, a great effort by all of our guys, and a very fun and challenging day.
Results
With Rangeley in the books, we rallied for one final team practice on Sunday - a victory lap of sorts. After a nice easy ski, we finished with a great game of Polasky Ball - the team's PB skills have improved remarkably since camp, which was nice to see. And with that, our season is officially over. Lots more individual post-season racing is in the works for March, including James at JNs (reports to follow soon), but the 2010-11 edition of Bowdoin Nordic is now part of history.
Results
With Rangeley in the books, we rallied for one final team practice on Sunday - a victory lap of sorts. After a nice easy ski, we finished with a great game of Polasky Ball - the team's PB skills have improved remarkably since camp, which was nice to see. And with that, our season is officially over. Lots more individual post-season racing is in the works for March, including James at JNs (reports to follow soon), but the 2010-11 edition of Bowdoin Nordic is now part of history.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Regionals Recap
Shamefully late, I know, but here's a recap of a fantastic weekend at Regionals:
Saturday morning (5/10k skate) was cold and windy, with a several inches of new snow on the ground from a storm earlier in the week - tough conditions for racing, but our team stayed focused and positive. They've done a great job of this for the last several weeks - one of the things I'm most proud of them for. Hannah came out strong again, finishing 30th. Times were incredibly tight - 8.4 seconds would have put her in 21st. Lots of fast skiers in that group just ahead of her - a good sign that she's skiing at a high level. She'll be on the right side of those battles next year. Kaitlynn was just a few seconds back in 36th, and Emma skied her best skate race of the year to finish 53rd. On the men's side, Spencer led with a 23rd place finish, followed by James in 30th, his first NCAA points after a few near misses. Times were again tight, with James just 50 seconds from the top 10. Scott rounded out the scoring with one of his best races of the season, finishing 38th. Spencer's finish put him ahead of Walt for the most top-30 finishes of any Bowdoin male skier in history. Here's a photo to commemorate the occasion, courtesy of Andy Shepard:
More fresh snow greeted us for Sunday's 15/20k classic. The final long mass start race of the year has generally been one of our best races, and this one was no exception. Spencer and James got themselves in good position out of the start and gradually started moving up as the race progressed. Entering the final lap, both of them looked like they were starting to fade, with Spencer trying to hang onto the top 20 and James just outside the top 30. Luckily, I was wrong - Spencer held it together and picked off another skier to finish 19th, and James found an inner reserve and blew past several skiers in the last few k to finish 25th. Riley quietly had a great race as well, moving up throughout the race and digging for a couple extra places in the final kilometers - he finished 42nd to close out an outstanding rookie season.
The women's race was equally exciting. In the early going, I saw a few slips and got really nervous, but the skiers pulled it together and got the skis working - they were fast on the downhills, with just enough kick for the climbs. Kaitlynn skied her usual calm, determined race, moving from the 20s into the teens. She finished 14th, ahead of several NCAA qualifiers and close behind a number of great skiers. She's so relaxed and patient in classic races that it's easy to take her results for granted, but this would be a mistake - her achievements have been remarkable this year, well beyond anything we've seen from a Bowdoin first-year woman. Hannah also had a great race, finishing 30th, a career-best for classic. It was a thrill to see her chase down a couple of Williams skiers in the last kilometer to secure a top-30 finish. Emma skied another excellent race, perhaps the best racing I've seen from her, finishing 50th as our 3rd scorer. The women also had their best team finish of the season - they beat Colby, tied Harvard, and were just 2 points behind St. Lawrence and Williams. It's exciting to be in contention with teams that have always been well ahead of us - a great sign of progress.
Overall, it was a great weekend - very satisfying to end the season at our best. I'm extremely proud of how everyone skied, especially in the classic race - the skiers were incredibly determined. I'm not normally one to play up the "pain and suffering" aspect of the sport, but it was impossible to not notice how hard our skiers were working on Sunday - they were absolutely destroying themselves as they fought for every second. If we bring this same focus and desire into next season, we have a lot to look forward to.
On a more sad note, Grace's college ski career came to an end last weekend. It's been a pleasure watching her develop as both an athlete and an individual over the past 4 years. She's been a fantastic captain this year and was largely responsible for turning our women into a super cohesive group. It'll be impossible to replace her leadership next year - we'll miss her dearly, and we'll look forward to seeing what the future holds for her.
And that's the end of our official college season. A few folks will do Rangeley this weekend, and James is headed to Minnesota for JNs. After that, everyone goes their own way for Spring Break and various other race opportunities. I'll keep the updates coming.
Saturday morning (5/10k skate) was cold and windy, with a several inches of new snow on the ground from a storm earlier in the week - tough conditions for racing, but our team stayed focused and positive. They've done a great job of this for the last several weeks - one of the things I'm most proud of them for. Hannah came out strong again, finishing 30th. Times were incredibly tight - 8.4 seconds would have put her in 21st. Lots of fast skiers in that group just ahead of her - a good sign that she's skiing at a high level. She'll be on the right side of those battles next year. Kaitlynn was just a few seconds back in 36th, and Emma skied her best skate race of the year to finish 53rd. On the men's side, Spencer led with a 23rd place finish, followed by James in 30th, his first NCAA points after a few near misses. Times were again tight, with James just 50 seconds from the top 10. Scott rounded out the scoring with one of his best races of the season, finishing 38th. Spencer's finish put him ahead of Walt for the most top-30 finishes of any Bowdoin male skier in history. Here's a photo to commemorate the occasion, courtesy of Andy Shepard:
More fresh snow greeted us for Sunday's 15/20k classic. The final long mass start race of the year has generally been one of our best races, and this one was no exception. Spencer and James got themselves in good position out of the start and gradually started moving up as the race progressed. Entering the final lap, both of them looked like they were starting to fade, with Spencer trying to hang onto the top 20 and James just outside the top 30. Luckily, I was wrong - Spencer held it together and picked off another skier to finish 19th, and James found an inner reserve and blew past several skiers in the last few k to finish 25th. Riley quietly had a great race as well, moving up throughout the race and digging for a couple extra places in the final kilometers - he finished 42nd to close out an outstanding rookie season.
The women's race was equally exciting. In the early going, I saw a few slips and got really nervous, but the skiers pulled it together and got the skis working - they were fast on the downhills, with just enough kick for the climbs. Kaitlynn skied her usual calm, determined race, moving from the 20s into the teens. She finished 14th, ahead of several NCAA qualifiers and close behind a number of great skiers. She's so relaxed and patient in classic races that it's easy to take her results for granted, but this would be a mistake - her achievements have been remarkable this year, well beyond anything we've seen from a Bowdoin first-year woman. Hannah also had a great race, finishing 30th, a career-best for classic. It was a thrill to see her chase down a couple of Williams skiers in the last kilometer to secure a top-30 finish. Emma skied another excellent race, perhaps the best racing I've seen from her, finishing 50th as our 3rd scorer. The women also had their best team finish of the season - they beat Colby, tied Harvard, and were just 2 points behind St. Lawrence and Williams. It's exciting to be in contention with teams that have always been well ahead of us - a great sign of progress.
Overall, it was a great weekend - very satisfying to end the season at our best. I'm extremely proud of how everyone skied, especially in the classic race - the skiers were incredibly determined. I'm not normally one to play up the "pain and suffering" aspect of the sport, but it was impossible to not notice how hard our skiers were working on Sunday - they were absolutely destroying themselves as they fought for every second. If we bring this same focus and desire into next season, we have a lot to look forward to.
On a more sad note, Grace's college ski career came to an end last weekend. It's been a pleasure watching her develop as both an athlete and an individual over the past 4 years. She's been a fantastic captain this year and was largely responsible for turning our women into a super cohesive group. It'll be impossible to replace her leadership next year - we'll miss her dearly, and we'll look forward to seeing what the future holds for her.
And that's the end of our official college season. A few folks will do Rangeley this weekend, and James is headed to Minnesota for JNs. After that, everyone goes their own way for Spring Break and various other race opportunities. I'll keep the updates coming.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Midd and EC Photos
Lots of great photos from last weekend, courtesy of Scott McGovern, Hannah Miller, and the Kenneys:
ECT at the Silver Fox Trot - Steph, Rainer, Mark, and James
James
Rainer
Mark
Maren
Kaitlynn
Hannah
Riley
Wilson
Scott
Grace
Emma
Chris
Wilson and Scott
Alec
Spencer
ECT at the Silver Fox Trot - Steph, Rainer, Mark, and James
James
Rainer
Mark
Maren
Kaitlynn
Hannah
Riley
Wilson
Scott
Grace
Emma
Chris
Wilson and Scott
Alec
SpencerMonday, February 21, 2011
Middlebury and EC Wrap-up
Just a quick recap of much racing action from the weekend:
Friday's skate at Middlebury was a very good day for our team. We had weird weather - super warm, windy, and intermittent rain - almost winter thunderstorm weather. Our skiers weren't fazed, though, and we posted some great results, highlighted by the Eusden brothers' stellar skiing - 14th for Spencer and a personal-best 41st for Riley. Riley was crushing it - he looked like a whole different skier out there. Got to love first-years - they get better every week. Good skiing on the women's side as well. Hannah was burning it up for the first 5k - V2-ing up hills and holding her own against the top skiers in the 6th seed. She got tired and lost some ground on the last lap, but still a very competitive 30th place finish. Kaitlynn was just behind in 31st - a well-paced effort that saw her gain several places in the last couple kilometers. In the team scoring, the men beat UNH - this means that we've beaten every team except Dartmouth, UVM, and Williams in at least one event this year - gives us a clear goal for Regionals...
Saturday's sprint relay was a bit less successful. We were fired up for the races, and the skiers left everything out there, but we just couldn't hang in with most of the other teams. Not our day, for whatever reason. Lots of good fire, though - everyone was battling hard, and Grace in particular seemed to find another gear, which was fun to see. We also discovered that Sanville prefers to be "yelled at" in short races - this quickly devolved into derogatory comments about the Birkie and other Midwestern institutions, which was fun. Not our typical coaching approach, but it seemed to help him ski faster. Overall, a very fun day in spite of the results.
Friday's skate at Middlebury was a very good day for our team. We had weird weather - super warm, windy, and intermittent rain - almost winter thunderstorm weather. Our skiers weren't fazed, though, and we posted some great results, highlighted by the Eusden brothers' stellar skiing - 14th for Spencer and a personal-best 41st for Riley. Riley was crushing it - he looked like a whole different skier out there. Got to love first-years - they get better every week. Good skiing on the women's side as well. Hannah was burning it up for the first 5k - V2-ing up hills and holding her own against the top skiers in the 6th seed. She got tired and lost some ground on the last lap, but still a very competitive 30th place finish. Kaitlynn was just behind in 31st - a well-paced effort that saw her gain several places in the last couple kilometers. In the team scoring, the men beat UNH - this means that we've beaten every team except Dartmouth, UVM, and Williams in at least one event this year - gives us a clear goal for Regionals...
Saturday's sprint relay was a bit less successful. We were fired up for the races, and the skiers left everything out there, but we just couldn't hang in with most of the other teams. Not our day, for whatever reason. Lots of good fire, though - everyone was battling hard, and Grace in particular seemed to find another gear, which was fun to see. We also discovered that Sanville prefers to be "yelled at" in short races - this quickly devolved into derogatory comments about the Birkie and other Midwestern institutions, which was fun. Not our typical coaching approach, but it seemed to help him ski faster. Overall, a very fun day in spite of the results.
Meanwhile, the ECT spent the weekend in New Hampshire contesting the final 2 Eastern Cup races. The whole crew raced well all weekend - Steph and Rainer had fantastic skate races, and Mark got back into the action after a nasty illness that kept him sidelined for the past month. James was chasing a berth on the Junior National team - he qualified by crushing Sunday's classic race. New England has more depth than any other region in the country, so this was a great accomplishment. He'll be headed to Minnesota shortly after the end of the carnival season - we're excited to see how he fares!
Lots of photos to follow in a future post, thanks to the great crew of parents who supported the team at both events. Particular thanks to Patti and Gary Lynn for hosting the ECT in beautiful Bow, NH - this trip would have been hard to pull off without their help.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Dartmouth Carnival
Great skiing at Dartmouth last weekend. Thanks to this stellar winter we're having, there was plenty of snow at Oak Hill. With its winding trails, technical downhills, and challenging climbs, Oak Hill is always a fun place for a race. Good weather and solid performances for our team, including a huge race for Hannah in the 5k skate - her 24th place finish was her best of the season and 2nd best ever. We knew she was poised to break through soon, and she did. Emma had a great race as well, using her farm girl strength to power her way to a personal best 49th place finish in the 15k classic - great to see her coming back strong after a lingering illness over Winter Break. Alec skied very well in his first collegiate 20k, and Spencer finished just outside the top 20 on both days - probably his best all-around carnival ever. The weekend wasn't without some frustrations - the abrasive snow on Saturday caused a few people to lose their wax partway through the classic race, and James broke his boot midway through what was shaping up to be a great performance. Still, it was a very good weekend overall, and one that leaves me feeling like we're on track to have great finishes in the final two carnivals.
Much thanks to the many team parents who showed up with food and cheers. Thanks also to the long-lost alums who showed up on Saturday bearing donuts and helping with feeds: Matt Bowers '10, Elissa Rodman '10, and Jeremy Huckins '05. Great to see you guys again!
Here are a few photos from the indefatigable Kenney family:
Much thanks to the many team parents who showed up with food and cheers. Thanks also to the long-lost alums who showed up on Saturday bearing donuts and helping with feeds: Matt Bowers '10, Elissa Rodman '10, and Jeremy Huckins '05. Great to see you guys again!
Here are a few photos from the indefatigable Kenney family:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
