This weekend the Vermont Cup came to the idyllic village of Woodstock for an event featuring a distance classic on Saturday and a distance skate on Sunday. Believe it or not, this was the first skate race of the “Vermont Cup” series, although MNC skiers have been able to get in skate competition at local HS races as well as events like the Craftsbury Kendall Cup.
As anyone reading this already knows, we’ve been blessed with what may be the best stretch of Jan/Feb weather in recent memory. I’m sure I’ll eat these words at another point in the season, but I actually came to the point of loading up the van and saying out loud “could we just have ONE day here and there where it doesn’t snow?” as I prepared for what felt like the 5th sketchy-road drive of the week. I actually enjoy shoveling, but my back and shoulder muscles do have limits.
If we’re being real about it though, who can complain about an abundance of the stuff we spend 2/3 of the year aching for? It meant perfect conditions at the Woodstock Nordic Center, which is good because that venue is natural snow only. The classic tracks were killer and the course was rolling and smooth, lending itself to skiers who could work the transitions and grind out laps without much rest and big fitness requirements.
In the U16 races, Virginia continued her streak of not missing the podium yet! She was third on this day, with Julia close behind in 5th. Also cruising into the top-10 were Esther and Rosie in 7th and 8th with Finley in 13th. Week-in and week-out this group has been getting more pro, and you can see the development as they’re out there testing their wax, checking the course, and warming up to perform their best.
If you follow the local HS scene you’re well aware that Taylor and Brady have been lighting up the circuit, with Taylor only being a freshman and Brady still a middle schooler. They have trained a lot together over the years and unsurprisingly they often find themselves nearby on the results sheet, in this case right next to one another in 13th and 14th. Popping in just below in 16th was Anders who has put a lot of work in to classic to even-out his technique preference and speed!
Starting lineup!
By the time the older women and men raced the temps were climbing and the tracks were getting glazed. It wasn’t the easiest, basic “blue” conditions we began the day with, but we must’ve done something right because I think this was the largest percentage of skiers that we have NOT seen making any ski adjustments. The amount of “they’re perfect, see ya” type responses was the most relief a coach could hear. In fact, at one point I ran down from the trailer to the start area because I was nervous that so many of of the U18 girls hadn’t checked-in…I got down there to find them all getting ready for their start and lining up ready to go.
Three big races were in play here for Finnegan, Hattie, Hanna, and Emma Crum who had some of their strongest races among a field that included almost the entire UVM women’s team, plus a handful of Dartmouth racers. It’s really important to remember that each new race is a new opportunity, even if other races haven’t gone perfectly. In fact, a cool note from this weekend is how some different breakthroughs happened for different skiers on each day. The big individual successes were spread out across races, meaning it was a constant stream of good news and everyone was feeling the excitement from the positivity.
Jessie in her first Eastern Cup-level race!
In the skate races on Sunday it was Emma Page and Rebecca who really hit it out of the park with top-10 finishes (9th and 10th) the rest of the U18/U20 women’s squad really showing up, led at the front by Rose with an incredible finish as the top Junior in the race behind 2 Dartmouth upperclassmen. Special shoutout to Jessie Kennedy who skied in her first Eastern Cup-level race, while Mackenzie finally got to put on skate skis and show her strength in her best event!
This spring was the first time Jessie got out on rollerskis, and nobody knows the streets of Southridge like this athlete now. The hard work has been really inspiring to see!
It turns out the U16 women’s race was the closest one of the year, with live timing initially having Julia and Virginia going 1-2 in the race! However the chip and computer timing eventually changed that and Virginia was pushed to third, just 1.5 seconds out of second place. The first four places were all within 7 seconds, so it really goes to show you can’t take any pole plant or downhill tuck for granted! With Julia, Virginia, and Ava having all claimed the top step of a podium on separate days, this means MNC has now had THREE different skiers win a Vermont Cup race this year! And there is still racing left to go!
The U16 boys stepped it up by climbing a few positions higher than previously, this time with Niko leading the way in 12th and Taylor right there in 13th. That group in particular is up against a team of SMS boys who just seem to tower over everyone else (I referred to it as the “Greg Burt effect” if that hits home with MNC fans and families) but it’s cool to see them all warming up, cooling down, and talking before and after their races. These MNC skiers are going to continue climbing up the results and it’ll be many years of duels between some of these skiers! The U18 boys need a special shoutout in recognition of Geo who only started skiing this fall BUT with a background in swimming and rowing (you can see where this is going) has the upper body strength, coordination, and stamina to totally kick butt and keep aiming higher!
Oh…and after the main races was a small Masters race that drew some great MNC participation! Thanks to all the masters who made the trip down to compete, score points for the club, and challenge themselves. It was particularly awesome for me to get to ski a lap with Mike, Nate, Steve, and Dave after the race and recount tales from our races…brings me back, and that’s not something I get to do too often. It was a great crew out there who had a lot of fun. Here’s a pic below from NENSA of Coach Sara taking the win in the women’s event! You can also see a photo album from Saturday’s classic races from Dave Priganc by clicking here.
