Nordic Skiing Team NCAA Eastern Regionals Recap

The Saints concluded the regular carnival season on their home course in Lake Placid, New York last weekend. Friday morning, the races occurred on schedule in classic Canton New York weather, with their being single digit temperatures and biting wind in Lake Placid.

Each of the 11 EISA teams raced six athletes in the men’s as well as six in the women’s races. Sophomore Emma Strack cracked the top 20, placing an outstanding 16^th in the 5K skate race. Lilli Thomas, another sophomore, nearly snuck into the top 50. On the men’s side, Colton Martin finished 32^nd, which was a very solid skate result for his season. The next day, on Saturday, conditions were similarly difficult, with temperatures dropping more as compared to Friday.

At sunrise Saturday, temperatures were around a very chilly -10°F. These cold, dry conditions can affect athletes breathing and energy levels. It also makes for slow skiing, as the snow crystals dry and become more abrasive, making the skis extremely slow. This made the race much more difficult for all of the competitors, making the great results all the more impressive. This played into Saturday’s mass start races, as athletes use race tactics to save energy, such as drafting off of skiers down-trail.

Emma Strack used this strategy very smartly, tucking in behind a group of Vermont skiers for most of her 15k. Dartmouth’s freshman Ava Thurston ran away with the race around 7K, stretching the field and getting the win. Strack finished an impressive 5^th place, earning this result in a sprint up the final climb of the race. Also, Etta Leugers finished strong for St. Lawrence in 39^th place.

Later, the men’s race saw similar compression in the field, leading to several broken skis and poles throughout the race. Harvard’s Remi Drolet, a 2022 Olympian for Canada, ran away from the field after the 5K mark, closing out the full 20K with an impressive lead of over 40 seconds. The Saints raced well, with Colton Martin leading the team in 26^th place, Brian Beyerbach finishing in 32^nd, and freshman Spencer May in 41^st. This was a very strong result for the men’s team closing out the season, finishing ahead of Bates, which was a team goal going into the season.

It was a very competitive race weekend, as several athletes were on the “bubble” for qualifying for the NCAA meet. The majority of the conference raced this past weekend, as only several athletes were absent due to the World Ski Championships.

Next week Emma Strack will compete for the Saints, as she qualified for NCAA’s in Lake Placid. Strack finished the season with All-EISA honors. The fields in both races will be stocked with very high-caliber athletes. This will include Vermont’s Ben Ogden, who has yet to lose a collegiate race in his career. If you are free next weekend and want to watch some very high-level Nordic skiing, come to Lake Placid to watch the NCAA Championships!