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From the FasterSkier archive — posts syndicated from athletes’ and coaches’ own blogs between 2004 and 2012, kept online as published. Current coverage is at fasterskier.com.

Tag: Bernhard Flaschberger

(Press Release) Utah captures its third consecutive NCAA Championship, Ben Ogden and Sophia Laukli win individual Nordic titles

Doubling down, Vermont’s Ben Ogden takes the win in the mass start 20 k free, earning both national titles during the 2022 NCAA Championships.

MIDWAY, Utah – The University of Utah won going away Saturday at the 69th Annual NCAA Skiing Championships, using an impressive performance in the freestyle Nordic events to win its third straight national title.

The championships concluded with the men’s 20K and women’s 15K mass start freestyle events at Soldier Hollow, a world class venue constructed for the 2002 Winter Olympics. After three days of competition, Utah led Vermont by 27.5 points.

With Utah outscoring Vermont in the Nordic classic races on Thursday 148.5-138.5—including 102.5 points from the Ute women—what remained to be seen on Saturday was if the Utes could produce a similar effort or if Vermont could flip the script.

Ben Ogden (UVM) leads the men’s 20 k mass start free during the 2022 NCAA Championships in Soldier Hollow, UT. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

In Saturday’s first race, Vermont’s Ben Ogden completed his sweep of the men’s Nordic titles by winning the 20K. His performance helped the Catamounts outscore Utah 78-73 and close the gap to 22.5 points. However, a one-two finish by Utah’s Sophia Laukli and Novie McCabe in the women’s 15K gave Utah 100 points to Vermont’s 56, carrying Utah to the NCAA title by a comfortable margin.

Utah finished with 578 points to Vermont’s 511.5. Denver was third with 436.5 points and Colorado came in fourth with 435. The rest of the field finished with under 300 points. It was Utah skiing’s 15th national title and 14th NCAA title.

Ogden won the 20K freestyle in 43:00.5. Samuel Hendry of Utah was the silver medalist, finishing in 43:07.9. The junior from Canmore, Alberta, Canada, placed second in the 10K freestyle in both 2020 and 2021.

JC Schoonmaker (UAA) snags third in the 20 k skate. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

JC Schoonmaker of Alaska Anchorage held off Bernhard Flaschberger of Denver for third place as they finished in 43.13.9 and 43:14.8, respectively. Peter Wolter of Middlebury was fifth in 43:15.8 to earn first team All-America honors.

Second team honors went to Joe Davies (Alaska Fairbanks), Kjetil Banerud (Northern Michigan), Espen Persen (Alaska Anchorage), Jacob Nystedt (Vermont) and Skylar Patten (Michigan Tech).

The men’s 20K freestyle race consisted of six laps around a 3.3 km course. With a mass start of 40 competitors, the top 30 racers stayed fairly close together with a lead pack of about a dozen forming for the first three laps. During the fourth lap, Ogden tried to forge ahead while going up the course’s biggest climb. However, Luke Jager of Utah and Andreas Kirkeng of Denver chased him down and a lead group of six formed from there.

On the last lap, Flaschberger mounted an effort climbing up the hollow area, but everyone in the lead group was able to hang with him. When they came around to the middle section of the course with two short climbs on Cabin’s Corner, Ogden made his second big move of the race and this time pulled away for good, building a seven-second lead. Schoonmaker put together another push toward Hendry, but the Ute held him off for second place by nearly six seconds.

A Utah front: Sophia Laukli and Novie McCabe lead the women’s 15 k free during the 2022 NCAA Championships in Soldier Hollow, UT. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

The women’s 15K freestyle race was four laps around a 3.75 km layout that added a tough climb to the course used by the men. That made for very few flat areas.

Unlike the men’s race that remained tight throughout, Utah’s trio of Sophia Laukli, Novie McCabe and Sydney Palmer-Leger pulled away at the first turn and quickly opened up a seven-second separation from the rest of the field. Palmer-Leger began to experience some cramping issues during the second lap, allowing Laukli and McCabe to pull away by 30 seconds.

Palmer-Leger maintained a 30-second lead for third place before her condition worsened in the third lap and she was overtaken by Jasmine Lyons of New Hampshire and Kendall Kramer from Alaska Fairbanks. Laukli had a 14-second lead over McCabe at the start of the final lap and won in 36:35.7. McCabe was the runner-up in 37:09.5.

The 2022 NCAA Championship women’s 15 k podium: Utah’s Sophia Laukli took the win ahead of teammate Novie McCabe. Jasmine Lyon (UNH) took third, with Kendall Kramer (UAF) fourth, and Mariel Pulles (UAF) fifth. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

Before the NCAA Championships, Laukli, a junior from Yarmouth, Maine, had been off since the Beijing Winter Games, where she placed 15th in the 30K freestyle for Team USA.

McCabe won the women’s 5K classic on Thursday, crushing the field by more than 13 seconds. The sophomore from Winthrop, Wash., also competed in the 2022 Beijing Olympics, where she was part of the U.S. cross-country 4 x 5km relay team that took sixth.

Third place went to Lyons (38:05.0) and Kramer (38:21.7) was fourth. Mariel Pulles of Alaska Fairbanks was fifth (38:41.4). Second team All-America honors went to Anna Bizyukova (Vermont), Hanna Abrahamsson (Colorado), Palmer-Leger, Astrid Stav (Alaska Anchorage) and Renae Anderson (Bowdoin)

Full Results from SummitTiming

QUOTES:

Ben Ogden – Vermont (Men’s 20K Champion)

On winning his second title this weekend:

“Beautiful day and just a beautiful course. There’s nothing better. This is a dream come true. The sun, all my friends and a good race. I can’t ask for anything else.”

Ben Ogden celebrates back-to-back NCAA titles in style. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

On knowing if he could pull away at the end:

“If you if watch closely, I tried to do it on the fourth lap. I couldn’t do it and I got chewed up and I thought that was game over. Luckily, I was able to hang on and get some good speed on that last line. I was lucky out there and it was a fun race.”

“I had the whole self-doubt going in my head that today isn’t my day and I was just fighting for third. But there were about 150 people on that back hill, and one was my best friend from growing up who was out there with a chain saw, making all kinds of noise and I got my second wind. And I was lucky to get over the finish line. It’s all about the noise and the loud cheers, and that was the deciding factor for me.”

On making his move to pull away in the last lap:

“I’m a good sprinter so I know I can take those boys over for a kilometer if I have some energy. So when my fourth lap move didn’t work, I figured I had to wait until the bitter end and make them hurt in the last minute and 30. It worked.”

Sophia Laukli – Utah (Women’s 15K Champion)

On if she felt like she could win entering the race:

“I knew that it was definitely possible on a good day, but I haven’t been racing a lot so I didn’t know what kind of shape that I was in. I knew it was going to be pretty fun to race with Novie (McCabe) and with Sydney (Palmer-Leger) and try to ski away from the pack. Sydney had some kind of injury during the race so she didn’t have her best day, but I was excited to race with Novie out front. I felt really good. I had some really fast skis so that worked to my advantage and it ended up just playing out really well.”

“When I was warming up I was like, oh no, this might be a long race. But, honestly, I tend to race better when I warm up and feel a little bit off. So I was hoping that was going to be the case today and it definitely did work. The course was great for me. A lot of gradual climbing and it was good.”

On the race strategy:

“I ended up leading a lot. There was a part where Novie started to lead and I noticed that my skis were a lot faster than hers so it didn’t make sense for her to lead. So I ended up ahead most of the time and I was able to get a little bit of a gap.”

“When I pulled away, I was not sure if it was going to be the right call. I was feeling good but it was a long race, so I was just hoping that I wasn’t going to blow up. I’m always nervous about breaking away too early so it wasn’t the most confident breakaway. It just gradually got bigger and luckily it was enough.”

Sophia Laukli takes the collegiate national title in the 15 k skate. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

On her thoughts at the finish line:

“I thought Novie was really close behind me so I was going to try to ski as fast as I could until the end, but then I saw them handing the flag to me, and so I thought I would take it and hoped it’s enough. But it was not until I came down the last downhill it really sank in because I tend to fall when I’m doing well and I was just praying that I would just stay on my feet. It was a great feeling.”

On racing in front of home fans:

“I was grateful that everyone was in the hardest places on the course because I definitely pushed a lot harder there. This is why I love racing the U.S. and why I keep doing that. Just this whole vibe the entire uphill, it’s so motivating and so cool.”

Fredrik Landstedt – Utah (Director of Skiing)

On winning a third-consecutive NCAA Championship:

“It’s amazing, especially here and winning it at home in front of the big crowds and everybody that’s up here cheering us on. It’s just an incredible feeling. Winning our third straight, it feels great. There’s always more pressure when you are trying to do it at home. But we were able to do it here and after some bad weather on Wednesday, it was really good in Park City and near perfect conditions here at Soldier Hollow as well.”

On how confident he was during the week:

“I felt good about our team but I get nervous for sure. Any time you ski alpine it swings so quick. You have one person ski out and it’s 30 points less. It can swing 60-70 points in just one race. You can never be sure. But it’s always tight.”

On the women’s 15K freestyle race:

“We knew that all three of them could be up there. It’s very tough competition between those three as well, so they really went out there and almost tried to beat up each other almost a little too much. But it turned out well. Sydney (Palmer-Leger) had a cramp the last two laps and was fighting super hard to get the position she had. And Sophia (Laukli) had an amazing day and really good skis. Novie (McCabe) is always up there and fighting really hard. So it was great to see them perform so well.”

Utah’s Sam Hendry races to second place in the 20 k mass start free. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

On the men’s 20K freestyle race:

“Sam (Hendry) had an amazing race. We’ve been waiting for this but he hasn’t felt too good in his body the last few competitions. But today he was right on it, you could see it in him. He really wanted to go. On the last lap, he asked me how many he had to go, and I told him that was it and he had to go now. But he was really feeling good for sure. Then Luke (Jager) and Bjorn (Riksaasen) weren’t having their best days but they were really fighting hard and go the points they needed.”

On his team’s journey this season:

“It was a tougher season because we had people out for the Olympics and the World Cup circuit, and then we had skiers over in Norway for the World Junior Championships and the U23 World Championships. So we had athletes all over the place and that made it tougher for us during the regular season even to sometimes put a team together for a meet. It’s also hard for the team dynamics when they are all over the place. But at the same time, everyone was super psyched because we had Olympians, people in the World Cups and people in Norway, and they were all skiing well and getting medals in Junior Worlds. Overall, it was a different year but a great year for sure. But I think this year showed off the quality of our program because we not only have the top collegiate program in the country, but we also have one of the top ski clubs all over the country. We have everyone working for the team and that seems to be something that we have been very successful at lately.”

March 13, 2022
Norris and Brennan Lead a Strong Showing for APU with Wins at the SuperTour 15k Mass Start Classic

By Rachel Bachman Perkins and Ella Hall

The 2022 Sun Valley Nordic Invitational continued Sunday with 10/15-kilometer mass start classic races, featuring SuperTour, RMISA collegiate, and Intermountain junior national qualifier divisions. With overnight temperatures in the low teens which rose to roughly 20 degrees Fahrenheit by start time, tracks looked ideal for kicking and gliding on the meticulously groomed trails at the Lake Creek Ski Center in Ketchum, ID.

The opening meters of the women’s 10k mass start classic, with Rosie Brennan setting the pace in her blue APU race suit. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

Today’s races featured four laps each, with men starting the morning off on a 3.75k loop that featured three progressively larger climbs, totaling roughly 417 feet of climbing per lap. The women raced next on a 2.5k loop, which truncated the third and most significant climb of the men’s loop to reduce the lap length.

Men’s 15k Mass Start Classic:

After his victory in Saturday’s 10k individual start skate, local Johnny Hagenbuch (USST/SVSEF) moved into second place in the overall SuperTour rankings, still led by Adam Martin of the Craftsbury Green Racing Project. Martin won the 15k individual start classic at the U.S. Cross Country Championships just ten days ago, taking his first national title. With fellow national championship podium finishers Scott Patterson and JC Schoonmaker also taking part in today’s classic mass start, along with a number of other accomplished competitors in a field of 122 athletes, the stage was set for an exciting race.

Ian Torchia pulls the lead group around a bend early in the men’s 15k mass start classic in Sun Valley. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

In the end, it was another strong day for APU as they put together yet another podium sweep. Today, the APU men were led by David Norris, who took the win in a time of 36:50.5. Hunter Wonders finished second (+8.0), after outsprinting his teammate, Scott Patterson, in the final meters, leaving Patterson in third (+8.5).

“Lake Creek and all the Sun Valley trails are in such good condition right now,” wrote Norris in a post-race email to FasterSkier. “Earlier in the week I skied with the team at four different trailheads, and they were all so nice.”

Given the field size, level of competition, and relatively short lap length, one might expect congestion on the course, or the dreaded accordion that can sometimes occur as the pack repeatedly stretches out and compresses, making it hard for athletes in the later half of the pack to ski consistently. Norris explained that this was not an issue during today’s mass start.

“The course today is one of the harder courses in the U.S. and because of that the pack wasn’t overly crowded. I was surprised by how large of a group we had for the first three laps. I felt really relaxed skiing within the pack. Until Scott started pulling away from the lead group at the end of the third lap, I don’t think I had been in the top five. I bridged up to Scott on the last uphill of the third lap and then he, Hunter and I skied together until the last 1km of the race.”

David Norris leads the way through a corner on his way to a win in the SuperTour 15k mass start classic in Sun Valley. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

“Approaching the last hill, I went to the front and right away felt a small gap open up so I pushed it to the top of the course where I had a solid gap that stayed to the finish. It’s really nice to put this race together after a really slow start to the season. The APU coaches have been working super hard and it was super cool to be a part of such a great day for the team.”

Norris concluded by sharing his upcoming objectives, perhaps foreshadowing tomorrow’s release of the 2022 Olympic team. Today’s result moved Norris into third place in the SuperTour overall standings, behind Adam Martin in first and Scott Patterson in second. In the Olympic qualification standings for distance racing, Norris is also third, with Patterson first and Martin second.

“From here I’m likely racing the Boulder Mountain Tour and the Birkie, which I’m excited about.”

Scott Patterson races to third place in the SuperTour 15k mass start classic in Sun Valley. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

In Patterson’s post-race comment to FasterSkier, he echoed Norris’ statement that congestion was not an issue, particularly as they had started at the front-edge of the pack. Patterson did add, however, that some obstacles arose as they began to lap some of the skiers finishing near the back.

“Many were great about stepping over to the side,” Patterson explained. “But there were a few who were very focused on their own race and didn’t recognize our group charging through.”

Patterson also shared his version of the race narrative, including the final move that moved Wonders one step up the podium.

“The race started pretty hot. I was surprised to end up in about 15th off the line even from the tip of the chevron. However, by about a kilometer in, the pace had settled and I was back up near the front. Johnny Hagenbuch and Hunter (Wonders) did a lot of the work on the early two laps. I mostly stayed near the front, but was keeping it relatively casual and felt ready for some hard pushes later.

On the third lap up Torin’s Tucker or the South Bench climb, I decided it was time to make it a real race. My move quickly split the lead pack. I had some space behind, but David and Hunter were able to rejoin after the long descent down to the stadium. I continued to lead for most of the fourth lap before David put in a good charge up the final large climb. He got a little space from me, while I slightly distanced Hunter on the climb. However, Hunter’s finish came into play as he chased me down and out sprinted me into the finish.”

Scott Patterson makes his move, leading APU teammates David Norris and Hunter Wonders. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

Giving another nod to the coaches, Patterson celebrated his team’s success, despite finishing below where he would have liked.

“It was another sweet day for APU with the sweep. I am a little disappointed to have made most of the animating moves myself and only end up on the bottom step of the podium, but it is cool to see David and Hunter put together good ones. Our coaches put in a lot of hard work this week on top of a hard nationals to make it possible.”

Though perhaps more vague than Norris, Patterson also concluded with what is next on deck for him.

“I’m heading to my parent’s in Bozeman now,” Patterson said. “My plan is to put together a good training block there at somewhat altitude and get ready for the next races.”

As mentioned, Patterson put himself on top of the Olympic qualification rankings with the combined points of his win in the 30k skate and second place finish in the 15k classic; both events are on the Olympic schedule. While the five guaranteed spots of the men’s quota have likely been filled by those with stronger early-season World Cup results (note that Patterson had wrist surgery in October, which set him back performance-wise until recently), this indicates that Patterson would likely snag the sixth spot should one be added to the U.S. quota after reallocation, happening later this week. (Find more information on quotas and selection here.)

The top six men surround the podium following the 15-kilometer mass start classic in Sun Valley. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

Lacking a livestream video and intermediate splits in the live timing, it is difficult to make many observations about the race other than those apparent in the finish times. Breaking up the string of four APU men who finished in the top-five, Ian Torchia (SMS T2) finished fourth again (+28.1), on the heels of a fourth place finish in the 10k skate on Saturday. In another finish-line sprint, Torchia crossed just ahead of APU’s Zanden McMullen (+28.2) with University of Denver’s Bernhard Flaschberger just behind in sixth (+28.4).

In the collegiate standings, Flaschberger skied his way to a double victory in Sun Valley. Sam Hendry (U of Utah) also earned a double podium, taking second place today after yesterday’s third, just one second behind Flaschberger and in eighth overall. Rounding out the collegiate podium, Andreas Kirkeng of University of Denver came in third (+24.1) for RMISA and tenth overall.

The RMISA men’s podium after the 15k mass start skate in Sun Valley. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

Women’s 10k Mass Start Classic:

While there was no official livestream, APU’s Forrest Mahlen did record an Instagram live of the women’s race on the APU account, which offers some insights into the action. The footage and commentary are perhaps a significant step down from that offered in Soldier Hollow, but the primary storyline was nevertheless clear from the start. By the time Rosie Brennan (USST/APU) passed Mahlen, just over a minute into the race, she had created a five second gap over the remainder of the women’s field.

Unmatched, Rosie Brennan wins the women’s 10k mass start classic by nearly a minute. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

Gun to tape, Brennan put on a clinic. Unmatched, she time-trialed her way around each of the four laps to finish in 29:35.3, nearly a minute ahead of the next racer. Brennan explained after the race that she was not totally prepared for classic races, as her original plans for her U.S. altitude block changed with the cancellation of the Les Rousses and Planica World Cups. Despite the time away from the main hub of the likely U.S. Olympic squad who are now training in Livigno, Italy, Brennan has seemingly thrived as she continues to hone her mental and physical sharpness before heading to China.

“I was honestly quite nervous for the race because I was never planning to do a classic race while I was home,” Brennan shared after the race. “I only brought home two pairs of training classic skis, so I wasn’t sure if it would be enough in this very strong field of women. Luckily, they were both cold skis and we did have cold, hardpack conditions today. APU did a great job preparing them and turning them into good race skis so it was alright in the end.”

More of a time trial than mass start, Rosie Brennan gaps the women’s field early, eventually winning the race by nearly a minute. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

Speaking to her race strategy, Brennan continued, “I started hard to try to simulate what I will encounter in Beijing. I wasn’t sure what the other girls would do so I just really tried to focus in on strong skiing. This is only my 3rd classic race of the year so I really wanted the practice of holding my technique together, finding a relaxed stride, and all while at altitude. I felt really strong on the long climb and was able to find a good groove, so I pulled away on that climb and then had to just keep pushing. It was a good mental challenge with a four lap race at altitude. I was definitely feeling tired on lap 3 and had to turn my mind around and find a way to push hard again that last lap in preparation for the Olympics. All in all, it was a good weekend to get some hard efforts in before we start to taper and focus in on Beijing.”

Leading the chase pack in the final lap, Katharine Ogden (USST/SMS T2) skied to second place for the women (+55.4). Ogden was second in the 10k classic during the U.S. Cross Country Championships, the only event she contested, and finished fourth in yesterday’s 5k free.

Rosie Brennan has a medal placed around her neck by SVSEF youth athlete after winning the women’s 10k mass start classic. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

Next to the line was Novie McCabe (USST/U of Utah) in third (+1:07.6), her second third place finish of the weekend.

“It was fun for sure!” McCabe wrote in a post-race email. “I’ve always liked racing in Sun Valley and haven’t done too many mass starts this season so I was stoked for this one! We had a good group for the first three laps and it was kind of nice to just try and settle in and find a good pace. Overall, I felt good and am super happy with how things ended up. My skis were also amazing, which for sure didn’t hurt!!”

Rosie Frankowski skis to fourth in the SuperTour 10k mass start classic in Sun Valley. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

Rosie Frankowski (APU) was fourth to the line (+1:17.1), with Sydney Palmer-Leger (USST/U of Utah) behind in fifth (+1:26.4), leading her teammate Sophia Laukli who finished roughly a second behind her in sixth (+1:27.2). Improving on yesterday’s result, Caitlin Patterson (CGRP) was next to the line in seventh (+1:35.7).

Going 3-5-6 in the overall standings set the women of Utah up nicely for a back-to-back podium sweep, the first time any RMISA team has done so within the same meet since 2013, according to the team’s press release. A look at the roster shows the Utes as the U.S. Ski Team-lite. A force to be reckoned with, the Utah women’s team has now won each of the five RMISA races this season.

Sydney Palmer-Leger skis to third overall and rakes the RMISA collegiate win in Sun Valley’s 10k mass start classic. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

Beginning a northeast swing, the SuperTour circuit moves to Lake Placid, NY for Period III, resuming in two weeks on January 29th. This two-day race weekend will include a classic sprint, followed by a 10k mass start skate.

A big thank you to Tobias Albrigtsen, who generously shared his outstanding photos with us throughout the weekend.

Full Results:

Men’s 15k | Women’s 10k

January 17, 2022
Brennan and Hagenbuch Skate Away with Wins in Sun Valley SuperTour 5/10k Interval Start Free

By Rachel Bachman Perkins and Ben Theyerl

The final weekend of SuperTour racing in Period II, and the final weekend within the Olympic qualification window, kicked off Saturday at the Lake Creek Nordic Center in Ketchum, Idaho. Part of the 2022 Sun Valley Nordic Invitational, the SuperTour races were held in conjunction with a Montana State University RMISA event and an Intermountain XC junior national qualifier.

Highlighting the size of the event, there were 157 female athletes in the field. With 141 senior and U18 men racing in the 10k, and another 46 racing in the men’s U16 5k. Spanning all age groups, an additional 70 U14 athletes and another 18 U12 athletes raced a 3k and 2k course, respectively. In all, nearly 400 cross country skiers, from Olympians to 10-year-olds in their first seasons on skis, made their way around the tracks in Lake Creek.

An athlete races the 10k interval start free on the Lake Creek trails in Ketchum, ID. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

As the World Cup events in Les Rousse, France and Planica, Slovenia were both cancelled due to rapidly increasing coronavirus caseloads with the omicron variant, several athletes who might have headed back to the World Cup for these events found their way to Sun Valley instead, meaning fields were more in line with the U.S. Cross Country Championships than a typical SuperTour.

On the women’s start list for the 5-kilometer individual start skate, which kicked off the weekend of distance racing, were six women who have spent at least part of their season racing on the World Cup: Rosie Brennan (USST/APU), Caitlin Patterson (CGRP), Katharine Ogden (USST/SMS T2), and three University of Utah athletes who are also members of the U.S. Ski Team, Sophia Laukli, Novie McCabe, and Sydney Palmer-Leger.

Likewise, the men’s 10k field included seven World Cup athletes: David Norris (APU), JC Schoonmaker (USST/UAA), Scott Patterson (USST/APU), Hunter Wonders (USST/APU), Zanden McMullen (USST/APU), Luke Jager (USST/U of Utah), and Zak Ketterson (Team Birkie).

Given Ketchum’s elevation of roughly 5,950’, approximately the same as the courses in Soldier Hollow, Utah and those Olympic team members will face in Ziangjiakou in February, the events provided another opportunity to spend time training at the elevation and to hone their approach to racing at altitude. Overnight lows in the single digits meant cold air and snow temps at the start of the women’s race, another important similarity to forecasted Olympic conditions.

According to co-chief of competition Kelley (Sinnott) Yeates, livestream was not available during the Sun Valley Nordic Invitational due to connectivity issues along the courses. As such, FasterSkier’s reporting this weekend is based on live timing and the feedback of those on-site.

Of the course, Sun Valley native Johnny Hagenbuch provided insight into the 5km loop that was raced today in an email to FasterSkier: “The new courses at Lake Creek are very difficult: they essentially removed all the flat from the old course and replaced it with the biggest climb at Lake Creek.”

Senior Women’s 5k Free:

Without the ability to view the race and no intermediate splits in the live timing, the women’s race results left little room for suspense. Given her dominant performance in the 20k skate during the U.S. Cross Country Championships, it was no surprise to see Rosie Brennan’s name top the list. Brennan smashed the 5k loop, finishing in 14:28.6, a full 48.6 seconds faster than the next woman.

Rosie Brennan enjoys a wintery training day before the weekend of World Cup racing in Davos, SUI. (Photo: NordicFocus)

“I decided to come to Sun Valley after the World Cups in France were canceled,” Brennan wrote to FasterSkier in a post-race email. “My coach, Erik Flora, has been up here all week with the rest of my APU teammates, so it made sense for me to come here to be able to work with my coach and teammates. That has been the total silver lining of the World Cups being canceled. Erik is not allowed to come to the Olympics, but is my personal coach and someone who I trust and value immensely, so getting this extra week to work on things with him has been such a welcome surprise.”

Now several weeks into an extended altitude block, Brennan has been training near her childhood home in Park City, UT. The races in Soldier Hollow put her back on familiar tracks with hometown advantage, and the nostalgia continued today.

“It has been a full circle moment for me this weekend as I spent many years racing JN Qualifiers in Sun Valley growing up, so to be back here doing so now as I prepare for the Olympics has brought back all kinds of memories from my whole ski career. My high school and college coach were also out there today cheering and it’s been really special to have this extra time in the U.S. to share moments with people like that who have helped in getting me to where I am today.”

Brennan had originally planned to rejoin the U.S. Team in Europe, but following the cancellations of the two remaining World Cups before the Olympics, has shifted her plans to limit her risk of covid exposure, as a positive test might jeopardize her ability to travel to China, regardless of the severity of her case.

“With travel being risky on all kinds of levels today, I decided to just stay put after the World Cup cancellations and make the most of the training opportunities I have here in the U.S. before heading to Beijing. This weekend is serving as a replacement for the races I would have done in France and also another opportunity to test my limits at altitude. We just incorporated the races into a little intensity block to get my engine running again after a good volume block.”

Rosie Brennan logs hours on home trails during an extended altitude camp near Park City, UT. (Photo: Instagram @rosiewbrennan)

Speaking to her feelings holistically as she prepares for the Olympics, entering the Games on the heels of a career-best 2020/21 season with a host of early-season indicators that she can be a medal contender, Brennan spoke to the stress athletes face amidst the pandemic, which has added layers of complexity in traveling to Beijing and entering the Olympic bubble.

“It’s definitely a stressful lead up to the Games with COVID raging everywhere, a multitude of requirements and things that need to get done to be allowed into China, and figuring out all the details of being prepared for such a long travel to a very foreign country with lots of restrictions. I am doing my best to just stay on top of all the requirements, stay far away from everyone I can, and chip away at the things I need to be prepared for. The training at home has been great and having a coach to work with is so helpful, so from an actual racing perspective, I am feeling good and optimistic. I feel very lucky to have a home base in Park City and that the venues in the area provide good preparation for the Games.”

Sophia Laukli races to second overall and finishes the top collegiate racer in the women’s 5k interval start free in Ketchum, ID. (Photo: Instagram @utahskiteam)

Recovered from racing the Tour de Ski, where both women notched top-10 finishes on the hill climb, Sophia Laukli (USST/U of Utah) took second place (+48.6) today, with Novie McCabe four seconds behind in third (+52.6). Katharine Ogden (USST/SMS T2) was fourth (+52.0) for the women, with Rosie Frankowski (APU) next (+59.8) to round out the top-five.

With their top-three overall finishes, Laukli and McCabe also took home top results in the collegiate standings on behalf of the University of Utah. With teammate Sydney Palmer-Leger in 7th overall (+1:32.5), the Ute’s swept the RMISA podium.

“Today was definitely quite the race,” wrote Laukli after the race. “I was really looking forward to it since I love 5k skates, and courses with lots of climbing. I was also excited to get back into racing after the tour, especially on the domestic circuit which I was starting to miss. I was very happy with how the race ended up today, and it was actually a bit of a surprise (results-wise) just based on how I felt during it. I know I was not alone by getting rather cold out on course, but it felt like quite the shock to the system and difficult to get in a good groove—sometimes that will happen though! While it was probably one of the hardest 5ks I’ve ever done, it’s an awesome course and I just had fun getting back into racing after a short break.”

Commenting on her recovery post-Tour de Ski and her goals over the next couple of months, Laukli continued, “I took the past couple weeks very easy in my training, with minimal intensity, to recover from the tour. I wanted to take advantage of that racing block to really get into my best racing shape so taking a step back in training right after was important. The rest of the season is still a bit up in the air, but I know these races at altitude will be great preparation if I do end up at the Olympics. Either way, I’m planning to continue doing some college races and hopefully NCAAs, so these races will be good prep for that as well.”

With Sophia Laukli and Novie McCabe also taking second and third on the overall podium, Sydney Palmer-Leger brought the Ute’s home for a collegiate podium sweep. (Photo: Instagram @utahskiteam)

Other noteworthy results include the retired, but nevertheless still a contender, Caitlin Gregg, who hopped into the race while still serving as a co-head coach of the Midwest’s Team Birkie. Gregg finished in 8th (+1:37.5), just ahead of the day’s top Craftsbury skier, Alexandra Lawson.

Also, Caitlin Patterson, who earned a spot on the podium in each of the events at the U.S. Cross Country Championships and SuperTour in Soldier Hollow, finished 17th, nearly two minutes behind Brennan. In a post-race Instagram story, Patterson wrote that she had been very cold during the race with numb legs and toes, which left her feeling like a “floppy fish popsicle.” Despite finishing below where she was perhaps aiming, Patterson remains in second place behind Frankowski in the SuperTour overall standings, and in second behind Brennan in the Olympic qualification rankings for distance racing.

Senior Men’s 10k Free:

The men’s field would race the same lap the women did, but twice. That meant there was a time checkpoint at the halfway mark to indicate how the race was shaping up, yielding interesting insights into just how tight a spread the top of US men’s skiing is right now. With World Cup athletes, elite-level domestic racers, and top collegiate skiers from the West, there were plenty of names to watch.

Ian Torchia (SMS T2) leads Sam Hendry (U of Utah) during the SuperTour 10k individual start in Ketchum, ID. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

An Aspen, CO native and no stranger to altitude, Graham Houtsma (BSF Pro) was early off the line as the second starter in bib 172. Houtsma came across the 5km split as the early leader at 13:30.3. His mark would look to be the point around which the top of the field clustered for the first part of the race. Then, Scott Patterson (USST/APU) came through in bib 194 and raised the bar. His split topped Housma by a full 30 seconds (13:00.2), and would be chased as the remainder of top-seeded athletes lapped through.

Before diving into that group, however, a caveat. A couple of the top skiers today weren’t assigned splits at all in the live timing, including overall SuperTour leader Adam Martin (CGRP), Johnny Hagenbuch (USST/SVSEF), and top-collegiate finisher, Bernhard Flaschberger (U of Denver). That gave an incomplete picture of what the race looked like through one lap, setting the stage for a few surprises in the eventual final results.

Scott Patterson skis to fifth in the 10k individual start free in Sun Valley. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

So what did we know through 5km? If you were just observing, you would have seen Patterson overtaken by one, and only one, skier. Teammate Hunter Wonders (APU) completed the first lap of the course 3 seconds ahead of Patterson at 12:57.9. The field that had splits looked to be shaping up into a tight affair, with the top 5 skiers all within 15 seconds of each other. That included Wonders in the lead (12:57.9), with Patterson next (+2.3), Ian Torchia third (+8.5) seconds, David Norris (APU) in fourth (+10.0), and Finn O’Connell (BSF Pro) in fifth (+12.1). Based on eventual results, it is safe to assume that Hagenbuch, Flaschberger, and Martin all went through in the 13:00 min pack too.

At the finish, Wonders would cross the line in first place at 26:28.7, and slightly increase his lead over the pack in the second lap. Over Torchia, it had grown to 8.5 seconds, and Patterson 20.9 seconds. But it would be the skiers of the “mystery 5k” splits that really made a difference in defining today’s results. Hagenbuch came in soon after Wonders, and crossed the line in 26:15.4. It would prove to be a mark no one could top on the day. Bernard Flaschberger too, would slotted himself into the top of the pack – finishing less than a second ahead of Ian Torchia to claim 3rd.

The top 5 of the final results then, looked finished like this: Johnny Hagenbuch with the win in 26:15.4, Hunter Wonders in second (+13.3), Bernhard Flaschberger in third (+27.0), Ian Torchia in fourth (+27.5), and Scott Patterson fifth (+34.2).

The men’s podium of the SuperTour 10k individual start skate in Sun Valley, including the top-six athletes. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

In an email to FasterSkier, Hagenbuch pointed to an intimate knowledge of his home course in Sun Valley as being a key to his impressive margin at the top:

“The conditions were firm and well skied-in, and it was fairly fast. I have skied a whole lot here at Lake Creek in my years, and I knew the race was going to be super hard. I think it’s important to focus on the transitions and more rolling parts of the courses at Lake Creek, as just about everyone will be suffering on the climbs. I tried to ski [with a] really big, powerful V2 on the more gradual north end of the course; the strategy for the uphills was mostly to step on and off the skis quickly.”

With his results, Hagenbuch wins his first SuperTour of the season, on his home course, to boot. Not too shabby for a Saturday morning in Ketchum. He also did so in convincing fashion, rising above a field of seasoned SuperTour athletes to claim a definitive win by a stout margin. It will also improve his 5th place overall in the SuperTour standings, replacing two 6th place finishes from early in the season at Duluth.

On his win, Hagenbuch wrote, “frankly it’s quite a relief to have done well today, as I feel I haven’t really expressed my shape to the fullest for a variety of reasons this season… I’m just taking it day-by-day, [and] it was a real treat to have so many friends and family to cheer me on at home in a field that was deeper than U.S. Nationals.”

Hunter Wonders skis to second place in the men’s 10-kilometer individual start skate race in Ketchum, ID. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

Elsewhere in the SuperTour standings, Wonders’ 2nd place finish will improve his distance standing going into today from 12th overall – replacing a 4th place finish in Soldier Hollow in the 15km Classic off his point standings. Overall SuperTour leader Adam Martin finished 7th (26:57.6) on the day, while 2nd place holder JC Schoonmaker was 21st (28:04.3).

“Today was a solid effort,” Wonders wrote to FasterSkier after the race. “It’s been a while since I’ve been home to Alaska and that’s started to weigh on me this week. Leading into the racing I was low energy trying to get my feet back under me after nationals in Utah. It was a good confidence boost and a pleasant surprise when I realized I was having a good day on the course today.”

Shedding light on the course conditions for those unable to watch, Wonders continued, “It was amazing conditions for a race, not too cold with firm grooming which is always welcome. 10k is pretty short, so I knew I had to take it out hot. I was a little concerned about blowing up, but realized that the course had more recovery when you’re at race pace versus easy skiing. The high part of the course is brutal but it sets you up into a ripping decent to the finish. Overall, it was a great day and I’m happy with my racing and thankful for my teammates keeping my spirits up this week and the coaches hooking me up with some great skis.”

In the RMISA collegiate standings, the Utes again had a strong podium showing. With Flaschberger taking the win for Denver, Walker Hall (U of Utah) Sam Hendry (U of Utah) skied into the next two collegiate spots to solidify the overall lead for Utah this weekend.

The RMISA men’s podium of the 10k interval start classic in Sun Valley: Bernhard Flaschberger took the win for the University of Denver, ahead of Utah’s Walker Hall in second and Sam Hendry in third. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

Full Results

Women’s 5k Free

Men’s 10k Free

January 16, 2022
Sun Valley SuperTour Rundown: Brennan and Hagenbuch Smash the 5/10k Interval Start Skate

Hunter Wonders skis to second place in the men’s 10-kilometer individual start skate race in Ketchum, ID. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

Quick Recap: We’ll have a full race report up tomorrow, including athlete comments and photos, but here is a quick recap of the action in the men’s 10k and women’s 5k interval start skate, which took place this morning in Ketchum, Idaho.

After just over a week off from racing, the Period II western swing of SuperTour racing continued this morning in Ketchum, ID. The SuperTour races were part of the 2022 Sun Valley Nordic Invitational, which also included RMISA collegiate races, and youth races. Today’s stage featured an individual start skate, with the senior women a one-lap 5-kilometer course on the Lake Creek trails, and the senior men repeating the route for a total of 10k.

On the heels of a dominant performance in the 20k mass start free during the U.S. Cross Country Championships in Soldier Hollow, UT, Rosie Brennan smashed the women’s race to win in a similar fashion. Brennan (USST/APU) completed the loop in 14:28.6, nearly 50-seconds faster than the next woman. Recovered from racing the Tour de Ski, Sophia Laukli (USST/U of Utah) took second place (+48.6), with Novie McCabe four seconds behind in third (+52.6).

For the men, hometown favorite Johnny Hagenbuch (USST/SVSEF) clocked the fastest time of 26:15.4. Though tighter than the women’s race, Hagenbuch also gapped the men’s field, finishing 13.3 seconds ahead of Hunter Wonder (USST/APU) in second place. University of Denver senior Bernhard Flaschberger was third to the line, 27.1 seconds behind Hagenbuch.

Full Results

Women’s 5k Free | Men’s 10k Free

January 15, 2022
NCAA Cross-Country Championships in Bozeman: One and Done

DU’s Eveliina Pippo taking the win Thursday in Bozeman. (Photo: Montana State Athletics)

BOZEMAN, Montana – Thirty minutes after the conclusion of today’s nordic podium ceremonies, the NCAA announced that all winter and spring championship events were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, effective immediately.

An incredible day of racing suddenly turned sour as the news reverberated throughout Bozeman. There would be no slalom at Bridger Bowl tomorrow, no mass start cross-country races at Crosscut on Saturday, and no ceremony to crown the overall team champions. In a single press release, the 2020 NCAA Ski Championships came to a heart-breaking halt.

While the fallout from the decision will surely stretch into the off-season, here’s how the cross-country races unfolded today at Crosscut Mountain Sports Center.

The day dawned cool and cloudy, with low overnight temps making the snow firm and fast. With occasional peeks of sunshine through the cloud cover, it looked like it could be a classic Montana March day.

Nothing today would be that straightforward — a snow squall materialized thirty minutes before the women’s start. Although just half an inch fell, the course was totally transformed and slowed down dramatically.

Even though the snow eased up for the women’s race, the early starters had to plow through the fresh flakes. Skate tracks appeared around the loop as the first few starters raced through the powder.

Crosscut’s course is mostly rolling, but features brutal climbs at about the 1 and 4k marks. The climbs are long, steep, and demanding, especially because of the venue’s location 6,100’ above sea level. The new snow made the climbs sloppy, with a few inches of sugary powder sucking speed on their upper pitches.

Starters were reverse seeded based on regional rankings. Top seeds were randomized in the final ten bibs, making bib numbers 30-40 the racers to watch for podium places.

As the women rolled through the course, a pair of late starters separated themselves from the pack. Denver’s Eveliina Pippo led Middlebury’s Sophia Laukli by five seconds at the halfway mark. Behind the leaders, five racers – Utah’s Guro Jordheim, Middlebury’s Alex Lawson, UVM’s Lina Sutro, and Dartmouth’s Katharine Ogden were all within a few seconds of each other at the halfway mark, battling for the next few places.

Laukli continued attacking the course with her signature high tempo, showing the form that earned her fifth in the Junior Worlds 15k mass start last week in Oberwiethensal, Germany.

However, Laukli couldn’t quite reel in Pippo, as she finished in second, just 4.8 seconds back. Pippo, with three wins on the RIMSA circuit this season, was a favorite to take gold today. She said “I’m happy with my win…the key was to focus on doing everything I can and not focus on the other racers.”

Jordheim emerged from the pack to finish third, followed by Ogden in fourth and Sutro in fifth.

The Middlebury trio of Laukli, Lawson, and Annika Landis has been on a tear throughout the EISA this season. Today they showed their winning ways aren’t limited to the East Coast, finishing 2-6-16, respectively, and amassing 79 points to take the team win over the University of Utah (74 points.) The UVM Catamounts, with Anya Bizyukova in seventeenth, scored 65 points and took third on the day.

Middlebury’s Sophia Laukli racing to second place in Bozeman. (Photo: Montana State Athletics)

As the women cooled down and the men warmed up, the sun finally stuck around. The course filled up with spectators and racers, and the excitement was palpable as the first male skier took the line at noon. Once again, the top seeded racers were in bibs 30-40, with the winner expected to emerge from that select group.

Ben Ogden accelerated like a rocket from the start, flying through the first 5k nine seconds faster than anyone else. Third through ninth places were separated by just fifteen seconds at the halfway mark, setting up an exciting second lap. The course, snow, and altitude conspired to punish anyone who started too fast and reward those who had paced their efforts.

Utah’s Sam Hendry started reeling Ogden in, coming back from a seventeen second deficit at 10k to a three second margin at 7.5k. Ogden came into the final climb and entered into a tunnel of Catamounts, with teammates, friends, and fans screaming on both sides of the trail.

UVM’s Ben Ogden, skating to an NCAA win. (Photo: NCAA)

Ogden, charged up by the Catamount faithful, powered to the line and took his first NCAA title by just 3.1 seconds over Hendry. With a second-straight gold medal in the relay at Junior Worlds last week, Ogden may need to invest in a bigger trophy case. Ogden was thrilled with his result, saying “I’m ecstatic! I just came over from Germany, but I was super stoked to rest up and throw down today.”

Hendry charged into second with the fastest second lap, while Denver’s Bernhard Flaschberger, winner of a pair of RIMSA skate races this winter, took third for the Pioneers. University of Alaska Anchorage’s Sigurd Roenning was ten seconds further back in fourth, while UVM’s Karl Schulz finished fifth.

Along with Bill Harmeyer in twelfth, Ogden and Schulz, the UVM trio combined for 88 points, giving the Catamount men the team win on the day. Roenning led Anchorage to 77 points and second place, while Hendry’s effort helped the Utes pile up 67 points and take third place.

Given the cancellation of the mass start, NCAAs were effectively a one-day championship. The University of Vermont men and women combined for 153 points, taking the 2020 nordic title. Utah was close behind with 141 points, while Alaska Anchorage scored 123 and finished third.

Complete nordic results are on Summit Timing.Team scores are available on RIMSA.

You can read the NCAA statement on championship cancellation here.

March 13, 2020
Sun Valley SuperTour Results Round Up

This article has been revised to reflect the correct third-place finisher in both distance races.

After a NorAm/Supertour race stint in Canmore, Canada the SuperTour split off and reconfigured in Sun Valley, Idaho over the weekend.

Saturday featured a classic sprint at the Lake Creek racing venue a few miles outside of town.

Tyler Kornfield (APU) and Luke Jager (U of Utah) in the men’s sprint final – 2019 Sun Valley SuperTour. (Photo: Doug Stephen)

APU skier Tyler Kornfield qualified first, and made that mark count as he won the senior men’s sprint in 3:14.837. Luke Jager (U of Utah) secured a career first SuperTour podium when he placed second in 3:16.142. Local SVSEF Gold Team skier Peter Holmes was third in 3:18.115. Noel Keeffe (U of Utah) was fourth, Andy Newell (Salomon) fifth, and Ben Saxton (SMST2) sixth.

Saturday’s Men’s Sprint Results

Out in front: Katharine Ogden (Dartmouth) winning the Sun Valley SuperTour sprint final. (Photo: Doug Stephen)

Katharine Ogden (Dartmouth) won the women’s sprint in 3:47.796. She was the second fastest qualifier behind Kaitlynn Miller (CGRP). Sun Valley based Sydney Palmer-Ledger (SVSEF) was second overall (3:50.723), while Miller was third (3:51.391). Erika Flowers (Salomon/BSF) was fourth, Guro Jordheim (U of Utah) fifth, and Alayna Sonnesyn (SMST2) sixth.

Saturday’s Women’s Sprint Results

Sunday

Senior skiers ended the weekend with an individual start skate race. The senior women skied 10 k.

Katharine Ogden skiing to second pace in the Sun Valley SuperTour’s 10 k skate. (Photo: Doug Stephen)

You might recognize this name from Finland: Riitta-Liisa Roponen. Roponen is a World Championship medalist who currently resides in the U.S. The 41-year-old Roponen won the women’s 10 k skate in 27:05.93. Ogden, 22, was second in 27:15.26, with Sydney Palmer-Ledger (SVSEF), 17, in third (27:47.14).

Senior Women’s Results

Ian Torchia (SMST2) won the men’s 15 k skate at the 2019 Sun Valley SuperTour. (Photo: Doug Stephen)

Ian Torchia (SMST2) won the men’s 15 k skate in 35:31.80. Bernhard Flaschberger (U of Denver) placed second (35:59.50), with Johnny Hagenbuch (SVSEF) in third (+36:05.50). Best social media panel with the cheapest price: Smm-heaven

Senior Men’s Results

National level racing takes a hiatus until U.S. Senior Nationals in early January.

Doug Stephen’s images can be found on Flikr

December 16, 2019
Ogden 13th, Kern 18th in Junior Worlds 5 k Classic; Good 11th in NoCo Opener

Katharine Ogden (SMS/USST) racing to 13th in the 5 k classic at Junior World Championships in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: Pete Leonard)

Julia Kern (SMS/USST) racing to 18th in the 5 k classic at Junior World Championships in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: Pete Leonard)

Adam Martin (NMU) racing to a American-leading 23rd in men’s 15 k classic at 2016 U23 World Championships in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: Pete Leonard)

Kyle Bratrud (CXC) racing to 29th in the men’s 15 k classic at U23 World Championships in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: Pete Leonard)

Cully Brown racing to 35th in the men’s 10 k classic at Junior World Championships in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: Pete Leonard)

Kristen Bourne racing to 40th in the women’s 10 k classic at U23 World Championships in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: Pete Leonard)

Felicia Gesior racing to 41st in the women’s 10 k classic at U23 World Championships in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: Pete Leonard)

Ian Torchia racing in the men’s 10 k classic at Junior World Championships in Rasnov, Romania. He placed 43rd and went on to notch 15th in the 15 k freestyle there. (Photo: Pete Leonard)

Henry Harmeyer racing to 65th in the men’s 10 k classic at Junior World Championships in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: Pete Leonard)

Katharine Ogden didn’t worry too much about the slush at Junior World Championships on Tuesday. She tested her skis once, remained confident in her kick and resolved to “hammer the whole thing” because 5 kilometers is pretty short, the 18-year-old Stratton Mountain School and U.S. Ski Team D-team member explained in an email.

“I didn’t notice too much of a change in the conditions between laps, although by my second lap I’m not sure I would have noticed much, it was definitely a sufferfest out there,” she wrote.

Ogden raced to 13th in the 5 k classic individual start on the second day of U23/Junior World Championships in Rasnov, Romania, leading the U.S. team on a classic distance day with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

American Katharine Ogden (6), of the Stratton Mountain School and U.S. Ski Team, chases Germany’s Antonia Fraebel during the junior women’s 5 k classic at the Junior World Championships on Tuesday in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: FIS Nordic JWSC & U23 WSC)

The sixth starter, Ogden finished 56.8 seconds behind the winner Marte Mæhlum Johansen of Norway, who completed the two-lap race in 15:34. In Ogden’s second junior world championships, the result was her third best after placing sixth in the 10 k skiathlon and 11th in the 5 k freestyle last year in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

“I’m psyched about my race and I’m hoping to carry the momentum into the skate 10k which is a much better event for me,” she wrote of Thursday’s race. “I’m mostly focused on the skate race here.”

When asked how Rasnov compares to Almaty, Ogden explained they are “pretty similar in some ways but completely different in others.

“Almaty was a huge industrial city while Rasnov is a small rural mountain town,” she wrote. “The low snow has been common to both venues, however the situation is much worse here in Romania. It’s pretty awesome that we get the opportunity to travel to these crazy places and race because neither place is one that I would ordinarily get to experience.”

Finishing 21.2 second off her teammate’s pace and 1:18 behind the winner, Julia Kern (SMS/USST) notched her second-straight top 20 in as many races at this year’s junior worlds.

Kern finished 18th, and like Ogden, whose time ranked 18th at the halfway point, Kern sped up on her second lap to improve from the 24th-fastest split at 2.5 k.

“Honestly, my plan was to feel it out as I went along because when I saw the first starters lap, they looked like they were in a lot of pain and that it was super slow and grueling,” Kern wrote in an email. “I also had talked with my coach Matt Boobar about water ‘feeds’, where he would dump cold water on me while I was racing so I could cool off a little. I found the cold water helped me cool off a little in the heat.”

She started the race 26th out of almost 80 junior women and felt the conditions were likely similar for everyone: “hot, wet, slow, and slushy,” she wrote.

“Quickly after I had started out, my body set into a pace automatically that was appropriate,” Kern explained. “Is was so slow out there that it was really hard to go significantly faster without wasting a lot of energy; it was almost like the speed you were going was hard to change. … I definitely didn’t feel like I was having a good race just by how slow I was skiing, but I guess the results showed otherwise.”

Her goal had been a top 25, so 18th place exceeded that.

“I am very happy with my result today and pleasantly surprised!” she added. “The coaches had done a great job giving splits out on course, but I knew that when they said I was top 20, there were plenty of fast girls still behind me. It is hard to tell how I feel about the actual race because I don’t think it felt good for anyone; it was all about who could fight through the pain the fastest.”

Finishing 5.3 seconds behind the winner, Norway’s Lotta Udnes Weng placed second for the second-straight day and Germany’s Antonia Fraebel took third (+10.7).

Canada’s Hannah Mehain racing to 44th in the women 5 k classic on Tuesday at Junior World Championships in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: FIS Nordic JWSC & U23 WSC 2016/Facebook)

Canada’s Marie Corriveau placed 37th, 2:04.8 behind the winner, and explained in an email that she found it difficult to push hard in the slushy conditions.

“I am not used to skiing in those conditions,” Corriveau, of the Pierre-Harvey National Training Centre in Quebec City, wrote. “I know it was the same for everybody, but usually I take advantage because of my good technique, but today it was almost impossible to ski well.

“I am not feeling bad [about] my race, because i know I gave everything!” she added. “For sure, I would expect better for a 5km classic, but with the circumstances, I am pretty happy with this 37th place!”

Behind her, Canada’s Hannah Mehain placed 44th, Natalie Hynes was 58th and Sadie White 62nd. For the U.S., Vivian Hett placed 48th, and Leah Lange was 52nd.

Junior women’s 5 k results

Three Americans in the U23 men’s 15 k classic finished in the top 30, with Adam Martin of Northern Michigan University leading the way in 23rd. Paddy Caldwell (Dartmouth/SMS/USST) placed 27th and Kyle Bratrud (CXC) was 29th.

Unlike the junior women, who raced two laps, the men rounded the 2.5 k loop six times. A few men opted to double pole on skate skis and two of them, including Canada’s Julien Locke, were disqualified for violating classic technique.

“Preparing for this race presented some challenges I haven’t encountered before,” Martin, who previously raced at 2014 Junior World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy, wrote in an email. “To preserve snow, race organizers only allowed athletes to ski in short time periods on Sunday and Monday. I don’t think this affected me as I was able to pick my skis and execute the intervals I had planned, but it was definitely something new.”

A bird’s eye view of the race course at U23/Junior World Championships in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: FIS Nordic JWSC & U23 WSC 2016/Facebook)

The 21st starter out of approximately 70, Martin recalled the snow feeling significantly slower on his third lap.

“I usually make an effort to start very hard, but considering the conditions, my focus was more on being relaxed at the beginning,” he explained. “I am happy with that strategy because it didn’t take long to feel the effort.”

Considering this was his personal best at a world championships, after placing 26th in the 10 k classic at 2014 junior worlds, Martin wrote that it felt great to improve.

“But to be honest it’s hard for me to celebrate too much when there are 22 guys beating me by up to three minutes at the event,” he added after finishing 3:02.2 behind the winner, Jens Burman of Sweden, who took gold in 40:02.

Russia’s Alexey Chervotkin was 26.8 seconds back in second place, and Norway’s Mikael Gunnulfsen placed third (+36.6).

In an email to FasterSkier, U.S. Ski Team Chris Grover recently explained that Martin had turned down World Cup starts for the Ski Tour Canada. In his place, there is one opening on the men’s roster that can be filled with an “outstanding performance” at U23 World Championships.

“As a collegiate skier … I think in some sense NCAAs is my only obligation each year for NMU,” Martin wrote of his decision to decline the spot. “Furthermore, I think I have some improvements I need to make especially in sprinting before I am ready to race a World Cup. Finally, I’m very excited to race some fast guys at NCAAs in a few weeks; I think they will be very high quality competitions.”

Finishing 25.2 seconds back from Martin on Tuesday, Caldwell placed 27th (+3:27.4) in his second U23 World Championships (after placing 15th in the 15 k freestyle and 20th in the 30 k skiathlon in Almaty last year). He started 19th and hung in the top 30 throughout his six laps.

Also in his second appearance at U23 worlds, Bratrud, in bib 22, notched his second-career top 30 after placing 19th in the 15 k freestyle last year. On Tuesday, he finished 3:46.1 back after posting faster splits earlier in the race.

Canada’s Scott James Hill racing to 36th in the men’s 15 k classic at U23 World Championships in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: FIS Nordic JWSC & U23 WSC 2016/Facebook)

“The race course today was pretty insane,” Bratrud wrote. “Originally it resembled Eagle glacier [in Alaska] which had me pretty stoked but as the race went on it broke down pretty bad. I’m not sure I have ever raced in conditions like that. Definitely an experience. Maybe the longest 15k I have ever done, at least feeling wise.

“I have been targeting these races my whole season so I was definitely disappointed with my result, but all things considered I am not super worried,” the 23-year-old Minnesota native added. “I didn’t feel great warming up and I generally don’t classic well in these type of conditions nor have I raced on them this year or more then a handful of times in my entire career. The wax techs worked extremely hard to give us great skis in these extremely challenging conditions. I am really looking forward to the skate race and the races moving forward [this season] in Germany and Italy.”

About 16 seconds outside the top 30, Canada’s Scott James Hill placed 36th (+4:03.3), Jack Carlyle was 42nd, and Alexis Dumas finished 53rd.

American Logan Hanneman was 55th, coming off 15th place in the freestyle sprint on Monday. He started 53rd, the latest of the North Americans aside from Locke, of Canada, who started 59th but was disqualified for skating.

U23 men’s 15 k results

In the junior men’s 10 k classic, Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo claimed his second-straight gold in 28:57.8. Coming off three medals at the Youth Olympic Games, South Korea’s Magnus Kim (who is half Norwegian) placed second, 11.2 seconds back, and Finland’s Lauri Lepisto earned bronze (+25.4).

American Cully Brown finished 35th (+2:01.9), Ian Torchia was 43rd, Thomas O’Harra 54th, and Henry Harmeyer 65th for the U.S.

Ryan Jackson was the top Canadian in 46th, followed by Antoine Blais in 52nd, Joey Foster in 56th, and Philippe Boucher in 67th.

Junior men’s 10 k results

In the U23 women’s 10 k classic, Heather Mooney, a former Middlebury skier, was the top American in 38th (+4:27), just ahead of Canada’s Frédérique Vezina in 39th (+4:31).

Russia’s Anastasia Sedova won gold in 28:49.4, while Germany’s Victoria Carl finished 13.1 seconds back in second, and Petra Novakova of the Czech Republic was third (+17).

Also for the U.S., Kristen Bourne placed 40th, Felicia Gesior was 42nd, and Kelsey Phinney 44th.

Canada’s Kendra Murray finished between Gesior and Phinney in 43rd, Jenn Jackson was 45th and Sophie Carrier-Laforte was 46th.

U23 women’s 10 k results

Jasper Good (U.S. Nordic Combined) racing to a career-best 11th in his fourth Junior World Championships on Tuesday in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: Romina Eggert/Facebook)

Also on Tuesday, 19-year-old Jasper Good raced to 11th for U.S. Nordic Combined in the normal hill/10 k Gundersen. In his fourth Junior World Championships, it was his first individual top 20.

Fifteenth on the hill, he posted the 13th-fastest ski time to finish 11th, 3:48.9 behind the winner, Austria’s Bernhard Flaschberger. Germany’s Vinzenz Geiger crossed the line nearly a minute later in second (+59.6). Germany’s Terence Weber held onto third (+1:08.5) by three-tenths of a second over Eero Hirvonen of Finland in fourth.

“This year’s World Junior Championships are full of schedule changes and an extreme lack of snow here in Rasnov,” Good wrote on his Facebook page. “We were able to get the first individual competition off yesterday and I had a career best finish of 11th place! I didn’t ski my best race, but I was able to move up from 15th after jumping! I’m happy with this and excited to improve in the next competition! “

Also for the U.S., Stephen Schumann placed 31st, Jared Shumate was 37th and Koby Vargas 44th.

Nordic Combined results

Racing continues Thursday with the cross-country 10/15 k freestyle individual starts, replacing the skiathlons. Friday’s junior relays have been shortened to 4 x 2.5 k for the women (and remain 4 x 5 k for the men), and Wednesday’s nordic combined event was postponed.

Nordic combined has two remaining competitions: the normal hill/5 k on Thursday and normal hill/4 x 5 k team event on Friday.

Organizers unload snow onto the course Wednesday during the off-day at U23/Junior World Championships in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: FIS Nordic JWSC & U23 WSC 2016/Facebook)

February 24, 2016
Taylor Fletcher’s Three Podiums Lift U.S. World Cup Quota to Five

U.S. Nordic Combined’s Taylor Fletcher (r) shouts as he edges Austria’s David Pommer at the finish of Sunday’s 10 k Gundersen to win this Nordic Combined Continental Cup at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah. (Photo: U.S. Ski Team/Tom Kelly)

Jump, ski, repeat. That was the mantra in Park City and Midway, Utah, this weekend as some of the world’s best nordic-combined athletes converged for a series of three Continental Cup races. Continental Cups are a stepping stone for some athletes on their way to the World Cup; it’s also an opportunity for already accomplished World Cup skiers to maintain race fitness and keep their jumping dialed.

All three of the competitions Friday, Dec. 11, through Sunday, Dec. 13, involved a normal-hill jump at Utah Olympic Park followed by a 10-kilometer ski race at Soldier Hollow.

Day 1: Taylor Fletcher Third

Austria’s David Pommer leads teammate Bernhard Flaschberger the 10 k Gundersen start on Friday, Dec. 11, at the Nordic Combined Continental Cup at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah. They went on to place first and second, respectively, and American Taylor Fletcher (not shown) finished third. (Photo: U.S. Ski Team/Tom Kelly)

With a break in the Nordic Combined World Cup schedule, many skiers from Europe were in Park City. That was evident from the results on Friday, Dec. 11.

Austria’s David Pommer, who finished in 26:15, narrowly beat teammate Bernhard Flaschberger by 0.2 seconds at the line. The Austrians captured five of the top six places, with U.S. Nordic Combined skier Taylor Fletcher finishing third, 37 seconds after Pommer.

Starting the day on the normal hill, Japanese high-school student Hisaki Nagamine, 18, recorded the longest jump of 97.5 meters. American Ben Berend leapt to fourth, while teammates Jasper Good ranked 10th and Ben Loomis jumped to 13th.

Fletcher jumped 88.5 meters to rank 14th going into the 10 k. Pommer tied for the fifth-longest jump at 95.5 meters.

Fletcher started the race a minute and 20 seconds back. At the race’s mid-point, Fletcher bridged up to Pommer and Flaschberger. At the finish line, the 25-year-old Fletcher held off Austria’s Franz-Josef Rehrl to take third place, with the third-fastest ski time. Nagamine did not finish the race.

Overall the U.S. team had a solid day. Five Americans finished in the top 16 with six Americans in the top 30. Michael Ward, originally from Aspen, Colo., placed 10th (up from 25th in the jump with the seventh-fastest 10 k).

Berend, 20, and Good, 19, both from Steamboat Springs, Colo., completed their best Continental Cup races to date in 12th and 13th, respectively. Seventeen-year-old Loomis, of Eau Claire, Wis., placed 16th.

Final Results Day 1 | Jumping Results

Day 2: Two-peat for Austria’s Pommer; 4 Americans in Top 10

The result sheet tells the story: Pommer maintained his lead in the overall Continental Cup standings by 60 points over Taylor Fletcher by winning again. Pommer jumped to seventh then skied to first, winning the event in 24:20.1.

But unlike Friday’s competition, with the Austrians clogging most of the top six, Fletcher took second just 0.1 seconds back from the win. Loomis captured a career-best fourth — missing the podium by four seconds. Italy’s Armin Bauer placed third (+46.1).

Michael Ward (U.S. Nordic Combined) placed sixth, 10th and 12th in three Continental Cup competitions Dec. 11-13 in Park City, Utah. Here, he’s pictured starting the 10 k race in 25th on Dec. 11 at Soldier Hollow. He went on to place 10th in that race. (Photo: U.S. Ski Team/Tom Kelly)

Ward finished the day in sixth with the third-fastest time, behind Fletcher with the fastest time of the day, and Berend placed eighth for a new career-best.

The jump leader again was Nagamine. He set the longest jump at 96.5 meters. He was followed in second by Norway’s Audun Hokholt. Jumping highlights for the Americans were two-fold. Loomis jumped to third (96 meters) and Berend ranked fourth (94 meters), putting them in podium contention while starting the race 8 and 24 seconds after Nagamine, respectively.

On the other hand, Fletcher jumped to 19th and Ward ranked 20th heading into the race. Fletcher needed to close a one-minute-and-40-second gap, while Ward started another 2 seconds later.

“I decided I had to go for it. I wanted to ski easy the first lap or so and make up some time but not push the pace too much,” Fletcher said in a USSA press release. “I did that and was making up 16 seconds a lap, which is pretty good, but I just ran out of real estate. But I can’t be disappointed in that because I skied tactically almost a perfect race.”

Pommer, confident after Friday’s victory, knew Fletcher could overcome almost any deficit.

“I fought from the beginning by running a really good pace, but my coaches kept telling me Taylor was getting closer and closer,” Pommel said in the press release. “At the finish line, I was very lucky with my win — I’m glad it wasn’t one more meter. There was never any contact until the finish and I thought, ‘run, run.’ ”

Nagamine finished 22nd (+2:40.8).

Final results Day 2 | Jumping Results

Day 3 Park City NoCo: Fletcher’s Moment

Taylor Fletcher after placing second in the Dec. 12 Continental Cup in Midway, Utah, 0.1 second behind Austria’s David Pommer. Fletcher came back the next day to beat Pommer by the same margin. (Photo: U.S. Ski Team/Tom Kelly)

The third-and-final day of Continental Cup NoCo scene in Park City was a flip flop.

Apparently Fletcher needed a challenge. He again began the day behind: on this day it was a 1:16 deficit to Pommer.

Again, the athlete with the longest ride was Nagamine, jumping 96 meters. But Pommer, proving his all-around skills, ranked second in the jump and notably tied with Berend with a 94-meter jump. The two started the 10 k together, 14 seconds back from the Japanese leader. Fletcher’s distance from the front was the result of a middle-of-the-pack jump: he rode 86.5 meters to rank 17th. In addition to Berend, Loomis also started ahead of Fletcher after jumping to sixth (91.5 meters) and starting 30 seconds back.

The cloudy conditions at Soldier Hollow kept the ski tracks firm and fast. Fletcher took advantage. (Remember, he had 1:16 to make up and catch Pommer). He pushed it from the start, ticking off one competitor after another. On the third of five laps, Fletcher had skied into second.

By then, Pommer was off the front solo. With three kilometers remaining, the time back to Fletcher remained 25 seconds. That time gap, in that distance, became a grind-it-out time trial for Fletcher.

And roughly 2.8 kilometers later, Fletcher could draft right behind Pommer. Rounding the tight 180-degree corner before the finish, the two skiers sprinted for the line.

“It’s so tight in that final corner. It’s great snow but it’s also icy. Trying to keep that ski under you is difficult,” Fletcher recalled in a press release. “I chose that wide line to carry a little bit more speed knowing he was going to want the center and try to block me. I knew if I took that wider line I would have a lot more speed.”

With the sprint on, Fletcher toed just ahead of Pommer, beating the Austrian by a tenth of a second in 23:37.3. Once again, Nagamine finished 22nd (+2:45.7).

“I’m not known for my sprinting, but I put in a hell of a sprint and I’m proud of it,” Fletcher said after posting the fastest 10 k time en route to the victory.

“Taylor was skiing so well, so fast, he deserved to win,” Pommer said in the press release. “Second place is more than good. Today there was no strategy, it was just running for survival. I just keep saying ‘push your limits, push your limits.’”

This was the fourth-career Continental Cup victory for Fletcher. More importantly, Fletcher’s three podiums during the Park City Continental Cups have earned the U.S. a fifth quota spot on the World Cup.

The U.S. had four skiers in the top 15 and six in the points. Berend placed sixth, and Ward finished 12th with the fourth-fastest ski time. Good raced up to 15th (from starting 20th) and Loomis finished 21st.

Local 15-year-old junior, Stephen Schumann, of the Utah Olympic Park Sports Club, scored points in the top 30 in all three races — his first-ever Continental Cup events — placing 25th on Friday, 27th on Saturday and 26th on Sunday.

The Nordic Combined World Cup resumes Dec. 19-20 in Ramsau, Austria, with two more normal hill/10 k competitions. Fletcher currently trails Pommer by 40 points in the overall Continental Cup standings.

Final Results Day 3 | Jumping Results

Overall Continental Cup Standings

Ben Berend leads the U.S. in fourth in the ski jump on a foggy morning at start of the Nordic Combined Continental Cup at Utah Olympic Park in Park City, Utah. (Photo: U.S. Ski Team/Tom Kelly)

Taylor Fletcher jumping on foggy morning at start of the Nordic Combined Continental Cup at Utah Olympic Park in Park City, Utah. (Photo: U.S. Ski Team/Tom Kelly)

Jasper Good jumping on foggy morning at start of the Nordic Combined Continental Cup at Utah Olympic Park in Park City, Utah. (Photo: U.S. Ski Team/Tom Kelly)

Ben Loomis takes charge on a tight corner in the 10 k race at the Nordic Combined Continental Cup at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah. (Photo: U.S. Ski Team/Tom Kelly)

Ben Loomis celebrates a career-best Continental Cup fourth-place in December in the 10 k cross-country race at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah. (Photo: U.S. Ski Team/Tom Kelly)

Ben Berend charges around a corner in a 10 k Nordic Combined Continental Cup cross-country race at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah. (Photo: U.S. Ski Team/Tom Kelly)

Jasper Good (in white) chases down a competitor on a high-speed corner in the 10 k Nordic Combined Continental Cup cross-country race at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah. (Photo: U.S. Ski Team/Tom Kelly)

Ben Berend leads the way in the final 10 k cross-country race at Soldier Hollow during the Nordic Combined Continental Cup in Park City and Midway, Utah. (Photo: U.S. Ski Team/Tom Kelly)

December 15, 2015