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Tag: Braden Becker

  • Elite Team Preview: Craftsbury Green Racing Project

    Elite Team Preview: Craftsbury Green Racing Project

    Clare Egan shoots in the pursuit in Östersund, March 2021. (photo: Manzoni/NordicFocus)

    Team name and location: Craftsbury Green Racing Project (CGRP, or Craftsbury); Craftsbury, Vermont

    Coaches: Pepa Miloucheva (head coach); Michael Gibson (biathlon coach); Nick Brown (assistant coach and wax tech); Ethan Dreissigacker (assistant biathlon coach)

    Current roster (skiing and biathlon): Braden Becker, Adam Martin, Akeo Maifeld-Carucci, Caitlin Patterson, Michaela Keller-Miller, Margie Freed, Annika Landis, Alex Lawson (skiing); Jake Brown (Luke’s brother), Raleigh Goessling, Hallie Grossman, Susan Dunklee, Kelsey Dickinson, Tara Geraghty-Moats, Clare Egan, Luke Brown (Jake’s brother) (biathlon)

    Who’s new: Luke Brown joins the team for biathlon, coming from Crosscut; Carsen Campbell joins the team for biathlon, coming from Rocky Mountain Racers; Tara Geraghty-Moats rejoins the team for biathlon, coming from nordic combined; Annika Landis joins the team for skiing, coming from Sun Valley; Alex Lawson joins the team for skiing after graduating from Middlebury this spring

    Who’s still on this team, or otherwise involved in American skiing, from when we did this in 2012: Caitlin Patterson (athlete, skiing); Susan Dunklee and Clare Egan (athletes, biathlon); Maria Stuber (head nordic coach, St. Scholastica); Patrick O’Brien (head coach, SMS Elite Team); also, former CGRP teammates Pat O’Brien and Ida Sargent got married this summer

    Susan Dunklee in Pokljuka, Slovenia, February 2021. (photo: Manzoni/NordicFocus)

    Top results last season: Starting with biathlon: The redoubtable veteran Dunklee finished last season on a strong note with two individual eighth-place finishes in Nové Město, one in sprint and one in the pursuit. She teamed up with Sean Doherty for the country’s first single mixed relay World Cup podium since Lowell Bailey and, well, Dunklee, in 2017. Egan had a pair of top-10 finishes, 9th and 10th in Hochfilzen, and was a member of two sixth-place relay teams. Dunklee and Egan are both already qualified for the Beijing Olympics. Jake Brown was on a sixth-place mixed-relay team in Nové Město and had a season’s best of 12th in individual races, in the sprint in Pokljuka.

    Moving on to nordic combined: Geraghty-Moats won the only regular-season women’s noco race that was able to be held last year, in Ramsau, to take the inaugural overall title, while garnering praise as a trailblazer for women’s sports. She was fifth at World Champs in Oberstdorf.

    And finally, on the nordic trails: Patterson raced on the World Cup from Ruka through the end of January, including finishing 34th overall in the Tour de Ski. She was on a fifth-place relay team in Lahti, and had individual World Cup bests of 27th, 29th, and 30th. Martin had three World Cup starts in distance races, with a best of 44th in Davos. Lawson was 24th at World Juniors in the 10 k skate.

    Tara Geraghty-Moats racing at World Champs in Oberstdorf, February 2021. (photo: Modica/NordicFocus)

    Coach’s comments: Pepa Miloucheva writes, “Summer and fall training for GRP was good and mostly went as planned. This spring we  officially added Alex Lawson, although she was here last year too and the only other addition was Annika Landis, who joined us after a year in Sun Valley.

    “The whole team stayed and trained in Craftsbury through August. Waverly Gebhardt and Rena Schwartz trained with us as part of the summer U23 program and with our GRP biathletes here we had a really solid training group.

    “Michaela had a setback early summer, broke her ankle and had to have surgery, but she kept really good fitness by spending hours on the SkiErg and was able to join the rest for the ski camp in September.

    Adam Martin racing in Davos, December 2020. (photo: Modica/NordicFocus)

    “Early September we went to Oberhof, Germany, for just over two weeks of training in the ski tunnel. This was our first trip since the pandemic, so I was little nervous, but everything worked out really well. The first few days the focus was on technique, transferring on-snow improvements athletes worked on during the summer. Second part was a solid speed block. Luckily there ware only a few other skiers [in the tunnel] at this time so we ware able to have really high quality intensity sessions.

    “After a few weeks training at home and having incredible fall weather we packed up bags again and went to Park City for two weeks of elevation training. First part of the camp was lots of volume, some L3, a few athletes even hopped in a rollerski race at SoHo for fun. Second week we lowered the volume, had a couple mellow days, and finished the camp with a couple solid TT efforts to gain some experience racing at this elevation in preparation for Nationals.

    “Back home athletes took a few easy days post-Utah. I did some testing, where a few records were broken, which was exciting to see, and now we are concentrating on race prep. Caitlin Patterson left for Europe [on Nov. 17], she will race the first WC period and in less than two weeks we all are about to hit the road for a month and a half.

    Caitlin Patterson racing in Lahti, January 2021. (photo: Vianney THIBAUT/NordicFocus)

    “Last year we were totally sheltered here at the center, didn’t travel at all, didn’t go to any camps, didn’t go to any races outside Craftsbury. Although we had everything we need here and the outdoor center staff was incredible, taking really good care and keeping us safe and healthy, it was mentally very hard on the athletes not to be able to race against the other regions. So this year I’m excited for this team to have a more normal race season and to see what they can do, as they worked really hard for it.”

    Related coverage: Susan Dunklee interview on gender equity (part one, part two); Nordic Nation interview with Clare Egan; Ida Sargent retirement article; Nordic Nation interview with Tara Geraghty-Moats; summer article on the Race to the Top of Vermont

    Previously in this series: BSF | SMS | Team Birkie | Sun Valley | APU

  • Friday Race Rundown: World Juniors, IBU World Cup, and Super Tour (Updated 2x)

    Friday Race Rundown: World Juniors, IBU World Cup, and Super Tour (Updated 2x)

    Hailey Swirbul for the U.S., skiing to 10th overall in the U23 World Championship 15 k classic mass start in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)

     

    2019 U23 World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland 15 k/30 k Classic Mass Start

    Link to Doug Stephen’s images from Lahti.

    Of the four Russian athletes starting the 15-kilometer classic mass start in Lahti, Finland three placed in the top four. Anna Zherebyateva won in 40:31.4 minutes as she was able to stretch her nine-second gap at 10 k to 23.5 seconds by the finish. Also from Russia, Lidia Durkina placed second (+23.5), Germany’s Katharina Hennig skied to third (+37.5).

    “My tactic was to make a gap in the second loop,” Zherebyateva said during the post-race press conference. “So I did exactly what I wanted. It went really well. Tracks were exactly right for me. This gold medal is an important step for my sport career.”

    Yana Kirpichenko was the third Russia in the top-five as she placed fourth (+41.6).

    The best North American finisher was U.S. skier Hailey Swirbul who raced to 10th (+1:27.8). Swirbul was positioned 29th at the 5 k time check but steadily moved up in the field as the race progressed. By 10 k she had positioned herself in the top-15.

    For the twenty-year-old Swirbul, this is her first go at U23 Worlds after participating in three Junior Worlds as an U20. Last season in Goms, Switzerland she placed second in the 5 k classic and third in the 10 k skiathlon.

    Two other U.S. skiers raced into the top-30. Julia Kern placed 16th (+1:43.4), while Alayna Sonnesyn was 23rd (+2:24.9). Hannah Halvorsen, the fourth U.S. starter, placed 54th (+6:58.6).

    Hannah Mehain was the top Canadian in 31st (+3:16.8), Sadie White placed 33rd (+3:18.6), and Natalia Hynes 51st (+3:40.9). Marie Corriveau did not start.

    Women’s Results

    Similar to the U23 women’s race, Russian skiers dictated the pacing at the front of the pack — the four Russian starters swept first through fourth place.

    Andrey Sobakarev won in 1:17:19.1 hours, Ivan Kirillov placed second (+3.5), Ivan Yakimushkin third (+4.9), and Anton Timashov fourth (+11.4).

    Canada’s Antoine Cyr was the top North American in 27th (+2:26.8), while teammate Gareth Williams toed the line a fraction behind in 28th (+2:26.9). Also for Canada, Ritchie Graham was 41st (4:44.1), and Julian Smith 45th (+5:14.3).

    Peter Holmes was the top U.S. finisher in 33rd (+3:15.7). Hunter Wonders placed 40th (+4:43.0), Braden Becker 53rd (+6:59.0), and Daniel Streinz 66th (+15:53.9).

    Men’s Results

     

    ***

    Johannes Thingnes Bø scored his 10th IBU World Cup win of the season today in the 10 k sprint in Antholz, Italy. (Photo: biathlon world.com screenshot)

    IBU World Cup Antholz, Italy 10 k sprint

    In the groove is in the groove. Norway’s twenty-five-year-old Johannes Thingnes Bø scored his 10th IBU World Cup win of the season today in the 10 k sprint in Antholz, Italy. Bø won the race in 23:53.9 minutes with a single penalty in standing. The Norwegian leads the IBU World Cup overall and padded his lead with his fifth sprint win this year.

    “It was quite difficult; the altitude here is quite heavy and with the new tracks, I felt dead from 5K so the last 5K was really tough,” Bø said to the IBU after the race. “I managed to have a good plan for the race. When I shoot nine targets, I was quite happy and then it was just to fight hard for the finish line. I like this year’s track; I liked last year’s too because it was not so painful.”

    Bø’s season thus far has been a study in speedy skiing. His shooting stands at 87% for accuracy (82% standing, 91% prone) with his superior skiing speed carrying him to the World Cup overall lead. In Antholz today, his course time for each of his two 5 k laps were ranked first.

    Norwegian teammate Erlend Bjøntegaard shot clean in both his shooting bouts to take second place, 17.5 seconds behind. France’s Antonin Guigonnat placed third (+20.2, 0+1).

    Scott Gow of Canada was the top North American in 20th (+1:06.6, 0+0). Teammates Jules Burnotte raced to 48th (1:55.9, 1+1), Christian Gow 61st (+2:13.4), and Aidan Millar (+3:46.7, 2+2).

    Jake Brown was the top American in 40th (1:42.4, 1+0). Sean Doherty finished in 55th (+2:06.2, 2+1), Max Durtschi  62nd (+2:13.8, 0+1), and Leif Nordgren 73rd (+2:43.1).

    Racing continues tomorrow in Antholz for both the men and women with the 12.5k  and 10 k pursuits.

    Men’s Results

    ***

    Lake Placid SuperTour 5 k/10k Skate Individual Start

    In the 5 k-freestyle individual start Jessica Yeaton (APU/Australian National Team) placed first with a winning time of 15:01.9 minutes. She was in a tight race for the top spot with U.S. Ski Team/SMS T2 athlete Sophie Caldwell who finished 3.0 seconds back. Caldwell is back home in Vermont training and preparing for the 2019 World Championships.

    Katherine Ogden (Dartmouth Ski Team) placed third in a time of 15:17.8. Kelsey Phinney (SMS T2) placed fourth in 15:37.7.

    “Today’s race went super well for me; I had awesome skis despite tricky conditions/weather leading into the race – our wax tech did a phenomenal job,” Yeaton wrote to FasterSkier. “The course here is really good for me with all the steady climbing in the first part- I just tried to push hard to the top of the course and then survive and carry my speed on the downhill, which turned out to be a good tactic.
    “Between US Nationals and now I definitely feel like I am in a good place leading into Seefeld. I struggled with some injuries in the fall and was forced to do a lot of cross-training (especially on the bike) and skip the early season races in Nov/Dec. In retrospect I think this actually was a blessing in disguise, as I ended up putting in a super hard training block and gaining a lot of fitness. Looking ahead to Seefeld, my goal is to top 30 in one of the races, with my main focus being on the skate events (30k and sprint), and the 15km skiathlon. I am really excited for the rest of the races this weekend; they are my final prep before heading over to Europe to race on World Cup and in Seefeld.”

    Women’s Results

    Kyle Bratrud (SMS T2) won the men’s 15 k skate in 25:27.1 minutes. Bratrud, who was recently selected to the 2019 U.S. World Championship Team, has been a top-performing distance skier this season on the SuperTour.

    “Today went well,” Bratrud emailed. “After Nationals, I made the tough decision of turning down World Cup starts in Otepaa and Ulricehamn in order to get some quality training in for the World Champs. Today reflected that as I felt a little tired and pretty flat from not racing since Nationals. That being said, I expect to keep feeling better each race and I should be in a great place when I fly to Europe on the 4th!”

    Bratrud recently won the NorAm/SuperTour 15 k classic in Sovereign Lake and the 15 k classic at U.S. Nationals. Bratrud placed second in West Yellowstone’s SuperTour 15 k skate, and the 30 k skate mass start at U.S. Nationals.

    Akeo Maifeld-Carucci (CGRP) placed second in a time of 26:18.9. It was Carucci’s second SuperTour podium of the season and his best career SuperTour result. In West Yellowstone, he was third in the 15 k skate behind Ben Lustgarten (CGRP) and Bratrud.

    Alexis Dumas (CNEPH) of Canada was third in 26:32.2. U.S. skier Adam Martin was fourth, 3.1 seconds behind Dumas.

    Men’s Results

     

  • Quick Hit Athlete Check-Ins from Under 23 Worlds: Braden Becker

    Quick Hit Athlete Check-Ins from Under 23 Worlds: Braden Becker

    Braden Becker at the 2017 NCAA Ski Championships. (Photo: ephnordic.blogspot.com)

    U23 World Championships in Lahti, Finland got rolling on Jan. 21 with a classic sprint. In our quest to check in with some of the North American athletes in Finland, with emailed a list of quick-hit questions to touch base. Braden Becker is twenty two years old and a senior at Williams College. He races with the Williams cross-country ski team and hails from Yarmouth, ME. This is his first Junior World Ski Championships.

    Do you recall when you first set World Juniors/U23’s as a cross-country skiing goal? Representing the USA has been a goal of mine since I started skiing seriously in high school.

    Stress can be tough to deal with as a junior. That said, how do you best deal with stress? For me the best tool to reduce stress is perspective. Small things like missing a session because of travel/ sickness or having to stay up all night to finish a paper can feel devastating. The key for me is to always put whatever happens in the context of an entire training year.

    How do you best distract yourself from racing? Being in college has made this easy as there’s always homework to chip away at.

    What are some “performance goals” going into the races you are focusing on? Ski competitive early splits and try to hang on.

    Who best supports you when a race doesn’t go the way you envisioned? The great part about skiing in the EISA is that on any given day one of your friends or teammates always has an amazing day. It’s easy when you have a bad race to just forget about it and celebrate your friend’s successes. 

    Who is the first person you call/text/email…etc. when the race goes well? Probably my family and teammates.

    Outside of skiing, what would you rather be doing? Napping.

    What are some outcomes from your first Junior Worlds that you would consider a success? Seeing the level of speed and intensity of competition firsthand.

    Favorite method of recovery when you are racing on the road?Napping.

    How did you pass the time on your flight to Europe? Napping

     

  • Wednesday Race Rundown: U23 Worlds from Lahti, Finland

    Wednesday Race Rundown: U23 Worlds from Lahti, Finland

    The big screen in Lahti, Finland’s main stadium. Site of the 2019 Junior World Ski Championships. (Photo: Doug Stephen)

    Four U.S. skiers began the U23 women’s 10 k skate individual start at the 2019 U23 World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland on Wednesday, all four finished in the top-30 after Russia’s Mariya Istomina claimed the win in 25:57.3 minutes.

    Fnland’s Evelina Pippo was second (+2.0), and Norway’s Tiril Udnes Weng third (+29.6). Istomina and Pippo are scheduled to compete at this weekend’s Ulricehamn, Sweden World Cup and have concluded their competition schedules at U23 Worlds.

    The best placed North American was U.S. athlete Julia Kern who placed 12th (+1:21.9). In Kern’s fifth trip to World Juniors and her second as a U23, Wednesday’s 12th place was a career best individual Junior/U23 World’s distance result.

    “The 5km course is pretty tough here, with some steep climbs and longer climbs,” Kern emailed about her 10 k skate experience. “It was constant work out there with little rest. I went out hard because the only way to do well at this competitive level is racing is start hot and keep that pace. I was happy to lay down a better performance than Monday and achieve my goal of a top 12 result today. I am really stoked for Lina for having such an awesome race today, it was so fun to watch her on the big screen before I started!”
    The next scheduled race for the U23 women is a 15 k classic mass start race on Jan. 25.
    “I am really excited for the 15km classic mass start on Friday, I love mass starts, especially when they are classic. I think our team has a good shot of putting down strong races!”

    Evelina Sutro in her first Worlds finished in 18th, stopping the clock 1:47.6 minutes behind Istomina’s winning time.

    “The race was fun, it was a lot warmer today than it has been the past couple race days which was nice,” Sutro emailed. “It was a tough race with a lot of short and steep hills. The course wasn’t very technical but you really had to work over the top and ski the downhills efficiently. The legs were definitely feeling it the most for me. It was super inspiring to be racing with all these fast ladies!”

    Also for the U.S., Hailey Swirbul raced to 26th (+2:90.5), Alayna Sonnesyn 27th (+2:12.6).

    Canada’s Sadie White placed 43rd (+3:15.4), Hannah Mehain 44th (+3:19.8), Natalia Hynes 49th (+3:42.8), and Marie Corriveau 54th (+4:58.9).

    U23 Women’s 10 k Skate Results

    The U23 men raced a 15 k skate on Tuesday with France’s Jules Lapierre taking the win in 34:02.8 minutes. The Czech Republic’s Michal Novak placed second (+29.0), and Ivan Yakimushkin third (+30.0).

    Canada’s Antoine Cyr was the highest placed North American in 38th (+2:56.6). Teammates Gareth Williams skied to 39th (+3:04.0), Graham Ritchie 52nd (+4:02.1), and Julian Smith 57th (+4:20.2).

    For the U.S., Hunter Wonders finished in 43rd (+3:20.8), Peter Holmes 48th (+3:43.8), and Braden Becker 53rd (+4:03.1).

    U23 Men’s 15 K Skate Results

     

  • Monday Race Rundown: U23 Worlds Classic Sprint (Updated)

    Monday Race Rundown: U23 Worlds Classic Sprint (Updated)

    Moa Lundgren of Sweden out lunges Norway’s Tiril Udnes Weng for the win during the U23 World championship 1.4 k classic sprint in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)

    FIS Junior World Ski Championhips U23 1.4 k/1.6 k Classic Sprint

    Link to U23 classic sprint photo album from Doug Stephen.

    Monday, the second day of racing at the 2019 Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland the U23 women raced a 1.4-kilometer classic sprint.

    Norway’s Tiril Udnes Weng set the standard in qualification. Her 3:26.52 minute time placed her in bib 1 for the heats.

    Three U.S. skiers qualified for the heats. Julia Kern qualified in 16th (+9.09), Hannah Halvorsen 24th (+11.89), and Hailey Swirbul 25th (+12.31). The fourth U.S. entrant, Evelina Sutro placed 37th overall.

    “Though it wasn’t a perfect day for the U23s, it was exciting to establish a baseline from which we can improve,” Swirbul emailed. “We were in the mix during the quarterfinals, and I think our team gave a good effort today but is left wanting more. Personally, I thought I had a good day. I felt good, had good skis, and raced to my strengths the best I could. I’m excited to see how this team and I progress over the next few years to keep moving up and up in the U23 division!”

    Halvorsen skied in the second heat where she placed fifth (+2.39) behind heat winner Moa Lundgren. Lundgren posted a 3:24.60 finishing time in the heat and ultimately placed first overall. Halvorsen ranked 23rd in the final standings.

    Swirbul and Kern were grouped in the third heat where they finished fifth and sixth respectively. France’s Delphine Claudel won the heat in 3:27.16, Swirbul was 1.31 seconds back, Kern 3.24.

    Swirbul placed 24th overall, Kern 27th.  

    “It was a really cold day out there racing at the legal limit of -4F,” Kern emailed. “It was not the day I dreamed of, but I am looking forward to more races to come this week. I caught the tip of my ski on someone’s pole cornering the first 180 and took a fall. I was able to jump back up on my feet and hammer to catch up, but that energy cost me early on that I did not have cresting the last hill. It was really fun to get to race side by side with Hailey in the heat!”

    For Canada, Sadie White finished 35th, Marie Corriveau 38th, Hannah Mehain 49th, and Natalie Hynes 55th.

    Lundgren, who was the fourth fastest qualifier, won the women’s final in 3:18.33, only 0.05 seconds ahead of Weng in second. Russia’s Aida Bayazitova took third (+3.78). Anastasia Kirillova of Belarus was fourth (+4.12), Norway’s Amalie Haakonsen fifth (+7.75), and Johanna Hagstroem sixth (+37.54).

    Women’s Qualification Results | Women’s Final Standings

    The men raced a 1.6 k classic sprint course with Norway’s Erik Valnes posting the fastest qualifying time of 3:23.80 minutes. Valnes already has two World Cup podiums both from the recent Dresden, Germany World Cup weekend. He won the team sprint along with Sindre Bjørnestad Skar. The day prior to his team sprint win, Valnes placed third in the skate sprint.

    After racing on a slightly bigger World Cup stage, Valnes showed no nerves as he clean-sweeped the heats and the final which he won in 3:21.14 minutes. Russia’s Sergey Ardashev placed second (+1.38) and Norway’s Joachim Aurland third (+2.00).

    In fourth place was Russia’s Ivan Yakimushkin (+2.59), Norway’s Sivert Wiig in fifth (+7.31), and Sweden’s Marcus Grate sixth (+15.53).

    Canada placed three athletes in the heats after Ritchie Graham qualified in 19th (+12.32), Julian  Smith 22nd (+13.39), and Antoine Cyr 24th (+13.84). Teammate Gareth Williams finished 52nd overall.

    For the U.S., Peter Holmes advanced to the heats after qualifying in 20th (+13.05). Daniel Streinz placed 41st overall, Hunter Wonders 56th, and Braden Becker 63rd.

    “It was a good day out in Lahti, sunny skies but brutally cold,” emailed Holmes. “The Junior’s performance the previous day amped me up and made me excited to race. I had a solid qualifier and was feeling very good in the quarter final. I was positioned well throughout the race, but unfortunately got tangled up with another skier in my heat on the last downhill and went down. It’s a bummer, especially at U23s, but that’s racing.”

    No North Americans advanced beyond the quarterfinals. Holmes placed sixth in the first quarterfinal to conclude his day ranked 27th in the final standings.

    Cyr was fourth in the second heat and placed 20th overall.

    Smith and Graham were fourth and sixth respectively in heat four. Smith ranked 19th overall,  Graham 26th.

    Men’s Qualification Results | Men’s Results

  • The Road to Jackson: Williams

    In Part I of “The Road to Jackson” series, three Williams College skiers — Eli Hoenig, Braden Becker and Jordan Fields, who qualified for this week’s NCAA Skiing Championships — reflect on their team and their season.

    “I am so excited for NCAA’s. … This is the first time Williams has sent a full team quite a few years. Probably one of the strongest teams we’ve ever sent.” — Jordan Fields

  • Craftsbury and Caldwell Top Tough Weather at Eastern Cup Openers

    Craftsbury and Caldwell Top Tough Weather at Eastern Cup Openers

    Ida Sargent (Craftsbury Green Racing Project/U.S. Ski Team) tied with teammate Kaitlynn Miller for the win in Saturday's 5 kilometer classic race on home turf. (Photo: John Lazenby)
    Ida Sargent (Craftsbury Green Racing Project/U.S. Ski Team) tied with teammate Kaitlynn Miller for the win in Saturday’s 5 kilometer Eastern Cup classic race on home turf. (Photo: John Lazenby)

    Note: Photos from this story are courtesy of John Lazenby. Many more photos from the Eastern Cup weekend are available at his website.

    The New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) tried out an old format for the first time in years at this weekend’s Eastern Cup openers in Craftsbury, Vermont: a two-day pursuit, with interval-start classic races on Saturday and a freestyle pursuit on Sunday based on the classic results. The races were particularly competitive with dozens of Canadians from Quebec and Ontario joining the standard field from the Eastern U.S.: club teams, senior elite teams, and some college athletes.

    Saturday saw snow falling all day. In the women’s 5 kilometer classic, U.S. Ski Team member Ida Sargent tied with Craftsbury Green Racing Project teammate and 2016 U.S. National Champion Kaitlynn Miller for the win in 17:20.9. Teammate Liz Guiney was just 3.5 seconds back to give Craftsbury a podium sweep on home turf. U.S. Ski Team and Stratton Mountain T2’s Julia Kern was fourth, +23.3, and University of Vermont’s Alayna Sonnesyn fifth, +54.3.

    U16 girls were in the same race, with Anna Lehmann of the Stratton Mountain School clocking the fastest time for 12th overall, +2:12.9. She also topped the U18 field, which was led by Green Mountain Valley School’s Rena Schwartz in 20th overall, +2:31.6.

    The men raced 10 k, with Craftsbury’s Ben Lustgarten topping the field in 29:45.1. It was a hard-fought battle as he only beat Patrick Caldwell of the U.S. Ski Team and Stratton Mountain T2 by 7.4 seconds. In third was Colby College’s Silas Eastman, +1:27.4. U18 Ben Ogden of the Stratton Mountain School finished fourth overall, +1:38.9, and Williams College’s Braden Becker landed fifth, +1:52.2.

    In the U16 boys’ 5 k classic, Stratton Mountain School’s Will Koch won in 16:36.1 over Mont Orford’s Olivier Leveille (+44.1).

    Saturday results: U16 boys – women and U16 girls – men

    Temperatures warmed on Sunday and the snow turned to rain, but luckily the manmade base of the Craftsbury Outdoor Center’s 2.5 k loop held up well through nearly 400 racers doing two to four loops each.

    In the U16 girls’ 5 k skate, Lehmann held onto her lead, as did Koch in the U16 boys’ 5 k skate. Guiney clocked the fastest isolated pursuit time in the women’s 10 k skate, and passed her Craftsbury teammates, dropping first Miller and then Sargent, who also had a broken pole.

    In the men’s 10 k skate, Caldwell caught and passed Lustgarten to take the win; the pair also had the fastest two isolated pursuit times.

    Sunday results (isolated pursuit times only, not order of finish):

    U16 girls – U16 boys – men – women