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Tag: Stephanie Kirk

2014 NCAA Preview: Colorado, Utah, Vermont, and Others Hungry for Title

An NCAA banner hangs at the 2013 NCAA Skiing Championships in Vermont. The 2014 Championships are set to begin Wednesday in Park City Utah. Photo: Flyingpointroad.com (All proceeds benefit NNF)

FasterSkier’s coverage is made possible through the generous support of Madshus.

One-hundred and forty-eight. That’s the number of skiers who have descended upon the ski town of Park City, Utah, to participate in the 2014 NCAA Skiing Championships. The championships will be hosted by the University of Utah, who last had the honor in 2000. The four day event, which consists of two alpine and two nordic races, begins Wednesday and continues through Saturday.

The cross country portion of the event will take place at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah, the site of the 2002 Olympic Games and many national events, including the 2014 U.S. Cross Country Championships.

The weather in Utah looks to be warm and wet with highs in the mid 40s to lower 50s and precipitation expected on Thursday and Friday, making for tricky waxing and racing conditions.

Given the nature of course, sloppy conditions, the field, and the stakes, the competition is set to be fierce. Several schools will be in the hunt for the title of america’s fastest skiing school, but only one will walk away with the championship title.

Last year at the 2013 NCAA Championships in Ripton, Vt., it was the University of Colorado that came out on top followed by the University of Utah and the University of Vermont. Colorado’s chances in Utah seem a more slim in 2014, as they were unable to win a collegiate weekend all season. However, with a strong showing for men’s nordic, the Buffs may be able to make up for their other weaknesses.

The University of Utah is hungry to break a three-year-streak of finishing second at NCAAs. After winning last weeks Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association (RMISA) Championships, Utah goes into this week’s races with confidence and energy. Having the home advantage should certainly help Utah as well. However, if they want the title that’s slipped out of their hands the past three years, they’ll have to rely less on their alpine team and see better results from their nordic squad.

It would be asinine to discount the University of Vermont, whose skiers have been looking especially strong this year. In the 2012 Championships they demonstrated that they could tackle western altitudes with ease in Bozeman, Mont. And with Soldier Hollow looking to be warm and wet this week, the conditions may favor eastern skiers who are used to rough easter weather.

The East

The eastern skiers are as strong as ever this year with the undefeated University of Vermont setting its sites on another NCAA victory. The 2012 champions have a strong team in both alpine and nordic which has contributed to their uncontested dominance this season.

Anja Gruber (University of Vermont) racing to fourth in the 10 k classic mass start at Soldier Hollow for her best U.S. nationals result by more than 20 places. (Photo: Bert Boyer/http://bertboyer.zenfolio.com/) All proceeds from photo sales will be directly donated to NNF.

The east finds its greatest strength in its women. Anja Gruber, a native of Germany, has been UVM’s shining star this year, and finishes the regular season as the top-ranked skier in the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA). Last year’s NCAA 5 k classic champion, she placed fourth at the 2014 U.S. nationals at Soldier Hollow on the same course where the NCAAs are being held. Throughout the season the senior has been a top contender in the EISA circuit, consistently winning all but one classic race and finishing in the top three in every freestyle race.

UVM’s talent doesn’t stop there, with sophomores Linda Danvid-Malm of Umea, Sweden and Stephanie Kirk of Anchorage, Alaska, showing that Gruber isn’t the only catamount with claws. Danvid-Malm has been dominant in freestyle, winning three out of six EISA races this season. Kirk, who competed in Italy as part of the U23 World Championships, has been a consistent performer as well highlighted by a spectacular win in the 15 k skate mass start at the EISA Championships at Middlebury College last weekend.

Annie Hart of Dartmouth College has been the only real threat to Vermont’s dominance all season, having been the only non-UVM woman in the east to win a scored collegiate race this season. Consistently on the podium in classic races, Hart finally saw her hard work pay off at the EISA championships when she won the 5 k classic. With the same event being held on Thursday, Hart is hungry for a national championship title. Corey Stock, also of Dartmouth, has had a decent season as well, ranking fifth in the eastern points standings.

While not as dominant as their women, the UVM men shouldn’t be taken lightly. Their lead skier, Scott Patterson of Fairbanks, Alaska, has won three of the six collegiate races he’s participated in this season. Patterson made the headlines earlier this year when he riskily tried to break away from the men’s field in the 30 k mass start. Unsurprisingly, the move failed on the national level, but a similar move with in a collegiate field may be what Patterson needs to secure a title..

Sophomore Jorgen Grav is another UVM skier to watch in Soldier Hollow. The Oslo, Norway native finished fifth in the EISA rankings, followed by teammate Rogan Brown of Durango, Colo., in sixth.

Silas Talbot of Dartmouth racing in the 2013 NCAA Championships at Middlebury, Vermont.

Two Dartmouth College skiers have the chance to dethrone the dominant catamounts. Paddy Caldwell and Silas Talbot have both been atop the results this year both winning multiple carnival races. Caldwell skied to a convincing win in the men’s 20 k freestyle at the ESIA Championship and was named 2014 rookie skier of the year for the region.

A notable emission from this year’s NCAA Championships will be Ben Lustgarten of Middlebury College. Lustgarten had a spectacular year which started with strong skiing at the 2014 U.S. National Championships, continued with racing at the U23 World Championships, and finished with a win in the 10 k classic (by 50 seconds!) at the EISA Championships. Lustgarten would have been a top contender in Soldier Hollow this year but due to an knee injury he sustained in the 20 k mass start at the EISA Championships the senior will be on the sidelines.

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The West

Unlike the east, there has been no clear contender for the top spot in the west. At the beginning of the season it looked as if the University of Denver might be ready for another NCAA Championship, but by the time the RMISA Championships was over last week, Denver had finished fourth, roughly 60 points behind the winner, the University of Utah. Despite the end-of-season falter, Denver still held the top spot in the regular season standings demonstrating their potential.

Sylvia Nordskar of the University of Denver racing in West Yellowstone, Montana earlier in the 2013/2014 season.

Sylvia Nordskar of Bærum, Norway, is the most-likely woman from the West to capture an NCAA title. The University of Denver freshman has either won or placed second in every collegiate race that she has competed in this season and has no signs of stopping.

Senior Makayla Cappel, a Sun Valley native skiing for Denver, became a late-season standout after winning the 5 k classic and taking third in the 15 k freestyle mass start at the RMISA Championship in Minturn, Colo. After dealing with illness upon her return from the World University Games in Italy, Cappel recovered from a slow start to her season to rocket herself onto the first team All-RMISA. Rounding out the Denver women is Silje Benum, who has also had many top finishes this season.

Only two non-Denver skiers have been able to top Nordskar this season. The first is Marine Dusser of the University of Alaska Anchorage, who was third in the women’s 15 k in 2013 and has had several wins in the RIMSA circuit this year. The second is Slovenian Eva Severrus of the University of New Mexico, a freshman who has helped New Mexico improve its standings in the west.

Sloan Storey of the University of Utah is another western woman to watch. Storey joined the U.S. contingent at the Junior World Championships in Italy earlier this year and made first team All-RMISA after and exemplary collegiate season.

Rune Ødegaard racing in the West Yellowstone Super Tour.

Like its women’s team, the Denver men were the top team in the west during the regular season. The trio of Moritz Madlener, Pierre Guedon and Trygve Markset made the Pioneers proud in 2014 and hope to continue the trend into the NCAA Championships. However, they’ll need to have a better performance than they did at the RMISA Championships, where they garnered only 46 points compared to the University of Colorado’s 93.

Norwegians Rune Ødegård and Mads Strøm, a junior and freshman, have been the top skiers from Colorado throughout the latter half of the 2014 collegiate season. After sitting out the first two weekends of collegiate racing the duo has consistently been in the top five. Ødegård won last year’s 10 k classic at the 2013 NCAA Championships and looks to continue that success into 2014.

The University of Utah men have shown that the best skiers in the west aren’t just based in Colorado. Niklas Persson, Oscar Ivars, and Noe Bellet have all performed well this season, garnering spots on the second team All-RMISA. However, all three will need to up their game if they want to outpace the Catamounts and the Buffs.

Colorado, Denver, and Utah have had steady competition from the 2013 RMISA skier of the year, Lukas Ebner of the University of Alaska Anchorage. The senior, who hales from Germany, hopes to build on a season that has included multiple podiums.

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Central

The Central Collegiate Ski Association (CCSA) has traditionally trailed the east and west in terms of results at past NCAA Championships, which is reflected in the small numbers of qualifiers from the region. Despite that fact, there are several top performers who have a chance at an NCAA podium in Utah.

Rosie Frankowski of Northern Michigan University in the 20 k freestyle mass start at U.S. Nationals at Soldier Hollow.

Rosie Frankowski, a senior of Northern Michigan University, has had an excellent season and looks to continue her speed into her time in Utah. Frankowski finishes her regular season as the top skier in the CCSA.

Freshman Nicole Bathe of University of Alaska Fairbanks has turned out to be quite the powerhouse in classic races. Bathe has had excellent start to the season after finishing third in the classic sprint at the 2014 U.S. Cross Country Championships.

Fellow Fairbanks teammate Logan Hanneman looks to be the top male competitor for the CCSA in Utah. The junior finished fifth in the freestyle sprint at U.S. Nationals earlier this season.

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Whether Colorado can reclaim its title, Utah can snap its second place curse, or Vermont use the sloppy conditions to their advantage, the NCAA Championships will be an exciting display of talent from the fastest skiers in the country.

The 5 k and 10 k classic will take place this Thursday at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. MST. The Championships will conclude with the 15 k and 20 k freestyle mass starts on Saturday, also at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m, MST. Watch the action unfold live on the NCAA site and check FasterSkier for reports.

March 4, 2014
EISA Racing Concludes at Middlebury Carnival

Ripton, VT

A weekend of exciting races and great atmosphere encapsulated the 2014 Middlebury Carnival, which doubled as the EISA Regional Championships. The venue and course, familiar to many as the site of last year’s NCAA Championships, did not disappoint. The twists and turns of the Tormondsen Family race course have now seen numerous high-level events, and have not failed to deliver excellent competition.

This past weekend was no different, with a wild classic race held in rain, sleet and violent wind. A thunderstorm even rolled through the mountains of Ripton after the nordic events, putting a stop to alpine competitions just up the road. Though the conditions created some challenges to organizers and racers alike, the competitions continued to showcase the top talent of the EISA skiers.

Friday: 5/10km classic

Klister was the order of the day for most on Friday. A mix of granular snow and wet tracks necessitated solid kick on the long, steady climbs spread across the homologated 5k loop.

Middlebury’s Ben Lustgarten stomps the field with a 50-second victory in the 10km classic (Photo: Ian Nesbitt)

With his final Carnival race at his home course, in his preferred discipline and among his biggest supporters, Middlebury senior Ben Lustgarten did not disappoint the home crowd on Friday. Lustgarten rocketed around the course, putting 25 seconds into the field over the first half of the race before doubling-down on lap two for a 50 second victory over UVM’s Scott Patterson.

Lustgarten notched a 4th place finish and claimed the honor of top American in the same event and on the same course at last year’s NCAA Championship, and on Friday he again proved his striding and pacing prowess. Lustgarten and Patterson were joined on the podium by UVM’s Jack Hegman, who used a fast second lap to nab the final podium spot just ahead of his Catamount teammate Rogan Brown.

After posting the 2nd-fastest first lap, UNH skier Eirik Fosnaes faded to 5th place.

The women’s race saw many familiar faces near the top of the results. Despite being runner-up in what seemed like nearly EISA event, Dartmouth’s Annie Hart was able to finally pick up her first win of the season on Friday, edging UVM’s Linda Danvind-Malm by 6 seconds.

Hart’s Dartmouth teammate Corey Stock picked up the first podium of her season in third, while UVM’s Anja Gruber had an uncharacteristic off-day on the classic tracks in 4th place.

Finishing just 5 seconds behind Gruber was Colby freshman phenom Amy Bianco, who skied to the top finish of her young collegiate career thus far with a 5th-place showing.

Saturday: 15/20km freestyle

Scott Patterson (L) and Paddy Caldwell sprint to the line on Saturday (Photo: Ian Nesbitt)

The final event of the EISA season saw shakeups at the top in both the men’s and women’s races, with perhaps one of the most exciting races of the season happening during the men’s competition.

Halfway through the men’s race, UVM’s skating powerhouse Scott Patterson made what has become a signature move: attempting to gap the field by a wide margin before cruising home alone to victory. Last year several skiers made valiant attempts to stick with the “Patterson break”, most notably Dartmouth’s Sam Tarling. During the 20km freestyle at last year’s Middlebury Carnival, Tarling broke away with Patterson’s initial move, but was unable to keep up and drifted into second place almost a full minute behind.

This time it was another Dartmouth skier who attempted to latch on to Patterson as he strung-out the field. Paddy Caldwell not only matched Patterson’s initial break, he hung on for the duration and traded leads with the UVM senior throughout the race.

On the final lap it was Patterson in the lead, with Caldwell waiting to pounce less than a few boot lengths behind.

Caldwell had executed a tactically excellent race, and he wasn’t about to let it slip away at the line. As the two made their way to the stadium a sprint ensued. With a gap large enough to celebrate with arms raised high, Caldwell celebrated a triumphant victory.

Patterson may have been dethroned temporarily, but he did not relinquish his freestyle Regional title without a great effort and show: the duel at the front put both Caldwell and Patterson over 40 seconds ahead of third and fourth place, which went to Dartmouth’s Silas Talbot and UVM’s Rogan Brown, respectively. Williams skier Will Wicherski rounded out the top 5 with a fifth place finish.

The women’s race featured another breakaway, and with it another duel between the top skiers from Dartmouth and UVM.

L-R: Linda Danvind-Malm, Stephanie Kirk and Anja Gruber sprint for a UVM podium sweep on Saturday (Photo: Ian Nesbitt)

As the race progressed into later laps a leading group of four emerged: UVM teammates Anja Gruber, Linda Danvind-Malm and Stephanie Kirk, along with Dartmouth’s Annie Hart. Behind this lead group was a hard-charging wave of Dartmouth racers composed of Emily Hannah, Carly Wynn, Isabel Caldwell and Corey Stock.

It looked like the race would be a four-way battle for first until midway up the final long climb of the course. With encouragement from coach Patrick Weaver, the UVM women accelerated in unison and matched strides with increased tempo, immediately dropping Hart and setting themselves up for a podium sweep.

That inevitable podium sweep was brought home in a sprint finish by Stephanie Kirk, who earned her first EISA victory. Gruber placed second, while Danvind-Malm took home third. All three were ecstatic with the result, which capped a great regular-season campaign for the UVM women.

Though the Catamounts swept the podium, the force and depth of Dartmouth was also staggering. Places four through eight all went to Dartmouth skiers, with Hart taking fourth and Corey Stock earning her second top-5 finish of the weekend.

Results can be found via Bart Timing

Racing action next moves to the NCAA Championships in Soldier Hollow, Utah

February 24, 2014
Norway Wins Overall on Final Day of Junior Worlds; Canadian Women 10th in Relay

The Swedish women’s relay team congratulates anchor Jonna Sundling at the finish, with Anna Dyvik, Sofia Henriksson, and Maja Dahlqvist, after defending their Junior World Championships relay title with another win on Monday in Val di Fiemme, Italy. (Photo: Fiemme2014)

Monday’s final event of the Junior World Championships included the women’s 4×3.3-kilometer and men’s 4×5-kilometer relays. Both events alternated classic and skating legs in Val di Fiemme, Italy.

According to a press release, Russia, France and Sweden led through the classic legs, while Norway and Finland sat patiently. On the last leg, Norway’s Eirik Sverdrup Augdal was first to pick up the pace at the end of a long uphill. Alexey Chervotkin, of Russia, and Jean Tiberghien, of France, were surprised and forced to react quickly. Over the final sprint, Augdal found the best line and captured gold for Norway in 53:36.6, exactly 1 second ahead of Tiberghien who outskied Chervotkin by a tenth of a second for second.

Norway’s Eirik Sverdrup Augdal looks back after anchoring his 4×5 relay to gold on Monday on the last day of Junior World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. France took second, 0.1 seconds ahead of Russia. Augdal teamed up with Eivind Krane Heimdal, Petter Reistad, and Johan Hoel. (Photo: Fiemme2014)

In the women’s relay, Russia led the first leg, but Sweden’s Sofia Henriksson did not let the Russian off easily, according to press release. Early in the the skate portion, Sweden was a hair ahead of Russia, while Norway was shortly behind, attempting to make up ground. At the final exchange, Russia’s Natalia Nepryaeva started off with a slight advantage over Jonna Sundling of Sweden, but by the end of the last leg, Sundling had gained enough ground to surpass — and even create a gap on — Nepryaeva, sealing the win for Sweden in 39:54.8. Russia took second, 7.7 seconds behind, and Norway’s Lotta Weng followed in third, 26.8 seconds behind the Swedes.

With four gold, two silver, and eighth bronze medals, Norway was crowned as the winning team at the 2014 FIS Nordic Junior/U23 World Ski Championships.

Among the North Americans, Canada placed just above the U.S. women in 10^th (out of 14 teams). The Canadian females chosen to participate in the day’s event included Frédérique Vézina of the Pierre-Harvey National Training Centre (CNEPH), Dahria Beatty (Alberta World Cup Academy), Anne-Marie Comeau (CNEPH), and Katherine Stewart-Jones (Nakkertok). They raced in that order and Team Canada finished 2:49.9 behind the winners.

“I love mass starts so I was pretty pumped when I knew what position I had for the relay,” Vézina wrote in an email. “It was a great fast fight right from the start. My body felt very good and I was able to stay with the lead pack up the first long up hill.”

With slightly slower skis, Vézina explained she struggled on the downhills, but was able to catch back up to the pack on the climbs. “I am very happy with our race and it was as always a lot of fun!” she wrote.

The American women finished about a minute after, 3:51.4 behind the leaders in 12th. Racers included Nichole Bathe (University of Alaska-Fairbanks), University of Vermont’s Marion Woods and Stephanie Kirk, as well as Sloan Storey (University of Utah), respectively.

The Americans men placed 12^th out of 18 teams, 3:08.4 behind the winners, with Canada finishing 45 seconds later in 13^th. The U.S. men’s team included Adam Martin (Northern Michigan University), Lars Hannah (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club), Thomas O’Harra (Alaska Pacific University), and Patrick Caldwell (Dartmouth College), in that order.

“It was exciting to race today, because we got another chance to race head to head with the best junior athletes,” Martin wrote on Monday. “I was able to hang with the Norwegian skier for both 2.5 k loops. … In general the relay was fun, it was a nice way to conclude the week. … It is very motivational to see some of the other athletes’ strong form and on days like today realize that I can really get in and race them.”

The Canadian men’s team included Ricardo Izquierdo-Bernier (Fondeurs Laurentides), Alexis Dumas (Skibec), Scott James Hill (NDC Thunder Bay), and Benjamin Wilkinson-Zan (NDC Thunder Bay), who crossed the finish line in 13^th. The Canadians finished in 57:30.4, 3:53.8 minutes behind the winners.

Results: Men | Women

February 4, 2014
Russia Reigns Junior Worlds 5/10 k Classic; Two Canadians in Top 15 (Updated)

Russia Roman Kaygorodov racing to his first Junior World title on Sunday in the 10 k classic individual start in Val di Fiemme, Italy. (Photo: Fiemme2014)

Note: This article has been updated to include comments from Canadians Ricardo Izquierdo-Bernier, Scott Hill and Katherine Stewart-Jones.

Russia went out on a high note on the last day of individual racing at Junior World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy, with Natalia Nepryaeva and Roman Kaygorodov winning the women’s 5- and men’s 10-kilometer classic individual starts, respectively, on Sunday.

Russia’s 18-year-old Natalia Nepryaeva celebrates her 2.7-second victory in Sunday’s 5 k classic individual start, her first title at Junior World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. (Photo: Fiemme2014)

For Nepryaeva, 18, the victory was her first at the world championships and she did so by edging Sweden’s Sofia Henriksson by 2.7 seconds in 14:05. Another Russian, Anastasia Sedova rounded out the podium in third, 13.6 seconds after her teammate.

“I am exhausted, but winning a gold medal in a world championship is an incredible satisfaction,” Nepryaeva told FIS after the race. “I kept focused on my pace throughout the whole race, although I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to climb the last uphill. There was another girl in front of me and I kept skiing really close to her to keep control of my pace. I am really happy for the other girls in my team too, it’s a great day for Russia.”

For Henriksson, 19, the silver marked her first individual podium at her fourth Junior World Championships.

“I feel so happy today because I have been struggling for this medal for so long,” she told FIS. “In 2012 in Erzurum in the 5km Classic I finished fourth, only one second behind the bronze medal. It feels good to break up the three Russians.”

As Nepryaeva and Henriksson passed through the intermediate checkpoints, it was clear they were gunning for top two. Nepryaeva narrowly prevailed on a hilly and challenging course at Lago di Tesero, leading four Russians in the top six, with Alisa Zhambalova in fourth (+16.4), Germany’s Julia Belger in fifth (+24.2) and Russia’s Yulia Belorukova in sixth (+27.4).

In the men’s race, Kaygorodov, 18, won his first race at the championships in 26:36.9 for his first title (and podium) as well, beating Swedish runner-up Jens Burman by 5.5 seconds. Norway’s Petter Reistad was another 0.3 seconds back in third.

“I can’t believe it!” Kaygorodov told FIS. “In the first part I didn’t want to push too much, the snow was pretty slow and I wanted to save most of my energy for the last lap. When I finished this race I was totally exhausted, and for me this result will be unforgettable.”

Burman said he felt like he had good power and energy throughout his race.

“I think that was a good race for me,” he told FIS. “I don’t do anything in particular to get encouragement or motivation, I only think I have to go fast.”

Canada’s Ricardo Izquierdo-Bernier leads a teammate in the 20 k skiathlon on Jan. 31 at 2014 Junior World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. (Photo: Ricardo Izquierdo-Bernier)

France’s Jules Lapierre and Valentin Chauvin were fastest through the first checkpoint, but Kaygorodov picked it up for the last half of the race and put time into his competitors over the final kilometers.

Lapierre ended up fourth (+12.9) and Chauvin placed seventh (+18.4), while Sweden’s Simon Lageson placed fifth (+13.5) and Marcus Ruus took sixth (+16.9).

Monday’s relays were the final races on the schedule, with Sweden winning the women’s 4 x 3.3 k, defending their title from last year with Anna Dyvik, Henriksson, Maja Dahlqvist, and Jonna Sundling.

Canada placed 10th with Frédérique Vézina, Dahria Beatty, Anne-Marie Comeau, and Katherine Stewart-Jones. The Americans finished 12th of 14 teams with Nichole Bathe, Marion Woods, Stephanie Kirk, and Sloan Storey.

Norway won the men’s 4 x 5 k with Eivind Krane Heimdal, Reistad, Johan Hoel, and Eirik Sverdrup Augdal. The U.S. men placed 12th of 18 teams, with Adam Martin, Lars Hannah, Thomas O’Harra, and Patrick Caldwell Canada was 13th with Ricardo Izquierdo-Bernier, Alexis Dumas, Scott Hill, and Benjamin Wilkinson-Zan.

Two Canadians in Individual Top 15

Izquierdo-Bernier (Fondeurs Laurentides), who’s living in France with his family until August, when he’ll return to Montreal, notched 14th in the 10 k on Sunday.

In an email, he xplained his goal was top 20 in one race at his first Junior World Championships.

“I had identified the skiathlon to be my best chance to accomplish it, but bad skies in the classic part ruined my race … it’s part of cross country,” he explained of the preceding race, in which he placed 57th. “Sunday morning I had no expectations, my only goal was to do a good race in classic and keep a steady pace for the 2 laps. Up to now this year in classic, I didn’t have any good race and the result of Sunday morning surprised me a little!”

Throughout the 10 k, he focused on managing himself and his effort.

“I knew that I had a good race but I was not expecting to finish in the top 20,” Izquierdo-Bernier wrote. “After the race I was watching the screen with the timings, as the other skiers were ending their race and my time was staying tin the top ones. As the last racer finished, I was very happy and my goal was achieved.”

Izquierdo-Bernier moved to the French Alps, specifically the Vercors, for his father’s sabbatical year.

“Last summer I trained at the training center in Québec and when I came to France I trained 2 months with some French athletes and had finalised my preparation alone with a personal coach,” he explained.

Dahria Beatty (Alberta World Cup Academy) racing to 29th in Friday’s 10 k skiathlon at Junior World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. She notched 15th in the 5 k classic on Sunday. (Photo: FlyingPointRoad.com/Proceeds go to the National Nordic Foundation)

The lone Canadian man in the top 40, he shared a personal best in the top 15 with Dahria Betty of the Alberta World Cup Academy (AWCA), who was 15th in the women’s 5 k.

For Beatty, 19, the result was her best in three world championships after she placed 20th in the freestyle sprint on Jan. 29. She explained in an email that her goal was top 15.

“I am really happy to have achieved that,” Beatty wrote. “The 5k classic was the race I was most looking forward to as I prefer classic races to skate races. I’d like to think I can be both a sprinter and a distance skier, and I hope that I showed that with my 20th place finish in the skate sprint the first day!”

Her plan for the 5 k was to start fast but relax on the climbs, then push hard over the remaining parts of the course.

“I didn’t push enough on the second last climb in the skiathlon Friday so I made sure not to make that mistake again today and went all all out up the climb at 3.5km,” she wrote. “All along I was getting splits that I was leading at my bib, which is what I was hoping for. It’s always great to cross the line in first and see your name with a 1 beside it even if you know it won’t last. I had the chance to sit in the winners chair for a minute too which is always great!”

The 2014 U.S. women’s Junior World Championships team (Photo: Sloan Storey)

Two Americans tied for the best U.S. result of the day in 26th: Nichole Bathe (University of Alaska-Fairbanks) and Adam Martin (Northern Michigan University). For both, it was their first top 40 at their first world championships.

“My goal going into to today’s race was to top 40 and to just feel like I was skiing strong and to really leave it all out there,” Bathe wrote on Sunday. “I didn’t know what place I was in while racing, I went off third so there where only two girls started ahead of me so I just went out as hard as I could and tried to hold on and set down a time that would hold to a certain extent.”

After breaking through with her first podium at U.S. nationals a month ago, Bathe explained that results like third-place in the nationals classic sprint gave her confidence, but she also knew she would be racing at another level internationally.

“I knew … these girls … are the fastest juniors in the world and that it was going to be tough to even hang in there,” she wrote. “I’m feeling pretty good about where I am at, I’m looking ahead to the next couple weekends of racing leading into the end of the collegiate year knowing that those are going to be some tough races so I’m just gonna try and keep everything going for another month and a half and hope that it all goes well.”

Martin wasn’t sure how he’d stack up in the 10 k after placing 40th in the preceding 20 k skiathlon on Jan. 31. He thought top 30 “would be cool,” but tried not to dwell on results — instead focusing on having a strong race in difficult conditions. He remembered seeing the thermometer read 8 degrees Celsius (46 Fahrenheit) at one point.

“The race was back seeded with the best ranked skiers starting last, so I tried not to think too much about splits, but they did help me gauge that I was picking up a few spots towards the end,” Martin wrote. “I was pleased when I saw that I was 26th. More so, I was happy that I was 1:24 off of the leader. While this certainly is a notable amount of time back in a 10k, it seems like a margin that I can hopefully work with.”

About 3 1/2 seconds after Martin, Caldwell (Dartmouth College) placed 29th. Two days earlier, he notched 10th in a 20 k skiathlon.

Woods, a University of Vermont freshman, placed 34th, and her U.S. teammate Storey (University of Utah) was 43rd.

Canada’s Katherine Stewart-Jones (Nakkertok) finished 36th, Anne-Marie Comeau of the Pierre-Harvey Training Centre (CNEPH) was a second behind in 38th. Also of CNEPH, Vézina finished 51st of 72 women.

Stewart-Jones wrote in an email that she was aiming for top 25 and felt good before falling on a downhill after the first 2 k.

“After that I really picked it up,” she added. “I have had a lot of fun so far. … I also improved my placings in every single race, so it is encouraging to see that improvement!”

Comeau, 17, wrote than her goal was to have fun and give 100 percent. She had already placed 21st in the 10 k skiathlon, and two years ago at Junior Worlds, she was 18th in the skiathlon.

“I’m happy about the result,” she wrote Sunday. “I felt good during my race and I gave all that I had! I think that’s important.”

Also for Canada, Hill (NDC Thunder Bay) placed 45th, Dumas (Skibec) was 1.2 seconds behind in 46th, and Wilkinson-Zan (NDC Thunder Bay) placed 66th of nearly 100 men.

“Going into this season I had my sights set on a top 10 at world juniors,” Hill wrote in an email. “Unfortunately I wasn’t feeling that great leading into the championships and I knew that I wasn’t going to get to the top 10 unless I was in good race shape.

Rain before his race, which made the snow wet and heavy and ruined the tracks on the hill made things tougher.

“I knew I wasn’t capable of reaching my original race goal but I was still hoping for a top 30 so I was disappointed with where I ended up,” he explained. “I have been disappointed with my racing in Italy but I really like the venue and courses, more than last year in the Czech Republic. This year I was solely focused on my racing and results compared to last year where I was more just trying to get experience. My season has been good up until now and I hope I can rest up and finish the season on a strong note at nationals.”

Among the U.S. men, Hannah (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club) finished 57th in the 10 k and Cole Morgan (University of Vermont) was 68th.

Sunday’s 5/10 k classic results: Women | Men

Monday’s relay results: Women | Men

February 3, 2014
Skiathlon Format and Snowfall Make for Tricky Day at World Juniors; Caldwell Notches 10th

Start of the women’s 10 k skiathlon at Junior World Championships on Friday in Val di Fiemme, Italy. (Photo: FlyingPointRoad.com/Proceeds go to the National Nordic Foundation)

As if skiathlons weren’t rare enough, Friday’s 10- and 20-kilometer races at Junior World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy, posed another unique challenge with 2 1/2 feet of new snow from the night before. Tracks had to be set for the races that combined both classic and skate disciplines.

Patrick Caldwell (Dartmouth) racing to a career-best 10th on Friday in his skiathlon at his first Junior World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. (Photo: FlyingPointRoad.com/Proceeds go to the National Nordic Foundation)

For American Patrick Caldwell, of Dartmouth College, this was his first skiathlon. After not feeling great following the long trip to Europe, Caldwell wrote in an email: “I think the sprint really helped wake me up and get me ready.”

Caldwell’s strategy in the skiathlon was to hang on in the classic race, then try to gain ground in the skate.

“Overall this strategy worked very well,” the 19-year-old freshman said, after finishing 10th for a career-best in his first Junior Worlds.

Snow kept falling continuously early Friday morning and continued up to the first race: the junior women’s 10 k skiathlon. According to a press release, the Russians took the lead in the classic leg with Alisa Zhambalova and Natalia Nepryaeva, followed by Germany’s Julia Belger and Sarah Schaber, as well as Norway’s Lotta Udness Weng.

Zhambalova was first through the exchange with about 10 competitors close behind her, and Sweden’s Anna Dyvik led the chase group while trying to close the gap. Halfway through the fourth lap, Weng, Belger, Schaber, and Zhambalova accelerated to the front, but Belger crashed on the second-to-last descent. Schaber stayed on her feet and dropped the pack on the final climb, winning the skiathlon by 2.1 seconds in 30:45.8. Zhambalova placed second and Dyvik outsprinted Weng and Nepryaeva for third (+3.0).

Japan had a solid showing as well, with two women, Yukari Tanaka and Kozue Takizawa, placing in the top 16.

Dahria Beatty (Alberta World Cup Academy) racing to 29th in Friday’s 10 k skiathlon at Junior World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. (Photo: FlyingPointRoad.com/Proceeds go to the National Nordic Foundation)

Canada’s Anne-Marie Comeau, 17, of the Pierre-Harvey National Training Centre (CNEPH), was the top North American in 21st, her second-best individual result at her third Junior Worlds. Dahria Beatty (Alberta World Cup Academy) placed 29th, Frédérique Vézina (CNEPH) was 30th and Katherine Stewart-Jones (Nakkertok) 31st.

American Sloan Storey (University of Utah) was not thrilled after finishing 39^th, but was happy to be the top American female and to have made it to this level of racing.

“Today’s race was tough but really fun!” she wrote. “I always find myself getting very nervous before these international races with all the insanely fast-looking Russians, Germans, Norwegians, and Swedes warming up around me, but then I remind myself how amazing it is that I just get to compete against these girls and experience racing at this level. My nerves begin to settle and I just get excited.”

Unlike Caldwell, Storey, a 19-year-old sophomore, competed in this event last year (and placed 32nd in Nove Mesto), which made her more comfortable with the race format. Regardless, she wrote that her warmup was pretty unorganized and hectic because of the races’ delay of an hour due to continuous snowfall.

After Storey, Nichole Bathe (University of Alaska-Fairbanks) placed 47th, Stephanie Kirk (University of Vermont) was 52nd and Maggie Williams (University of Vermont) placed 59th.

Eirik Augdal (12) and Evgeniy Vakhrushev (18) at the front of the pack in the men’s 20 k skiathlon at Junior World Championships on Friday in Val di Fiemme, Italy. (Photo: FlyingPointRoad.com/Proceeds go to the National Nordic Foundation)

On the junior men’s side, Russia dominated yet again as Alexey Chervotkin and Evgeniy Vakhrushev took the lead in the classic part of the race. They were followed by France’s Jules Lapierre and Petr Knop of the Czech Republic.

Norway’s Eirik Sverdrup Augdal and Johan Hoel joined the lead pack after the transition zone, and formed a chase with the Russians. The Norwegians and Russians both finished with a solid day as Augdal won in 56:09.6, Chervotkin placed second, 10 seconds back, and Hoel took third, 1.3 seconds later.

Russia had four in the top nine with Vakhrushev placing seventh, Evgeniy Grigoriev in eighth and Alexander Bakanov in ninth.

While Caldwell was the lone North American in the top 39, Americans Adam Martin (Central Cross Country) placed 40th and John Hegman (University of Vermont) was 59th.

Scott Hill (NDC Thunder Bay) led the Canadian men in 51st, Ricardo Izquierdo-Bernier (Fondeurs Laurentides) was 57th, Alexis Dumas (Skibec) 60th, and Benjamin Wilkinson-Zan (Nakkertok) 68th.

Results: Women | Men

January 31, 2014
Diggins Charges to Second in U23 Freestyle Sprint, Bjornsen Leads U.S. Men

Jessie Diggins (U.S. Ski Team) skiing to first in the qualification round of Wednesday’s freestyle sprint at U23 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. She finished second overall in the finals, a best-ever finish at U23 World Championships. (Photo: FlyingPointRoad.com/Proceeds go to the National Nordic Foundation)

Jessie Diggins once again demonstrated that she’s a skier with a lot of heart at the 2014 U23 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. On the same course where she earned a historic gold in the World Championship team sprint with Kikkan Randall in 2013, the 22-year-old was once again the talk of Lago di Tesero as she powered through the rounds of the 1.2 k freestyle sprint.

With perfect conditions blessing the quaint Italian village of Tesero, Diggins started the day with a blistering pace that was boosted her to top of the field in qualification. Continuing to build confidence and speed, she just kept going.

Deciding to go hard from the sound of the gun, Diggins sped to the front of the pack in her quarterfinal, semifinal, and the A-final en route to her silver medal. Although she breezed through her quarterfinal, the semifinal proved more challenging.

Jessie Diggins (l) was second in Wednesday’s freestyle sprint at the U23 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. She was joined by Germany’s Elisabeth Schicho (c) and hometown skier Giulia Stuerz (r). (Photo: Gerry Furseth)

Trying to save energy, the Minnesota native relaxed at the top of the main hill, allowing her competitors to step in behind her, draft, and then slingshot around her into the finish. She finished third in her heat, hopeful that the other semifinal would be slower.

Fortunately for Diggins, her heat was significantly faster and she was the first lucky loser into the A-final.

Diggins knew that in order to perform well in the final, she needed to learn from her previous mistakes and take her strengths into account. “In the final I knew that I hadn’t been skiing the finishing lanes very well today but if I could tire people out, that was going to be my chance to win it,” said Diggins in an interview.

Tire them out she did. One by one her competitors dropped until it was just Elisabeth Schicho of Germany who clung to the heels of the charging American.

Coming down the hill, Schicho blew by Diggins and after that the German “just skied off.”

Despite being unable to hold her lead, Diggins was extremely happy with best ever finish at a Junior or U23 World Championships.

Diggins’ main goal was to make the heats and have fun in the process. After coming off a large training week, Diggins was fatigued and she knew she wasn’t at her best. Despite her tiredness, there were valuable lessons to gain from the sprint.

“It was so good to practice dealing with pressure and use this as a tune up race to get more experience,” she said “All I wanted to do was to make the final, get the experience, and get the tactical practice.”

Annie Pokorny (SMST2) skiing in the qualification round of Wednesday’s freestyle sprint at the U23 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. Pokorny finished 28th, a career-best international result. (Photo: FlyingPointRoad.com/NNF)

Roughly a week and a half out of Sochi, it certainly didn’t hurt the U.S. Ski Team member to receive a confirmation that she can ski well even when she isn’t feeling up to par.

“This has been a great confidence booster going into Sochi knowing that when I hit my peak I’ll have more energy. Gaining the experience of skiing through to the finals has really great for me because it’s been so long since I’ve been in finals.”

The freestyle sprint is Diggins only race at the U23 World Championships, and she will return to train with the U.S. Ski Team to prepare for the Olympic Games in Russia.

The only other American to make the heats was Annie Pokorny (SMST2) who earned her best international result to-date after qualifying 28^th and finishing in the same position.

“When we woke up, the valley was sunny for the first time since we arrived, so I had a feeling that, whether for me or my teammates, today would be a good day,” said the Spokane, Washington native in an email. “Today was my first time starting an international championship sprint, so I focused most on keeping myself calm before the qualifier. I’ve been focusing more on sprinting this year, and wanted my races to speak to that.”

Rounding out the American women’s results were Elizabeth Guiney (Craftsbury GRP) who finished 39th and Mackenzie Kanady (UAA) who placed 40th.

In the U23 men’s 1.5 k two Americans cracked the top 20. Erik Bjornsen of the U.S. Ski Team and Tyler Kornfield of APU finished 18^th and 19^th after finishing fourth in each of their heats.

Erik Bjornsen (U.S. Ski Team) in the qualification round of the freestyle sprint at the 2014 U23 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. Bjornsen finished 25th in qualification and 18th in the finals. (Photo: Flyingpointroad.com/Proceeds go to the National Nordic Foundation)

Bjornsen who is also headed to Sochi in the coming weeks wasn’t pleased with his result, but viewed it as a learning experience.

“The two guys that won my heat ended up going 2-3 in the final so that’s a good sign. I took some notes on how I think I can improve, for now I will put those in the safe and try to just focus on tomorrow,” said Bjornsen, who won the 15 k classic at U.S. Nationals earlier this month. “I know that tomorrow is another great opportunity to have a good result.”

Unlike Diggins, Bjornsen isn’t treating the Championships as a tune up for Sochi. Instead he plans on racing as he normally would, aiming to earn his best results in the two distance races.

A two-time classic sprint national champion in 2010 and 2012, Kornfield was excited that this was his first time qualifying for the heats in the three years that he’s been to the Junior/U23 World Championships.

“I am definitely happy to be in the mix, but I know that I am capable of more. There were portions of the course that I was dead even with the field, but it was when I got boxed in that I lost time,” he said. “I may have had better days over the past few weeks, but I felt like my fitness did not hold me back today.”

Ben Saxton (SMST2) finished just outside of the top 30 in 33rd. He was followed by Benjamin Lustgarten (Middlebury) in 48th.

In the junior men’s 1.5 k Cole Morgan was the only American to advance to the heats, after qualifying in 14th position. Morgan, who ended his day in 17th, was motivated by his good qualification result because it showed him that he “could be competitive in the rounds.”

The University of Vermont skier had only raced internationally once before Wednesday’s race, but didn’t let the advanced level of competition get to his head. “I don’t like to think of international racing as anything different,” he wrote in an email. “Regardless who is racing you just have to go out there and race your own race. Getting hung up on where the other skiers are from is only going to hurt your chances.”

Patrick Caldwell (SMS) followed Morgan in 39th. Jack Hegman (UVM) and Thomas O’Harra (APU) were 53rd and 54th.

The American junior women were unable to place any of their starters in the top 30. The top finisher was Stephanie Kirk (UVM) finishing 36th. She was followed by Marion Woods (AWS), Sloan Storey (UU), and Nicole Bathe (UAF) in 51st, 54th, and 56th.

The Americans will continue racing in Val di Fiemme Thursday with the 10 k and 15 k classic for the U23 skiers.

U23 Women’s Freestyle Sprint Results

U23 Men’s Freestyle Sprint Results

Junior Women’s Freestyle Sprint Results

Junior Men’s Freestyle Sprint Results

January 29, 2014
Junior Nationals: Miller Surprises Norwegians in J1 Sprint; Blanchet & Gesior Notch Gold

Intermountain’s Annika Miller of Payette Lakes (r) takes on Lotta Weng (6) and her Norwegian teammates in Thursday’s J1 girls freestyle sprint A-final at the 2013 Junior Nationals in Fairbanks, Alaska. (Photo: bertboyer.zenfolio.com. Proceeds go to NNF)

(Via jn2013fairbanks.us)

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Spectators watching halfway through the Junior 1 national championship girls sprint race on Thursday must have wondered whether three Norwegians were on their way to a sweep.

At that point, twins Tiril and Lotta Weng seemed in control, while fellow Norwegian Lisa Kvamme trailed slightly and American Annika Miller fought to stay close.

The next time spectators in the Birch Hill Recreation Area stadium spotted the skiers one tough climb and several hundred meters later, many must have been shocked to see Miller en route to a clear win at the U.S. Cross Country Junior Nationals.

“I really wanted to (win). I was like ‘You know, the U.S. needs to be on top today,’ ” said Miller of Team Intermountain, whose win was no fluke considering that she finished the qualifying round in first as well.

But keeping up with the Norwegians, who competed as guests and are not eligible to claim U.S. Championship medals, was no easy task.

“I was really worried coming up that first hill because they were just hammering,” Miller said.

Miller, from McCall, Idaho, quietly stalked the Norwegians and then charged past them on the final East Ramp uphill.

“I was kind of neck-and-neck with them coming up the last hill and then just off the top they just didn’t have enough left, I guess,” Miller said. “And so I hammered the top and hoped they didn’t have too much of a draft and just went for it.”

It was a risky strategy that could have backfired had the Norwegians hopped in Miller’s slipstream and slingshotted past her at the bottom of the hill leading into the flat finishing stretch.

Instead Miller won going away in 3 minutes, 4.14 seconds. Tiril Weng was runner-up a half-second behind, Lotta Weng placed third and Kvamme finished a distant fourth.

The other two skiers in the A Final, Marion Woods of Alaska and Zoe Snow of New England, placed fifth and sixth, respectively, but won the U.S. silver and bronze medals.

Hannah Halvorsen (Sugar Bowl Academy) leads New England’s Julia Kern (l) and Alaska’s Lydia Blanchet (r) in Thursday’s J2 girls freestyle sprint A-final at the 2013 Junior Nationals in Fairbanks, Alaska. Blanchet went on to win, Kern was second and Halvorsen placed third. (Photo: bertboyer.zenfolio.com)

In the J2 girls race, Lydia Blanchet of Anchorage could hardly believe she won.

“It just hadn’t crossed my mind that I could be a sprint champion,” said Blanchet, who considers herself more of a distance skier.

That Blanchet, the 2013 Alaska High School Skimeister, would top Julie Kern of New England seemed improbable, given that Kern was the defending J2 sprint champion and won Thursday’s qualifying round.

Blanchet grabbed the lead halfway through the 1-kilometer course with a nifty move on the inside of a tight corner. She held off Kern by 0.46 seconds and was never seriously threatened on the homestretch.

“I knew (Kern) was there. It wasn’t until I looked around and didn’t see anyone’s shadow that I kind of started realizing that ‘Oh my gosh, I might be able to win this race,” Blanchet said. “To pull this one off is just a good confidence boost for me.”

Hannah Halvorsen edged New England teammate Leah Lange to win bronze.

In girls OJ, Felicia Gesior credited her fast skis.

Clearly her talent had plenty to do with the decisive victory that gave Great Lakes its first gold medal of the championships.

Gesior, who competes for Northern Michigan University, placed 11th in the same race a year ago at Soldier Hollow, Utah. This time she and Stephanie Kirk of Alaska, the top two qualifiers, broke away from the pack early on. Gesior bided her time just behind Kirk for half the race, then blew past her on the final climb of the 1.25-kilometer course.

“Once I was gone, I kind of went,” Gesior said.

As Gesior powered through a stiff headwind on the finishing straight, Kirk struggled home 5.75 seconds later. Celia Haering of Alaska took bronze.

Complete results

Felicia Gesior (Great Lakes) leads Alaska’s Stephanie Kirk in the OJ girls freestyle sprint A-final at 2013 Junior Nationals in Fairbanks, Alaska. (Photo: bertboyer.zenfolio.com)

For more photos from 2013 Junior Nationals, visit bertboyer.zenfolio.com. Proceeds go to the National Nordic Foundation (NNF).

March 15, 2013
Junior Nationals: Fairbanks Skiers Anchor OJ Relay Victories

Alaska’s Celia Haering (APU) gets out in front early in the OJ girls 3 x 3.3 k relay on Tuesday at 2013 Junior Nationals in Fairbanks, Alaska. Alaska went on to win, ahead of Intermountain in second and Rocky Mountain in third. (Photo: bertboyer.zenfolio.com. All proceeds go to NNF)

(Via jn2013fairbanks.us)

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Hannah Boyer and Logan Hanneman got to experience something rare and special on Tuesday: a clinching anchor leg on their home trails for a national championship.

Hannah Boyer (NSCF-FXC) anchoring her Alaska OJ girls relay to a victory at 2013 Junior Nationals in Fairbanks, Alaska. (Photo: bertboyer.zenfolio.com)

Boyer, a Fairbanks native now skiing at Northern Michigan University, and Hanneman, who competes across town for the University of Alaska Fairbanks, each helped Team Alaska win gold in the Older Junior divisions of the 3X3-kilometer classic sprint at Birch Hill Recreation Area.

And they did so in front of family and friends on the trails they’ve been skiing since they were kids.

“It was pretty awesome,” Boyer said.

Teammates Celia Haering and Stephanie Kirk made Boyer’s job easier by springing her to a 37-second lead over the nearest OJ team, though there were closer J1 squads in pursuit and the Norwegian guest J1 team ahead.

“Normally I don’t have a big gap like that,” Boyer said, adding that she nevertheless felt a bit of pressure to hold the advantage.

And being ahead isn’t exactly a cakewalk.

“It’s definitely more challenging when you can’t tell what’s going on behind,” Boyer said.

Boyer wound up 1:16 ahead of runner-up Intermountain. Rocky Mountain edged Alaska #3 for the bronze medal.

The boys race was much closer, with Alaska’s Forrest Mahlen, Vanya Rybkin and Hanneman topping Team Midwest by almost 13 seconds in 28:00.6.

Midwest anchor Ben Saxton actually skied 18 seconds faster than Hanneman but inherited too large of a deficit to catch him.

“We wanted to give (Hanneman) as much leeway as possible on that third leg,” said Mahlen, adding that Hanneman wasn’t on fresh legs after competing at the recent NCAA Skiing Championships.

Alaska also had extra motivation to topple the Norwegian J1 guest squad.

Alaska Pacific University’s Forrest Mahlen (r) helping his OJ boys 3 x 3.3 k relay to gold on Tuesday at 2013 Junior Nationals in Fairbanks, Alaska. (Photo: bertboyer.zenfolio.com)

“We definitely wanted to beat the Norwegians. They kind of showed us up yesterday,” said Mahlen, who participated in the Norwegian Junior Championships last month.

Alaska accomplished that mission as Norway finished in 28:13.1.

But Saxton, the Midwest anchor, left disappointed as he was outlunged by Norwegian anchor Mattis Stenshagen by .1 seconds. Stenshagen came from behind, changed lanes in the final 10 meters and nipped Saxton in a photo finish.

“I put a hurt into him on that last uphill,” said Saxton, who also made the trip to Norwegian Juniors and got to know Stenshagen there. “(But) I let up on the homestretch. I thought I had a bigger lead. … That’s a lesson I’m not going to forget.”

Complete results

For more photos from 2013 Junior Nationals, visit bertboyer.zenfolio.com. Proceeds go to the National Nordic Foundation (NNF).

March 13, 2013
Junior Nationals: Norway Impresses while Alaska, New England Girls Sweep

Norway’s Tiril Weng (NTG Lillehammer) on her way to winning the opening race at 2013 Junior Nationals, the J1/OJ girls 5 k freestyle, on Monday in Fairbanks, Alaska. (Photo: bertboyer.zenfolio.com/f490643483. All proceeds go to NNF)

(Via www.jn2013fairbanks.us)

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Alaska and New England each achieved a sweep in the opening girls races at the U.S. Cross Country Junior Nationals ski championships.

Double take: J1/OJ girls runner-up Lotta Weng of Norway during Monday’s 5 k freestyle at 2013 Junior Nationals in Fairbanks, Alaska. (Photo: bertboyer.zenfolio.com/f490643483)

Norway, despite owning the day’s most dominant performances, couldn’t quite get a sweep of its own on Monday.

While Norwegian twins Tiril and Lotta Weng blew away the competition in the 5-kilometer interval-start freestyle (with Tiril winning in 14:19.2, more than a minute ahead of the top American), their NTG Lillehammer teammate Lisa Kvamme was nipped by an American in the Junior 1 division. That prevented the Scandinavians from repeating the performance of their male teammates earlier in the day.

But in the Older Junior division, Alaskans Stephanie Kirk, Sarah Freistone and Hannah Boyer ruled the podium.

“All three of us have come back from our colleges,” said Kirk, a freshman at the University of Vermont. “It’s been fun reuniting with friends in the hotel and hanging out, but to be able to reunite on the podium, too, that was just pretty amazing.”

In J2, New England’s Katharine Ogden, Julia Kern and Leah Brams took the top three spots. Ogden, one of the final finishers, snatched victory from defending J2 champion Kern by 1.6 seconds in 15:35.7.

Spectators, athletes and coaches crowded around a large flat-screen monitor that provided near-instant results in the sunlit stadium.

Katharine Ogden (Stratton Mountain School) racing to a J2 girls victory in Monday’s 5 k freestyle opener at the 2013 Junior Nationals in Fairbanks, Alaska. (Photo: bertboyer.zenfolio.com/f490643483)

“One of my coaches told me,” Ogden said. “I was so excited because it was a sweep and amazing.”

But the most amazing performances were reserved for the Wengs, who easily bested skiers up to three years older. Tiril Weng was 17.9 seconds faster than sister Lotta’s mark and 1:01 speedier than Kirk, the OJ winner.

“The track was different from Norway,” Tiril Weng said. “The downhill was much more corners. (I had no problem) but it was scary.”

The Wengs are not related to current World Cup standout Heidi Weng but they also seem destined to make a future mark on the international stage.

“Lotta and Tiril are (among) the five best juniors in Norway and they are only 16 years old,” Team Norway head coach Per Ola Gasmann said.

Kirk, who had never before cracked the top 10 at Junior Nationals, was impressed.

“It’s cool that Norwegians could compete with us,” she said. “It kind of also humbles you a little bit knowing that there’s always going to be someone faster, but it also motivates us.”

Alayna Sonnesyn of Midwest (15:20.8) prevented a Norwegian sweep in J1 by skiing 4.5 seconds faster than Norway’s Kvamme.

Because Norwegians are ineligible for medals and team points, Annika Miller of Intermountain was second in J1 in the U.S. standings and Katrin Larusson of Far West placed third.

The younger J1 skiers showed their mettle by tallying six of the first seven spots in the combined J1/OJ results.

“That just shows the future has good potential with all those younguns,” Kirk said.

Stephanie Kirk (Alaska Winter Stars), the top OJ and third overall in Monday’s 5 k freestyle at 2013 Junior Nationals in Fairbanks, Alaska. (Photo: bertboyer.zenfolio.com/f490643483)

Results | Boys recap

For more photos from 2013 Junior Nationals, visit bertboyer.zenfolio.com. Proceeds go to the National Nordic Foundation (NNF).

March 12, 2013
At “Biggest Race of Their Lives,” Juniors Face Tough Lessons At Altitude

Stephanie Kirk (USA) being helped by U.S. wax tech Eric Pepper after dropping out of Friday’s skiathlon at World Juniors. Photo: Terje Alstad.

At 5,700 feet above sea level, the Kandilli Nordic Ski Center in Erzurum, Turkey has presented World Junior competitors with some of the most painful racing they’ve ever experienced. As became clear from the depth of Russia’s dominant results—a team that took a two-week altitude camp in Bulgaria prior this week’s racing—acclimation to altitude has played a major role in the outcome of World Juniors and U23s, for all levels of athletes.

In more than one race, skiers were forced to drop out due to sheer exhaustion. In Friday’s skiathlon, one such athlete was American junior Stephanie Kirk.

Kirk is a resident of sea-level Anchorage, Alaska, and the Erzurum championships are essentially the first races the 17-year-old has ever skied at altitude. During both Wednesday’s 5 k classic and Friday’s 10 k skiathlon, Kirk experienced a severe shortness of breath that left her gasping for air.

On Wednesday she made it through the finish, but immediately had to be administered oxygen in an on-site ambulance. Friday’s race was twice as long, and Kirk said she was too oxygen-deprived to finish.

“I went out too fast on Wednesday for altitude, so today I tried to be more conservative,” said Kirk on Friday afternoon. “But it almost didn’t make a difference. I was still feeling more short of breath, but not in a normal way.”

Just before collapsing, Kirk appeared unsteady on her feet as she skated up the steep hill out of the stadium in the second half of the race. U.S. wax techs Casey Fagerquist and Eric Pepper were standing close by, and Fagerquist stepped in to pull the struggling Kirk off the course.

A French skier being carried off the course in a stretcher after her leg in the women’s relay on Sunday.

“I’m not sure I would have made it much further, to be honest, as there wasn’t a downhill recovery coming up,” said Kirk. “I was definitely having trouble just moving, though I did know where I was—I wasn’t unconscious.”

“There wasn’t much to gain from finishing. Ultimately, when Casey grabbed me, I was just, like, dead.”

Kirk has had trouble with her breathing in races before, but her reaction to the cold and altitude has not been uncommon this week.

Matt Boobar, one of the U.S. junior coaches in Erzurum, empathized with the experience of learning so many new things on the biggest possible stage.

“They’re learning on the fly at the biggest race of their lives,” he said. “It’s great, but also frustrating.”

Altitude isn’t the only new factor athletes are contending with. “It’s how to wax, what skis to pick, pacing at altitude. And the level of competition is an eye-opener for these guys,” said Boobar.

This is also the first race many of the American juniors have traveled to without their own coaches by their sides.

“It’s a great lesson to learn though…the way our pipeline is set up, it’s good to learn to be independent, learn to go with the flow,” said Boobar.

Kjell Vegard Mykland (left), the Norwegian ski team doctor.

Norway’s team doctor, Kjell Vegard Mykland, is travelling with their junior squad this week, and explained that especially in young women, the combination of cold and low oxygen can cause the cartilage in the bronchial tubes to collapse during the extreme exertion of a race.

“When you pressure your respiratory system to the max—to beyond the max—it’s like breathing through a straw,” said Mykland.

Mykland is unfamiliar with Kirk’s specific case, and the potential physiological mechanisms at play are many and complicated. However, the essential point is that without allowing for around two weeks of acclimation to high altitude prior to competition, the body has trouble adjusting to the thinner air in the middle of a race.

The 2012 Junior World Championships are the first to be held as high as 5,700 feet, so the experience is new for the Norwegian juniors as well.

“It’s a bit unfair, I think,” said Norway’s team physiotherapist Petter Treider.

“Those athletes who live at high altitude do well, while those who live at low elevation will struggle,” he continued. “It comes down to economy—who can spend the money to spend three weeks at high altitude.”

Treider and Mykland acknowledged that Norway has more than enough funds to have a pre-championships altitude camp with their juniors and U23s, as Russia and Estonia did prior to arriving in Erzurum.

Athletes often lay on the ground for minutes after crossing the finish line this week.

Unlike the Russians, the Norwegian team staff is focused on long-term development, and thinks the opportunity for juniors to gain experience is more important than medals at World Juniors, and chose not to have an altitude pre-camp.

“It’s probably why we haven’t had the same results here that we’re used to,” Mykland acknowledged. “If these were the main goal of their careers, we’d take some victories. But it’s not. It’s a good experience for them—it doesn’t matter if they’re number three or four as long as they’re good when they’re 25, 26 years old.”

Long stretches of time training at altitude can also do more harm than good for athletes in the long term, said Mykland.

“We see some athletes, when they’re young, not willing to take it easy enough at altitude,” he explained. “They get ill, they get overtrained. It’s just too risky—they’re not experienced enough, and [World Juniors] is not that important for them.”

“We’re also in a position that we are able to think this way,” Mykland continued. “We don’t need to have our best juniors here. We have the privilege to think this way—in the long term, not the short term.”

Likewise, the U.S. team opted not to have an altitude camp prior to World Juniors, deciding instead to arrive in Europe early to hop in some Scandinavian Cup races.

“We thought about having an altitude camp,” said the U.S. Ski Team development coach Bryan Fish. “We opted to do some Scando Cup races instead, reasoning that it was important to provide more racing experience.”

No matter how frustrating not finishing is, Fish emphasized that every race at this level presented a learning opportunity—that this is the whole point of World Juniors in the development pipeline.

“This is Worlds, this is no joke,” said Fish. “We try to bring our best athletes here and provide them with the opportunity to elevate their level of racing against other athletes around the world. We just have to keep that in mind.”

This year is the first World Junior Championships that many of the U.S. junior athletes have ever been to. The age category goes up to 19 years old, but all of the American women, for example, are still seniors in high school.

For every race that doesn’t meet an athlete’s expectations, Fish believes it’s still a valuable learning tool.

“It might not have been perfect, but in every situation you can come out and say, ‘That was tough, but I learned something from it,’” said Fish.

Back in the hotel after Friday’s skiathlon, Kirk said she was trying to move past the experience and learn from it what she could.

“I know all this will come in handy later on, having practiced [altitude racing],” said Kirk. “Yeah, it’s a bummer it had to be here…but it’s got to happen somewhere.”

“I just try to keep learning.”

February 27, 2012
Nilsson Charges Down Homestretch to Take Sprint Victory in Erzurum

Sweden's Stina Nilsson at the front of the women's final in Erzurum, Turkey today.

ERZURUM, Turkey — Stina Nilsson (SWE) trained all summer for the World Juniors sprint, and on Monday she got what she’d worked for with her victory at the Kandilli Nordic Ski Center. She led a 1-2-4 Swedish team performance in the freestyle sprint, which exceeded ever their coaches’ expectations. Jonna Sundling (SWE) was fourth.

Unlike the men’s sprint outcome, which featured a repeat winner, Nilsson came from a 12th-place showing in the classic sprint at the 2011 championships in Otepaa, Estonia. She was jubilant as she crossed the finish line, having come from behind Switzerland’s Christa Jaeger and her own teammate Evelina Settlin (SWE) to take the lead in the final straightaway. Settlin finished as the runner-up and Jaeger faded to third.

“I was confident in my ability to ski strong in the final meters, so when at the top of the last hill I was near the front, I knew it would be very hard for me to be beaten,” said a radiant Nilsson in the post-race press conference.

“I am very happy; I trained all summer for this and now it has paid off.”

Her teammate Settlin was equally pleased with her podium finish. Both women pointed to strong team chemistry as a significant contributor to their success on Monday.

As they waited for the flower ceremony to begin immediately following the race, the Swedish coaches said they were pleasantly surprised with the strength in their girls’ performance. Two on the podium they expected, but not another one in fourth. The results have them excited for the women’s relay later this week.

Noticeably absent from the top of the results in their usual numbers was Norway—their first and only qualifier was Hilde Losgaard Landheim, who qualified in 10th and ended up finishing fifth.

“They were had a little bit of a bad day today,” sad Brit Baldishol, one of the Norwegian coaches, offering no excuse.

Racing Ends for U.S. in Qualifier

This World Junior trip is the first for every one of the U.S. women. Though none of the Americans advanced to the heats, they were eager to use it as a learning experience for the rest of the championships.

Corey Stock was the first American finisher in 41st, 5.0 seconds out of the top 30 and 13.99 seconds behind Jaeger’s winning qualifying time.

Stock said she hadn’t set out for the sprint with any particular outcome goals, as this is her first European trip.

“I’m taking each race one at a time,” she said. “I was really excited for today, I’ll be really excited for Wednesday and Friday.”

“You know, I didn’t know what to expect—what comes, will come. I’m mainly thinking about process goals, like technique and transitions—that really helps me rather than outcome goals, since I didn’t really know what to expect.”

In preparation for the sprint, Stock practiced the transitions on Sunday during training.

“The course started out with the main hill at the beginning, so that was interesting, strategy-wise, being at altitude and trying to not going too hart at the beginning, but not too easy,” she explained.

Emily Hannah, whose home club in Steamboat Springs, Colo. has her more used to racing at altitude than others, was 49th (+16.19).

“I guess I’m more used to it, but it still hurts,” she said.

She felt that her quickness was there for the sprint, but thought she lacked the power each stroke needed to master the course in Kindalli, which reminds her of the sprint course at Soldier Hollow.

“Once you get to the top, it’s all about being powerful and smooth all the way through—there wasn’t any rest, and on the downhills the fastest girls were freeskating,” said Hannah.

Going into the sprint, qualifying was in the back of her mind, but since she “didn’t make that happen,” her takeaway was that it was a learning experience to apply to the rest of the championships.

Hannah was most looking forward to the pursuit on Friday. Though she’s only done one in practice, “I’m really excited for that one, it should be fun,” she said.

Stephanie Kirk was less than a second behind Hannah in 51st (+16.84). Like all of the other U.S. junior girls, this is her first World Juniors experience. Lining up for the sprint qualifier, she admitted to some nerves.

“I was kind of excited slash intimidated,” she said. “I think nerves kind of work for you, but once you start racing, you should be relaxed, and that’s hard in a sprint race.”

Once she got going out on the course, Kirk was passed by the girl who started behind 15 seconds behind her.

“I was like, ‘Whoa, this is not like racing in the U.S.,’ said Kirk. However, she’s “definitely a lot more motivated and ready for Wednesday.”

Mary O’Connell was the fourth American finisher on Monday in 58th, and her reaction after the sprint was over was similar to Kirk’s—“Wow, that was harder than I was expecting,” she said.

The juniors have the day off of racing tomorrow. Competition resumes in Kindalli at 10:00 am EET with on Tuesday with the U23 sprint qualifier, followed by the heats at 12:00 pm EET.

World Juniors women's top podium (l to r): Evelina Settlin (SWE) 2nd place, Stina Nilsson (SWE) 1st place and Christa Jaeger (SUI) 3rd place.

February 20, 2012