Skiers race the heats at the SMC skate sprint (photo courtesy of flyingpointroad.com).
Bates Carnival
The Carnival season started off with a snowy yet soggy beginning in Rumford, Maine. With only a 2.5 km snowmaking loop available for the racecourse and not enough snow to set tracks, skiers competed in a double skate weekend.
Teams from UVM and UNH showed the circuit what they had to offer for the rest of the season, with star skiers Ben Ogden and Jasmine Lyons placing first for their teams on Friday. The energy was high despite the rainy weather and set the stage for a great season to come.
Skiers of the Week: Shea Brams (Middlebury), Ben Ogden (UVM)
Ben Ogden (UVM) and Keelan Durham (Williams) battle it out at the Bates Carnival (photo courtesy of flyingpointroad.com).
St. Mikes Carnival
After low snow forced the Purple Knights to change the venue to Rikert, St. Michael’s hosted an exciting skate sprint and a mass-start 15 km classic.
UVM and Middlebury women showed their dominance in the final heat of the sprint, with Waverly Gebhardt (UVM) and Haley Brewster (UVM) taking first and second. Middlebury men went 2nd, 4th, and 5th to claim the win, with UVM following in second.
In the 15 km mass start, skiers got a chance to flex their classic skills and attempt the first long race of the season. Emma Strack, a sophomore from St. Lawrence, took second – a historic result for the program.
Skiers of the Week: Waverly Gebhardt (UVM), Jacob Nystedt (UVM)
Gaelan Boyle-Wight (SMC) and Sam Murray (Middlebury) racing the 10km classic at the St. Mikes Carnival (photo courtesy of flyingpointroad.com).
UNH Carnival
A snowy and sunny weekend in Jackson, New Hampshire, was a refreshing start to real winter in the East. With both men and women racing a 5 km lap of the course, racers needed to bring their A-game right out of the starting gate to place well.
Jacob Nystedt (UVM) placed first in the event, foreshadowing many top results to come in the remainder of the season. Keelan Durham (Williams) skied to a career second-best of fourth, one of the best results the program has seen in the past few years. Lucinda Anderson (UNH) won the women’s event, leading her team to the overall win.
Matous Matousek (Colby) racing the skate sprint at SMC (photo courtesy of flyingpointroad.com).
For the 20 km mass start classic event, skiers raced four laps of the 5 km lap. Finn Sweet (UVM) returned from the World University Games to place second. Zach Nemeth (Colby) placed 3rd for a monumental season result for the Mules. Middlebury women won as a team, led by first-year Shea Brams who won the individual competition. UVM first-year Molly Moening placed third with a season-best result.
Skiers of the Week: Amelia Tucker (Harvard), Finn Sweet (UVM)
Thursday training days always begin the EISA weekends (photo courtesy of flyingpointroad.com).
Harvard Carnival
Starting off rainy and wet, conditions in Dublin, New Hampshire, held up well for the Valentine’s Day weekend. Skiers completed a 10 km classic race on a 5 km loop and many had not skied the full course prior to the races.
Ava Thurston (Dartmouth), returned from Junior Worlds to make a splash on the Carnival scene, winning the event. Remí Drolet also returned from representing Canada on the world stage to win the men’s event for Harvard. Dartmouth men skied strong, with Luke Allan (2nd) and John Steel Hagenbuch (4th) taking several top spots. Willson Moore and Shea Brams (Middlebury) placed third.
The podium at the Bates Carnival. Left to right: Ava Thurston (Dartmouth), Jasmine Lyons (UNH), and Shea Brams (Middlebury) (photo courtesy of flyingpointroad.com).
Sunny conditions blessed Dublin for the 3x 5km relay, an EISA favorite. UVM edged out Dartmouth for the win on the men’s side in a race to the finish, and Waverly Gebhardt (UVM) made up a 30 second lead to take the lead over Middlebury on the last leg.
Skiers of the Week: Ava Thurston (Dartmouth), Remí Drolet (Harvard)
Mia Vinding (Bowdoin) and Tali Wong (Harvard) race the 10 km skate at the SMC Carnival (photo courtesy of flyingpointroad.com).
Williams Carnival
EISA skiers were greeted with a wet and soggy Friday at Prospect Mountain in Woodford, Vermont. The Williams team was excited to host their first Carnival since 2018 despite the horrendous conditions (that were soon forgotten by the glorious day on Saturday).
Remí Drolet (Harvard) took the win with Scott Schulz (UNH) in second. Ava Thurston (Dartmouth) won for the women.
Charlotte Ogden (Middlebury) debuting as a drowned rat at the Williams Carnival (photo courtesy of David Brams).
Saturday was clear and cold. Due to the flash-freeze, the course was moved to a flatter, less treacherous route. John Steel Hagenbuch (Dartmouth) won the men’s event, with Lucinda Anderson (UNH) winning for the women.
Skiers of the Week: Lucinda Anderson (UNH), John Steel Hagenbuch (Dartmouth)
Quinn Wilson (Williams) leads a downhill pack during the SMC 10 km classic (photo courtesy of flyingpointroad.com).
SLU Regionals
The final course of the season could not have been more different than the weekend prior. Racing at Mt. Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid, New York, skiers described this course as one of the hardest in the region, if not the country. Athletes were excited to get a chance to practice on the same course as NCAAs.
It wasn't always easy... the Rikert mass start claimed several unsuspecting victims this season (photo courtesy of flyingpointroad.com).
Lucinda Anderson (UNH) took the win in the women’s 5 km event and Haley Brewster (UVM) placed second. John Steel Hagenbuch (Dartmouth), and Jacob Nystedt (UVM) placed first and second.
For the 20 km classic, Ava Thurston (Dartmouth) took the win with Haley Brewster (UVM) again placing second. Hagenbuch and Nystedt took second and third. Logan Moore (Middlebury) took fifth. It was a difficult course to race a 20 km, and skiers were exhausted by the end.
Skiers of the Week: Ava Thurston (Dartmouth), John Steel Hagenbuch (Dartmouth)
Lucinda Anderson (UNH) and Emma Strack (St. Lawrence) share a post-race hug (photo courtesy of flyingpointroad.com).
Congratulations on a great season and here's to spring!
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