The 2018 EISA Nordic Season was set to begin on January 13th/14th at the Colby Carnival in Waterville, ME, but due to rainy weather conditions affecting the course, plans have changed. The 5K/10K individual classic race on the first day of competition was canceled. These conditions will also affect the second day of racing. The 10k/15k skate race on a 5k loop including both North and South Koons trail has been changed to a 5k/10K race with individual starts on a modified 2k loop on only the North Koons trail.
Despite the season just starting, many teams have already had access to on snow training due to the drop in temperatures and the “bomb cyclone” which dumped snow throughout the east coast. Many teams began on snow training at Thanksgiving and Christmas camps which took place in a range of locations throughout the country, from Foret Montmorency, QC, and Craftsbury, VT to Silver Star Mountain Resort in British Columbia. Prior to this weekend, some racers have already been competing in races such as the NENSA Eastern Cup Opener in Fort Kent which involved a 1.4K freestyle sprint and a 10K classic.
Most recently, various EISA racers ventured out to Anchorage, Alaska to compete against the best racers in the country in the 2018 US Cross Country Championship. The four days of competition included a 10K/15K Freestyle Race, a Freestyle Sprint Race, a 20K/30K Classic Race, and a Classic Sprint Race. On the men's side, Dartmouth pulled out some strong performances in the distance races, Gavin McEwan 26th in the 15K freestyle and Callan Deline 20th in the 30K Classic. Yet some of the breakout men's performances were in sprint races. Andrew Egger (Colby) notched a 10th place finish in the freestyle sprint and a 13th in the classic sprint, while Bill Harmeyer (UVM) grabbed a 12th place finish in the Men’s Freestyle Sprint.
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| Egger during the Freestyle Sprint at the 2018 Cross Country Championship (Photo - Michael Dinneen) |
On the women’s side, three EISA women notched an astounding ten top 20 results at the US Cross Country Championship over the four days of racing. Lauren Jortberg (Dartmouth) had three top 15 results, with her best being 11th in the freestyle sprint. Her teammate Lydia Blanchet grabbed four top 20 results, her best performance being 6th in the classic sprint, out of which she was the 2nd U-23 competitor. The third EISA woman being Alayna Sonnesyn who had three top 20 finishes, including a 6th place finish in the freestyle sprint, in which she was also the 2nd U-23 competitor. These high performances by both men and women in the EISA circuit set the tone for strong east coast competition during the 2018 season.
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| Jortberg and Blanchet competing in the U.S. Cross Country Championships (Photo - Zach Bassett) |
EISA skiers look to improve their results from last season before the 2018 NCAA championships being held on the west coast, hosted by the University of Colorado in Steamboat Springs, CO. Of the competitors of last year’s championship in Jackson, NH, 4 EISA athletes reaching all American status will return. This is a vast improvement from last year when the east only had one all American return. These athletes include Ian Moore (UVM) and Luke Brown (Dartmouth) on the men’s side and prior mentioned Lauren Jortberg (Dartmouth) and Alayna Sonnesyn (UVM). Alayna Sonnesyn was EISA’s only double all American in last years competitions as a junior, making her one to watch during her final senior season.
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| Sonnesyn at the 2017 NCAA's Award Ceremony (Photo - Steve Fuller Flying Point Road) |
Having top returners this season, as well as strong incoming competitors on both the UVM and Dartmouth rosters, will make for a good rivalry this season. UVM’s top competitors based on last years results include Cully Brown (SR), Ian Moore (JR), and Juri Miosga (SO). It will be these men who will go to head to head with Dartmouth’s Callan Deline (SR), Gavin McEwan (JR), and Luke Brown (SR). UVM’s powerhouse Alayna Sonnesyn and high performer Margie Freed will have tough competition from Dartmouth’s Abigail Drach, Lydia Blanchet, Lauren Jortberg, and Taryn Hunt-Smith who went 2,3,4,5, in last years overall EISA women’s rankings.
Among the notable newcomers, the U.S. Cross Country Ski D Team member, Katharine Ogden, will join Dartmouth’s women’s team, rounding out an already stacked team. For UVM, Freshman Lina Sutro has already proved to be a possible asset for their women’s team this season. She won the annual Thanksgiving camp time trial in Foret Montmorency in which various EISA teams compete, even edging out her fellow teammate Alayna Sonnesyn. For the men, Peter Wolter, who just placed 10th in the Junior category at the U.S. National Championships has joined Middlebury's team. Adam Glueck, coming off various strong performances at last years Junior nationals joined the Dartmouth team, giving both schools an extra edge.
As we draw closer to the first carnival, skiers are gunning for podium success for both themselves and their teams. The ultimate individual goal is to score high enough performances to gain a ticket to represent one's schools at the NCAA championships. There are various other schools with athletes who qualified for last years NCAA competition who are returning this year. These teams for the men's side include Williams, Colby, UNH, and Middlebury. For the women, the only other returner is UNH qualifier, Silje Wilson, due to UVM and Dartmouth making up the remaining chunk of returners.
Other EISA schools will focus on testing out the new dynamics of their teams and progressing throughout the 2018 seasons. Teams such as St. Lawrence, Colby College, Bates Collge, and Bowdoin College, show off large rosters with various newcomers, while schools such as Williams and Harvard bring seasoned performers to the races. Despite the various changes in the schedule of the first weekend of racing, it will still be very exciting to see the new and veteran performers kick off the second day of the 2018 EISA season. Good Luck to one and all!