The first day of the Williams Carnival featured individual start, 5KM/10KM classic races at Prospect Mountain in Woodford, VT. Both races were held on a 2.5KM loop, making women complete two loops and men four loops. Condition wise, it was a miracle to see what the Williams Volunteers pulled off with temperatures rising almost above 40 degrees. Racers applauded volunteers for what they made possible. Although the surrounding conditions appeared to be either ice or puddles of water, the course itself provided good coverage and was well groomed. The course included both steep climbs and technical downhills, making it a tough grind to the finish.
The Women’s race kicked off first at 10:30 AM after a 30-minute delay for further grooming. This race marked Katharine Ogden’s (DAR) third consecutive win, finishing the 5KM course in 16:06, ahead of runner-up Cate Brams (MID) in 16:39, and third place finisher Lydia Blanchet (DAR) in 16:44.
Ogden, who grew up skiing at Prospect mountain, really enjoyed the race course: “It was very fun to ski on a traditional course. Being able to just go out into the woods, twisting and turning, doing a lot of transitions, it was really fun.” Ogden commented that she “knew this was going to be a pretty technical course and that each second was going to be important since it was so short,” so her strategy was just to push from the start. Despite being a little nervous about the downhills, which were slightly “chewed up at the bottom,” and “hard to keep balance on,” Ogden shared, “I managed to stay on my feet the whole race so I’m pretty proud of that.” Ogden was one of many who battled against the downhills, although she persevered a fair amount of racers still wiped out during their races.
Runner-Up Cate Brams (MID) had a phenomenal race, this being her second podium finish of the season, both of which have been achieved under tough snow conditions, which she attributes to being a skier from Boston. Although she says that she’s not usually very good at pacing, her strategy was to just take the first lap steady and blow out the second lap: “I didn’t really feel like I was skiing very well the first half, and then I got a split that was kind of encouraging and realized I had a lot more to give, so I just tried to pin it to the second lap.” When asked about how she feels about the 2018 EISA season coming to a close, Brams commented, “It’s a little bit overwhelming and kind of surreal. I’m a senior so its very weird to think that this chapter of my life is going to come to a close, but it’s awesome to have a team that’s so supportive and so excited. So I’m just happy to be here.”
Third Place finisher Lydia Blanchet (DAR) was excited to return to EISA circuit after competing in Goms, Switzerland at Junior World Championships and being sick last weekend. Blanchet was very positive about her race and the conditions themselves, “These trails are really fun. It was a little slushy but great snow coverage and the folks at prospect did a pretty incredible job pulling these races off for what they were dealt.” When asked about the hardest part, Blanchet commented, “The second lap definitely hurt. Coming back through the stadium and back up that first steep hill was a little bit of a slap in the face but I think I did a good job of holding it together and skiing well.” Blanchet worked with teammates Ogden and Taryn Hunt-Smith (5th) to take first in the women’s team competition with 133 points. Middlebury Women had a great day, coming in second with 113 points, and UVM women came in third 111 points.
By the time the Men’s 10KM competition came around the conditions had significantly become more sloppy, but racers nonetheless commented that this just added to the fun. New faces topped the podium this week making it exciting as we draw closer to the NCAA Championships. Middlebury’s Sam Wood grabbed first, finishing the course in 29:45, ahead of teammate Lewis Nottonson (MID) in 29:47, and Dartmouth’s Callan DeLine in 29:55.
Wood, was extremely happy with his race, commenting that there were some “good climbs” which he enjoys: “The strategy was to really keep it light and quick on those uphills while skiing with some pacing and definitely have a little left in the tank for that last lap. For me, looking at splits that’s really where it came together. I had a pretty quick last lap so I pretty happy with how the plan worked out.” In reaction to the season coming to an end, Wood commented that he was excited going into his home Carnival at Middlebury: “As a group, we’ve been definitely working at this for a long time. Kate and AJ as our coaches have been working so hard for this, so it’s awesome to see it coming together this late in the season. Hopefully, we can really put on a show for the home crowd in a week.”
Middlebury teammate and runner-up Lewis Nottonson was also happy with his race. He shared that despite the “soupy” conditions it was still pretty quick, which allowed him to pull together a good race. When asked about the toughest part of the course, Nottonson shared that “pushing over the top of the big climbs was really challenging.” Third Place Finisher Callan DeLine also commented positively on the conditions stating that “It was pretty sloppy out there but it’s fun skiing in spring conditions. It keeps you on your toes.” For DeLine the hardest part was the double poll section due to the high tempo in the men’s race. In the team competition, it was no surprise to see Middlebury men with assistance from Adam Luban (8th) sweep the podium with 130 points, Dartmouth coming in second with 108 points and UVM in third with 94 points.
Tomorrow on Day 2 of the Williams Carnival there has been a change in schedule. Due to snow conditions, the sprint heats have been changed to a prologue race which will feature a 3KM, individual start skate race for both men and women. Women will race at 10AM and Men at 11:15AM. Hope to see you all there!
Click here for some photos from Day 1!
Click here for some photos from Day 1!
