Justin Beckwith

Wow! On the eve of late a March snowstorm — with projected totals in some areas upwards of two feet — we can celebrate how fortuitous Jacob Huseby’s submission of #skiingbettertogether was for the New England Skiing Community.

We look forward to celebrating YOU — the entire NENSA Community at the Cochran’s Nordic X — Sunday, March 31st. Like a well placed fire, or “Snow Dance,” the magic from the whole season and recent Championship events is palpable. We owe a wink to our friends in the Midwest, who pulled off the impossible, with a surreal World Cup and the 50th edition of the American Birkebeiner.

That enthused the whole Nation.

Unfortunately the NENSA Spring Series to be held at Craftsbury has been cancelled.

Against weather odds — venues, clubs, teams, coaches, athletes, and parents made the 2024 Cross Country Ski season successful and fun! NENSA is just a mission statement without amazing partnership. To witness the visions of venues like: Mt Van Hoevenberg, Holderness, and Oak Hill come to fruition is nothing short of inspired. We are combatting Climate Change with a combination of impressive fundraising and grass roots efforts — indeed, perhaps the most successful snowmaking systems are primarily run by volunteers. #skiingbettertogether or more simply, we are skiing because we are working together.

As Kikkan Randall reminds us from Leah Davison, “Happiness is Fast!” There was probably no better illustration of that mantra then the efforts of athletes and clubs coming together at the Junior National Championships in our home region last week. Team New England brought home the Alaska Cup for the 16th time since our run began in 2004. John Ogden would be proud to know this feat is getting progressively harder to capture.

This divisional award is not something to take likely, and it shows that we have systems that are working, which includes a quartet of Championship events, including: the Bill Koch Festival, U16 and Eastern High School Championships and JN’s. Those events were held respectively at Rikert Outdoor Center, Gore Mountain, and Holderness despite a particularly difficult spell of weather.

The unfortunate reality is our weather is consistent in that it’s trending warmer and wetter here in the East. That’s been forecasted for at least two decades, and as your eternal optimist, that does include late March and April snowstorms for us here as cold air finally swoops down over our humid clime. So if you haven’t yet today — find some snow tomorrow or this weekend — it’s there for the taking across the region.

If you can’t join us for the Nordic X, please consider joining us at the West River On-Snow June Ski Race at Magic (the group there might need some help with trendy words 🙂 but they can literally move mountains. Oh, and we might see a World Cup Globe there.. The games don’t end there — on July 7th we will renew competitive programming at Craftsbury with the Lost Nation Roll. This will be the first rollerski race of 2024 — in collaboration with the Regional Development Camp (2024 Rollerski Series announcement coming shortly). At each of these events we will acknowledge our Zak, Club, and Marathon winners in attendance.

Please reach out if you have any questions, we truly are having a lot of fun — and no doubt, skiing better together.

REG Camp
RDG Camp
U16 National Camp – Jackson Hole – Late July

Junior National Photos
Phillip Belena
Charles Swabey
geissingerphotography

2024 New England JN Team Guide
^^Click the Link^^

XC Junior Nationals 2024 Lake Placid | Mar 11 — 16, 2024 – Mt Van Hoevenberg.  The 2024 New England Junior National Team was named following awards at the Cheri Walsh Memorial, Sunday, February 25th.  We are excited to have over 50 athletes joining us in LP — racing in our home region! The Beasts of the East are ready to rumble. 

Team New England Nominees:
U16’s: Lea Perreard, Leigh Niedeck, Kate Carlson, Mary Harrington, Brooke Greenberg, Summer Bentley, Jonah Gorman, Ivan Ivanov, Matthew McIntosh, Matias Citarella, Timothy Craddock, Orrin Slover

U18/U20’s: Amelia Circosta, Alexandria Taylor, Beth McIntosh, Annelies Hanna, Ruth Krebs, Ava Schneider, Frances Tucker, Gillian Fairfax, Nyla Scott, Sarah Glueck, Elsa Sanborn, Julia Thurston, Kiera Stabile, Anika Leahy, Tabor Greenberg, Anders Linseisen, Miles Miner, Aidan Jacobus, James Underwood, Oliver Swabey, Tyler Watt, Abrahm Geissinger, Quinn McDermott, Ellis Slover, Micah Bruner, Greta Kilburn, Clara Lake, Caroline Tarmy, Maddie Hooker, Virginia Cobb, Mirra Payson, Luke Rizio, Benjamin Lewis, Aaron Power, Sage Grossi, Nico Hochanadel, Jack Lange, Finegan Bailey, Joseph Graziadei, Caleb Zuckerman

U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Junior Nationals are a showcase event for junior-aged athletes.  They are part of U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s development pathway and often the launching pad for future U.S. Ski Team stars.  Junior Nationals are organized by local clubs and regional leaders.  This year will mark the 59th year of Junior National competition.

2024 New England Team Junior National Selection Criteria

Introduction:

U.S. Ski & Snowboard Junior Nationals (JN’s) are the official National Championships for junior skiers in the United States.  The New England Team (NE) is named following the final New England Eastern Cup.

Skiers compete at JN’s as part of their divisional team or “home club.”  To be eligible for the NE Team, a skier must be a NENSA member and have a permanent or temporary address in New England.  Each skier should be a competition member of U.S. Ski & Snowboard.

The quota for Team NE is 21 males and 21 females.  Within this quota, a maximum of 12 skiers may be entered per age/sex class in any given event (83.5).  Athletes are selected according to: a) performance in Eastern Cup races, specified Out-of-Region races, (Selection Criteria B below); and b) discretionary selection by the NENSA ADC.

Athletes may also “auto qualify” by being named t0 the U18 Trip, FIS Junior World, Nordic Combined Junior World, or IBU Biathlon Junior World Championship Teams.  Top-5 placement on NCAA Regional Qualifying lists is also criteria to “auto” (Selection Criteria A below).  These skiers are not counted against the quota of 21 males and 21 females (74.2).

Athletes will be selected for the NE Team only within their own age groups, and will race only within their own age groups in individual races at JN’s.

Selection Criteria:

Quota Qualification Through National and Collegiate Results

Per U.S. Ski & Snowboard Junior National rules, the following athletes automatically qualify for the NE JN team above the quota of 21 males and 21 females and above the age/sex maximum of 12 (83.5.1):

• Skiers ranked in the top 20 men or women on the final ranking list at the Junior World Ski Championships team trials (70.1.2)
• Skiers who qualify for and attend the U18 Trip with the US Ski Team (70.1.3)
• The top-5 US juniors, excluding foreign competitors, on the final NCAA East, NCAA West, or NCAA Central ranking lists (70.1.4)
• Participating members of the World Junior Championship Team in Biathlon or Nordic Combined (70.1.5)

Qualification Within the New England Quota

New England’s 21 male and 21 female quota athletes are selected according to placing on the final NENSA Junior Ranking Lists, which are determined by points scored in Eastern Cup races and Out-of-Region races (OOR).

Within each sex, athletes will be selected for the 21 quota positions as follows:

1.   6 U16 athletes are selected by:  a) Rank on the final U16 Junior Ranking List.  If a U16 skier declines her/his position on the team, the next skier on the list will be selected.  In the event of a tie for 6th place all tied skiers will be named to the team;  b) Discretion (as described in #3, below). U14’s will not be selected to the team.
2.   15 U18/U20 athletes, including a minimum of 8 U18’s and 3 U20’s will be selected by: a) Rank on the final NENSA U18/U20 JNQ Ranking List.  If a U18/U20 skier declines her/his position on the team, the next skier on the list will be selected;  b) Discretion (as described in #3, below).
3. Up to 3 athletes may be named to the team as discretionary selections by the NENSA ADC.  (Although rarely used, the intent of discretion is to enable the very best athletes to represent New England in cases where extenuating circumstances prevent meeting criteria in other ways.)  Discretionary selections are made between January 1 and February 20th.
4. Foreign Skiers can qualify to compete with the NE Junior National Team – U.S. Ski & Snowboard (rule 77).

_____________________________________________________________________

Scoring of U16 and U18/U20 Junior Ranking Lists:

– U18/U20 athletes are ranked by their “Best 4 EC and/or OOR races,” using U.S. Ski & Snowboard race points.

– Updated 4/27/22.  U16 athletes are also ranked by their “Best 4 EC races, but no OOR races,” using modified Continental Cup points.  (30, 25, 21, 18, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1).  U16’s must compete in the U16 race to score points toward Junior National qualification from the U16 competition.

– All junior competitors in Eastern Cups are included in the Junior Ranking List, but only those with U.S. Ski & Snowboard membership are eligible for Junior National Qualification.

(Selection races are the 8 – U16 races at NENSA Eastern Cups (and OOR for U18/U20); for sprints*, the final results come from heat placement.)

*Eastern Cup sprint races (and OOR) will be scored by heat placement for all age groups (U16/U18/U20) with penalty determined by best of (FIS/U.S. Ski & Snowboard) Distance points.

US National Championships:

The US Nationals races listed below are scored to the NENSA U18/U20 Junior Ranking Lists using U.S. Ski & Snowboard points.  An athlete must be a competition member of U.S. Ski & Snowboard to compete at the US National Championships.

The first three races of the 2024 L.L.BEAN U.S. CROSS COUNTRY SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS  will be scored to the JRL as “Out of Region Qualifiers.”

2024 Schedule of Events:
Soldier Hollow, Utah

Tuesday, January 2, 2024 – Classic Individual Start 10km

Thursday, January 4, 2024 – Freestyle Sprint

Friday, January 5, 2024 – Freestyle Mass Start 20km Sr / 10km Jr

Note: distances and techniques are listed here as scheduled.  If conditions mandate changes to distance/technique, the race that is held will be scored.

The third Eastern Cup of the year was designed to overlap with the Harvard Carnival as a FIS race. The overlap between junior and collegiate racing is an amazing development opportunity — and a sure fire way to have BIG fields. Indeed on Saturday there were 441 racers on the Start List. The weekend was also unique in that both races were freestyle to complement the classic Lake Placid weekend.

On Saturday all competitors raced a 7.5km course — which was also a neat concept — it was at least the first time in a long time that U16 Boys competed in the same distance as the Open field. Craftsbury created a beautiful surface for the races and first thing in the morning the single digit temperatures reminded us of winter. As the day went on the temperatures rose as the racing kicked off.

Tapping into the amazingness and full circle community here in New England — current World Cup standout, Ben Ogden joined the field. It’s hard to sum up how proud we are of all of our Eastern skiers — but to have an athlete like Ben attending a regional race because he loves the environment so much speaks volumes. That impact will ripple for years.

7.5km Freestyle – Podium Pictures

Women:

1. Lucinda Anderson – UNH
2. Elizabeth Tuttle – UVM
3. Annie McColgan – UVM

U20:

1. Maggie Wagner – Middlebury College
2. Jordan Grialou – Bowdoin College
3. Hattie Barker – UNH

U18:

1. Annelies Hanna – Ford Sayre
2. Beth McIntosh – GMVS
3. Addison Englund – Holderness Nordic Club

U16:

1. Lea Perreard – Ford Sayre
2. Brooke Greenberg – Mansfield Nordic Club
3. Mary Harrington – GMVS

Men:

1. Ben Ogden – SMST2
2. Remi Drolet – Harvard University
3. Finegan Bailey – SMST2

U20:

1. Finegan Bailey – SMST2
2. Joseph Graziadei – GMVS
3. Owen Young – UVM

U18:

1. James Underwood – Ford Sayre
2. Aidan Jacobus – GMVS
3. Anders Linseisen – Mansfield Nordic Club

U16:

1. Orrin Slover – Quarry Road Ski Club
2. Matthew McIntosh – GMVS
3. Jed Bentley – Dublin XC

Sunday dawned again with cold temperatures, but the sun made a grand appearance, making for a special day of pursuit style racing. With most collegiate skiers leaving after two days of racing it was a more typical junior centric field — with 276 skiers toeing the line. With Swiss precision, Bullitt Timing and the organizers of Craftsbury expertly put the skiers on the track.

NENSA Pursuit Reel

Besides amazing competition — and artful skiing by many club skiers — perhaps the best moment of the day was when the Bill’s Blastoff Races went off. The Bill Koch event named in additional honor of Bill Henchey attracted nearly 100 local youth who chased after costumed rabbits. This is the root of New England skiing.

Congratulations to all of the competitors and a special thanks to the robust and innovative Craftsbury community.

7.5km Pursuit

Women:

1. Greta Kilburn – Mansfield Nordic Club
2. Annelies Hanna – Ford Sayre
3. Beth McIntosh – GMVS

U20:

1. Greta Kilburn – Mansfield Nordic Club
2. Emma Page – UVM
3. Margaret Voisin – Craftsbury Ski Club

U18:

1. Annelies Hanna – Ford Sayre
2. Beth McIntosh – GMVS
3. Kiera Stabile – Stratton Mountain School

Men:

1. Finegan Bailey – SMST2
2. Oliver Swabey – Prospect Mountain Ski Club
3. Abraham Geissinger – GMVS

U20:

1. Finegan Bailey – SMST2
2. Joseph Graziadei – GMVS
3. Luke Rizio – Prospect Mountain Ski Club

U18:

1. Oliver Swabey – Prospect Mountain Ski Club
2. Abraham Geissinger – GMVS
3. Micah Bruner – Stratton Mountain School

5km Pursuit

U16:

1. Lea Perreard – Ford Sayre
2. Mary Harrington – GMVS
3. Brooke Greenberg – Mansfield Nordic Club

U16:

1. Matias Citarella – GMVS
2. Ivan Ivanov – Stratton Mountain School
3. Jonah Gorman – Mansfield Nordic Club

Team Scores

In the age group team scoring there were very competitive podium challenges, with many separated only by a handful of points. The closest competition being between Mansfield Nordic Club and Ford Sayre in BOTH of the U16 Girls races. Super exciting to see so many different clubs in the mix!

U18/20 Women Freestyle:

1. Bowdoin College – 257 points
2. Dartmouth College – 251 points
3. Mansfield Nordic Club – 236 points
4. Harvard University – 230 points
5. UNH – 229 points

U16 Girls Freestyle:

1. Mansfield Nordic Club – 102 points
2. Ford Sayre – 101 points
3. Stratton Mountain School – 89 points
4. Holderness Nordic Club – 71 points
5. Craftsbury Ski Club – 63 points

U18/20 Men Freestyle:

1. Dartmouth College – 388 points
2. GMVS – 376 points
3. Colby College – 367 points
4. Prospect Mountain Ski Club – 345 points
5. Mansfield Nordic Club – 340 points

U16 Boys Freestyle:

1. Ford Sayre – 67 points
2. Quarry Road Ski Club – 64 points
3. EMXC – 62 points
4. GMVS – 60 points
5. Mansfield Nordic Club – 56 points

U18/20 Women Pursuit:

1. Mansfield Nordic Club – 168 points
2. Craftsbury Ski Club – 145 points
3. Ford Sayre – 142 points
4. GMVS – 135 points
5. EMXC – 128 points

U16 Girls Pursuit:

1. Ford Sayre – 104 points
2. Mansfield Nordic Club – 103 points
3. Stratton Mountain School – 93 points
4. Craftsbury Ski Club – 72 points
5. Holderness Nordic Club – 71 points

U18/20 Men Pursuit:

1. GMVS – 288 points
2. Prospect Mountain Ski Club – 282 points
3. Mansfield Nordic Club – 251 points
4. Dublin XC – 232 points
5. Gunstock Nordic Association – 221 points

U16 Boys Pursuit:

1. EMXC – 63 points
2. GMVS – 59 points
3. Mansfield Nordic Club – 58 points
4. Stratton Mountain School – 55 points
5. Ford Sayre – 54 points

Phil Belena Photos
Sam Geissinger Photos
Full Results
Rankings & Team Scores
NENSA Instagram

FUN. ON. SKIS. This year marked the third Stratton Terrain Challenge and by all accounts it was the best yet! The event is the brainchild of Steve Bruner of the Stratton Nordic Center, Stratton Mountain School coaches, the Putney Ski Club and the West River BKL. While run as a freestyle race it hearkens to the roots of traditional skiing — gliding through the woods on two planks. And of course there is the new school vibe of jumps, gates — and as many in the open race found out — an artillery of snowballs!

This year’s Stratton Terrain Challenge was so special many kids and adults didn’t want to leave. Adding to the special atmosphere was the awareness that Jessie Diggins and Ben Ogden were contesting the World Cup Sprint in Goms, Switzerland at the same time. Honorary starter, Sverre Caldwell, reminded the kids how special that was — as many of the local skiers happen to know the two superstars who train in the summers right on those very trails.

The snow conditions were perfect for a event that is by design imperfect — a fast surface with crusty traces allowed for dynamic skiing and the speed to enjoy many features. Throughout the morning families would skitter from one intersection to the next cheering on friends and rooting for their love ones.

These type of events are much more than races — hay bales, fire pits, lively music, raffle prizes — all things that energize our community! We are so fortunate for our forward thinking partners across the region. If you missed the 2024 Terrain Challenge — a little plug for the Mansfield Nordic Skiathlon @ Sleepy Hollow tomorrow — we can’t wait to see what finishing features Eli Enman and company have in store!

If you want to feel like a kid again — make a point not to miss the 2025 Stratton Terrain Challenge. We also owe additional thanks to Steve Bruner for nurturing this gem of a trail network in Southern VT.

NENSA Instagram
RESULTS

#skiingbettertogether
#skilikeanamerican

NENSA is pleased to announce the staff for 2024 Junior Nationals, hosted in our home region at Mt Van Hoevenberg, March 11-16. Full information about the New England Junior National Team can be found here, and a comprehensive Team Guide will be available shortly. We are very excited for our stay at the Ampersand Bay Resort — including catered meals from a well known Adirondack chef!

Justin Beckwith will serve as Trip Leader, joined by Head Coach, Matt Boobar of the Stratton Mountain School. Our leadership will be bolstered by Olivia Ester, Freedom Trails Nordic who will serve as an Intern Leader.

Trip Leader – Justin Beckwith – NENSA
Head Coach – Matt Boobar – SMS
Intern Leader – Olivia Ester – Freedom Trails Nordic
U16 Girls – Mia Shifrin – Gould
U16 Boys – Adam Terko – Mansfield
U18 Girls – Audrey Mangan – Craftsbury
U18 Boys – Evan Kendall – Dublin School
U20 Girls – Rob Rothe – Hopkinton High School
U20 Boys – Andy Rightmire – Ford Sayre
Head of Service – Alex Jospe – SMS
Glide – Colin Rodgers – GMVS
Glide – Chris City – Independent
Kick – Anna Schulz – Craftsbury
Kick – Avery Ellis – EMXC

Racing continues this weekend at the Harvard Carnival and Henchey Memorial Eastern Cup at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center. Registration closes tonight at 9pm.

Bullitt Timing will have the Junior Ranking List updated with races from US Nationals, at Soldier Hollow by the weekend. The registration page for the Cheri Walsh Memorial and Eastern Cup Finals will be live at the start of next week. As a reminder — the team will be named on Sunday, February 25th at Holderness.

If you are an auto qualifier for the Team — contact [email protected] with intentions — or questions in general — please don’t hesitate to write [email protected]