Junior Nationals

Wednesday March 11th dawned bright and sunny in California, and our New England Team athletes were excited and ready for SPRINT DAY!  Our age group coaches were calming nerves and going over last minute race strategies as our wax techs were making some super fast skis for our team.  At the end of the day, Team New England won the sprint day, and we had some really great results and two new National Champions (Nina Seeman of SMS and Trey Jones of GMVS!), as well as 13 All American’s (top 10) and 21 of our NE athletes finished in the top 20 that day.  Congrats to all our racers!  Top 20 Results here below.  Full sets of results on www.xcjuniornationals.com  And, PHOTOS from the official JN Event Photographer can be found HERE.

U16 women:  3rd place Sofia Scirica, CSU juniors, 7th place Ava Thurston, MNC, 12th place Evie Walton, CSU juniors, and 16th place Emma Charles, Mt. Blue High School

U16 men:  1st place and National Championship to Trey Jones, GMVS, 2nd place Fin Bailey, SMS, 9th place Cormac Leahy, Craftsbury Nordic, 11th place Clint Macy, Dublin XC, and 20th place Nate Livingood, Gould.

U18 women:  1st place and National Championship to Nina Seeman, SMS, 7th place Quincy Massey-Bierman, Craftsbury Nordic, 13th place Adrienne Remick, Craftsbury Nordic, and 21st place, Camille Bolduc, Craftsbury Nordic (after a disappointing fall in the semis).

U18 men:  2nd place to Will Koch, SMS, 9th place to Finn Sweet, Craftsbury Nordic, 13th place to Jack Christner, Frost Mountain Nordic, and 18th place to Jack Young, Craftsbury Nordic.

U20 women:  2nd place to Abigail Streinz, Craftsbury Nordic, 4th place to Rose Clayton, MNC, 6th place to Ingrid Miller, independent, and 7th place to Laura Appleby, CSU juniors.  Fun note:  all 4 of our NE U20 women placed in the top 7!!

U20 men:  20th place Bjorn Westervelt, Craftsbury Nordic

This March a staff of fourteen will lead the 2020 New England Team at Junior Nationals in Truckee, California.  The Championships will be held between March 9th and 14th with three individual and one relay competition.  New England athletes are selected by season long rankings from four Eastern Cup weekends – bringing the strongest regional U16 – U20 skiers together for this National Championship.  Although athletes strive for individual success – New England strives to promote a team culture – and the team reflects the depth of talent found in our home region.

This year’s coach and service staff represents all four states of the New England division and brings together a wealth of experience from local to international competition.  The staff composition is aimed to promote coach development within the region and provide top-level support to our athletes – whether they are seasoned junior racers or making their first trip to Junior Nationals. This volunteer staff will work together to support a team culture, helping our athletes excel and enjoy the experience of racing at the national level.

2020 JN Staff:

Matt Boobar – Head Coach (SMS)

Amie Smith / Preston Noon – Team Leaders (NENSA)

Age Group Coaches:

Evan Kendall – U16 boys (Dublin School)

Sara Falconer – U16 girls (Mansfield Nordic)

Ian Tovell – U18 men (Falmouth High School)

Hilary McNamee – U18 women (Ford Sayre)

Andrew Magnus Nesbitt – U20 men (Berkshire Nordic)

Adam Terko – U20 women (Mansfield Nordic)

Wax Techs:

Patrick Casey – Lead Kick (Holderness School)

Colin Rodgers – Lead Glide (Green Mountain Valley School)

Cate Brams – Service Staff (CSU)

George Forbes – Service Staff (Stratton Mountain School)

Justin Beckwith – Service Staff (NENSA)

Some thoughts and history about the staff:

Evan Kendall, “raced in Eastern Cups in High School and college as well as NCAA central races and (skied) JN’s 2014 for New England.  I have also spent a season coaching with St. Michael’s College and as the EISA media intern.”  Evan now coaches at the Dublin School.  “I bring race specific experience that comes from racing JN’s and NCAA regional races myself as well as college XC running experience. I also have a high degree of experience leading trips of all types through work at boarding school and summer camps.  I feel confident in my ability to connect and emotionally support a group of young athletes and help them to be in a position where they are mentally ready to give their best effort.”

Sara Falconer has been coaching with the Mansfield Nordic Club for five seasons.  She has also been a masters coach.  As a junior she was a part of the Alaska Pacific University junior team, and went on to race for a season for the University of Alaska Fairbanks.  “I am approachable and relatable, so athletes can feel comfortable coming to me with concerns.  At the same time, I am organized and hold athletes to a high standard – so I will ensure that athletes leave on time, have focused study halls, and follow the rules associated with the trip.”

Ian Tovell joins us from the Falmouth High School in Maine where he helped lead his team to the Class A Championship last season.  Ian brings,  “positive energy, an eagerness to learn from the other coaches, and ensure that the kids are not only having fun, but are in the best mindset to go out there and have the best race they can, all while helping New England bring back the (Alaska Cup) trophy again. I have a lot of experience just skiing in general and can bring a lot of racing expertise the team as well.”

Hilary McNamee is a Dartmouth graduate and former D-Team Coach, she now leads the Ford Sayre Junior Program as Head Coach and Nordic Program Director.  She has competed on many levels of the racing scene, from Junior Nationals to Biathlon Junior Worlds, and is known for her sprinting prowess.  Hilary loves to ski and coach – and also brings a great sense of humor with, “A solid 401(k) for a gal my age, a large air miles portfolio, a faux furry apex predator vest, and a set of bananagrams with two full sets of letters.”

Andrew Magnus Nesbitt brings a neat blend of competitive and coaching experience including competing for Team New England in 2011, and working for two years as a wax tech with Intermountain (2017 & 2018).  He also coached at Soldier Hollow, Utah for 3 seasons.  On top of that he brings, “Fitness and an outsider’s prospective to the waxing game while knowing a bit about western snow. Also, a representative to a title sponsor (LL Bean)!”

Adam Terko was “a high school and junior competitor within NENSA, collegiate competitor (4 years) and assistant coach (3 years) at St. Lawrence University.”  He has led the Mansfield Nordic Club since 2015 and been a valuable member of the New England JN staff for the past three years.  Adam is, “hoping to bring together groups of skiers to have one the best, if not THE best, week of their ski racing careers so far!  The New England team is a dynamic and amazing group and it’s always a privilege to be a part of it.”

Patrick Casey has four years of international level coaching experience (U.S. Ski Team) as well as coaching at JN’s 10 times between New England and Intermountain.  Always humble, Mr. Casey quips, “I can work hard.  I will be fit for wax testing.  I have been skiing and ski coaching a long time and I have many weeks of experience working in a wax trailer with a World Cup wax team.”  The Head Coach of the Holderness School will lead the kick service staff — with keen attention to making exceptional kick to glide ratios.

Colin Rodgers, a Vermont native and former national caliber racer, continues to lead the XC Program at the Green Mountain Valley School’s Nordic Program.  Colin brings experience and energy to the team and wax room, having worked for years with the Sun Valley Gold Team and U.S. Ski Team on international trips. Colin is one of the hardest workers and most likely will be the fittest wax tech in Truckee — he will lead the glide service team and ensure NE skiers have slippery boards.

Cate Brams was a standout junior racer from CSU who went on to ski for Middlebury College and the Sun Valley Gold Team.  “This is my first year coaching with CSU.  I’ve learned a LOT about how different athletes respond to stimulus, and how those responses influence team dynamics and individual / team results.”  Cate and fellow CSU alum, Corey Stock, just wrapped up a successful week of coaching and waxing for the CSU program at U.S. Nationals in Houghton, Michigan.

George Forbes has been coaching for three years at the Stratton Mountain School and before that he spent two years with the Burr and Burton High School team.  “I’ve worked mostly with U14-U16 racers as a coach, but been helping wax tech and test for juniors of all ages on our team.  I also took the helm of waxing and testing for the U16 Championships last year for team Vermont.  I love cross country skiing and get intense enjoyment out of helping kids have as much fun as I am.  Plus, I love making fast skis!”

Justin Beckwith, the Competitive Program Director for NENSA, will join the team after returning from World Junior Championships in Oberwiesenthal, Germany.  This will be his third year on the NE service staff when JN’s are hosted in Truckee – he will serve as the utility man and make sure the vibe is strong during the long hours of work in the wax cabin.

Matt Boobar from the Stratton Mountain School, and Amie Smith, Executive Director of NENSA, are at the helm of Team NE for the 6^th year in a row. Their leadership and organization – both prior to the trip and on the ground – as Head Coach and Team Leader are a huge part of what makes New England a contender year after year!  Both are committed to making sure all the little things go right to give us the best chance to bring the Alaska Cup home again.  This year Preston Noon, NENSA’s Operations Manger, will intern as Trip Leader.