Junior Nationals

NENSA is pleased to announce the 2018 New England Junior National Ski Team who will compete in Soldier Hollow, Utah from March 6^th – 10^th.  Forty-four skiers from Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont will represent our division, vying for National Championships— and working together to try and defend the Alaska Cup, the overall team award for the fifth year in a row.

Team New England, will travel with 13 staff members, and compete on the 2002 Winter Olympic and 2017 Junior World Championship courses.  The US Ski and Snowboard XC Junior National Championships brings together racers from 10 regions of the country – including New England, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Central CXC/Great Lakes, High Plains, Rocky Mountain, Intermountain, Far West, Pacific Northwest, and Alaska for three individual races and a relay event. You can read more about the Championships on the https://www.xcjuniornationals2018.com/ website.

Skiers qualified for the New England team through our Eastern Cup Series, and specified out of region races. The level of competition at our regional races was very impressive this season and we were fortunate to have great venues and conditions for racing. You can view final rankings and see the depth of our skiers for the 2018 season here: U18/20 Women, U18/U20 Men, U16 Girls, U16 Boys.  NENSA would like to congratulate all of our skiers on a great beginning to the season and continued success.

We thank the entire region for pushing forward the level of skiing and making a fun environment for our athletes to thrive.  Please stay tuned for event updates as these forty-four exceptional New England athletes compete against the best skiers in the country.

With less than two weeks until the first Eastern Cup, we are excited to name the 2018 New England coaching staff for the US XC Junior Nationals to be held in Soldier Hollow, Utah.  Many of our New England athletes and coaches have experience at this venue, which hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics and 2017 Junior World Championships.

This years coach and wax tech staff brings together a mix of veteran and up and coming coaches with US Ski and Snowboard L100 or L200 coaching credentials with varied experience from junior through professional racing.  This blend of coaches is aimed to support 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 to support a team culture, helping over fifty athletes excel and enjoy the experience of racing at the national level.  New England is known as a dominant division in Junior National competition and our goal is to defend the Alaska Cup for the fifth year in a row.

2018 JN Staff include:

Matt Boobar – Head Coach (SMS)

Amie Smith – Team Leader (NENSA)

Age Group Coaches:

Adam Terko – U16 boys (Mansfield Nordic)

Hilary McNamee – U16 girls (Ford Sayre)

Audrey Mangan – U18 men (Craftsbury)

Scottie Eliassen – U18 women (Ford Sayre)

Rob Bradlee – U20 men (CSU)

Poppet Boswell – U20 women (Stratton)

Wax Techs:

Justin Beckwith – Lead Kick (NENSA)

Steve McCarthy – Lead Glide (SMS)

Anna Schulz – Wax Tech (Craftsbury)

Colin Rodgers – Wax Tech (GMVS)

Jake Barton – Wax Tech (Craftsbury)

Some thoughts and history about the staff:

Steven McCarthy has built up an impressive service resume, working with the likes of Zach Caldwell, Roger Knight and the Maine Winter Sports Center. “I don’t rest until the job is done and I’m able to ignore my own fatigue in order to produce competitive skis for every athlete. I have built a foundation of ski service knowledge through collaboration with some of the best waxers in New England.” This will be Steven’s first Junior Nationals and he is excited to make fast skis in Utah.

Adam Terko will return to his post leading the U16 Boys. “I think one of my strongest attributes as a coach is an ability to bring together a group of athletes and help them create shared experiences and a shared sense of purpose. In the setting of a Championship event like JN’s, this really helps motivate and drive athletes in a situation that can often be fraught with pressure and intensity.”

Hilary McNamee will share a wealth of experience, perspective and positivity with the U16 Girls.  She has competed on many levels of the racing scene, from Junior Nationals to Jr. Worlds for Biathlon, and is known for her sprinting prowess.  After graduating from Dartmouth College McNamee competed on the Maine Winter Sports Center Elite Team, and later coached the Dartmouth D-Team.  She currently coaches for Ford Sayre.

Audrey Mangan returns to the staff to work with the U20 boys. She brings, “Enthusiasm for team New England! It’s no accident that New England is such a strong team—these kids butt heads frequently throughout the winter, but it raises everybody’s game. And it’s awesome to see them all come together to be teammates at JNs.”

Colin Rodgers, a Vermont native and ex-national caliber racer, returned to New England last year to lead the Green Mountain Valley School’s Nordic Program.  Colin brings a wealth of knowledge (and fitness) to the team and wax room, having worked for years with the Sun Valley Gold Team and US Ski Team on international trips.

Scottie Eliassen has worked with the New England Junior National Team on 13 different occasions.  She will lead the U18 women with undeniable “experience with JNs – (knowledge of the) flow of the race week, working with a team of 50 and its staff, and most of all helping athletes realize their potential during what is for many the highlight week of the season. I also bring a desire to learn from others on the coaching and tech staff – and from the athletes.”

Rob Bradlee has also been a staple of the New England staff with eight trips to JN’s.  He brings, “Over a decade experience working with many JN athletes including six national champions from my own club.”  Besides his affinity for all things Nordic, Rob’s sense of humor will keep staff and athletes smiling through a demanding week of competition.

Poppet Boswell from the Stratton Mountain School has over twenty years of coaching experience.  She is excited to lead the U20 women and return to Soldier Hollow.  Poppet has been a staple staff member for many NE JN trips, providing top notch race support and balancing the rigors of the week with fun field trips, glitter and face paint.

Justin Beckwith and Anna Schulz will also return to the NE wax trailer, both fondly remember working with klister at the 2012 JN’s at SoHo.  Beckwith who serves as the Competitive Program Director for NENSA, is passionate about waxing skis for the talented skiers of New England, and has supported their success at JN’s and international competition.  Harvard Ski Team alum, Anna Schulz, shifted her own competitive focus to supporting junior skiing after graduation, coaching BKL and junior skiers.  She spent several years coaching in Mt. Bachelor, Oregon and now runs the Junior Program at Craftsbury.  Well versed in all aspects in coaching, she often finds herself near the wax bench at races where her level-headed attitude helps get athletes to the start line focused and well prepared.

Matt Boobar from Stratton Mountain School, and Amie Smith, Executive Director of NENSA, return as the dynamic duo heading up the New England team on the ground in SoHo, as Head Coach and Team Leader.  Amie and Matt have worked together in this capacity for the past 4 years, and are looking forward to helping support and lead the team to hopefully, our 5th Alaska Cup victory in a row.  It will be a challenge being at altitude this year, but a challenge our entire New England Team is certainly up to!

 

 

It’s that time of year!  NENSA is looking to build the coach and tech staff for the 2020 Junior Nationals to be held March 7th – 14th in Truckee, California.  Submit an application on our google form here.

Help support New England Juniors in their quest for individual and divisional success.  We are looking for team players, both wily veterans and aspiring coaches, to create a fun and focused staff.  Please direct any questions to justin@nensa.net

xcjuniornationals2020.com/

facebook.com/xcjuniornationals2020/

 

New England ended the 2017 USSA Junior Nationals in Lake Placid on a high!  The relays were delayed to a noon start, due to the bitter bitter cold temps and gusty winds that enveloped our region this past weekend.  But the brutal cold conditions did not detour our team, and by the end of the day, medals were earned in each of our 6 age group divisions, and New England was on the podium for 4 out of 6 of those races.  They all raced strong and gutsy races that were oh so fun to watch ~ way to go Team NE!

And by evening, at the banquet and closing awards, Team New England, once again, won the Alaska Cup!  The final point tally for the week was:  1st place, New England, with 1352 points; 2nd place, Intermountain, with 1054 points; 3rd place, Alaska, with 984 points; 4th place Midwest with 784 points; 5th place Rocky Mountain with 580 points; 6th place Pacific NW with 474 points; 7th place Far West with 365 points; 8th place Mid-Atlantic with 351 points; 9th place Great Lakes with 181 points; and 10th place High Plains with 89 points.

Some fun facts on the Alaska CUP:  This is our fourth year in a row for winning the AK Cup, and NE has won it 11 out of the past 14 years.  But the Alaska still holds the most wins overall, since the cup started in 1986 – 16 overall wins to our 13 from NE.  Intermountain has won twice and the Midwest once, in years past.  The cup was a gift to Junior Nationals in 1986 by the Alaska team, thus why it is called the Alaska Cup.  Next year, I think our toughest competition will be from Intermountain, who had great results this year, and will be hosting Junior Nationals in 2018 in Soldier Hollow.  But as always, team New England will be up for the challenge.

Relay Results:

Our U20 men won GOLD ~ the relay team of Kamran Husain, Koby Gordon & Daniel Streinz.

Our U20 women won SILVER ~ the relay team of Alexandra Lawson, Mary Kretchmer & Mackenzie Rizzo.

Our U18 men won SILVER ~ with the relay team of Elliot Ketchel, Adam Glueck and Ben Ogden.

Our U16 girls won SILVER ~ with the relay team of Charlotte Ogden, Anna Lehmann and Abigail Streinz.

Our U18 women were in the medals for 5th place, with the relay team of Rena Schwartz, Kirsten Miller and Callie Young.

Our U16 boys were also in the medals for 4th place, with the relay team of Will Koch, Matthew Moreau, and Josh Valentine.

I want to give a HUGE shout out to our VOLUNTEER JN staff – the coaches and wax techs – who make this trip possible:  Head Coach, Matt Boobar, age group coaches – Adam Terko, Kat Howe, Pat Casey, Rob Bradlee, Audrey Mangan and Alex Jospe, and our wax techs – Ollie Burruss, Jeremy Hecker, Justin Fereshetain, Jake Barton and Jeremey Nellis.  THANK YOU to all of you!

 

 

Yesterday was the classic races, individual starts, day at Junior Nationals.  The original format for mass starts had to be changed when the venue was changed from Mt. Van Hoevenberg to the Olympic Jump Site last week.  Team New England had another strong day of results, and two new National Champions ~ Ben Ogden, SMS, won the men’s 10k, and Julia Kern, SMS Elite, won the women’s 10k!  Congratulations to both of them!

New England had 13 top 10 results (for All American Honors) and placed 28 of our skiers into top 20, for Alaska Cup points scoring.

For the U20 Women:  The gold medal went to Julia Kern, SMS Elite.  4th place was Alex Lawson, Craftsbury Nordic; 6th place Mackenzie Rizio, UVM; 11th place Mary Kretchmer, Gunstock Nordic; 17th place Avery Ellis, Craftsbury Nordic; 19th place Ingrid Thyr, Williams College; and rounding out the top 20 was Annika Landas, Middlebury College in 20th.

For the U20 Men:  4th place went to Daniel Streinz, Mountain Endurance; 7th place to Koby Gordon, Dartmouth College; 12th place to Finn O’Connell, UVM; 13th place Kamran Husain, SMS; and 14th place to Conor Hrynuk, UMPI.

For the U18 Women:  5th place went to Rena Schwartz, GMVS; 7th place to Gabby Vandendries, CSU juniors; 14th place went to Mae Chalmers, SMS; and 19th place went to Hannah Reiders, CSU juniors.

For the U18 Men:  The gold medal went to Ben Ogden, SMS.  7th place went to Elliot Ketchel, GMVS; 8th place to Adam Gluck, Ford Sayer; 11th place to Russell Boswell, SMS; 12th to Nick Wilkerson, GMVS; 15th to James Kitch, CSU juniors; and 19th to Walker Bean, GMVS.

For the U16 Girls:  12th place went to Anna Lehmann, SMS; and 16th place went to Charlotte Ogden, SMS.

For the U16 Boys:  4th place went to Josh Valentine, Gunstock Nordic, 5th place to Will Koch, SMS; and 16th place to Zander Martin, SMS.

Today’s Team Relay Races are delayed until 12 noon, due to extremely cold temps.   Team New England is leading in the Alaska Cup points going into today’s Team Relays(!), but we can not take anything for grated, and Team New England is excited to defend this lead today!