NENSA News

This winter has proved low-tide, reinforcing the need for snowmaking and human infrastructure to create large cross country skiing events. We’ve already boasted about Holderness’s Ferarri-like snowmaking system — complete with a new Piston Bully and trails that Mr. Casey has dedicated years-of-his-life to create. What played out at 33 Chapel Lane this past weekend was transcendent — on the shoulders of legends of Hendel, Peck, Cheri Walsh, and Mr. Bruce. There are a lot of cool cats at Holderness.

The Cheri Walsh Eastern Cup Finals was the Minneapolis of Eastern Cups. Complete with perfect tracks, sunshine and having fun with friends.

Despite the associated pressures of Junior National qualification — clubs rallied and danced to the vibe that the Bulls created. Skiing is meant to be Fun — and that was very intentionally broadcast — starting with soft rock on the speakers by 6:00am. Turns out, Fun is Fast. What a weekend — Thank you to the whole Holderness community — The racing speaks for itself.

NENSA is committed to naming the Junior National Team at Eastern Cup Finals — and celebrating the selfless work of clubs that fuel the passion for cross country skiing. Team New England is about to have a lot of fun in Lake Placid at JN 2024. There will be adversity. We will have fun. And We Will Rock You.

Podium Reel

Saturday featured our first true XCX event, which is essentially a sprint race, with the addition of well crafted features. Again, part of Mr. Casey’s vision. Starting at high noon, qualifiers were run. Followed by U16 and then U18/20 heats, a neat schedule scramble that made for the best spectating and aspiring skiers to see the best compete — all while cheering for their peers. It wasn’t to strange to here the overwhelming feedback, “That was just FUN!”

XCX Reel

Freestyle XCX Sprint:
Women:

1. Francis Tucker – EMXC
2. Leigh Niedeck – Stratton Mountain School
3. Maggie McGee – Craftsbury Ski Club

U20:

1. Maggie McGee – Craftsbury Ski Club
2. Greta Kilburn – Mansfield Nordic Club
3. Caroline Tammy – Stratton Mountain School

U18:

1. Francis Tucker – EMXC
2. Amelia Circosta – Craftsbury Ski Club
3. Nyla Scott – Gould Academy

U16:

1. Leigh Niedeck – Stratton Mountain School
2. Lea Perreard – Ford Sayre
3. Mary Harrington – GMVS

Men:

1. Finegan Bailey – SMST2
2. Anders Linseisen – Mansfield Nordic Club
3. Miles Miner – GMVS

U20:

1. Finegan Bailey – SMST2
2. Sage Grossi – Craftsbury Ski Club
3. Joseph Graziadei – GMVS

U18:

1. Anders Linseisen – Mansfield Nordic Club
2. Miles Miner – GMVS
3. Ellis Slover – Gould Academy

U16:

1. Ivan Ivanov – Stratton Mountain School
2. Jonah Gorman – Mansfield Nordic Club
3. Timothy Craddock – Stratton Mountain School

Sunday the flavor returned to the old fashioned way, classic interval starts on the inter loop of the renovated Cheri Walsh course. Mr. Peck honored Cheri, and all the participants with a wonderful tribute to start the day. It was really an electric day of skiing, with what Chief of Course, Frosty Whitworth, described as, “big kid skiing.” Perfect tracks laced the trails that Casey, Morton and Bailey worked so hard to create. Klister rose from violets to universals — just how they are supposed to on a perfect day.

Hat’s off to Holderness for pushing the sport forward so beautifully, while respecting the roots of the sport. We will all remember that one for a long time!

10km Classic

Women:

1. Adele Horning – Dartmouth College
2. Greta Kilburn – Mansfield Nordic Club
3. Annelies Hanna – Ford Sayre

U20:

1. Adele Horning – Dartmouth College
2. Greta Kilburn – Mansfield Nordic Club
3. Caroline Tammy – Stratton Mountain School

U18:

1. Annelies Hanna – Ford Sayre
2. Amelia Circosta – Craftsbury Ski Club
3. Francis Tucker – EMXC

Men:

1. Finegan Bailey – SMST2
2. Aaron Power – Dartmouth College
3. Joseph Graziadei – GMVS

U20:

1. Finegan Bailey – SMST2
2. Aaron Power – Dartmouth College
3. Joseph Graziadei – GMVS

U18:

1. Aidan Jacobus – GMVS
2. Anders Linseisen – Mansfield Nordic Club
3. Oliver Wilson – Dublin XC

5km Classic

U16 Girls:

1. Lea Perreard – Ford Sayre
2. Elli Englund – Holderness Nordic Club
3. Olivia Hanna – Ford Sayre

U16 Boys:

1. Matthew McIntosh – GMVS
2. Jonah Gorman – Mansfield Nordic Club
3. Samuel Fontaine – Orford

Sam Geissinger Photos
Full Results
Rankings
NENSA Instagram

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.

March has rolled around and with it some of the best snow conditions of the year!  For many of us that coincides with our best ski fitness/endurance of the season.  Happily enough this is also the time of year that the region’s big touring centers host ski marathons.  If you are looking for a fun long distance adventure with family and/or friends, Rangeley, Maine is the place to be this weekend!

On March 2nd the Rangeley Lakes Trails Center hosts the Rangeley Loppet 50km Freestyle race – a mainstay in the NENSA Marathon and Zak series.  This is a fabulous course that offers big loop skiing through beautiful mixed forests, while winding its way across the foot of Saddleback Mountain.

Here’s the latest trail report:

LOPPET UPDATE 2-27:
We’re looking forward to a great Loppet weekend on March 2-3! The latest weather update shows a warm up with a little rain on Wednesday, followed by a little snow and a flash freeze Wednesday night. This is great news, as we’ll be able to get the groomers out on the course sooner. Our base is quite porous right now, so the rain will be absorbed in the snow pack. Cold nights after Wednesday will help freeze things up so we don’t continue to lose base integrity and are able to groom a bit. We will close the Trails Center on Wednesday to reduce damage to the trails by use. Average base depth is 4-9” currently. Trail condition updates will be posted on the Rangeley Lakes Trails Center website and on Nordic Pulse.

Sounds like very nice conditions and it should hold up well. Secure your spot today for a great weekend adventure! Registration link HERE.

We couldn’t have asked for a nicer day at this year’s Downeast Freestyle Loppet! Temps were in the 20s by race time, there was bluebird sky, and the recent dusting of snow put enough moisture back into the snowmaking loop for perfect corduroy that held up all day long. The Downest Racing Team and the Quarry Road Trails Staff & Volunteers collaborated very nicely to host an excellent event.

Quarry Road added some easy terrain to their snowmaking loop this winter, providing a longer reprieve before the long climbing section. The feed station was on this new section at the top of the Doddle Bug Trail, allowing racers to take their time drinking while they glided back down to the stadium. Downeast Racing Team volunteers returned the bottles to the table for later feeds. Many of the skiers remarked the course was quite challenging, but very fun and it skied really well. There were lots of smiles and long conversations in the finish area – clearly the participants enjoyed themselves and had a great time bonding over post race stories.

This year’s event saw 50% more skiers than last year. Skiers from all over New England and New York, including skiers from Rochester, NY, the NYC suburbs and Caribou, ME participated in this year’s event. Bruce Katz and Bill Dougherty continued their perfect attendance streak in this year’s NENSA Marathon Series. There were lots of prizes for the overall and age group podiums, including some very classy mugs. A big thank you to the Downeast Racing Team and Quarry Road Trails for making this event happen in a low snow year. This is an awesome event with a fun atmosphere and certainly one to add to your personal race calendar for next year!

Results
Rankings
Staff Photos

By Dan Baumert

The 2024 Great Caribou Bog Freestyle and BKL Youth Race was held on Saturday February 10^th, 2024 in Orono, Maine hosted by the Penobscot Valley Ski Club.  The race was held on trails managed and maintained by the Orono Land Trust.  The Caribou Bog Outdoor Center served as the race headquarters. Despite the warm temperatures and lack of snow a quality race course was provided by altering the race course and shoveling areas that had thin cover.  The groomers did a great job a setting up a fast course early in the morning of the race.  

A field of 30 skiers completed the freestyle race, while 3 enthusiastic youth skiers completed the BKL Youth race.  The freestyle course featured two laps out and back on the Kirkland trail to maximize trails with good cover.  The revised course actually ended up being a relatively flat fast 13.5K distance. The BKL Youth race featured a 0.5K, 1.5K, and 3.5K distances depending on age. A great team of volunteers insured all aspects of the race went smoothly insuring a good racing experience for all participants. 

An awards ceremony and raffle was held in the Outdoor Center following the race.  Outdoor Center hats and glasses were awarded to the first three overall winners in the freestyle race.  The first and second freestyle class places and BKL Youth winners received awards based on photos of the race course. Following are the overall top three male and female finishers in the freestyle race and BKL Youth race winners.  

Freestyle race results are located at; https://www.webscorer.com/race?raceid=342376

Freestyle Overall Race Winners

Female

1. Susan Elias         56:42.5
2. Maisie Merz       58:04.0
3. Tamera Levitsky 58:22.5

Male                                                                      

1. Miguel Sanclemente  47:33.4                                        
2. Miles Kirby               48:32.6                                         
3. Steve Moreau            48:38.5                                         

BKL Youth Race

Emma Markuson   1^st girl grades 1&2, 1.5K       20:32
Porter Freeman,     1^st boy grades 3&4, 1.5K     13:45
Halsey Freeman    1^st girl grades 5&6, 3.5K      33:00