Sarah Tory bikes Patagonia!

Bud and I received an email from '11 Alum, Sarah Tory, before we left for NCAA's.  Those of you who were on the team last year may remember all the crazy bike-trip schemes the Torinator was coming up with. .. . . Well, she is actually living out those dreams right now! Her blog is: www.bikepatagonia.wordpress.com.

She says:
Just wanted to say hi and congrats to the team for finishing up the season - seems like it was a tough winter snow-wise. But looks like you guys still found ways to rock the cow. Right now I'm in Bariloche, in the Argentinian Lakes region of northern Patagonia. It´s beautiful here with lots of mountains, turquoise lakes, rivers, and even a ski resort (and rain and wind too, but no need to dwell on that part!) The bike trip has been incredible so far and we're about to start the most epic part i.e. biking through remote stretches of southern Patagonia with fall´s colder temperatures and unpredictable weather fast approaching. Needless to say, for the first time in my life I´m not praying for snow. For more pictures and stories of the trip, you guys can check out our blog if you{re interested. It´s tough to post regularly - not to mention with quality content - but we do our best: www.bikepatagonia.wordpress.com. 
Special congratulations shout out to the seniors and good luck to the NCAAers!

Will in 11th and Dimitri 20th in NCAA Classic!!!

What a day! When Coach Fisher and I pulled into the Bohart stadium at 7am it was already 36 degrees, and the just-rising sun lit the white ridge of the mountain backdrop in an orange hue.
The day only got warmer, but for the men's race, at 9am, the track was humid but still firm, and we were able to find a good klister kicker.  Dimitri and Will had a clean start, Dimitri starting in bib 15 and Will in bib 35.  It took less than 15 minutes for the men to ski each 5k lap, and Bud and I had to hold our breath, as we stood in the stadium waiting to give feeds, to see how the race would change through the next lap.  Will kept moving up on each lap, from 35th to 21st, to 11th, to 10th - - - as he arrived in the stadium for the finish sprint he and a Utah skier were duking it out for the last All-American spot.  Will gave it everything he had, but his Utah competitor beat him at the finish kick, and Will ended in 11th.  FANTASTIC!  This is the second best showing by a Williams nordic male, and fourth best overall by any Williams nordic skier!
  Meanwhile, Dimitri Luthi, despite having a tough second lap, rallied in the fourth lap to pass a lot of racers. He had a rough fall going into the last kilometer downhill, but still managed to ski back to 20th place as he crossed the line.  A great race by both!
   The alpine team came out to watch the races, and several alums - Scottie McClelland, Nickie Kimball, and Alice Nelson, were in cheering attendance as well.
   Also exciting was the women's race, which resulted in the East taking the top 6 places, and 7 out of the top 10!

Early morning stadium pano

asst. alpine coach Kelsey Levine rests after driving our men to the races  in the early a.m.

Dimitri skis in a pack at 2k

Will in a pack of skiers through the stadium

Will laps through the stadium and grabs a feed from Coach Fisher

Coach Fisher cheers Dimitri into the finishing 400 meters

Ski team alums Scottie McClelland and Nicki Kimball, trailside

Women's alpine team and nordic alum Alice Nelson, trailside

Geordie PODIUMS!!!

Junior Geordie Lonza took THIRD in the Giant Slalom yesterday!!  This is the first time since 1994 a Williams female skier has been on the podium!! Sweeeeeet!!  She and Laurel will race the Slalom tomorrow - you can watch it live at:
THIS LINK

Geordie Lonza and Laurel Carter

Mountainous Days

A beautifully extra-blue morning at Bohart

Dimitri and Will :course-side chillin'

mountainous views on course

Will 25th, Dimitri 35th in tightly contested NCAA 10k

It was a mountain-shine smile of a morning at Bohart Ranch for the first NCAA race.  The wind did pick up a little before then men's event started, but the temperature was a balmy 30 degrees and the track stayed pretty solid through the women's race at 9 and into the men's race at 11am.  Wearing bibs 5 and 8, Dimitri and Will put their altitude tolerance to the test around two laps of the tough 5k course.  There were some steep climbs out of the start, a couple km's of V2, a straight-up wall just before 4k, and a very long and steep climb near the finish.  A course without respite, but of course the Ephs were tough despite.
Dimitri finished a respectable 35th, just one second off 34th and 20 seconds off the top 30.
In his first NCAA competition, Will made a very impressive showing with 25th place - -   only 4 seconds from 21st place and 7 seconds from 19th!
     It was also great to have nordic alum Alice Nelson ('10) on the course and cheering for the Purple and Gold!

Will

Dimitri

Coach Fisher treats us to lunch at Great Harvest;Williams alpiners show up too

Alice Nelson (center)

More banquet photos

I had to add these photos taken by alpine asst coach Kelsey Levine. . .

Will and Dimitri

Nordic + Alpine: Bud, Aubrey,.Will, Dimitri, Geordie Lonza, Laurel Carter, asst Kelsey Levine, coach Ed Grees

Keeping clean while dining

Native American Drums and Dancing

NCAA day 2: Training Day and Banquet

From Spring conditions yesterday to full on Winter today. We trained on the course this morning, tested skis, waxed skis, and then went to the NCAA banquet.Will still hasn't found his ski bag, which failed to make it back with him from Turkey, but he is borrowing some skis from Fisher for the week so he is still ready to rock.  Both Will and Dimitri did some short, race-sharp intervals today and felt ready to race!
Tomorrow the women race at 9 and the men at 11. Be sure to check out the live feed!

Will and Dimitri discuss training with Coach Fisher

Aubrey, Dimitri, Will, Bud at Banquet

Will and Dimitri (far right) get recognized as Eastern qualifiers