LOCK IT UP!

I started shouting "lock it up" to the team sometime last week.  Why?  I have no idea.  I honestly can't recall why I started saying it, nor did I have an inclination as to what it actually means.  I suppose it started out as a kind of joke.  Some weird phrase that I only know the meaning of, but assume that the whole team knows exactly what I'm talking about.  It caught on as the week went by.  The guys started saying it too (the girls might still be a little bewildered by it...).  I think by the end of the UVM carnival this past Friday and Saturday, the whole team had a better understanding of what "lock it up" actually means - including myself.

I can get pretty animated when cheering on our skiers.  In fact, I'm pretty sure I was the loudest coach on the hill I posted-up on during Friday's skate races.  As other skiers go by, I contemplate what I'm going to yell to our Ephs to get them pumped up, or what information I can give them that they might be able to use to gain another spot.  I try really hard not use explicit words or phrases!  Trapp's is a great place for cheering.  Just within the stadium, you can see racers at three different points during the 5k race loop.  Saturday's mass start races had some of the loudest cheering I've ever witnessed at a Carnival.  It was thoroughly invigorating.

Friday consisted of a 5k skate for the women, and a 10k skate for the men.  The Ephs had another standout day with Heidi besting her previous best skate race with a 17th place finish.  Hannah Benson was only seven seconds behind Heidi to take 18th.  Olivia rounded out our scorers for a solid 35th place.  Cole was 39th, Tsaina 44th, Jenna 53rd, Abramson 58th, Rebecca 59th, Becker was 60th, and Eliza was 69th.

Heidi skiing to a career best 17th!

Hannah Benson hammers to 18th place!

Tsaina cruising to 44th!

Sarah Abramson skis out of the start - 58th place!

Jenna skis to the top of the first climb - 53rd place!

The men's team also had a really great day on Friday!  Jordan crushed it in the 10k to take 10th place (9th for NCAA points).  Will skied into the top 20 again for 17th place, and Eli was our third scorer in 23rd.  Vanya was 29th, Jack 36th, Josh 61st, Luke 66th, Hans 75th, and Ben was 81st.

Corwin - getting after it!

Jack with Hans getting a ride!

Jordan solos to a top 10!

Will climbs to a 17th place finish!

The general consensus after the skate race was that the team was expecting, and wanted me to yell at them to "lock it up!" during their race.  I realized that this silly phrase I made up just to have fun had become something more.  It became a motivator for some.  I think it can mean several things (or nothing at all for that matter), but to them, at any given point during their race it is an indication that they need to focus on that exact moment in time, where they are in the utmost pain and on the brink of collapse, and to take it to the next level to ensure that they achieve the goal they set out to do.  So during Saturday's 10/15k mass start classic race, I obliged them.

The men started first, and though Jason and I didn't get to see much of the race because we were busy testing, waxing, and retesting, we both did as much as we could to get out their and motivate the men.  There was plenty of "lock it up" being spewed onto the race course.  Will skied a great race to take 7th place overall (6th for NCAA points).  Eli wasn't far behind in 13th (12th for NCAA points), and Vanya took 22rd for our third scorer.  Jordan made it four men in the top 25 with a 24th place finish.  Luke skied a great race for 37th overall, Josh was 50th, Hans was 69th, and Ben was 79th.  The men's team took third overall behind Dartmouth and UVM.

Will and Eli ski through the lead pack!

Vanya and Jordan ski into the finish!

Luke skis up the final climb to the finish

Josh leads a group down a decent

The women's 10k played out in similar fashion to the men's race with some more great performances.  Most of the guys voices went hoarse from all the shouting and cheering we did during the women's race.  Hannah Cole locked up 6th place with ease.  Olivia also skied a great race for 12th place, and Hannah Benson was our third scorer in 24th.  Tsaina made it four women in the top 25 with a 25th place finish.  Heidi finished in 38th, Jenna was 55th, Eliza was 68th, and Sarah Becker was 69th.

Hannah Cole followed by Olivia

Olivia strides to the finish

Heidi skis with the pack

Eliza descends out of the stadium

Jenna and Rebecca lead a chase group

Coach rips around the course to cheer on our Ephs

Lock it up folks!  Next weekend is St. Mike's Carnival!

Perry