Back to the West

    After a few days home from finals I managed to get off the couch and start driving west. I stopped to spend a few days in New York state and enjoy the amazing diversity it has to offer. Among the notable activities was a dinner date in Syracuse:

     From New York I drove west for a couple of days. I managed a stop at the Badlands for some crazy running and then in Jackson, Wyoming for a nice June ski at 10000':

PSA: skate & kick wax are both dead:

I will only be skiing on Twin Skins for the next two seasons.

     I finally made it out to Sun Valley and have dug into some much needed training. Lucy and Carmen also decided to make the trek out here so we have a solid Williams Skiing presence in the training group. This weekend we had a big day in the Pioneer Mountains just outside of town. Note the distinct lack of ticks, mud, and vegetation that obstructs views:

    Excited to see everyone in September!

Hello all!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer. I am enjoying being here in St. Paul, Minnesota. I got to start my summer with a nice little drive back to Minnesota with our friend Nick (see photos below). Once I got home I joined a group of college skier women who are all back for the summer, one of these people is Ingrid! (see photo below) I've been enjoying getting to see Ingrid everyday, and having the opportunity to train with a great group of women. It's been also nice to get to spend some quality time with my family.

For my work at the Conflict Resolution Center I went through a certified mediation training last week, and learned some really cool skills for conflict solving, and listening to people. I am learning a lot at work about restorative justice and mediation. Right now I am working on a project in collaboration with a lot of other organizations with the goal of keeping people housed in Minneapolis and using mediation as a tool to accomplish that through pre-eviction mediation.

Nick was feeling sleepy after a late arrival to the campsite so I went and skipped some rocks on Lake Erie alone.

Just walking in some sand dunes in Indiana.

And we made it back to Minnesota!

Before my friend Ingrid came back to ski with me, I found another training partner following me on my cool down.

Loving getting to hang out with Ingrid! Here we are feeling happy at the gas station.

Last week we did some running speeds. It's pretty sweet to have Minneapolis in the background and be able to be getting on some great trails!

Hoping everyone is enjoying some summer activities, some relaxing, and some nice summer sunsets.

Love,

Elowyn

Grandma's Marathon

On June 17th I ran Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota.

Here I am before the race with a parent from my high school track team, Pete, who also ran.

Here I am mid race. I ran a screamin' fast first 22 miles at 2:42 pace feeling great, but the last 4 were unimaginably slow. Perhaps I flew too close to the sun, or at least some part of my preparation or nutrition was insufficient because at mile 22, I slowed to an 8:30 mile, then a 9:00, then two 10:00 miles to finish the race hobbling/shuffling to the finish. Even though I packed it in in a big way I still managed to run a 2:55:51, which is nothing to shake a stick at.

As long as a racer finished they got a complimentary beverage, which was not a bad way to finish the race. Here I am at the finish replenishing my electrolytes.

Here I am taking some five minutes to get down stairs to lake superior for a post race ice bath. It's three days later today and my legs still don't quite work normally.

Now it's off the feet and back to the wheels to put in big volume for this next winter, slated to be yet another historic season.

Rock the cow!

Nick

Wassup

Hey ski fam! I'm writing to you from frat row at Tufts, the classy neighborhood I'm living in this summer while interning in Boston. Even though I'm technically still in Mass, I feel pretty far away from Williamstown and I miss the Purple Valley and all of you.

While I've mostly been pounding the pavement for training (believe it or not roller skiing  in downtown Boston is kind of a no go...), I have found some cool trails in the area. Due to my geographical disability, I save explorations for after work. Let's just say there was a rush hour traffic incident my first week which viewed through the rose-colored glasses of retrospection could be called an "adventure," but which was really just traumatic. I've sort of recovered.

Nature.

Not bad, eh?

Besides crazy Boston commuting, my internship has been going really well. For those who don't know, I'm interning at OpenBiome, a non-profit which provides fecal transplants through the only national stool bank and also catalyzes research into the human microbiome. Yeah, you read that right. The national stool bank. That's a thing and it's actually some really cool sh*t (the office totally embraces the potty jokes). This week I had the opportunity to attend a conference about the changing landscape of healthcare and the role of technology in shaping medicine. There were some big nerds names there, including Feng Zhang of the Broad Institute, one of the co-founders of the CRISPR technology. I had a total fan girl moment which hopefully my other D3 homies will understand. We even rode the elevator together!! I almost asked him for a pic together for the blog, but then chickened out and opted for a high-quality stealth photo instead.

Feng in the flesh

This past week we had a heat wave that can only be described as disgusting. It was over 95˚ three days in a row. With no AC or fan on the second floor of an old house, I had to resort to some extreme measures to stay cool, including freezing my pajamas before going to bed. Wouldn't recommend. 

Hot in hurr

That's the update for now, but I'll keep you posted as shenanigans develop. Adjusting to city life has certainly been a change, and it's made me realize how much I take for granted. In particular, I've realized just how lucky I am to be surrounded by such supportive, motivated, and inspiring teammates every day at school. I'm heading to Williamstown this weekend and can't wait to see Reb, Sony, and JFields. Hit me up if you're in town! I miss y'all and hope everyone is doing well. 

Big love & rock the cow, 

Becker

City views

Jack Schrupp here, writing from LA (that is Lewiston-Auburn not Los Angeles). As part of my honors thesis I am getting to know members of the local Franco-American community as well as francophone African refugees and asylum-seekers.

For those of you who haven't heard, Perry Thomas, my assistant coach of three years, is moving on to UVM. He will be missed, and I know he will miss us (although not when we're walking all over UVM this upcoming season).

Looking forward to long summer. God bless.

Graduation

It's hard to believe that the class of 2017 has completed four years at Williams already! The past week was full of festivities and celebrations, culminating in graduation yesterday.

Luke addressing friends and family
at the Costley residence on Friday

Celebratory Fireworks
The kids LOVED being so close
to the action

Full house at the
Senior Athlete Reception

CONGRATULATIONS TO HANNAH COLE
Recipient of the Class of 1925
Scholar Athlete Award

CONGRATULATIONS TO ELI HOENIG
Recipient of the Purple Key Award

2017 Graduation
This is the first year the ceremony
was held at the old location of
Sawyer Library

After Graduation Chaos

What an amazing ride it has been! Thank you seniors Hannah Benson, Hannah Cole, Luke Costley, Jordan Fields, Hans Halvorsen, Eli Hoenig and Tsaina Mahlen. You've all had a huge impact on Williams Skiing and are leaving behind a legacy of hard work, passion and friendship that will live on for years to come. Congratulations to you all! 

Mt. Hope

What an incredible four years it has been with this group. Simply too much to put into words. Thank you Hans, Hannah, Eli, Tsaina, Luke, Hannah and Jordan for an awesome four years at Williams!