Frosh Spotlight: Marika Massey-Bierman

1. What is your favorite winter accessory?

A Buff!

2. Do you have any hidden talents?

I can do a pretty fantastic British accent. 

3. If you had to pick one type shoe to wear for the rest of the year what would it be?

Hokas, of course. 

4. Coffee or tea?

Tea and more specifically Bengal Spice tea. 

5. Describe your ideal ski race. 

It would be a 10k classic pretty cold hard wax conditions. Not too cold that the snow squeaks, and not too icy or soft. 

6. Any additional comments? 

Prepare for some crazy ski tights this winter!

Freshman Spotlight: Jenae

Meeting Jenae!

Favorite workout at Williams?

• My favorite workouts are our weekend distance skis! Its super fun to see what the east looks like outside of campus. I forget that the real world does still exist 

Best Study Spot?

• The best study spot I've found is the bottom floor of Sawyer for real studying or upstairs Paresky for reading. 

Favorite Dog?

• I think my favorite dog breed is a golden retriever because they are so sweet but also mutts are very cool (like my dog who is the best)

Cat's Name?

• My cat's name is Porter and we're best friends. We enjoy all of the same things: naps, food, naps, and sleeping.

If you had to subsist on one Driscoll brunch item for the rest of your life?

• If I'm being practical I would choose yogurt and fruit, but based on joy I would eat tots. 

Marika's favorite thing about Jenae?

• Jenae is a bubbly and energetic person who makes me smile and also works super hard during the workouts. #downhillsarescaryandrunningfastdownthemishard

Isaac's favorite thing about Jenae?

• She is always down for an adventure

(At this time, Woody has yet to respond to my text)

Apologies for the lack of pictures-I am not yet coordinated enough to keep track of my key card, much less remember to document our adventures, but please enjoy the picture of a porcupine in a tree that Ingrid and I found mid-OD:

Getting to Know Isaac Freitas-Eagen

Are you excited for this interview?

I'm so excited.

Where are you from?

I’m from Gilford Vermont.

]Best moment on skis in your life so far?

The 15 k classic eastern cup at Holderness in New Hampshire. I just had the best race of my life. I felt amazing, I had perfect kick in bad conditions. I felt really fast, and I got a good result.

What are your aspirations in skiing?

We’ll see. That’s what my aspirations are. 

Who inspires you?

Johannes Klaebo. He makes it look easy. He doesn’t take himself too seriously. Also my team, because it’s just inspiring to be in a group of people that works so hard, and takes it as seriously as I do.

Favorite music?

Pearl Jam. Led Zeppelin. Pearl Jam. Robert Johnson. Notorious BIG. And Rage against the Machine. And Greta van Fleet.

Favorite part about Williams so far?

Dang, I don’t know. I’ve got a lot of favorite parts. The atmosphere. I like how everyone is really hard working… No, that sounds dumb. It’s cool. There’s just so many cool people, and there’s always something going on. I like the food, I like my classes, and I love the team. 

What are your strengths?

Knife throwing. Skate skiing uphill. Climbing trees. I’ve made good apple pies in the past. I can slap together an essay pretty quickly. It may not be great, but I can do it. I can ride down a hill in a radio flyer wagon pretty quick. Saxophone. It’s not a strength anymore, but it was at one time.

What are your weaknesses?

Terrible handwriting. Basic arithmetic. Jazz scatting. Axe throwing. Keeping a clean room. Responding to texts. Cutting pineapple.

Do you have anything more to say to the world?

Roll cow

Norwegian Mountain Day

Here's an amazing coincidence:
The university I'm at in Norway ALSO celebrates Mountain Day on a random friday in October, and it also happened to be on the first friday of October. However, for some reason they only let people from Alaska who are also named Jack participate.
So in keeping with the team tradition, I embarked on an adventure run with the intent on showing the current team members that Norway hasn't made me too soft just yet. However, I have a very localized knowledge of the trails here so after an hour and a half I was completely lost. I ran into a preschool and asked a very scared-looking norwegian parent if there were any trails around. He just shook his head and gesticulated wildly in the direction I came from. I decided then that I was going to have to find trails on my own.
For the next 2 hours I ran on roads, mining trails, and sheep paths. I had a very nice FaceTime chat with Nick Gardner and the mens team at the beginning of their run, in which I informed them that I would in fact run further and longer than they possibly could. I then proceeded to do just that.
30 miles in 5:45 folks. A new mountain day record has been set. The bar has been raised. Aka get yo numbers up, softies.
Also here are some pictures:

Jack OUT.

Evan Carr took his day care out for a hike!

Friday was just TOO beautiful to stay inside all day, so Evan took the kids out for a hike!

Mountain Day!

Friday was Mountain Day, one of my favourite traditions at Williams. Classes cancelled, spending the day running in the hills, lots of cider and donuts... what more could you ask for? It was a gorgeous fall day with great company, so the 31km and 4.5 hours of running flew by! Here are some photos of the women's team's adventures:

A quick photo op on the way up

Soaking in the sun and the views

When your legs get tired, stand on your head...

... or at least try to (it turns out we are not gymnasts)

Reached the summit, now reaching for the sky!

First Day of Official Practice

We are all really excited for the first day of official practice.  We have now been training and enjoying the company of the class of 2022 for a whole month.  It feel like we have known them for so much longer.  Here is a throwback to their first Driscoll brunch ever!  We are looking forward to many many more.

Meet Siri:  She is really good at laying out in ultimate and you may not know she has a twin brother.

Meet Jenae: She never went to high school in the winter.

Meet Woody (on the left): He loves to eat sherbet, especially rainbow sherbet at Driscoll.

Meet Isaac (on right): You make think he is from the same place as Jack Schrupp but in fact he is from Guilford, VT.

Meet Marika: She writes and performs her own songs.

Happy October!