Homecoming! And Sunset on Greylock Intervals

Evan and Dimitri finish their cooldown as the sun sets on Greylock

Christina, Alice, Sarah, Blair stop for a photo shoot with the sunset

A beautiful evening at the top of Mount Greylock

Robby helps himself to a Norwegian Waffle during homecoming ski team breakfast

Hannah, Alice, Liz Kantack ('09 alum), Maddy at breakfast

Boys team at the Homecoming football game

Coach Smith and Christina (those weird Alaskans!)show their stripes at the game.

38th Schnellsteigen: Hopkins to Petersburg Pass

They're off! 3 dozen rowers and skiers head toward the Crest

This year the team had hoped to race the historic Schnellsteigen race course up Mt. Greylock, which was put on hold for the past 3 years while the road was being reconstructed. Sunday was a gorgeously warm fall day, the morning sunshine promising some midday heat. But the road up Mt Greylock, closed Friday due to several inches of snowfall, had not reoppened. So, instead, we ran the alternative route we have taken the past couple years: through Hopkins Forest up to the Taconic Crest and over to the top of Petersburg Pass. Alice Nelson, our senior captain, has the honor of being the only one on the team to run this race all 4 years. She had the team record on this course which was broken this year by junior Sarah Tory by just 9 seconds. On the men's side, Dimitri Luthi - who was injured and didn't race this year - held onto his course record, as Evan Dethier won for the men's team.
After a 3 year hiatus, the men's crew rejoined our ski team for the Schnell event. There were about two dozen men crew members who hoofed up to the Taconic Crest with the skiers, and their top runner placed 4th overall.
Overall, a great day to run in the Berkshires: the sun and mud were as abundant as the guts and glory.

Men's winner, Evan Dethier


Men:

Evan Dethier 35:21
Keith Kantack 36:57
Robby Cuthbert 37:34
Erik Anderson 38:03
Caleb Lucy 38:11
Casey Jones 38:29
Phil Tosteson 38:36
(course record: 34:22, Dimitri Luthi ‘08)


Coach Fisher and Sarah Tory, women's winner

Women:

Sarah Tory 41:33 (new record)
Blair Robinson 44:00
Alice Nelson 45:28
Hannah Hausman 52:16
(previous record: 41:42, Alice Nelson)

Now THIS is showing guts. literally. Robby Cuthbert tries to hold it together through the finish line as teammate Keith Kantack cheers him in.

A group cheer for effort, camraderie, and sport.

Happy Halloween from the Williams Nordic Team!

The Team with their pumpkins

Caleb: not afraid of getting his hands dirty

Blair is a force to be reckoned with when shes armed with a pumpkin scooper

Ian, absorbed in his art

Erik and Dimitri work across the table

Alice and Barb dish out some of Barb's homemade pumpkin pie with real whip cream. Mmmmmmmmmmm. . . . .

An Interval A Day.. . . .

. . . . .brings out the best in the purple cows. . . . .


Blair, Maddy, Sarah, Alice


Day 3 of intensity block was 30-40 x 30 second intervals into the apple orchards, followed by a cooldown run, just as the dusk set in and the rain started.

Day 2 of Intensity Block: bounding intervals on Sheep Hill

Our week of Intensity started Sunday, with 5x4 minute skate roll intervals in Savoy. Yesterday was moose-hoof and bounding intervals on Sheep Hill just outside of town, and today we will be back on the rollers with classic 30:30's into the apple orchards. Wednesday we will have a day "off", or easy short run, before finishing the block with 3 more days of interval sessions.
The bounding intervals yesterday on Sheep HIll really showed off the team's fitness: everyone looked strong and fit. So far so good!


Keith and Erik finish the intervals as the sun sets over the hills.

The ladies' team, feeling good and tired after a hard session. Beautiful Greylock backdrop.

Phil

And the training Rolls On. . . .

Keith, Evan, Erik, Ian on top of Petersburg Pass

Evan, one-poling after breaking his pole during warm-up, and Erik during a skate interval up Petersburg Pass

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CALEB AND ROBBY!!!!!!!!!! 21 YEARS!


Hannah, Alice, and Maddy completing 4x4's on the steepest uphill in Savoy

Atay, Phil on rollers and Dimitri on foot - up the hill in Savoy

"Siberian" Mountain Day, Apple Picking, Rollerski Race up Greylock in "Wintery Mix" conditions

Ian, Hannah, Maddy, Blair, Sarah in the apple orchards

A fun weekend! Friday was the annual Mountain Day at Williams College, where classes get cancelled and the students get together in the hills for festivities, singing, cider, and donuts. Because of the horrible weather forcasted for the day the interim president decided to call it "Siberian" Mountain Day. Well, the day turned out Blue Skies and Sunny and most of the team gathered on Stone Hill to watch and participate in the holiday.

Saturday was gorgeous as well and the team took advantage of the weather by going to the apple orchards and picking bags to take back to the dorms and turn to apple crisp.

The forcasted wintry mix hit Williamstown on Sunday morning, when the annual Greylock rollerski race was scheduled to take place (reinstated this fall after a couple years on hold because of road construction). It was raining before the start and snowing during the first half of the race, but the rollerskiers took the challenge and the mountain as they raced an amended course to the top of Jones' Nose. Both Sarah Tory and Keith Kantack took a commanding lead off the start and ended up winning the overall divisions for the day. Ian Nesbitt and Hannah Hausman won the 18 and Under Categories. Results are as follows:
Women: 1. Sarah Tory 34:28
2. Alice Nelson 37:35
3. Holly Whitney 37:36
4. Hannah Hausman 39:38
5. Maddy Wendt 40:00
6. Blair Robinson 41:40
Men:
1. Keith Kantack 28:22
2. Ian Nesbitt 28:26
3. Evan Dethier 29:47
4. Topher Sabot 30;14
5. Caleb Lucy 30:47
6. Dimitri Luthi 31:15
7. Nat Lucy 31:22
8. Robby Cuthbert 32:45
9. Phil Tosteson 35:38
10. Casey Jones 38:10

Ian sharpens his pole tips in preparation for a second place finish

Bud gives Hannah some very serious advice

Rollerskiers sprint for position off the start line

Caleb and Topher: into the snow

Maddy gets into the hill

Alice and Holly battle toward the finish line

Phil nears the finish

the winners, Sarah and Keith, with coach Fisher

Evan and Keith take a cooldown run

Alice and Sarah on top of Stone Hill

Robbie, Dmitri, Keith, Erik, Caleb, Ian enjoy the sunshine and picnic lunch on Siberian Mountain Day

Christina calls students into the hills on Mountain Day