We traveled to Jackson, New Hampshire this weekend for the EISA races hosted by UNH. It was a treat to stay trailside at the historic Eagle Mountain House, along with many of the other league teams. A dump of wet snow Thursday night provided a much needed blanket for the sparsely covered trails at the Touring Center, but that heavy precipitation turned into sleet, ice pellets, and rain as the morning dawned and temperatures rose. So the morning of classic sprints held its share of frustrations for finding the right ski and kick combination as the track became alternating slow/wet/icy and the steep uphill track on the 1km course was mostly wiped out. Dimitri, Kalle, Phil, Kristin, Elena, and Jenna all made it into the quarterfinal rounds, with Erik, Vanya, and Holly just outside the qualification numbers. Phil then had an impressive sprint finish in his quarter to edge into second place and qualify for the semifinals. Though he didn't advance out of the tough semifinal, he ended the day in an impressive 11th place.
The next day was a much needed respite for weather, dawning clear, sunny, and unseasonably warm. The day's events were slated as Mass Start 15 and 20 k races. A mass start is always exciting, and the Jackson course with its bottle-neck uphill, "the wave" (including several rolls that a racer can catch air on) and tight S-turns (more challenging with mushy snow conditions!) proved its share of spills and thrills. Though our team experienced several crashes and broken poles we still came out of the day with several PR's and an overall team score of 5th! Elena led the women's team with an 11th place finish, Holly grabbing a carnival PR with 26th, while Hannah Hausman and Hannah Smith finished together in 32nd and 33rd. In the men's race Will sprinted to the finish to grab 8th place with Dimitri close behind in 11th and Phil finishing 28th. Overall a great weekend for the team! And congrats to women's alpine for scoring 2nd in the slalom!!
Results
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| Parents escape the rain |
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| Phil gets the edge on a sprint finish to qualify for the semis |
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| Jenna sprints off the start line in her quarter |
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| The Luethi's bring chocolate from Switzerland to the food table! |
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| Becca climbs first hill out of mass start |
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| The Hannah's round the last corner to the finish line |
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| Men's skis get ready for a rill |
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| A sea of racers up the first hill in the men's mass start |
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| Will leads men's finish with 8th place |
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| Mitch in sprint finish |
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| Dimitri, Kalle, Mitch, and Dick Nesbitt enjoy the post-race food table |
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