The (Almost) End of the Season

It's been a crazy season folks. Snow conditions have been fickle, spirits have been high and low, and results have sometimes just been downright strange. Regardless of all these things, the Williams team raced through it all and emerged on the other side, a little bruised and battered but otherwise healthy and prideful. And after a hard fought season, one lucky Eph, Braden Becker, will be representing us at NCAAs and getting to spend (perhaps too much) personal time with Jason and Jeremy. I think I speak for the whole team when I say that we will all be watching results and crossing our fingers in hopes that he can dethrone some 26 year-old European skiers.

Cheers to a great season team, I really don't know what I'd do without ya.

-Jack "Connie" Consenstein

Regionals Recap

The last carnival for the 2017/2018 season is now in the books!  It was a wild ride, with both highs and lows for the entire team.  Its hard to believe that the crazy Colby Carnival is already 7 weeks in the rearview mirror.  Regionals did not disappoint as we had Seniors Jack Schrupp and Elowyn Pfeiffer toe the line for the last time as a purple cow, and Braden finally made his presence known on the EISA circuit with a 2nd place finish in the 20km mass start!

The team is still not finished, as this 2nd place finished was enough to book Braden a ticket to Steamboat Springs next week for the NCAA National Championships!  Here is to fast skis and good feelings for Braden at next weeks races!

Below are several pictures from the weekend:

Fast racing by both Carmen (13th) and Ingrid (15th)!

Happy Cows!

"MOAR"

Lucy nearly pulled off her first top 20 finish in 23rd!

Final climb into the finish for the ladies!

Toothless selfie with the ladies!

A little more presentable picture of me with the ladies!

Closure. I Jack "Joey" Schrupp have skied my last race and am donating my skis to the Olympian from Tonga. I would like to take a moment to express my gratitude. I would like to thank Jordan Fields '17 for giving me purpose. I would like to thank Nick Gardner '19 for giving me sensibility. I would like to thank Uncle Mike for both my inflated ego and humility. I would like to thank my mother for my ambition, and my father for my perspective. I would like to thank Williams Skiing for the opportunity to both succeed and to fail. I would like to thank Fluffernutter for . . . well everything. I would like to thank David Dethier for this photo.




(Sigh.)

Williams Winter Carnival!

We are now done with our most important race of the season, the home carnival up at Prospect!  It was a wild couple of weeks preparing for the event.  We started with having a solid idea that we were going to probably have to move it to Craftsbury based on snow conditions two weeks out.  Just before the Dartmouth Carnival we received nearly 18 inches of new snow and had the best conditions at Prospect of the entire year.  We made the decision to host the carnival at Prospect, and then mother nature decided to play a prank on us and turn the thermostat up a couple of notches.  We had a pretty big meltdown on the Thursday before the races were to begin and had less than ideal racing conditions.  Even with mother nature throwing a wrench into our plans, the hard work from Steve and all the volunteers helped us to pull off two challenging and fair races!

The classic races on Friday were among some of our best the entire season.  The Purple Cows managed to put 3 guys in the top 25 and 2 girls in the top 20.  Shoutout to our very own Lucy Alexander who was proud to make it on page 1 of the results in 33rd place!  Day 2 was an interesting event for everyone as we were not able to hold the planned sprint races.  Instead we put on a very flat, and very fast 3.8km prologue that challenged everyone to push it to 110%!  There were some great results from both the mens and the womens team.

Below are some photos/videos from stuff around the carnival.  Being pretty busy with waxing/coaching I don't have many from the actual races, but from the days leading up to the event and afterwards.

Team skiing together after an awesome race prep workout on Tuesday.

Conditions on Wednesday were nothing but spectacular!

Conditions race morning were less spectacular...

Parents were even chipping in a hand to help get the courses race ready!

A very happy womens carnival team (+ Franklin and Jason)

Womens team happy to be on a wonderful Sunday OD ski.  Note all of the new snow in the background!

Only one more Carnival left for the team this season!  "Last one, fast one." - Dominic Toretto

Eph Spotlight - Captain Sarah Becker!

Click on the link below for an Eph Spotlight for our senior captain Sarah Becker:

Sarah Becker Eph Spotlight

Winter Olympics!

As many of you may know, the glorious time of Winter Study has come to an end and thus we are back in the time of being surprised at how dark it is outside when you ascend out of the depths of Schow (you were only in there for 4 hours!), of freshmen no longer being able to exist solely in Mission, and of long lines at normal eating times at dining halls (avoid Paresky at 12:35 at all costs).

But the start of February has come with at least one good thing (no, not Groundhog's day, though Punxutawney Phil is a cutie): The Winter Olympics!

Cross-country skiers tend to bemoan the lack of attention and understanding surrounding our sport in the general public, but it seems the mass media outlets are actually paying a bit of attention to us and our skinny skis.

For example, the New York Times magazine recently published "What Cross-Country Skiing Reveals about the Human Condition." Despite being beautifully written and illustrated, the piece seems to be written by someone who is a bit confused about the sport. Though I'll give him due credit for highlighting our "huge, beleaguered thighs," I'd like to point out that,

1.) We're half-time dorks and accordingly we only wear helmets in the summertime when sharing the asphalt with motor vehicles.

Keeping the noggin safe

2.) We don't wear goggles because the real-estate on our faces is taken up by Oakley's latest iteration of wearable solar panels.

Contact Alex Harvey to get your very own pair!

3.) Unless the curlers are using torches to prepare their brooms, we can't possibly be "the least pyrotechnic"major Olympic sport out there.

Jeremy testing out the new wax torch

4.) Finally, as Carmen said, "But skiing is fun!" (See below for photographic evidence.)

Lucy and Isabel thoroughly enjoying waxing

Smiling after finishing a grueling 10k at St. Mike's

Carmen having the time of her life skiing to her first top-ten finish

Ivy tackling the big hill at Craftsbury

Sarah showing em how it's done

Elowyn digging deep and having fun

Cheering for the boys and their beleaguered thighs at the Craftsbury 20k

Throwback to winter break in MN, skiing at the prestigious Hyland Park

Thanks for tuning in and be sure to wear your pajamas inside out tonight so it's cold enough that we can host our home carnival at Prospect!

Eph Spotlight - Our Very Own Nick Gardner!

Click on the link below to check it out!

Nick Gardner Eph Spotlight

Another Weekend at Craftsbury - UVM Carnival