Endurance United: Junior Training Info Meeting May 4th
April 17, 2023Endurance United has scheduled an information zoom call on their Junior Programs for Thursday evening, May 4th. If you are interested in learning more or planning to join one of our many EU junior programs (summer, fall, D-team, JNQ support) for the upcoming season please mark your calendars and plan to listen in. Contact coach Liz Peterson for zoom call details.
Midwest Collegiate Ski Association: USCSA National Championships Recap
March 16, 2023Following the conclusion of the USCSA National Championships in Mammoth Lakes, CA, the Midwestern Collegiate Ski Association (MCSA) issued their final update of the season, offering a deep dive into how the contingent from the Midwest fared day-by-day, and a send-off for the 2023 edition of the competition.
Junior Nationals: Freestyle Mass Start
March 16, 2023Junior Nationals competition wrapped up Thursday at Birch Hill in Fairbanks, AK, with some incredible freestyle mass start races. Greta Hansen won the women's U20 division, crowned National Champion; Sydney Drevlow collected another podium with a third place finish in the U18 division. Other top performances - MU16: Logan Drevlow 6th; FU16: Anna Gilmer 24th; MU18: Oliver Miatke 6th, Daniel McCollor 9th, Davis Isom 13th, Tommy Simmonds 14th; FU18: Hanna Koch 4th, Lydia Kraker 5th, Fran Peterson 8th, Natasha Sortland 10th, Nina Fedje 15th; MU20: Ben Dohlby 7th, Ben Lewis 8th, Jonathan Saldin 9th, Victor Sparks 12th, Jonathan Clarke 13th, Aiden Van Straten 15th.
USCSA Recaps 44th Annual National Championships at Mammoth Mountain
March 14, 2023With four feet of snow more than they started the competition with, the USCSA National Championships in Mammoth Lakes, CA wrapped up on Thursday, cutting short some of the planned events in the face of inclement weather. Despite the early curtain call, a majority of the nordic events had already been run by the time the competition came to a close, and a finalizing of the results meant that the St. Olaf women's team would finish atop the combined standings on the back of a sweep of the events by Lily Hubanks. Similarly for the men's field, an early ending meant that the University of Minnesota Twin Cities' team would solidify their spot as the best from the Midwest, finishing 5th in the combined standings.
Junior Nationals: Freestyle Sprint Results
March 14, 2023Junior Nationals in Fairbanks, Alaska, continued Tuesday a full day of freestyle sprint competition. Midwest's Sydney Drevlow earned another podium, taking third in the FU18 division. Other top results included FU16: Anna Gilmer 17th; MU16: Logan Drevlow 17th; FU18: Nina Fedje 7th, Lydia Kraker 10th, Hanna Wilsey 15th; MU18: Miles Miner 11th, Davis Isom 12th; FU20: Greta Hansen 4th, Hailee Zimpel 15th; MU20: Benon Brattedo 8th, Jonathan Saldin 9th, Ben Lewis 11th. The final day of racing is Thursday with classic mass start races on tap.
Junior Nationals: Classic Results
March 13, 2023Junior Nationals competition got underway on Monday in Fairbanks, Alaska, with 7.5K classic interval start races. The Midwest came roaring out the door with a number of podiums: Sydney Drevlow won the FU18 title! Greta Hanson 2nd FU20, Logan Drevlow 2nd MU16, and Tommy Simmonds 2nd MU18. Other top performances: MU16: Quinn Holan 5th; MU18: Davis Isom 7th, Oliver Miatke 10th, Daniel McCollor 14th; MU20: Benon Brattebo 6th, Ben Lewis 9th, Jasper Johnston 10th, Andrew DeFor 11th, Ben Dohlby 15th; FU16: Helen Townley 10th; FU18: Lydia Kraker 5th, Hanna Koch 6th, Natasha Sortland 11th; FU20: Hailee Zimpel 6th, Lily Brown 8th, Jordan Parent 10th. Racing continues on Tuesday with freestyle sprints.
NCAA Championships: Freestyle
March 11, 2023With temperatures hovering around freezing after a day where they were well above, the second half of competitions at the 2023 NCAA Championships resumed with two rounds of classic racing on Saturday. Flip-flopping with the men's field, it was ladies first for the 20K event as the field got on-course en mass. Looking dominant in the final push that would earn her a title sweep at this year's Championships, the University of Utah's Novie McCabe would finish first, followed shortly after by Hanna Abrahamsson of the University of Colorado Boulder, and another University of Utah Ute, Sophia Laukli. Following in the footsteps of the women's race, the men's race would also be decided late, with a Canadian from Harvard, Remi Drolet, securing the victory over second-place-sweeper John Steele Hagenbuch from Dartmouth. The men's podium would be completed with a third place finish by Jacob Nystedt from the University of Vermont. A more challenging day for Midwest skiers, the best results came from Northern Michigan University's Merle Richter who finished 21st, and Midwest native Zachary Nemeth of Colby College who finished 19th.
Junior Nationals Opens in Fairbanks
March 10, 2023Junior Nationals fires up Saturday in Fairbanks, Alaska, with opening ceremonies. The racing action is scheduled to begin on Monday with classic interval start distance events. Tuesday is freestyle sprints and then competition wraps up on Thursday with freestyle mass start races (no relays this season). Livestreaming is planned for all three races.
NCAA Championships: Classic
March 9, 2023An eventful day of freestyle racing at the Mt. Van Hoevenberg venue outside Lake Placid, NY encapsulated the first half of competitions at the 2023 NCAA Championships. With last year's all-around champion making a last minute decision to stay in Europe for the start of Period IV of the World Cup, the men's 10K event was anybody's race to win. The results, however, painted a very different picture as a Brit from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Joe Davies, took the title by a whopping 25-second margin, leaving Dartmouth's John Steele Hagenbuch to settle for second, and the University of Denver's Bernhard Flaschberger for third. Also taking the title with time to spare in the women's 5K event was Novie McCabe from the University of Utah, who kicked off her Championships the same way she did the previous year. Rounding out the women's podium were Jasmine Lyons of the University of New Hampshire and Anna-Maria Dietze of the University of Colorado Boulder. Of the athletes representing the Midwest, the day's top times came from two Michigan Technological University athletes, Skylar Patten and Anabel Needham, who both registered high placing results in 14th and 8th respectively. Following a break on Friday, the competition continues on Saturday with a 20K classic race for both the men's and women's fields.
USCSA Announces Results and Schedule Changes for National Championships
March 9, 2023In the midst of record setting snowfall, the schedule for the USCSA National Championships in Mammoth Lakes, CA has been ever changing to accommodate for the unprecedented weather. Through the first three competitions the Midwest has been well represented, with the most notable result being an ongoing sweep of the women's events by St. Olaf's Lily Hubanks, who's team is currently leading the overall standings. For the men's field, the University of Minnesota Twins Cities' team notched a pair of top-10 finishes in Wednesday's freestyle sprints and is currently sitting in 5th in the overall standings. As things stand, one more race remains at the National Championships: a classic team sprint.
NCAA Championships Preview
March 7, 2023In less than 48-hours time the best of the best from colleges across the US will be leaving it all out on the course at the 2023 NCAA Championships. Being held just outside Lake Placid, NY, at the Mt. Van Hoevenberg venue, two men's and two women's champions will be crowned over two days, with the first titles up for grabs in interval start freestyle races on Thursday. Our event preview has everything you need to know to get up to speed heading into the competition.
Junior National Teams Announced
March 6, 2023The full teams for the Midwest and Great Lakes Junior Nationals competition, March 11-16 in Fairbanks, AK, have been announced. Also posted are the teams for the Canadian Nationals.
USCSA National Championships March 7-11
March 4, 2023The pinnacle of collegiate club competition in the US, the Collegiate National Championship get underway this coming Tuesday in Mammoth Lakes, CA. Running through Saturday, over 500 athletes from 65 colleges and universities will be competing in the U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) sanctioned competition for titles in alpine, nordic, snowboard, and freestyle events.
Minnesota Nordic GoFundMe Live for USCSA Nationals
February 28, 2023Earning a berth to the USCSA National Championships from their results at the Regional Championships competition, the collegiate team from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, dubbed Minnesota Nordic, is seeking assistance in making the to journey cross-country to Mammoth Lakes, CA for the competition. Receiving limited funding from the University, any and all donations will go a long way towards helping offset the cost for athletes to make the trip.
MCSA Midwest Collegiate Cup: American Birkebeiner Update
February 28, 2023As the dust settles on another year of racing at the American Birkebeiner, a new pair of champions were crowned over the weekend in the pursuit for the Midwest Collegiate Cup. Both hailing from the University of Minnesota school system, the women's title was awarded to the team from the Twin Cities, while the team from Duluth took home the men's title. Find out just what led up to both results, as well as how the remainder of the field shook out, in this week's update from the Midwestern Collegiate Ski Association (MCSA).
Kortelopet Coverage
February 24, 2023Bright sunshine, rising temperatures and a beautifully groomed Birkie Trail made for another awesome Kortelopet event Friday in Hayward. As tradition, junior skiers reigned on the day! Peak Nordic's Ben Dohlby, hot off his distance championship victory at the Wisconsin State Meet, broke away after Mosquito Brook to solo in for the men's title with Lakeland's Casey Van Hefty second and Jace Haerter third. On the womens side, Anne Straka completed the Peak Nordic sweep of the freestyle titles, with Fran Peterson, Chippewa Valley, second and Della Bettendorf third. In the classic division, Mpls Ski Club's Benjamin Martin striding to first, ANST's Noah Jahnke second, and Eliott Swanson, Mpls Ski Club, third. The Duluth North XC duo of Greta Hendrickson and Lydia Kraker skied to a friendly photo finish with Hendrickson awarded first. Rochester's Natasha Sortland was third. In the Prince Haakon, Devon Byers and Anna Peikert had the fastest times. Results linked in, along with big photosets and video recaps from the Kortelopet.
MCSA Midwest Collegiate Cup: Regional Championships Update
February 21, 2023The Midwest Collegiate Cup traveled to Rhinelander, WI this past weekend for the fourth of it's five scoring competitions, Regional Championships, which also served as a qualifier for USCSA Nationals. With just one additional race remaining on the calendar and Nationals berths on the line, the two-day event had major implications and lived up to expectations, serving up surprises along the way. Dive into this week's Midwestern Collegiate Ski Association's (MCSA) race summary for an overview of the results and an update on where teams stand heading into the final event of the Midwest Collegiate Cup: the American Birkebeiner.
Mayors Challenge Classic Coverage
February 19, 2023Another full day of racing at Theodore Wirth with an exciting array of mass start classic events for the Mayors Challenge on Sunday. Midwest World Cup stars shined brightly in the big 20K races as Zak Ketterson pulled away from the men's field and Alayna Sonnesyn topped the women's group. In the 10K races, State champion Benon Brattebo (U20) continued his winning form and St. Scholastica's Sophia Corkran (U20) cruised to victory. Top U18 times went to Daniel McCollor (3rd) and Natasha Sortland (2nd). In the U16 5K races, Logan Drevlow dominated the boys event and Helen Townley collected the girls title. Full results linked in, plus some big photosets.
Mayors Challenge Freestyle Sprints Results
February 18, 2023Racing on some fast conditions Saturday at Theodore Wirth, skiers competed in freestyle sprints as part of the CXC Cup and SuperTour. In the men's open, the final featured a battle of NMU past and present as NMU alumni and World Cup skier Zak Ketterson faced off against NMU and US Nationals sprint winner Kristoffer Alm Karsrud. Coming over the bridge and into the final stretch together, Karsrud pulled ahead of Ketterson for the victory. Logan Diekmann was third. The women's final was equally dramatic, with World Junior Championships sensation Sammy Smith leading through the major climb, but it was SMS T2's Loren Jortberg coming over the bridge first with Team Birkie's Renae Anderson taking second, and the UP's own Sarah Goble third. In the U18 heats (minus those that raced in the open divisions), Daniel McCollor and Tayah Anderson won the sprint finals. U16 titles went to Jack Dahlby and Helen Townley. Sunday will be mass start classical races.
MCSA Midwest Collegiate Cup: Vasaloppet USA Update
February 13, 2023With three of the five races now in the rearview for the Midwest Collegiate Cup, this week's Midwestern Collegiate Ski Association's (MCSA) recap covers the results from athletes at the most recent event: Vasaloppet USA. Another race with 100+ collegiate participants, the competitions led to some significant results, including the highest ever single-day points haul by a team.
MCSA Midwest Collegiate Cup: Mt. Ashwabay Summit Skiathlon Update
February 7, 2023The second race of the Midwestern Collegiate Ski Association's (MCSA) Midwest Collegiate Cup, the Mt. Ashwabay Summit Skiathlon, took place over the weekend in Bayfield, WI. Frigid temperatures and a challenging course didn't deter upwards of 70 collegiate skiers from competing in one of the most demanding races of the season.