Men's start Saturday (photo: Ian Nesbitt)
Another weekend in the books and overall results have begun to take an upward trend for SLUSKI. Alum Eric Wolcott put it simply in the team meeting Friday night: SLU gets faster every weekend as others get less consistent. It certainly seems like things are headed in the right direction. Some chaos, falls and mishaps led to a few wacky results in the skate races, but Friday's classic event showcased the potential for this team in a big way.
We were led by 3 men in the top 30, Austin (19th), Eric (25th) and Will (28th). The guys were only 5 points shy of a 5th place team finish. The fitness for a single-digit individual race is certainly there for the Meng Dynasty (it has been all fall) and in each race the form, tempo, pace and snappiness get better and better. For Will it was the first of many top-30 results this season, while Eric continued his great classic run. He is getting checked out for some shin problems (cross your fingers against Compartment Syndrome) that has been plaguing his skating for a while now.
Eric and Taren in Friday's classic race (photos: Ian Nesbitt for EISA)
Blaine picked up his first top-40 result in 39th place, with Calvin not far behind. These two freshmen are great training partners and they have raced exceptionally well in only their first season on the circuit.
Erin picked up her best classic race by about 20 places, finishing just outside the points in 32nd. She was nearly matched by Kate, who picked up her best race ever in 34th. Both of them skied the course very well, managing effort out of the gate and not blowing up on the big hill right our of the stadium. Instead, they moved fast through the technical sections and went fast on the big hill to the high point of the course, which we (accurately) predicted would be the "make-or-break" section for much of the field. For Kate and Erin it was definitely on the "make" side of things!
Saturday began with the men's mass start event. A huge field and fast conditions made for an exciting race. Meng led the men in 17th, just on the losing end of the sprint for 14th. The biggest news of the day, however, was Calvin Swomley. Chumley had a great start, tactically moving up early. He held his position, even when skiing alone in the final kilometers, and held off a big charging pack to maintain 34th position. Because of the Canadian racers in front of him, Chumley was actually awarded the NCAA points for 29th place! A great finish for only his fourth race. Kyle capped the scoring and is improving with each effort.
Excellent photo of the men's race from Leah Hart '12. Will, Chumley, Blaine and Kyle all making an appearance
Chumley races into the NCAA points in the 20k skate!
The goal for the women was to move up early with a fast start, then settle in to the pace of the top 30. Erin hung around the low 30s before dropping back slightly, while Kate charged from bib 77 all the way to 40th place! While they were certainly hindered by their starting spots (all 50th or higher) the girls team moved up and will be in much better positions next race.
Kate in the skate race. Leading the group and moving up (photo: Ian Nesbitt)
Everyone is excited to keep the momentum going and the results on the upward swing this weekend in Stowe. This UVM Carnival/Eastern Cup is one of the biggest and most exciting events of the year and everyone will be in attendance!
Special thanks to all the parents, friends, alumni and supporters who have joined us to cheer, make delicious food and help out this season!
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