NCAA Post #3

Recap from George Gowdy '23:

I think going into the races I had very few expectations. I tried to keep my head clear and just focus on racing hard, taking a step back from school and everything else. On Monday, we skied some intervals at Great Glen; honestly, it was the best ski of the season! Looking up at the Presidential Range, I thought about how crazy it was to be racing in NH, my skiing had truly come full circle, all the work had brought me back to my home state. We were there mainly because of how the pandemic had affected skiing in the EISA; but when life gave us lemons, we raced NCAA’s! 

George racing strong at NCAA's

NCAA crew getting hyped before departure!

Overall, our goal was to put our best foot forward and race hard. This paid off in the 10K, which felt pretty solid. I would say the 20K was the best race I have had in a long time! I stayed positive and just kept holding on! It was a special week for all of us, the seniors finished four years of hard work, Charlie and I got a taste of what’s to come, and Steph positioned herself for a strong season next year. I hope the next few years will see more skiers from SLU earning spots at NCAA’s, but we have a lot of work ahead of us. But if these past few months have taught us anything, change can hit like a cargo ship in the Suez Canal.  

 

Thanks for an unbelievable season everybody, 

Greg (George)

NCAA's Post #2

NCAA's from Coach Hatton

Coach Hatton here, providing my short take from NCAA’s. I’m so grateful we had the opportunity to compete this year and with a full team, nonetheless. With everything that has been going on and with so many unknowns this season, it was a bit of a miracle this all came together and went so smoothly. Many thanks to UNH and all of the other coaches. Very fortunate and proud to have led such a great group of skiers and had the opportunity to support them. Not only are they determined and hard working skiers, they are incredible individuals and I couldn’t have asked for a better time at NCAA’s. 

Here are some photos from the week that show just how awesome they are!

So rad

YEAH!

Yippeee!

Hello, Charlie!

PC: Gabby'21

We arrived on Sunday on a beautiful and sunny day. We were lucky enough to be Covid tested and get in some exercise before settling into our rooms. It was incredibly nice to have stayed right at the venue all week. It was great being able to get to our trailer and the trails whenever us coaches needed to without the extra time of driving or burdening the athletes. With the warming temps before the classic race, it meant some extra time waxing and preparing a lot of skis! I think ETown said it was the most skis he’s waxed at NCAA’s...We wanted to be the most prepared on race day; can’t ever be overly prepared, anything could happen on race morning and not having a course of action A-D shows how much or little you care.

Coach ETown preparing skis
PC: Coach Hatton

Both race days proved to have their own ups and downs for each athlete, but they sure represented our team and school well. It was a lot of fun to see them battling against some of the best college skiers out there. It definitely felt like a normal race season and environment on the trails with all of the western teams, despite there being no spectators. I can ensure that this opportunity, one that may not have come normally for this SLU group, has provided a lot of experience that will lead them to grow into better racers in the coming years! Thanks to all of the parents and alumni support from afar this season! I’m excited to continue to watch the team build, grow, and kick butt! 

Formal anyone?

L-R: Charlie, Tim, George, Gabby, Jordan, Steph

Until next time, all the best, Coach Hatton