Quarry Road EC, MA Nordic Cup, Rikert EC
February 26, 2025
The busy nature of the racing season has meant an unintentional hiatus in blog posts! No need to fear – the blog is back in action and we’re catching you up on all the excitement of the past month!
Since Eastern Cup #2 in Lake Placid, EMXC skiers have enjoyed fantastic conditions at the Weston Ski Track; competed in the Mass Nordic Cup, EC #3 at Quarry Road, and EC #4 at Rikert; and embraced full-on winter ski training during our team camp at the Oak Hill Outdoor Center in Hanover, NH. Woooof, that’s a lot of stuff… We’re now heading into championship season, but let’s rewind and reflect on some of the events that got us here!
Mass Nordic Cup
A coating of fresh snow continued to grow at Prospect as snow continued to fall throughout the day. Wintery conditions and a lively atmosphere set the scene for a double-header day of racing. The day was a celebration of Massachusetts skiing, as racers from across the state got to toe the line together for some epic racing. Even better was that most EMXC racers participated, resulting in the biggest turnout of any race this season.
The race-schedule included an afternoon 4k classic race followed by an evening 4k skate race. The nature of the double header often means that athletes need to manage their time and energy so that they can recover after the first race and be ready to go for another shortly after. Coaches were super impressed by how well athletes handled the tricky schedule to be as prepared as possible! Kudos to you, athletes!
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This event felt very much like a team event, not only for EMXC, but for the entirety of Massachusetts. Ultimately, the races were held as part of the selection process for the MA U16 Championships (U16s) and Eastern High School Championships (EHS) teams - bringing athletes from different teams to be a part of one MA team. To bring the athletes together and even the playing field, every skier had their skis waxed by a neutral wax squad made up of volunteers from every team. We are thrilled that many of our EMXC skiers will get to be a part of team Massachusetts, as we qualified 17 athletes to U16s and 23 athletes to EHS!
Quarry Road Eastern Cup (EC3)
The Quarry Road EC arrived quickly, and athletes got themselves ready for their third weekend of racing in a row! Many skiers got to experience their first EC racing of their Junior careers, and many were coming back for new personal bests. Everyone got the opportunity to practice handling tricky downhills at speed and in a pack – something we don’t often get to practice at Weston. All-in-all, it was a great weekend!
Jared knocked things out of the park with a 5th place on Sunday, just seconds outside of a podium position.
Abby cruised through the skate race, moving up in position every single lap.
Keira and April skied as a team, working together through the entire classic race. Nolan snagged a top 10, with Tor just a few seconds out. Matthew used his ninja-like agility to dodge a downhill crash that Adrian Narrowly escaped.
Athlete’s left the weekend reflecting on their processes, lessons learned, successes, and areas to grow. Coaches encourage athletes to write down their reflections and carry them into the Rikert Eastern Cup.
Rikert Eastern Cup (EC4)
The theme of this weekend went hand-in-hand with the theme of the season: Winter! There were pristine classic tracks, fresh snow, cold temperatures, and some strong winds.
Races on Saturday were combined with the EISA Middlebury Carnival, and EMXC skiers got to mix it up once again with the college skiers in an individual start classic race. The Rikert 5k course was in tip-top shape and ready for our skiers to show off their smooth, strong striding skills.
In the men's 10k, we saw some beautiful striding, and Jared, Sam, Adam, Dashiell, Jasper, and Lukas skied at pace with some of the college skiers in the field. We saw skiers working on big, powerful double-pole technique – and, upon reflecting on his race, Jasper felt like he accomplished this well!
We also saw skiers working with their competitors to carry momentum around the hilly, twisty 5k course. Hard efforts like this are often best done as a team - even if your “teammate” during a race isn’t actually your teammate. It was impressive to see skiers working on drafting and hanging onto racers in front of them! Adam was specifically proud of his tactical approach!
The women's 10k kicked off next. Hannah had another impressive race, striding hard all the way up and over the last climb into the finish. Fran made her return to racing after a bout of sickness... and accidentally raced in her warm-up pants (at least she found some humor in the situation). Iris broke out her elegant, powerful striding on the many gradual uphills to carry herself to a strong finish.
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In the U16 boys race, Zach fought hard and earned a 4th place finish; one of his best races of the season. First-year U16 Thomas notched a personal-best result in 13th place. Lukey and Benjamin skied with amazing energy, and finished just half a second apart. Kay finished his last Eastern Cup race before taking some time off to heal from injury - we’re wishing you a smooth recovery, Kay!
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In the U16 girls race, Emma Kennedy, currently in EMXC youth, finished 11th in her first Eastern Cup of the year. On track with the quarry road Eastern Cup, Keira and April stuck together, finishing 0.2 seconds apart. June and Ulrika worked on their process goals - striding big and dialing in breathing techniques, both to ski really strong races. Ellie completed her first ski race ever!
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As the day came to a close, the snow started falling and the wind started howling. Teams packed up quickly headed to their accommodations to hunker down and rest up for a stormy Sunday of racing. There was much chatter about how the impending snow and wind would impact the next day of racing. EMXC skiers stayed focused and ready to race, until early Sunday morning, when the dangerous winds blew strong enough to cancel the race.
Many EMXCers were hyped to race on Sunday, and there was definitely some sadness in their air. But, we all left the venu in one piece, and we’re certainly glad that safety was a priority for everyone.
With the cancellation of the second race came the end of the Eastern Cup season. Every athlete had races to be proud of, and moments to improve upon, and we all came out of the season as better athletes, racers, and teammates. Junior Nationals qualification is also a result of the Eastern Cup series, and this year, Fran Tucker will represent EMXC and team New England at JN’s in Soldier Hollow, Utah. We are so excited for you, Fran! This year, and as always, New England had some really tight competition, and EMXC had some athletes right on the JN’s bubble: Zach, Jared, and Leigh were all named as alternates to the team. We are stoked that these 3 will get to strive for greatness with many of their teammates at EHS!
Coming soon to the blog: updates on an amazing week of camp, and thoughts and goals for the rest of our winter season! Go EMXC!
