As many athletes were pursuing warmer training climates during the winter break, the Nordic ski team was embracing the snow full-force in preparation for their many races throughout the season, including the Chummy Broomhall Cup this Sunday. The race, which is the state championship for collegiate Nordic skiing, will take place at Black Mountain in Rumford, Maine, and will feature colleges from throughout the state, including Bates and Colby.
Over the break, Coach Nathan Alsobrook focused on speed and intensity and also worked with the team to build their technical downhill skills.
"This has been a weakness of our team in the past, so we're looking to improve in this area," said Alsobrook.
Winter training provided the team with the opportunity to enter the racing season with a solid set of honed skills.
"It was a lot of fun to be able to focus on bonding and training with the team without the added burden of schoolwork," said first year Rainer Kenney.
As the season continues, the team will back down from its high-intensity work to stay well rested for the demanding races, which it will compete in twice a week until the end of February.
In addition to their intense training, the team also competed in two events over the break. The St. Lawrence Carnival in Lake Placid, New York featured first year Hannah Wright's 22nd place finish in the 15 kilometer freestyle, the best showing by a Bowdoin woman since 2006.
Also, captain Niko Kubota '10 captured a career-best 34th place in the 20 kilometer freestyle. At the St. Michael's Carnival in Huntington, Vermont, Bowdoin skiers achieved their first victory over Bates in two years in the men's freestyle. Other highlights include a career-best 29th place finish by Scott Longwell '12 and a 15th place spot for captain Elissa Rodman '10, Erin Hatton '12 and Wright in the women's classic sprint relay.
Key members for the men's team include Kubota and Longwell, as well as Spencer Eusden '12, who is expected to build off last year's momentum.
On the women's team, Wright and Hatton have both helped bring the team to a higher level of performance.
The results they are helping to achieve are "some of the most competitive we've had in a while," said Alsobrook. "We're closing the gap between us and the rest of the league, which is really exciting."
Kubota has high expectations for the team as it heads to the Broomhall Cup.
"This year, we'd like to take Bates and Colby and win it," Kubota said.
While these schools, which have beat Bowdoin in past years, may pose a challenge to the Bears, Alsobrook is confident in his team's direction.
"I'm looking for steady improvement," Alsobrook said. "We have a good core of young skiers, and if this season continues to go well we'll have a great building block for the future."