UNH Carnival Classic Race

Results for Women

Results for Men

Bakken Performs after a Week of Illness

Results

Toussaint Puts Down a Strong Race in a Tough Field

Story to come………

Classic Race

They Just Gotta Dance

As skiing goes, most teams have “traditions” of one sort or the other and this crew  is no exception.  They (most of them) really like to dance in parking lots, on snow banks, grocery stores or any other place that offers a moment of inspiration.  Here Chandra and Sarah give a quick clinic in the parking lot of Black Mountain in Rumford, Maine.

We had just wrapped up a preview of the course for athletes and wax testing for the coaches when the moment struck.  Perhaps it was just an active cool down as Saturday begins our race season on a loop of human-made snow that is another testiment to the commitment of this community to ski racing.  This loop is covered in many feet of snow and it’s a pretty stark ribbon of white in the brown forest.  Thank you Black Mountain.

Race start is just a little over 12 hours off and I have skis to wax. 

For information and link to results.

Van Departs at 8am on Friday

As most of New England is rumored to be brown and we skied on blue hardwax with fantastic tracks in Caribou today.  The afternoon was devoted to waxing test skis, finishing plans and wrapping up the last pieces before our first big collegiate weekend.

On this coming weekend the inaugural Maine Collegiate Nordic Ski Championships (event poster)will be held in Rumford, Maine.  This event is being held in conjunction with the NENSA TD Banknorth Eastern Cup Series and has been named in living honor of one of the pivotal individuals in United States skiing, Chummy Broomhall.

The Chummy Broomhall Cup will be awarded to the top collegiate cross country ski team in Maine.  The Cup will be awarded based on the combined scores of the top three men and women from each collegiate team.  The winning college will have its name added to the cup and be able to display it on their campus for the following.

 I will do my best to keep the site updated with results, photos and standings.  Keep checking back.

Chummy Broomhall Weekend Activities

On Friday, January 12, as part of the TD Banknorth Eastern Cup Tour de Rumford & Chummy Broomhall Cup weekend, Black Mountain of Maine and the Chisholm Ski Club are proud to present Bill Yeo and his breathtaking multimedia presentation, Everest Adventure!

Yeo ishalf of a two-man unsupported (no Sherpas or porters) Maine-based, 2006 Everest Summit team, along with New Vinyard’s John Bagnulo. Bill has organized, planned and lead dozens of expeditions over the last 20 years to some of the most remote and wild locations on earth.

Come see the stunning images and hear his stories from the top of the world.

Friday,January 12at the Black Mountain of Maine Lodge
5:00 PM Social Hour,6:00 PM Dinner, 7:00 PM Presentation

$12.00 Dinner & Presentation, $7.00 Presentation Only

Bakken and Ostroot Compete in US Nationals

Bjorn Bakken (Duluth, MN) and Brandan Ostroot (Columbia Heghts, MN) both competed in the first two races of the US Cross Country Skiing Championships in Houghton, Michigan.  Each traveled directly from Coleraine, MN (the location of the US Junior Biathlon World Team Trials) to join the best skiers in the country.  After competing in these races they returned home to start the journey back to Maine.  Next weekend they will be competing for the Chummy Broomhall Cup on the trails of Black Mountain in Rumford, Maine.

 Results: http://www.seniornationals.org/

Toussaint and Ostroot qualify for Jr. World Biathlon Championships

On the final day of 2006 Brandan Ostroot and Meagan Toussanint qualified for this years Biathlon Junior World Championships being held in Martell, Italy.  Ostroot (a first year student from Minneaplolis, MN) qualified in the second  position for Junior Men, while Toussaint (a sophmore from Madawaska, ME) qualified in the forth position for Junior Women. 

Trial Stories: http://www.usbiathlon.org/ 

World Junior Website:  http://www.biathlon-martell.com/biathlon_en/index.php

Third Race of U.S. Biathlon Jr. World Championship Trials

Results: http://www.minnesotabiathlon.com/results/123106JRtrialsREL.pdf

Second Race of U.S. Biathlon Jr. World Championship Trials

Coleraine, MN – Saturday was the Pursuit Format Competition.  Athletes started in the order of finish from yesterday’s Sprint Competition in 5 second interval starts.  I have not seen the final results yet but I have a preview……. Brandan Ostroot had a strong performance and finished in SECOND position for the Junior Men and Meagan Toussanit finished in THIRD position in the Junior Women’s race.  The final race will be on December 31 with a Mass Start – Relay Format and the Jr. World Championship Team will be named after the event. 

Results: http://www.minnesotabiathlon.com/results/123006JrTrialsPUR.pdf

Criteria to qualify: http://www.usbiathlon.org/InternationalTeamsCriteria06-07.pdf

First Race of U.S. Biathlon Jr. World Championship Trials

By: Gary Colliander

Coleraine, MN – Snow has been hard to come by this season, but the Mt. Itasca Biathlon Club has done their magic once again in providing Nordic enthusiasts with some great skiing.  A 2.5 kilometer loop of man-made snow was prepared to near perfection for the U.S. Biathlon Jr. World Championship Trials which started today.  With snow falling steadily all morning conditions gradually toughened as 1-2″ fell by race end.  Athletes from around the country competed today in the Sprint Competition and the results didn’t have too many surprises at the top.

Meagan Toussaint of Madawaska finished 3rd with 4 penalties.  Toussaint who also skis for the University of Maine in Presque Isle recorded two misses per shooting bout today.  “My skiing felt pretty good today, but my shooting was not my usual”, sad Toussaint afterwards.  “I had some bolting problems in prone and I think that threw me off a bit.”  Brynden Manbeck of Grand Rapids, MN and Laura Spector of Hanover, NH are the top two returning females from last seasons’ Jr. National Team and today they finished 1-2 in the Jr. Women’s category.  Manbeck finished with only one penalty to win the
opening race and Spector recorded the fastest course time, but four
penalties left her in 2nd place just 48 seconds behind.  

Finishing 2-3 (in the Junior Men) were Russell Currier of Stockholm and Newt Rogers of Ft. Kent. Currier recorded five penalties and Rogers four.  Coach Gary Colliander stated, “This is ok for Newt considering he hasn’t shot that much this past fall while attending the University of Vermont; Russell’s misses were low and this has been the case all winter.  His sighting in has been great, really great groups, but still some misses low.”  Mark Johnson of Grand Rapids, MN won the Jr. Men’s competition recording one penalty in both his prone and standing stages. 

Saturday will be the Pursuit Format Competition.  Athletes will start in the order of finish from today’s Sprint Competition in 5 second interval starts.

Note: Brandan Ostroot, a first year student at the University of Maine at Presque Isle finished forth place in the Junior Men’s race. 

Race results can be found at: http://minnesotabiathlon.com/results/122906JrTrialsSPRa.pdf

Criteria to qualify: http://www.usbiathlon.org/InternationalTeamsCriteria06-07.pdf

Interview with Olympic Biathlete Tim Burke

By: Kris Cheney Seymour

Olympic Biathlete Tim Burke marked the first two weeks of the 2006-07 Biathlon World Cup season with thrilling performances and outstanding results. The Paul Smiths, New York native had a 10th place finish in the Sprint Format and a strong relay performance that tagged the US Biathlon Team off in fifth position, just 21.7 seconds off the lead. I caught up with Tim in Fort Kent, Maine after he returned to the US and was training at the the 10th Mountain Lodge.

World Cup Biathlon action can be watched live on the internet!  Check out www.usbiathlon.com

Congratulations on the beginning of your season Tim. How do you feel about the opening Biathlon World Cups and are you online with your season goals?

I am really happy with my performances in the opening World Cups. I feel that I am right where I want to be at this time of the year.

I have already reached many of my result goals for the season so now my main focus is on performance. I still feel that I have yet to put a great ski race together with a great shooting performance. Now I will focus more on that than any particular result goal.

The US Biathlon National Team coaching staff has changed quite a bit since the Olympics. Who are your new coaches? What is the atmosphere on the team? How is it affecting the overall feel of the program and what are the most dramatic changes?

Our two new National Team coaches are Per Nilsson and Mikael Lofgren. These guys have played a huge role in my success so far. Both Per and Mikael have brought a level of professionalism to the team that I had not seen before. These guys expect a lot of us at every practice and in return they are prepared, motivated and helpful at every training session.

Our team atmosphere has been very professional and upbeat this year. From the top of our organization to the bottom, everyone has done a great job, which has allowed the athletes to focus 100% on racing. I never have to worry about how my skis are going to be on race day or travel logistics and this has really helped me focus all of my energy on getting the best results possible.

What has changed in your training/preparation since the Olympics? Is there anything in your training that has always been consistent?

This year Per and Mikael definitely challenged me more than I have ever been challenged before in training. I increased my overall hours, increased the percentage of my intensity work and added a new strength program. Although I made some significant changes, the work that I completed in years past is what prepared me for this program; I never would have survived my new program without many solid years of training.

Although my training plan varies from year to year there are a few main principles that have remained constant. One aspect that I have always focused on is being as ski specific as possible in training. I want to be a fast skater so it only makes sense that the majority of my hours should come from skate skiing or skate roller skiing. Nearly all of my intensity sessions are also done skating. Another principle that I believe very strongly in is year-round intensity. The types of intensity workouts I do throughout the year vary but some type of intensity is always present whether it is May or December. Technique is another point that I always emphasize in my training. I feel good technique is like free speed and I am really surprised at how little others work on this.

What did the biggest week and month of training look like in the last year?

My training is divided into four-week blocks where the first three weeks are very challenging and are followed by a recovery week. My biggest week was 25 hours and biggest four-week block was 80 hours (72 hours in the first three weeks). During this time I also maintained 15% of my hours as intensity.

I feel like too many skiers get caught up with training as many hours as possible while forgetting about quality. Anyone can train 20 hour weeks but there is a big difference in a 20 hour week completed with three intensity workouts and 15 hours of skiing as compared to a 20-hour week done hiking in level one. The focus needs to be on quality and as ski specific as possible.

When you go on the road is there anything you must bring?

Hot sauce! I actually forgot my collection of hot sauce during our last trip to Europe and I paid dearly for my mistake. I was forced to endure a whole month of boiled potatoes and fish in Sweden with no spice. Never again will I make that mistake.

What was your development as a junior skier/biathlete like growing up in Northern New York?  What coaches or organizations have you worked with as a young senior?

I was really fortunate to grow up in an area with a great junior ski program.  I was involved with NYSEF Nordic from a young age and the coaches there did an incredible job at developing juniors.  At NYSEF I learned what it was like to train hard all while having a great time.

As a young senior I worked with James Upham at the Maine Winter Sports Center.  The MWSC was a great place for me as a young senior.  They provided a world-class venue, a supportive community and a team atmosphere that was unavailable anywhere else.  James was also very influential in taking my training from a junior level to that of what you need to be competitive at the senior level.

What keeps you motivated?

I love to compete and I truly enjoy all of the training throughout the year. My job is to be outside skiing, biking and running everyday. In my mind, it doesn’t get any better than that.

You’ve seen plenty of coaching, training and been to most corners of the skiing world. What advice would you give to US Juniors, their coaches and perhaps parents?

Have fun. It takes so many years of hard training to be competitive at the international level in any Nordic discipline. To make it through so much training, you have to enjoy the work. With that said, have fun but don’t be afraid to hop on the pain train!

Kris Cheney Seymour is the Head Ski Coach at the University of Maine at Presque Isle.

Visit:   www.presqueisleskiing.wordpress.com

Junior World Trials for Biathlon

Coleraine, Minnesota- Meagan Toussaint (Madawaska, ME) and Brandan Ostroot (Minneapolis, MN) begin their efforts to earn a spot on the 2007 Biathlon Junior World Championship Team this Friday in Coleraine, Minnesota.  Each traveled to the Mt. Itaska Biathlon venue on Christmas day to finish final preparations for the trials.  They have been testing skis, spending time on the range and reviewing their race courses as the first start approaches.  There will be daily updates as Toussaint and Ostroot compete for their first Junior National Team position.

Faculty Affiliate Program

The Intercollegiate Ski Team at the University of Maine at Presque Isle has recently created a new initiative called the Faculty Affiliate Program (FAP). The FAP looks to foster a better understanding of the goals and application of this intercollegiate athletic team and how it supports the University’s educational mission.  The Program will recruit faculty members from a variety of disciplines who volunteer to spend time with student-athletes on the Ski Team.

This is a fantastic opportunity to enhance communication between faculty and students-athletes while providing additional mentoring resources for skiing student-athletes.  It will also provide faculty members with a more complete understanding of the mission and application of intercollegiate skiing, and enhance their awareness of the responsibilities of Presque Isle skiing student-athletes.

Participating Faculty: 

Bonnie Wood, Ph.D. Professor of Biology 

Anja Whittington, Ed.D. Assistant Professor of Recreation

Presque Isle Ski Team Earnes High Marks with a Cumulative GPA of 3.5 in the Fall Term

Presque Isle, Maine ­-The University of Maine at Presque Isle Ski Team has received high marks in the classroom this Fall. The skiing Owls ended the 2006 Fall with a 3.5 cumulative team Grade Point Average for the term.  At the beginning of the academic year the team had made a goal of having a 3.2 GPA for the combined Men’s and Women’s Teams.   

Academic success is no surprise with this group as each individual is committed to being the best they can, in all facets of their lives, on a daily basis.  “I am very proud of their efforts and support of the academic goals or team has set for the year.” said Head Ski Coach Kris Cheney Seymour. 

The Presque Isle Ski Team will return from break in early January for training camp and travelto their first competition in Rumford, Maine with the first annual Chummy Bromhall Cup, January 13 and 14. 

Freestyle Race in Fort Kent

Finals Time

Training yesterday was 1 km intervals at upper threshold and the snow was really fast in the morning. The goal of the session was to keep at the appropriate heart rate/lactate for each interval while getting faster each loop. Effort needs to stay the same but you can experiment with technique, transitions, tactics, mindset or as Megan Toussaint said after chopping off nearly 10 seconds between her second and third interval, “I just decided to let my skis run as I went into that big ice patch at the bottom of the hill.” (Keep in mind that this one change would result in being 1:40 faster over 10km) The opportunity of the workout exemplifies how the smallest change can have the most dramatic results. Breaking through mental barriers, allowing yourself to be brave while part of your head is demanding prudence can change everything. How much training does it take to be 1:40 faster over 10 km? Look at any result sheet from the Olympic games to the local club race and 1:40 can put you a long way back from the podium. Being the best you can at anything is about working very hard, working very smart and exploring every opportunity to achieve. Everyday these skiers are breaking down preconceived notions as they focus on developing their talent. They understand they have one opportunity, one time in their lives to focus on being the best they can at something. At some point this chance will fade and I hope that each will know they made the most of this moment. Not everyone stands on the podium but all these skiers are working to push beyond and break down what they thought was possible.

Finals start on Monday and before that we have a strength session, race on Saturday, two recovery/transition workouts and a motivational speaker. It will be very busy for another week. Our team goal is to finish the semester focused, fit, healthy and gracefully head home for time with family and friends. All will return ready for our season, our time and our opportunity.

Winter Wonder Land

Presque Isle is honestly a fantastic place if you love winter.  It comes early and stays for six months.  Not only is the skiing abundant but the region has every activity associated with winter fun.  Members of the ski team are enjoying some ice time as Sarah Duncan (former “Ice Princess”) thrilled the crowd with spins, twists and turns.

 

Saturday Time Trial