Hello, I am Duncan Callahan. I currently race for Western State
College in Gunnison, Colorado, which competes in NCAA division I ski racing.
I am in my third year at school and my second year of college racing after
a red-shirt year. I am coached by Kendall Butts. I am very happy with
where I am. Originally, I am from Glens Falls, NY where I started skiing
six years ago, as a freshman in High school. I immediately fell in love
with the sport and have been raising it to the next level and trying to
raise it to the next level ever since. I have been keeping journals and
records and training logs for five years now and have done a lot of writing
for myself in my journals regarding my journey as a cross country skier.
I have recently been interested in sharing my journey and this communication
has lead to me writing for Fasterskier.com. It is exciting for me to share
some articles in the hopes of keeping people informed about the Western
College racing scene and the journey in the West and the State of Colorado.
I will be sharing information about the races including results, weather
and top performances. I will also be sharing some potentially exciting
stories of training and travel. College ski racing is an exciting lifestyle
and I hope to be able to give some insight into just such a life. I look
forward to sharing with you all and hearing back some input perhaps: duncan.callahan@western.edu.
So, enjoy, and if you learn one thing from my stories and experiences
and race reports, learn to push your limits and enjoy the lifestyle. Thank
you for reading.
12/7/02 and 12/8/02
Summit County, CO
Breckenridge Golf Course, and Breckenridge Nordic Center
CU, DU, and WSC showed up in full force to race against each other, other
elite level skiers from around the country, the top Rocky Mountain Juniors
from across Colorado and various citizen racers. Saturday the 7th was
the classic race at Breckenridge Public Golf Course. Great grooming, great
snow and an 11:00am start made for a fantastic day under the brilliant
blue skies of 9,600 feet. The men and the boys led things off with the
8km classic. Two 4km loops of long gradual climbs, and descents with a
few little steep bumps thrown in made for a tough course: one without
any rest. Highlights included Norbert Pelc of CU winning the men’s
race with a time of 22:51. Hakon Johansen of DU was a close second in
22:53 to lead DU. Kevin Taylor racing as an independent from Western State
College led the way for the Mountaineers with a 13th place finish and
a time of 24:34. Top juniors included Zach Hill of DU with a time of 24:06.
Glenn Randall, Simi Hamilton, Ryan Ahern James Letson, and Dun Cochrane
also were in there with the junior scene. Kyle Ahern from Summit was an
impressive 8th place Junior. Nathan Schultz led the way for the non-college
senior men in 4th place with a time of 23:01. Gary Giberson of Breckenridge
once again hosted a phenomenal race with a well-organized staff of volunteers.
The crowd made up of locals and coaches made for an exciting race. The
women’s race was fast and competitive as well. Nina Karvenen of
DU was the winner with a time of 27:02. Jessica Gray lead the way for
the Western State women with a time of 30:16 in 7th place with Ida Martin,
also of Western State, hot on her heels in 8th. Natalie Ward was the top
non-college finisher with a time of 29:52. The junior women also were
smokin’ fast out there led by Emma Catmur of Crested Butte. It was
a great race with fantastic weather and predictable waxing. It was a perfect
Colorado Day.
The Skate race was Sunday the 8th at the Breckenridge Nordic Center. The
Daytons did a great job with grooming. Giberson once again did a great
job with the timing and the volunteers were out in the cold with a great
attitude. The men’s race was won by Nathan Schultz with a fast time
of 20:46. Hakon Johansen was a distant second in 21:33 to lead DU. Norbert
Pelc was CU’s top racer today with a 3rd place. Independent racer
Kevin Taylor from Western State College skied a great result in 8th place
with a time of 22:06. Josh Smullin from Cu was close to Taylor in 9th.
The junior men’s race was a blistering one with Nick Sterling from
CU barely edging out Glenn Randall of RMD. Simi Hamilton from Aspen was
close in there as well. It was a great men and boy’s race on a great
course. The women’s race was an extremely tight one that saw the
top 6 finishers separated by 24sec. Karin Camenisch was the top racer
from DU taking over the top position in 26:29. Jessica Gray from Western
State was in 6th place and only 24 sec. out. Ingrid Butts from Gunnison,
CO was a fantastic 5th place. The women’s race was a tight battle
that is sure to lead to a fantastic college race season. Four of the top
7 racers were from DU, CU, and WSC and are sure to lead the way this College
season. The girl’s race was another battle out on the trails. Jenny
Hamilton of Aspen took the top honors with Korie Steitz of Steamboat Springs
a close second. The whole weekend was filled with fast times and incredible
efforts.
