The Craftsbury Outdoor Center is proud to announce the 2010 additions to the Green Racing Project. After the GRP’s successful inaugural season, we received a lot of applications. After a written and personal interview process with the many highly qualified applicants, we would like to welcome the following athletes to the Green Racing Project for 2010.
Dylan McGuffin joins us from the University of New Hampshire where he led the Wildcats with nine top 20 efforts, including three top-five finishes this past season, and one win at the St. Lawrence Carnival. He capped his career at UNH in grand fashion with a 10th place, All-American performance, in the men’s 10k classic at NCAAs this spring. Graduating with a degree in forestry, we hope our trails will benefit from his talents. The Northfield, New Hampshire native grew up skiing with the Gunstock Nordic club.
Joining the GRP represents a Vermont homecoming of sorts for Patrick O’Brien. The Putney and Stratton skier is another in the long line of standout athletes from southeastern Vermont’s nordic hotbed. Patrick graduates from Dartmouth College with a degree in Environmental Studies. He captained the Big Green men’s team this past season, helping them to their second consecutive undefeated season. His individual results featured three podiums and four top 10s out of his ten top 20 performances in ’09-10. When one reviews the results, it’s interesting to note how many of these lay within several places of now teammate Dylan McGuffin. It will be fun to watch as they push each other in the coming year.
Susan Dunklee has been involved with Craftsbury at various points in her ski career, growing up less than 20 miles away in Barton, Vermont. Beyond her competitive resume, the 2008 Dartmouth graduate brings her Ecology degree to the team. Susan has focused on biathlon since her graduation and will be part of the US Biathlon B team as well as the GRP this coming year. In 2009-2010, she won two NorAm Cup sprints and podiumed a third. After finishing 3rd at the US Olympic qualifying races, she was selected for the U26 IBU World Championships in Otepää, Estonia, finishing 17th in the 7.5k Sprint. She closed her season with a win in the 12.5k mass start at North American Championships in Fort Kent, ME. Closer to home, she won the Craftsbury Marathon this past winter as well.
These three athletes join the six current members of the Green Racing Project and will arrive on campus in the coming weeks. The athletic goal of the Green Racing Project remains to provide support for post collegiate elites as they continue their development. Coaching duties are handled by2009-10 NENSA Coach of the Year Pepa Miloucheva.
Beyond their sporting focus, athletes will also work on a broad range of sustainability projects around the Center, as well as contributing to the New England ski community that has nurtured them thus far. It’s this work that will help to further the environmental and sustainability aspects of the Center and GRP’s mission.
Thank you to all interested applicants – best of luck as you pursue your goals. We are flattered to receive such interest. It was not an easy job to make this year’s selections.
To the three new GRP members – welcome aboard! We look forward to working toward all our goals together.
Source: Craftsbury Green Racing Project
