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Sprint day at the Spring National Championships at Mt. Van Hoevenberg is the day when the best and the brightest showed up. Less than a week since collecting her World Cup Distance and Overall Crystal Globes, Jessie Digins (USA) arrived to lay down the day’s fastest qualifying time, followed closely by Julia Kern (USA), herself fresh off a podium performance in a World Cup Sprint in Talinn, Estonia. Those perennial World Cup contenders were followed by Erica Laven (UU) and Erin Bianco (BSF).
Ben Ogden (SMS/T2) qualified first by a comfortable six second margin ahead of Gus Schumacher (APU), Zachary Jayne (UU), and Jack Young (Craftsbury).
Murphy Kimball and Erin Bianco entered Lake Placed’s SuperTour weekend as the skiers who have most consistently qualified fastest, with those SuperTour Sprint points standings being significant in US Ski Team selections for Period 1 of next year. Kimball proved the significance of his lead in those season-long standings by qualifying 8th, just ahead of SuperTour rivals Michael Earnhart (APU) in 9th and Adam Witkowski (SMS/T2) in 13th. In qualifying fourth today in Lake Placid, Bianco reaffirmed her status as leader in the SuperTour Sprint qualifying standings.
Spring Nationals Women’s Sprint
Diggins cruised into the Sprint Final having won quarterfinals and semifinals by comfortable margins. Never the most elegant sprinter, Diggins’ technique still manages to do everything right down where the ski meets the snow: excellent power, efficient glide, righteous speed. Those qualities led her into a Final that included Kern, Laven, Bianco, Kate Oldham, and Mariel Merlii Pulles. But in the Final the tables were turned by Kern—the most recent American on a Sprint podium—whose speed continues to be delivered at World Cup levels. The podium was rounded out by Diggins in second and Laven third.
Women’s Sprint RESULTS
Women’s Sprint QUALIFYING
Spring Nationals Men’s Sprint
The Men’s Sprint Final delivered a skilled group of sprinters determined to find a way to deal with Ogden’s world-class speed. Kimball and Young secured places in the Final along with Gus Schumacher (APU), Xavier McKeever (CAN), and Kristoffer Alm Karsrud (NMU). The Final would stretch out into a speed test (as Mt. Van Hoevenberg Sprints often do) with Ogden one second ahead of Schumacher, one second ahead of McKeever, one second ahead of Young.
Men’s Sprint RESULTS
Men’s Sprint QUALIFYING
Racing continues on Saturday in Lake Placid with the 4 x 5 km Mixed Relay, beginning at 10am Eastern Time.
John Teaford
John Teaford—the Managing Editor of FasterSkier — has been the coach of Olympians, World Champions, and World Record Holders in six sports: Nordic skiing, speedskating, road cycling, track cycling, mountain biking, triathlon. In his long career as a writer/filmmaker, he spent many seasons as Director of Warren Miller’s annual feature film, and Producer of adventure documentary films for Discovery, ESPN, Disney, National Geographic, and NBC Sports.
