Harvey and Arritola are FasterSkier Rookies of the Year

FasterSkier Rookie of the Year

It is hard to define a “rookie” in cross-country skiing.  First year on the World Cup?  First season as a senior?  First year in college?  First year skiing?  We keep it loose and give the award to skiers who take a major step forward while moving up to a new level of competition.

Rookie of the Year (men):

Alex Harvey (CAN).  Despite three World Cup starts last year, it wasn’t until this season that Harvey established himself as an elite World Cup skier.  Harvey’s international season began with the Whistler World Cups where he paired with George Grey in the Team Sprint to take third, and finished 12th in the 30km pursuit.  Whistler was just a taste of what was to come.  Including World Championships, the 20-year-old native of Quebec finished in the top 30 of the 12 of 16 World cup starts.  The high point was another third, this time in the 50km classic in Trondheim.  Harvey finished the season by placing 6th in the four event World Cup final.

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Rookie of the Year (women):

Morgan Arritola (USA).  Arritola skied in her first World Championships this season, placing 22nd in the 30km freestyle and 32nd in the 15km pursuit.  She was also 25th in the World Cup pursuit in Whistler and had a 5th and 8th at the U23 Championships in France.  Along with last year’s FasterSkier Rookie of the Year, Liz Stephen, Arritola gives the US Ski Team a pair of up and coming skiers who have the potential to follow in the footsteps of current team leader Kikkan Randall.  Arritola, skiing with the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation’s Olympic Development squad, along with the US Ski Team, and just a few days shy of her 23rd birthday, gained her 4th career US Championship Medal, taking silver in the 30km classic in Anchorage.

Honorable Mention:

Daria Gaiazova (CAN).  Gaiazova raced in her first World Championships, placing 29th in the freestyle sprint.  In addition to World Champs, Gaiazova qualified for the heats in 3 of 5 World Cup Sprint starts, and finished 20th in the pursuit at the Whistler World Cups.

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Previous Winners
2008
Liz Stephen (USA), USST
Garrott Kuzzy (USA), CXC Elite/USST

FasterSkier Award Schedule

Monday, May 11th – Rookie of The Year

Tuesday, May 12th – Collegiate Skier of the Year

Wednesday, May 13th – Continental Skier of the Year

Thursday, May 14th – Biathlete of the Year

Friday, May 15th – Nordic Combined Skier of the Year

Monday, May 18th – Performance of the Year

Tuesday, May 19th – Cross-Country Skier of the Year