With the conclusion of the 2016 collegiate season, FasterSkier examines the traditional format of NCAA Skiing Championships with two distance races. Part I of a two-part series discusses proposed changes to NCAA Championships, including the addition of a sprint.
David Norris and Kelsey Phinney broke through on Day 1 of the Lake Placid SuperTour this past weekend in the Adirondacks of northern New York, while Caitlin Patterson rolled to another distance victory in the classic individual start on Day 2.
Caitlin Patterson snagged her second title of the week in as many distance races at U.S. nationals in the women's 20 k freestyle mass start on Thursday -- her third podium of the week. She edged Chelsea Holmes by 4 seconds, and Stratton's Katharine Ogden, Anne Hart and Erika Flowers landed in the top five.
Sadie Bjornsen (APU/USST) claimed her second victory in two days in the 1.2 k freestyle sprint at the 2015 SuperTour Finals in Sun Valley, Idaho. She was followed by a strong performance from Middlebury College's Kelsey Phinney, who earned her first podium at the domestic elite level.
After more than three decades, the NCAA Skiing Championships are back in Lake Placid, N.Y. While the a lot has changed since 1983, the week's competitions promise to be the most exciting collegiate races of the season as Colorado, Utah, Denver, and Vermont battle for the title of 2015 national champion.