An East Coast native but no stranger to Alaska, Nick Crawford will head take over the University of Alaska Fairbanks nordic and cross-country running teams in July following the departure of Scott Jerome, who was put on administrative leave in January.
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.
With several men on the U.S. team aiming for top-15 results or better on Thursday, two of them did so and three finished in the top 20. "This male U23 group is the future of US Skiing and it is a blessing just to be a part of it," Northern Michigan senior Kyle Bratrud stated.
Ben Saxton (SMS T2/U.S. Ski Team) skied to an impressive sixth-place to earn the top North American result of the classic sprint at the U23 World Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Canada's Dahria Beatty was the top North American woman in 20th.
Heads turned and ears perked up alongside the course at U.S. Cross Country Championships on Sunday as Kyle Bratrud was rumored to be leading the men's 15 k freestyle individual start. In fact, the Northern Michigan senior led from start to finish, and ended up winning for his first top 20 at nationals.
This past weekend's Alaska Nordic Cup in Fairbanks was about more than early season races: it signified the essence of in-state rivalry between the University of Alaska Fairbanks, going for its third-straight title, and the University of Alaska Anchorage nordic teams.
One-hundred and forty-eight. That's the number of skiers who have descended upon the ski town of Park City, Utah to participate in the 2014 NCAA Championships. The four day event, which consists of two alpine and two nordic races, begins Wednesday and continues through Saturday. Check out our preview, so you know who to watch and what to look for as the event gets underway tomorrow.
In the men’s A-final this Sunday at the 2014 U.S. Cross Country Championships, there were several up-and-coming competitors who had some interesting stories about how they got to Soldier Hollow, and where they drew the inspiration for their success from. FasterSkier caught up with three of them to hear their stories.
The men’s field in Sunday’s freestyle sprint at the U.S. nationals was anything but shallow, making it one of the most competitive sprints in recent memory. Despite the competition, one man came out on top. Torin Koos (Bridger Ski Foundation/Rossignol) skied powerfully throughout the finals to capture his eighth national title.
Moving right along with our Skier of the Year awards, we’re delighted to introduce Junior of the Year, which goes to U.S. biathlete Sean Doherty and Canadian Anne-Marie Comeau. Honorable mentions included as well.
Ben Saxton and Hannah Boyer couldn’t coast to the finish in their wins of the Older Junior classic mass-start races in the 2013 Cross Country Junior Nationals on Saturday. They had fierce competitors on their tales who also happened to be their friends.
Logan Hanneman has been skiing the Birch Hill Recreation Area trails as long as he can remember. On a chilly Thursday night at the U.S. Cross Country Junior Nationals, he and Ben Saxton gave spectators a race they’ll also remember for a long time.
Hannah Boyer and Logan Hanneman got to experience something rare and special on Tuesday: a clinching anchor leg on their home trails at Junior Nationals. Boyer and Hanneman each helped Team Alaska win gold in the Older Junior divisions of the 3 x 3-kilometer classic sprint at Birch Hill Recreation Area.
The Norwegians got flowers and glory for sweeping the podium of the Junior 1 division on Monday. They won’t get medals, however, nor will they get points in the team standings at the U.S. Cross Country Junior Nationals, since those are reserved for American skiers.
On the very last day of Junior World Championships in Liberec, Czech Republic, the U.S. women's and men's relays placed 10th and 12th, respectively. A fall in the men's relay tripped up a stellar early scramble by Logan Hanneman, while Ben Saxton and Heather Mooney each skied high-ranking splits for the Americans.
For the second time this week Heather Mooney led the U.S. contingent at World Junior Championships. She finished 26th in the 10 k skiathlon, another personal best for her in the discipline. Kyle Bratrud was 34th in the men's 20 k to lead the American men.
The Americans at Junior World Championships in Liberec, Czech Republic, this week started things off with a bang in the classic sprint on Monday, qualifying four athletes for the heats. Ben Saxton and Logan Hanneman led the way in 14th and 16th, respectively. Heather Mooney was 19th and Corey Stock 24th.
And just like that, it's all over. U.S. Nationals drew to a close on Tuesday at Soldier Hollow with the completion of the freestyle sprint. As usual, there were a lot of leftover bits and pieces from the post-race interviews.
With unmatched tactical intelligence, raw speed and a little inspiration, Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess won the title he's wanted for so long on Tuesday in the freestyle sprint at U.S. Nationals. Erik Bjornsen was second and Alex Howe finished third.
After months of training and anticipation, the nordic sports opened their seasons around the world this weekend with races around the world. Established veterans had several dominating performances, but there were new faces on the podiums as well, signaling that when World Cup racing starts next weekend, things could be pretty interesting. In Bruksvallarna, Sweden, the Swedish, Canadian, and Slovenian national teams butted heads in a three-day race series. One of the biggest surprises was...