The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Hannah Smith back in action
With 10 athletes returning to the team, including Junior National champion Hannah Smith, and 25 kids signed up for the Nordic rec program, the Crested Butte Junior Nordic Team is set for a big season this year.
Duncan Callahan continues at the helm of the Crested Butte Junior Nordic ski team this year, for the fifth time in the past six years.
Over the course of his tenure, he’s made a point of carrying the Nordic skiing torch beyond the winter months and into the summer.
His energy and commitment has grabbed the attention of the fledgling Nordic skiers in the valley and this summer was testament to the year-round mentality taking hold.
“It’s definitely taken off,” says Callahan. “The main focus is keeping the team a team, keeping the kids engaged. The training is good but it’s that shared sense of suffering.”
The team began their preparation for the 2010-2011 season back in June, meeting anywhere from two to five times a week. Callahan mixed it up, hiking peaks and roller skiing with some strength work thrown in as well.
Once fall hit and the kids were onto their school activities, the team got together twice a week early in the morning for continued strength work. Ian Boucher and Hannah Smith added a day of roller skiing as well.
The team got together on snow informally on November 1 with the first “official” day of Nordic ski team practice on November 8.
This year, Callahan has nine athletes at the J2 (ages 14-15) level and above, a J3 (ages 12-13) racer and one young gun jumping into the J5 racing fray.
The girls’ roster includes the aforementioned Hannah Smith, who was the J2 National champion in 2009 but missed the 2010 season with an injury.
Missing her first season as J1 racer leaves expectations for Smith’s season this year a bit up in the air.
“Some of her competition got stronger last year but some of them hit a plateau,” says Callahan. “She’s back to training and it’s going well. She’ll be in the thick of things.”
Fortunately, Smith has a trump card that should go a long way this year.
“She skis with a fluidity and grace most people would die for,” says Callahan. “That goes a long way.”
Sophia Deer and Amber Scott join Smith as they make the jump to the J1 level for the first time after their two-year stints at the J2 class.
Elisabeth Desmarais is back from her year in the Middle East to rejoin the team as a second-year J2 and Sarah Sherman looks to capitalize on her strong finish last year in her second year racing as a J2.
“Sarah turned into a top-15 threat last year,” says Callahan.
Boucher leads the boys’ team. Boucher made huge strides last season as a first-year J2, eventually qualifying for Junior Nationals.
“He had a mixed season but just got better throughout the season,” says Callahan. “I expect big things from him this year.”
Forrest Smith and Pharwit Durgan are back for their first foray in the J2 class, while Kai Sherman moves into the J3 class.
“I think Kai will hold his own,” says Callahan.
And last but certainly not least is Robbie Hildebrandt. While most kids his age are staying in the rec program, Hildebrandt is adding a day of training to his workouts each week for racing purposes.
“He’s going for it,” says Callahan.
Ultimately, Callahan is looking to return to the postseason once again with some of his athletes.
“Hopefully we’ll get some qualifiers for Junior Nationals,” says Callahan.
The team spent Thanksgiving at the West Yellowstone Thanksgiving Ski Festival, a multi-day training and racing Nordic program that kicks the season into gear. The West Yellowstone event attracts over 1,500 Nordic skiers from the first timers to U.S. Olympic team members and includes clinics as well as top-flite races.
“We had some strong results,” says Callahan—including Boucher who jumped into a USSA SuperTour sprint race with the nation’s elite racers and placed top five among the juniors.
Six members of the team opened the Colorado racing season last weekend with classic and skate races in Breckenridge.
While the Breckenridge event is not a junior national qualifier, it draws the same talent and provides the Crested Butte team a great start to the racing season.
“It serves as a really good warm up,” says Callahan.
The weekend opened with skate races on Saturday. With local track somewhat limited until the past week, training for five and three-kilometer skate races has been limited. Nevertheless, the Crested Butte team stuck two podium finishes.
Ian Boucher wasted no time in establishing himself on the Rocky Mountain circuit skiing to a third place finish.
Kai Sherman’s move up to the J3 class this year appears to be seamless as he took second place in his first race at the new age level.
“He moved up and he’s holding onto podium spots which is great,” says Callahan.
The team rallied the next day with several top 10 finishes in the classic race.
Sunday marked Smith’s return to action after spending the past year and a half injured.
“She’s the smoothest skier out there by far,” says Callahan. “It was a huge mental and physical step and it’s cool to see her racing again.”
Sherman returned to the podium with a third place finish in the J3 three-kilometer while Boucher posted a fifth place finish among J2 racers showing signs of becoming a double threat in Nordic skiing.
“That was one of his best classic races he’s ever had,” says Callahan.
J2 racer Sarah Sherman posted an 11th place finish and Callahan believes it won’t be long before she pops a top 10.
“She’ll be knocking on the door for top 10 as the season progresses,” says Callahan.
Forrest Smith did crack into the top 10 with an eighth place finish and Pharwit Durgan continued his showcase style in Summit County.
“Pharwit skis so hard and his technique is so good,” says Callahan.
The team will spend the next two weeks building more fitness base before their first junior national qualifier race on December 18-19 in Vail.
