CB Nordic hosts Solstice Showdown

CBNT opens season in stride

by Than Acuff

Junior Nordic teams from throughout the Rocky Mountain Division as well as collegiate squads were treated to pristine trail conditions and primo weather as they toed the line for two days of Nordic ski racing at the Solstice Showdown Saturday and Sunday, December 21-22, hosted by Crested Butte Nordic.

Fresh snow the week prior and great temperatures provided the right ingredients for the crack team of groomers to roll out the white carpet on Ruthie’s Run on the bench and the Crested Butte Nordic crew went to work to get everything set for the Nordic Junior National Qualifier races.

“It went smashingly well,” says Crested Butte Nordic team (CBNT) head coach Molly Susla. “Great weather, great courses and incredible volunteers. Overall a big success.”

The weekend opened with the sprint races, a punishing series of one-kilometer races that can go on all day long if the skiers continue to advance through the elimination rounds.

“It’s chaos that lasts eight hours,” says Susla.

The CBNT had 19 total racers over the weekend, with six carrying the team colors in the u16 and u18 age classes. While nerves ran rampant through the older athletes prior to their first races of the season, they settled down after the opening heat to press through into the later rounds with two CBNT skiers reaching the final.

“We had a really good showing overall,” says Susla.

Sarah Bivens led the way for the CBNT as she posted the second fastest time in the qualifier round for the u18 girls to set the tone early.

“When I saw her race her first race I was like, holy cow, she’s got this,” says Susla.

Bivens continued to advance through each round, eventually ending up in the “A” final and finishing in fifth place.

Her u18 teammate Skye Bleakley made it through to the quarterfinals before being eliminated to close out her sprint race day in 22nd place overall.

Oliver White had the top result among the CBNT u16 skiers. White opened the day with the 13th fastest time in qualifiers. He came perilously close to getting eliminated in the quarterfinals, having placed third and the top two getting the nod. But while out of the running by place, he managed to make it to the semifinals based on his time and then proceeded to push into the “B” final to finish in 11th place at the end of the day.

Katie O’Neill, Piper O’Neill and Ruby Pendy rounded out the CBNT effort in the u16 girls’ races. Katie finished the day in 18th place, Piper in 20th and Pendy placed 22nd.

“I think they all raced spectacularly and it was a learning experience for sure,” says Susla.

Sunday, December 22 was all about classic distance Nordic racing with individual starts, leaving it up to the skiers to push themselves out on the course.

“It’s hard because you really don’t know where you stand out there on course,” says Susla.

Bivens continued her phenomenal weekend of racing in her five-kilometer classic race. Bivens kicked her way through the course at the limit and when the final times came in, she finished the day in fourth overall, with two of the top three collegiate racers and the other the u18 national champion from last season.

“She completely crushed it,” says Susla.

Bleakley continued her growth as a u18 racer placing 25th, putting a close to a solid weekend of racing.

Meanwhile the u16 CBNT athletes were in their own world as well out on the five-kilometer course. White, who is a first year u16 skier, therefore competed in his first five-kilometer race and rose to the challenge to finish in fifth place.

“He’s on a really good trajectory to reach his goal of making junior nationals,” says Susla.

The girls’ side had solid outings as well as Katie finished in 14th place, Piper took 21st and Pendy took 22nd place.

The podiums came from the younger CBNT skiers as they rallied to step up into the top three a total of three times throughout the weekend.

“Our u15s and younger had really solid performances,” says Susla.

And on the CBNT alumni front, Woody Martineau had just recovered from a stress fracture and was able to line up for races in his Williams College colors. Martineau placed second in the sprint races on Saturday and seventh in the classic race on Sunday.

“It was fun to watch him race and have him be with the team,” says Susla.

Bivens heads out of the frying pan and into the fire as she heads to Houghton, Mich. with the Aspen team to compete at the Senior Nationals January 2-7. A top result there would qualify Bivens to race in Europe as a junior. Meanwhile, the rest of the team is in “maintenance” mode with their training as they prepare for the next Junior National Qualifier in Steamboat January 18-19.