Crested Butte Nordic team kicks off race season on pace

“It was great seeing so many CBNT jackets on the podium”

By Than Acuff 

The Crested Butte Nordic Team (CBNT) opened the 2024 race season on fire at their first Junior National Qualifier (JNQ) race of the season in Winter Park on Saturday and Sunday, December 16-17.

Coach Ben Theyerl maintains that results were not the focus of the opening race. It was more about seeing his athletes’ reactions on course, how they remain focused on technique and how they manage themselves throughout the race.

“It doesn’t need to be the best results but finding the building blocks for how to improve out on the course,” says Theyerl. “I wanted to watch how the kids executed their strategies and seeing if they can maintain good technique through it all.”

It just so happened that in addition to the technical focus, the team racked up some top results as well.

The CBNT comp team opened the weekend with a five-kilometer classic race, and nearly every one of the six CBNT athletes racing made significant leaps in their respective age classes.

Sawyer Ezzell is in her second year of racing as a u18 and, after flirting with a top three finish last year, she cracked the podium in Winter Park finishing second in her age group and third overall when mixed in with the u20 age class, including last year’s national champion.

“For her to make that jump was a really cool moment,” says Theyerl.

Sophia Bender is in her first year as a u18 skier, a big jump for most athletes, and is already flirting with making a run at a Junior Nationals spot as she finished 17^th in Winter Park.

Meanwhile, Brie Bender moved up from u14 to the u16 age class this year and that means two things—a much stouter field and a longer course. Despite all of that, Brie took the new five-kilometer distance in stride to place 13^th in her age class setting herself up for a run at Junior Nationals as well.

“It’s going to be a pretty exciting year for her,” says Theyerl.

On the boys’ side of things, Finn Veit had his first u18 Junior Nationals qualifying experience and appears to have picked up right where he left off in u16s last year, placing fifth.

“It’s an incredible caliber of skiers he is skiing with, and he has the confidence to ski with anybody,” says Theyerl.

Jake Pendy is on a similar path as Veit having just moved into the u18 world. His focus has been to improve on his classic skiing and the work he has put in proved itself in Winter Park as he finished in 11^th place.

“He’s [Pendy] becoming a great classic skier and looks more relaxed out on the course,” says Theyerl.

Flint Hoyt continued his work on classic technique as well coming in 38^th place and the team got an additional boost from Oliver White. White spent his high school career on the CBNT and graduated last year, but joined the team in Winter Park placing 24^th.

The CBNT athletes carried the momentum of their first day of racing into day two when they lined up for the mass start skate races on Sunday.

Ezzell stayed on pace in the skate race staying in touch with the lead pack for 7.5 kilometers to finish fifth overall, third in the u18 age class.

“It was another breakthrough for her in the skate race,” says Theyerl. “It gave her a big confidence boost to work off of.”

Sophia was testing the waters of the longer 7.5-kilometer format in her first year at u18. After a good start and maintaining well though the initial five kilometers, the new distance then took its effect on Sophia, yet she still held on to finish 16^th.

“She felt what it feels like to go a little beyond and learned some about pace,” says Theyerl.

Brie was in a similar situation as she was in her first u16 skate race and a new distance of five kilometers. Yet she also gritted through the new length to place 15^th.

“She went out just a bit too fast,” says Theyerl. “But there’s a clear direction we need to work on pacing strategies.”

Theyerl could see that Veit was in a new headspace following his success the day before.

“He came in and was like, I’m just gonna go race,” says Theyerl.

Veit was in the front pack of five skiers on the big hill and made a move to remain in the mix eventually crossing the finish line in fourth place.

“He came away from the weekend with two solid races,” says Theyerl.

Pendy was in his first 7.5-kilometer race and pushed his way to a 20^th place finish.

Eight athletes from the CBNT Devo team were in the mix as well in the age classes from u14 down to u8 and took a page from their older teammates to step onto the podium in several races all weekend.

“It was great seeing so many CBNT jackets on the podium,” says Theyerl. “I’m really excited to build off a great first weekend of racing.”

While most of the CBNT will remain in the valley to train on their own, Theyerl is taking Ezzell, Veit and Pendy to Soldier Hollow, Utah for Senior Nationals January 2-5. Senior Nationals brings in the top Nordic skiers, including several who are on the World Cup circuit.

“They’ll get exposure to a big field and getting comfortable with that,” says Theyerl. “It’s great to put yourself up against the best in the nation.”