[GRP Ski] US Nationals: Midweek Recap
Written by GRP Skier Michaela Keller-Miller
This past Sunday brought the first day of racing action at the 2022 US Cross Country Ski Championships at the Soldier Hollow Nordic Center in Midway, Utah. The four-race championships began with a skate sprint on a 1.57 kilometer course consisting of three main climbs and ensuant downhills. The course lent to strategic heat skiing, as there was a substantial draft for skiers who were not leading down the final descent. Sub-zero temperatures resulted in a 30-minute race delay, and conditions remained frigid throughout the races.
The men started the day with a sprint qualifier. The top qualifying position went to Will Koch of the University of Colorado in 3:07.88. JC Schoonmaker of the University of Alaska Anchorage, currently ranked 14th in the World Cup overall sprint standings, clocked in second in 3:08.35. Logan Diekmann of BSF Pro had the third fastest qualifier in 3:09.80. Also qualifying for heats was GRP summer training partner Finn Sweet (University of Vermont) in 22nd in 3:17.08. GRP skiers Braden Becker, Adam Martin, and Akeo Maifeld-Carucci placed 42nd, 57th, and 73rd, respectively.
The top 30 times advanced to heats where tactical skiing typically paid off. The quarterfinal and semifinal heats saw a more relaxed pace than the qualifiers, as skiers executed a “sit and kick” strategy to draft down the final descent. Sweet battled through his quarterfinal heat, ultimately placing fourth, less than one second behind a semifinal qualifying position.
In the men’s final, Schoonmaker continued his successful strategy of skiing relaxed and staying out of trouble. Looking calm throughout, Schoonmaker slingshotted around the field on the final turn and sprinted away with the win in a time of 3:21.05. Diekmann backed up his fast qualifier by crossing the line second in 3:21.88. Noel Keeffe (University of Utah), who qualified in fourth, rounded out the podium in third place with a time of 3:21.96.
Following the men’s qualifier, the women also raced the 1.57 kilometer course. Rosie Frankowski (APU) qualified in the first position in 3:45.29. Mariel Pulles, an Estonian skiing for the University of Alaska Fairbanks, finished second in 3:45.37. Kate Oldham of Middlebury College qualified in third in 3:47.78. Craftsbury GRP skier Caitlin Patterson qualified in the 9thposition in 3:53.51. Alex Lawson (GRP) skied to 24th place in 4:00.42, moving onto the quarterfinals. GRP skiers Annika Landis, Margie Freed, and Michaela Keller-Miller, qualified in the 38th, 41st, and 42nd positions in 4:04.91, 4:05.58, and 4:05.90, respectively.
The women’s heats played out tactically different than the men’s race, as heat times were consistently closer to or faster than the qualifying times. Patterson skied strategically, looking relaxed throughout both her quarterfinal and semifinal heat, and placed second in both to move through to the final. Lawson put up a fight in her quarterfinal heat, starting strong. Suffering an ill-timed pole snap on the homestretch, she fell to the sixth position.
Lawson competing in her quarterfinal heat. Credit: Jackie Schneider.
The women’s final rewarded those who were patient, as the race came down to the wire. Frankowski took the lead on the first climb, holding her position into the final descent. The remaining skiers, including Patterson, followed closely behind, and all six skiers were neck in neck gliding downhill. Using the draft, Patterson went wide and overtook the pack, as Becca Rorabough(APU) took advantage of an opening on the inside. Coming into the homestretch, Patterson had a slight lead over Rorabough. Patterson held her advantage to the line, outsprinting Rorabaughfor the win in 3:42.60 and picking up her 10th national title. Rorabough crossed the line second in 3:42.84 and Sydney Palmer-Leger (University of Utah) was third in 3:43.17.
Patterson in the final on the way to win her 10th national title. Credit: Jackie Schneider.
Skate Sprint Heat Bracket Breakdown
Following a one-day break, racing resumed on Tuesday with a 20 kilometer skate mass start for the women and a 30 kilometer skate mass start for the men. The men began the day with eight laps of a 3.75 kilometer course. As is typical of courses at Soldier Hollow, there is no shortage of climbing. From the gun, Scott Patterson (APU) took the lead and a large pack formed behind him. The lead pack whittled down to about eight skiers by the end of third lap, including GRP skiers Braden Becker and Adam Martin.
Going into the sixth lap, Patterson made a move, breaking up the lead pack. The four skiers remaining on Patterson’s tail included Martin, David Norris (APU), Hunter Wonders (APU), and Ian Torchia (SMST2). Despite a late-race surge from Norris, Patterson skied away with the win in 1:13:24.8 after leading most of the race. Norris crossed the line second in 1:13:36.7. Wonders held onto the third position in 1:13:52.8. After battling for the final three laps, Martin and Torchia let the race for fourth come down to the last few hundred meters. Martin ultimately edged out Torchia for fourth in a time of 1:14:09.1. Torchia was fifth in 1:14:12.2. Becker held onto the seventh position in 1:15:27.3. Maifeld-Carucci skied strong throughout, placing 25thin 1:21:09.8.
Martin skiing through the feed zone by Coach Pepa Miloucheva. Credit: Tobias Albrightsen.
After the men’s race, the women completed six laps of a 3.3 kilometer course for a total of 20 kilometers. Immediately off the line, Rosie Brennan (APU) took the lead and never looked back. Frankowski settled into the chase with Sunday’s winner, C. Patterson. Brennan continued to widen her lead through lap five, but Frankowski and Patterson were able to closely match Brennan’s pace on the final two laps. The rest of the field began to sort itself out, as a small chase pack formed, including Lawson and Freed.
Brennan crossed the line first in 53:16.9. Patterson and Frankowski continued their fight throughout the final lap, with Frankowski holding a slight lead into the final climb. Patterson powered up this climb, closing on Frankowski over the top and into the downhill headed to the stadium. Patterson’s impressive finishing kick wasn’t quite enough, as Frankowski crossed the line in second with a time of 54:37.5. Patterson rounded out the podium in third in 54:39.4. Lawson finished strong, placing fourth in 56:06.1, and Freed ended her race close behind in fifth place in 56:24.1. Keller-Miller, who skied with Landis for much of the race, finished 14th in 59:23.6. Landis ended the day in 16th place in 59:56.2. Rena Schwartz, GRP summer training partner, raced to 20th place in 1:01:43.1.
Freed and Lawson on one of the many climbs. Credit: Tryg Solberg.
Women’s Results with Lap Times
After another rest day, the action picks back up on Thursday with a 10 kilometer classic race for the women and a 15 kilometer classic race for the men. Friday brings the final day of racing at this year’s 2022 US Cross Country Championships with a classic sprint race.