GRP Snow: Period 1 Update
Period 1 of the 2024/2025 season brought the Green Racing Project (GRP) ski and biathlon teams from north of the Arctic Circle in Muonio, Finland to Anchorage, Alaska for US Cross Country Nationals and everywhere in between. It was a trimester of highs and lows - as they all are - but the Sprigs have much to celebrate headed into the new year. In this article we bring you a summary of racing on the Biathlon World Cup, IBU Cup, Cross Country SuperTour, and US Cross Country Nationals.
IBU Biathlon World Cup
World Cup (WC) action kicked off in Kontiolahti, Finland before heading to Hochfilzen, Austria and finally wrapping up before the holiday break in Le Grand Bornand, France. GRP athletes racing included Jake Brown, Grace Castonguay, Kelsey Dickinson, and Margie Freed. Top GRP results from the three weeks included Jake’s 43rd in the pursuit in Le Grand Bornand, as well as both Margie and Grace placing high enough in the sprint - 51st and 59th, respectively - to qualify for the following pursuit. This was Castonguay’s first WC pursuit, a great sign for the young athlete’s future.
When asked about the beginning of the season, Grace said, “I had a lot of fun during my first full period on the World Cup. Having only experienced two World Cups last year, I feel like I gained a lot of confidence after this full trimester of being on the circuit. I was really excited to qualify for my first pursuit in Le Grand Bornand, and also to clean my first full race the weekend prior in Hochfilzen. I’m excited to take these small wins and move forward in the coming period of racing to see what I can accomplish!”
World Cup veteran Jake said, “Period 1 was a strong start for us as a team; we established some good momentum with two top 6 relays on the men’s side and a strong women’s sprint in France for which the whole team qualified for the pursuit. Campbell Wright had some stellar individual results which helped give us a spark. I’m hoping we can all stay healthy and push the gas pedal down a bit further for the rest of the season.”
Kelsey Dickinson, after a strong start as the first WC qualifier from October Trials, struggled to find her rhythm after lingering illness prevented her from starting most of the racing. In the end she raced just twice in Kontiolahti and decided to head home early to reset before the new year.
World Cup results and data
World Cup livestream
IBU Cup
Three Sprigs qualified for the first trimester of IBU Cup racing - Jackie Garso, Luke Brown, and Michaela Keller-Miller. After joining the full USBA contingent for the pre-competition camp (also referred to as pre-camp) in Vuokatti, Finland, they traveled to Idre, Sweden for IBU Cup 1. There, both Michaela and Luke had their top results of the trimester, 71st and 66th in the sprint.
Racing then continued to Geilo, Norway for IBU Cup 2. There, Garso found her stride and after placing top-60 in the sprint she climbed her way to 36th in the pursuit, shooting well and setting a strong pace on skis.
Reflecting on the racing, Luke said “The first period of the IBU Cup had us remaining in Scandinavia with races in icy Idre and chilly Geilo. Personally, my form was not where I wanted it to be so I’ll be hoping to build off a solid Craftsbury trials and productive Christmas training. Of course, every race can be a learning experience that propels us forward if we’re willing to look at it that way. So I’m still thankful for each start opportunity even if I’m further down the results sheet than I want. Go Sprigs!”
SuperTour
The cross-country SuperTour started it’s season in Cable, WI. For those that are not familiar, the SuperTour is a domestic elite race series attended by all the top athletes in the US. Top results in the SuperTour can earn an athlete starts in the cross-country World Cup.
Racing in Cable were three sprigs - Braden Becker, John Schwinghamer, and Joe Lynch. Top results from the weekend included Braden placing 9th in the 20k classic mass start, Joe placing 19th in the classic sprint, and John placing 40th in the 10k freestyle.
Soon after the calendar turned the page into the new year, GRP Snow athletes traveled northward to Anchorage, Alaska for US Cross Country Nationals. Racing began with a 10k freestyle, followed by a classic sprint and 20k classic freestyle, before ending with a skate sprint. The team consisted of Braden, Margie, Michaela, Joe, and John.
Michaela proved consistent throughout the week, placing 19th in 3 of the 4 races. She said, “These were my first cross-country races of the season. My speed wasn’t quite where I wanted it to be, but it was super awesome getting to be back with my GRP skiing teammates.” Michaela, a graduate of University of Alaska Anchorage said, “It was lovely getting to be back on some of my favorite trails from my college days.”
Margie, whose top result was 12th in the classic sprint qualifier, said, “It’s been really fun to compete at US Cross Country Nationals! Highlights include many moose sightings, meals and thrifting with the Craftsbury junior squad, and viewing of The Wild Robot movie. As always the competition level is high and it’s great to catch up with friends in the ski world.”
While none of the men thought that they had a great showing that week in Alaska, top results consisted of Braden’s 26th in the 20km classic, Lynch qualifying 25th in the skate sprint, and John placing 24th in the classic sprint qualifier.
Racing continues in Period 2 with World and IBU Cup biathletes in Germany and Italy and skiers at the Bozeman SuperTour. Stay tuned for more updates!