Keep Showing Up: Words by XC Gold Team Athlete Katie Feldman
Below are some thoughts and words by SVSEF Cross Country Gold Team athlete Katie Feldman, who grew up skiing with the SVSEF cross country program, headed east to attend Middlebury College, and returned to Sun Valley as a professional athlete. She recounts personal experiences, but the message is applicable across all disciplines. "Getting good at something is not ever a quick and easy process," noted Cross Country Program Director Rick Kapala in a note to his Comp Team athletes, introducing Katie's writing. "However, it is usually very rewarding precisely because the process is the actual thing that is beneficial to our development. So, as Katie reminds us, keep showing up."
A beautiful sunny day at Billy’s Bridge this February
Keep Showing Up
by Katie Feldman
One of the reasons cross-country skiing is cool: you have to keep showing up. You might look at the weather report, but you don't know when the sun is going to pop through the storm. You might be intimidated by your competition, but you never know when you're going to have a breakthrough race and be able to keep up with (or pass!) people who have previously skied away from you. Some days are perfect sunshine, perfect snow, perfect skis, and you go into them with a body that's ready to rip (these are the perfect days that get all the photos!) Some days it pours rain, is slippery mud, you don't feel good, and you still have a bounding workout to do. On other days, you wear all your warm layers, tape your face, and still finish the workout cold. When you have a hard day, your coaches and teammates support and show up for you; you can do the same for them. These hard days get done because they make the perfect days that much better. I've attached some pictures of the best days and the toughest days, I think you can guess which are which.
This season, all of our final races were cancelled in the face of COVID-19. Major bummer, even if we all know it was the right choice. We are all so lucky to have come to this place where the snow is still good, and - as long as we're healthy - we're able to recreate at a safe distance. There's great skiing up north and as Hailey dries out the running and biking will get better and better. I'll keep showing up to ski, and when the time comes next season, I'll be even happier to race than before.
I've seen lots of workout ideas coming from the coaches. Whether you're doing a quick home-strength session or getting out for a long ski, it all counts.
A frozen-face day at Galena in January
The sun breaking through a cloudy morning in Canmore this past December
Four SVSEF Athletes Qualify for North American Cross Country World Cup Sprint Tour
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Four SVSEF cross country athletes have been selected to represent the U.S. in this year's North American World Cup sprint competition, held in Quebec and Minneapolis, March 13-17. Kevin Bolger, Peter Holmes, and Katie Feldman, all members of the Gold Team, will compete. Sydney Palmer-Leger, a senior on the Comp Team, qualified but declined to attend.
Kevin qualified based on a number of top-30 performances in World Cup sprint events this season, while Peter, Katie, and Sydney qualified with a strong Nations Group of athletes based on top SuperTour results through this season.
"We’re really excited to have a number of athletes from SVSEF getting starts at these upcoming World Cups. It's been a big goal for these athletes to qualify, so it’s awesome to see it come together for them. The atmosphere and crowds in Quebec are always amazing and there’s going to be even more energy in Minneapolis, as this will be the first World Cup race on U.S. soil in 20 years," said Gold Team Head Coach Chris Mallory.
Following the Sprint Tour, Kevin and Johnny Hagenbuch will be starting Canmore World Cup Finals, March 20-22.
Learn more about the Quebec events here.
Learn more about the Minneapolis events here.
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Athlete of the Month, December: Cross Country Comp Team
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A sea of blue suits in Bozeman. Photo via Sydney Palmer-Leger.
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The focus when it comes to results is quite consistently on the individual athlete. It is a logical inclination, given the nature of the sports that are offered through SVSEF programming; from snowboardcross competitions to GS races to skate sprints, it’s the athlete’s time or technical proficiency alone that counts. While Athlete of the Month is a platform to highlight skiers and riders who have achieved results-based success, it behoves us to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. The aggregate of top results recently amassed by cross country athletes as a team warrants recognition of the program’s overarching strength; this is the reason why our Athlete of the Month is not an individual, but the entire Cross Country Comp Team.
As of mid-January, SVSEF athletes have competed at three major events, both regionally and nationally. At each of these events, they have featured prominently at the top of the result lists. At the first JNQ, SVSEF secured over half of the podiums for the weekend. Across the country at U.S. Nationals at Craftsbury, top finishes resulted in four SVSEF athletes earning spots at Junior and U23 World Championships. SVSEF again nabbed a large number of podiums at the super qualifier at Soldier Hollow on January 18-19, which featured large fields of competitors, not just from the Intermountain region, but from all over the west.
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In years past, SVSEF cross country skiers have certainly garnered significant results. This season, though, the range is especially impressive. “This year, in particular, we just have athletes in almost every age category who could likely podium or ski in the top ten at Junior Nationals,” explained comp team head coach Ashley Knox. “Other years, we might have a couple of really strong age groups, but not across the board. And some years, like this one so far, all the pieces fall into place better than others.”
Knox acknowledges that success for the cross country program is, at least in part, rooted in the influence of its younger teams. “I really think the success at the Comp Team level speaks to the growth and strength of our Devo and Prep programs,” said Knox. “The addition of the Prep Pro and Prep summer training has really upped the level and ability of skiers moving up to comp team. Instead of having the majority of our move-ups being new to summer training and roller skiing, they come to comp team already competent at roller skiing, and with an understanding of the importance of summer training.”
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Young SVSEF skiers at Striders and Prep training; these, along with Devo, are the precursors to Comp Team.
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Training at Lake Creek, photo by Travis Jones.
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Also playing a major factor is the volume of time spent together, and the mutual respect and work ethic that are widespread amongst this group. The Comp Team offers team training 44-46 weeks out of the 48 weeks of the calendar year, with athletes logging an average of 10 hours a week. Training in the spring is lighter, and builds through the summer and into the competition season. Kids can end up in close quarters, as they do on the Haig glacier and on competition trips, and they ultimately spend a significant number of hours together on the trails, on the road and in the gym. Knox explained the team’s approach to cultivating an environment in which support, respect and drive take form naturally:
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“We have always made a point of building a program based on mutual respect and holding ourselves to a high standard for who we are as individuals and a team. The athletes all know they are in a hard sport and understand it takes countless hours of dedicated hard work, and I think most know it is much more enjoyable with teammates. Many of these skiers spend more time with each other, both inside and outside of training, than they do with their families, which makes ski team almost a second family and the hut a second home. And as much as everyone wants success for themselves, they want it for each other too. So whether it’s pushing each other during intervals, doing school work together on a race trip, or hugging at the finish line, they are usually there to support and push each other.”
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Comp, PG and Gold Team athletes at summer training at Community School's Dumke Family Sagewillow Campus.
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An organic mentorship system also lends itself to the cross country program’s success. “The PGs add depth and variety to the training group – they train and travel with the Comp Team often,” said Knox. “The Gold Team shows the younger athletes what is possible. Our most recent example is Kevin Bolger. He made the U.S. Ski Team and is currently skiing on the World Cup and posting some good results. This summer, Johnny Hagenbuch was jumping into some training sessions with Bolger. Pretty cool to have that connection.”
With 211 of SVSEF’s 695 enrolled athletes, it’s expected to find some snippets of success in the cross country program. What stands out, however, is how widespread the success has been so far this season, and how the team dynamic, from the ground up, has lent itself to both individual and group success.
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Gold Team skier Kevin Bolger is racing on the World Cup circuit this winter.
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Sophia Mazzoni and Sydney Palmer-Leger in Finland for Junior World Championships.
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Time trial at Prairie Creek, photo by Glen Allison.
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HIGHLIGHTS
Bozeman JNQ:
The JNQ season opener at Bozeman was both a nod to the base SVSEF cross country skiers have steadily built over the past eight months, and an indication of good things to come. Prep, comp and PG athletes raced December 22-23 at Bozeman for the first of three Intermountain region JNQ qualifiers. SVSEF athletes were constantly on the podium; Johnny Hagenbuch won the men’s U18 freestyle mass start, and PG athletes Scott Schulz and Adam Witowski were first and second for U20s. Bjorn Halvorsen also secured a win in the U16 age class. For U18 women, Sydney Palmer-Leger took the win, followed by Sophia Mazzoni in second and Anja Jensen in fourth. Lily Brunelle was the third U20, followed by Heidi Booher in fourth and Sarah Morgan in fifth. U16 women swept the podium, with Logan Smith in first, Sammy Smith second and Anja Grover third. All told, SVSEF took 10 of 18 podium spots for U16-U20 classes; over half of the kids standing on the podium throughout the weekend were wearing the SVSEF suit.
Nationals:
The team’s momentum continued into the new year at Nationals. Top professional, collegiate and junior athletes from across the country converged for classic sprints and classic and skate distance races. Johnny Hagenbuch was the top U18 in the nation in the classic distance race. On the women’s side, Sydney Palmer-Leger was the top U18 female in the classic distance race, as was Logan Smith for U16s. Peter Holmes stepped onto the American podium in third for the men’s classic sprint. He was fourth overall and the first U23. Sophia qualified for women’s senior heats and was the second junior overall, and Logan Smith also qualified for senior heats as a U16. Sydney Palmer-Leger skied to second in junior heats, Sarah Morgan to fifth and Johnny Hagenbuch to fifth. In Sunday’s mass start, Johnny Hagenbuch again won his age group, this time in the men’s 10km freestyle race. PG skier Scott Schulz broke the top 10 in ninth. Sydney Palmer-Leger made the junior women’s podium in third for the 7.5km, and Logan Smith was 15th and the top U16 finisher.
National-level accolades:
Aside from overall titles, athletes competing at Nationals were looking to qualify for race opportunities abroad. A record number of SVSEF athletes did so; Peter Holmes, Johnny Hagenbuch, Sydney Palmer-Leger and Sophia Mazzoni all made the cut for U.S. World Junior Championships in Lahti, Finland, which are currently taking place. SVSEF has often had one or two (and twice, three) athletes qualify for World Juniors, but four is unprecedented. In addition to the four who qualified for Junior Worlds, Comp Team athlete Logan Smith had a standout series. At just 14 years old, Logan pre-qualified for Junior Nationals, and also qualified for the U18 Nordic Nations Cup in Scandinavia. She was also the second alternate for Junior Worlds, based on her results at Nationals.
These four athletes aren’t the only SVSEF skiers representing the organization in Europe. Gold Team skier Kevin Bolger has been competing on the World Cup circuit as a member of the U.S. National Team; he was named last spring following success domestically as well as in his first World Cup competition (he placed 11th overall in a freestyle sprint in Lahti last season). He has recorded some solid results for his first season racing full-time in Europe; Kevin qualified 13th in Toblach in the skate sprint, and finished 21st overall.
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Week in Review: December 11
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Photo: Woodward Copper
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SNOWBOARD
SVSEF alum Chase Josey, a member of the U.S. National Snowboard Team, hit the ground running for the 2018-2019 competition season at Copper for the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix. In qualifying heats on Thursday, Josey posted a top result in second behind Ikko Anai of Japan. In the finals on Saturday, Josey earned his best result in his third and final run, putting him in third overall with a score of 90.50. Josey finished behind Australian Scotty James and American Toby Miller.
FULL RESULTS
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CROSS COUNTRY
SVSEF Gold and PG athletes competed on the second stop of the SuperTour, a North American FIS-sanctioned race series. This past weekend, the group raced at Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre within SilverStar Provincial Park in British Columbia. Saturday featured a freestyle sprint, and Sunday was a 10/15km classic race.
Peter Holmes led SVSEF in both the sprint and the men's 15km classic race, qualifying for the B final and finishing seventh overall on Saturday, and 10th overall on Sunday in the distance race. For women, Gold Team skier Maddie Morgan was 14th overall in the sprint, while teammate Katie Feldman was 22nd in a field of 46. PG skier Heidi Booher charged to 11th in the women's junior sprint.
In the distance race on Sunday, Adam Luban followed Holmes' 10th place finish in 22nd out of 104 competitors, while Cate Brahms had a solid effort, finishing 15th overall in the women's 10km field of 88.
Athletes on the SuperTour have a brief reprieve before competing at Craftsbury, Vermont, for Nationals at the start of January.
FULL RESULTS
WORLD CUP
Gold Team skier Kevin Bolger continued his efforts on the World Cup circuit in Beitostolen, Norway. Bolger was selected to compete in the men's 4x7.5km mixed relay on Sunday, December 9; he skied the second classic leg for the United States. The men's relay team, which consisted of Bolger, Erik Bjornsen, Scott Patterson and Simi Hamilton, finished 12th overall. The World Cup racing continues this weekend in Davos, Switzerland.
RELAY RESULTS
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SVSEF Cross Country Gold Team Preview, 2018-2019
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With four young, new athletes joining second year skier Kevin Bolger for the 2018-2019 season, the SVSEF Cross Country Gold Team is looking solid and refreshed going into fall training. We sat down with Head Coach Chris Mallory to get the scoop on the team and how the season is shaping up.
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Kevin Bolger
Age 25
Minocqua, WI
University of Utah
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Cate Brams
Age 22
Belmont, MA
Middlebury College
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Peter Holmes
Age 22
Tahoe City, CA
University of New Hampshire
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Katie Feldman
Age 22
Ketchum, ID
Middlebury College
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Adam Luban
Age 22
Syracuse, NY
Middlebury College
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built="1" _builder_version="3.3.1" custom_padding="0|0px|54px|0px|false|false"][et_pb_row _builder_version="3.3.1"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="3.3.1" parallax="off" parallax_method="on"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.3.1"]You have a lot of new athletes on the roster this year – how is the dynamic?
The team dynamic has been great, and they’ve put in some great training this summer. New athletes always bring some fresh energy. Some of them were teammates at Middlebury the last couple years, and Peter was on the EISA circuit as well skiing for UNH, so everyone knew each other coming in. We’ve also had a strong Russian exchange athlete, Anna Bizyukova, and Maddie Morgan, from Salt Lake City, who’s taking a year off from college, training with the Gold Team. There’s always a dozen college athletes here training with SVSEF in the summer as well, so it’s been a big training group.
Any stand out results from last year?
Bolger’s 11th place at the World Cup in Lahti last March certainly stood out, as well as his 2nd place at Nationals in the Sprint. This is a bit of a rebuilding year for us, as we had five athletes finish up their racing careers last season. It’s fun to see a few of them staying in the sport though, with Mary now coaching for SVSEF, and Rogan at BSF. Everyone coming in found their form at some point last year. Holmes had a couple EISA wins last year, finishing the season with an 11th at NCAAs and I’m excited to see him be able to sprint race a bit more this year. Luban also finished the year strong with two top 20s at NCAAs and a 20th place finish in the 50km Classic National Championship. Feldman, who just returned from training a bit in Lillehammer, also had a breakthrough season last year, posting two top 20s at NCAAs. Brams also had her best season yet last year recording a pair of EISA podiums. They’re all hungry to take their skiing further, so it should be an exciting year.
What are your athletes’ goals for the season?
Everyone is at a different place in their skiing; some have their sights on competing well at U23 World Champs, some on racing a full SuperTour calendar with some marathon opportunities, while Kevin’s looking to make the most of a bigger World Cup schedule this year. It will be an exciting year for those racing domestically with World Cup Finals in Quebec again, and some Nation’s group WC starts on the line.
What will the training/race season look like?
Our camp schedule is pretty similar to last year’s, with a few less athletes making the trek down to New Zealand to get on snow. Kevin has had a solid camp down there with fantastic conditions, and the rest of the team has been putting the work in here in Sun Valley. We’ll all head down to Park City in early October for a dryland camp alongside the National Team. In late October we’ll go up to Frozen Thunder to get on snow in Canmore, before the race season gets underway in West Yellowstone. From there, we’ll follow the SuperTour Circuit to Silverstar, Craftsbury for Nationals, Lake Placid, race the Boulder Mountain Tour here in Sun Valley, Minneapolis, Hayward, and Presque Isle, Maine.
You’ve been the Gold Team head coach for a few years now – has your approach to it changed at all? I imagine it varies from year to year due to the roster, regardless.
Different athletes will always have varying needs, but we try and support each of them along their skiing journey best we can. This sport is way easier with a motivated team and dedicated support staff around you. We’ll always be trying to win ski races, but also hope to connect the younger juniors in our program with the Gold Teamers as much as possible.
Photos: Kevin Bolger, SVSEF Gold Team, SVSEF Gold Team, Midd Nordic, Midd Nordic
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Week in Review: February 21
CROSS COUNTRY
Comp/PG
Comp and PG athletes competed in the final JNQ of the season at McCall, with a classic sprint race on Saturday and a 5/10km distance race on Sunday.
Snow flew on Saturday as SVSEF skiers found their stride on McCall’s sprint loop, which was relatively short with a steep climb mid-course. Sprints are not just one short effort; Program Director Rick Kapala described the challenges that come with sprinting. “First, there is the preliminary effort to get seeded into heats. If a skier makes it all the way to the finals, they will have raced three more races at absolute maximum effort within just a couple of hours.” In this sprint, many SVSEF skiers had their best races of the season. U18 girls had a standout showing, with three skiers qualifying for the A final; Sophia Mazzoni, Sydney Palmer-Leger and Lily Brunelle.
“The skate distance races, held at Ponderosa Park (site of the 1998 and 2002 Junior Nationals) offered the skiers a good test of their skating skills,” explained Kapala. “The course features gradual climbing throughout without much rest.” Anja Jensen powered through the hills, leading the SVSEF squad with another silver in the U16 girls division. Prep Team skier Anja Grover improved on her second from Saturday with a win in the U14 girls event on Sunday.
Saturday – Top tens in classic sprint
U18/20 Boys: Hagenbuch – 5, Will Solow – 7
U16 Boys: Cash Dart 12 – qualified 3rd
U18/20 Girls; Mazzoni – 3, Sydney Palmer Leger – 4, Lily -5, Ella – 7
U16 Girls: Anja Jensen – 2, Luci Ludwig -7
U14 Girls – Anja Grover - 2
U10 Boys – McCallen Campbell - 2
Sunday – Top tens in skate 10/5km distance
U18/20 Boys – J Hagenbuch -5, Henry Raff – 6, Will Solow – 8
U16 Boys Kai Nelson – 11, Sebi Radl Jones – 16
U18/20 Girls – Sydney Palmer Leger – 2, Eve Jensen – 6, Lily Brunelle – 11 U16 Girls – Anja Jensen – 2 , Sascha Leidecker – 7, Luci Ludwig – 9
U14 Girls - Anja Grover – 1
RESULTS
15 SVSEF cross country athletes qualify for Junior Nationals
The weekend of February 17-18 brought with it the final Intermountain qualifying event for SVSEF cross country athletes who have had their sights set on Junior Nationals this season. Junior Nationals, to be held in Soldier Hollow March 6-10, brings the top junior athletes together by region to compete for national titles.
SVSEF skiers Johnny Hagenbuch and Sydney Palmer-Leger both secured their spots at Junior Nationals at the beginning of January, when they posted top results at U.S. Nationals in Anchorage. Both Johnny and Sydney represented the U.S. at the International Scandinavian Series, held in Vuokatti, Finland, at the end of January.
The following thirteen SVSEF athletes will join Johnny and Sydney as part of the Intermountain Team, based on their results at JN Selection Series races this season. The Intermountain team, comprised of 45 athletes, will compete against over 350 other skiers from across the U.S.
In addition to these 15 skiers, alumni Peter Wolter and Eli Jensen, who ski for Middlebury College and University of Montana, respectively, have also qualified for Junior Nationals.
For more information about Junior Nationals, visit their website here.
U20 Boys (18-19)
Henry Raff – 3rd Junior Nationals
Will Solow – 3rd Junior Nationals
Drew Palmer Leger – 3rd Junior Nationals
U18 Boys (16-17)
Johnny Hagenbuch – 3rd Junior Nationals
U16 Boys (14-15)
Cash Dart – 2nd Junior Nationals
U18 Girls (16-17)
Sophia Mazzoni – 3rd Junior Nationals
Lily Brunelle = 4th Junior Nationals
Eve Jensen = 2nd Junior Nationals
Ella Wolter – 3rd Junior Nationals
Kirsys Campbell – 1st Junior Nationals
U16 Girls (14-15)
Sydney Palmer-Leger 4th Junior Nationals
Anja Jensen – 2nd Junior Nationals
Logan Smith – 1st Junior Nationals
Sascha Leidecker – 1st Junior Nationals
Luci Ludwig – 1st Junior Nationals
Gold Team: Four SVSEF Athletes Selected to Compete in Europe
An update from Head Coach Chris Mallory
Kevin Bolger, a two year post grad with SVSEF and first-year Gold Team member, put together a string of top races in Ishpeming, MI, at the recent SuperTour event. He skied away from the field to win the skate sprint Thursday, February 15, then took second and sixth in the 20km skate and 10km classic events. These results secured his position on top of the US SuperTour points list; he’ll now head to Scandinavia for Period 4 World Cup starts in Lahti, Drammen, Oslo and Falun.
Jack Hegman also had a stand out weekend, taking second in the sprint and seventh and fifth in the distance events.
Rogan Brown suffered a broken pole in the skate distance, taking him out of contention, and Matt Gelso had to sit out due to illness, but they’ll look to bounce back in this weekend’s American Birkie.
Kelsey Phinney, Jack Hegman, and Rogan Brown were selected to compete for the U.S. in the OPA Cup Finals, which get underway in March in Italy and Spain.
PARK AND PIPE
Snowboarders Payton and Zoe Bacca traveled to Maine to compete in NorAm and RevTour snowboard cross events. In NorAms at Sunday River, Payton took 16th on February 13 and 21 on February 14 in fields of 40 women. Sister Zoe competed in the RevTour on Februrary 15, where she placed 12th in snowboard cross, and was the third U16 finisher.
RESULTS - PAYTON
RESULTS - ZOE
Will Griffith competed in his first RevTour event at Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. In the men’s freeski slopestyle, Will finished 26 and 27 in a field of 39 athletes, February 15-16.
RESULTS
ALPINE
FIS Wild West Snow King
The FIS series at Snow King started with women’s races and transitioned into men’s. Top finishes came for Alli Rathfon, who was 11 in the women’s giant slalom, Maddi Ferris, who also found 11 in the women’s second giant slalom. Jack Smith, who was ninth in the men’s first GS, tied for fifth with teammate Hayden Terjeson in the men’s giant slalom on February 20th. Racing finishes up with men’s slalom on the 21st.
RESULTS
UPCOMING EVENTS
Alpine: Laura Flood Memorial (24-26)
Alpine: North Series, McCall (23-25)
Alpine FIS: University Races, Steamboat (23-26)
IFSA Big Mtn: Targhee National Competition (21-25)
P&P: Aspen Open (19-25)
Cross Country Prep and Devo: Intermountain Youth Championships, Jackson (24-25)
2017 Golf for Gold Recap
Originally slated for September 14 before a heavy downpour demanded postponement, SVSEF’s fourth annual Golf for Gold was held under sunny skies and prime conditions on September 28 at Bigwood Golf Course. The fundraising event drew fifteen teams of four to the green for a nine-hole scramble, followed by dinner on the deck provided by Bigwood Grill.
Taking home the win on the day was the team of Pete Atkinson, Riley Berman, Neil Bradshaw and Will Brandenburg with a 9-under 27. Along with the glory that comes with winning a championship, the team took home Vodka courtesy of Distilled Resources and SVSEF ball caps.
In an unprecedented three-way tie for second with a score of 29, the team of Rick Kapala, Yancy Caldwell, Chase Cleveland and Barrett Molter secured silver by way of a card off on the fourth hole, in honor of the event’s fourth anniversary.
Not wanting in fervor and enthusiasm, Chad Pringle, Brian Caulkins, Kirk Mason and John Shay took last with a score of 38. The team departed with vintage SVSEF caps and face shields. Boasting Longest Drive were Mimi Griswold and Chase Cleveland; for their efforts, they were awarded Sushi on Second gift certificates. Julie Potter and Will Brandenburg earned SVSEF Gold Team jackets for Closest to the Pin.
Thank you to Hank and Heather Minor, who reopened the restaurant for the event and provided a beautiful dinner on the deck, to staff Janet, Mike and George for their hard work and to Billy Weidner and his staff at Bigwood Golf Course. Our thanks also extend to contributors Matt Luck of Pride of Bristol Bay, Sushi on Second, SQN of Sun Valley Distilled Resources, Washington Federal and the SVSEF Gold Team.
Golf for Gold supports the SVSEF Cross Country Gold Team athletes, who compete at the elite national and international levels. This year’s team is comprised of Kevin Bolger, Rogan Brown, Matt Gelso, Jack Hegman, Cole Morgan, Kelsey Phinney and Mary Rose. If you would like to learn more about how to support these athletes in their endeavors, please contact SVSEF Director of Development Cynthia Knight (cknight@svsef.org, 208.726.4129).
Click here for more photos from the event.
2017-2018 Cross Country Gold Team Preview
It’s a big year for the SVSEF Cross Country Gold Team athletes. Although months away, the 2018 Winter Olympics are doubtless on the minds of many, as they stand as a pinnacle of success. The Olympics are not a short-term, spur-of-the-moment goal; competing at the international level takes commitment, as well as requisite competitive results. SVSEF Gold Team athletes have the potential, with their racing success and their dedication to the sport, to make Olympic dreams a reality.
The Gold Team was incorporated into SVSEF in 2005 as a way to support our athletes in their quest to achieve success at both the national and international levels. Athletes receive financial assistance and access to top-tier training environments; in turn, their involvement in the local community encourages healthy, active lifestyles for younger SVSEF athletes, as well as heightened awareness and support of snowsports.
This year’s team is a veteran squad – with six returning athletes and only one new addition, Gold Team Head Coach Chris Mallory pinpointed goals for the team this season, and touched on the benefits of having a tight-knit training group. “This group is poised to have significant success nationally and internationally. We're looking for a strong start to the season, so we can have our athletes get more international experience and World Cup starts over the second half of the season. These athletes have been pushing each other in training all summer, and that's what you need to collectively raise the level of performance.”
Returning to the team are Rogan Brown, Matt Gelso, Jack Hegman, Cole Morgan, Kelsey Phinney and Mary Rose. The newest addition to the squad is Kevin Bolger, 24, who skied previously with SVSEF as a junior racer. Kevin garnered national recognition last season, when he won the classic sprint at U.S. Nationals against a field of top collegiate and professional athletes. He comes off a strong career at the University of Utah; as a Ute, Kevin qualified four times for NCAAs, and was a two-time All-American.
Rogan Brown, 25, grew up skiing in Durango, Colorado, before earning his bachelor’s in mathematics from the University of Vermont, where he was a member of the ski team. A strong distance skier, Rogan took home two seventh place finishes at the 2017 U.S. National Championships, in the 30-kilometer classic race and the 15-kilometer skate.
Matt Gelso, 29, has been skiing with the SVSEF Gold Team for seven years, following a successful career at the University of Colorado. During the 2016/17 season, he represented the United States at World Cup races in Pyeongchang, the site of the 2018 Winter Olympics, as well as at World Cup Finals in Quebec City. As a result of his exceptional results on the U.S. Super Tour circuit, Matt earned the opportunity to represent SVSEF and the U.S. at midseason World Cup races in Europe. He comes into the 2017/18 with a wealth of experience, having competed for the U.S. internationally, as well as having seen success at the national level; Matt has earned multiple top-three results at U.S. Nationals, and has won an NCAA Championship.
Jack Hegman, 23, another University of Vermont alumni, had a strong first season with the Gold Team in 2016/17. A versatile skier, he posted two top-ten finishes at U.S. Nationals this past January. Jack was selected to represent the U.S. at U23 World Championships, where he skied to 11th place overall in the 30km skiathlon. Jack asserted himself as a top competitor last season, culminating in qualification to represent the U.S. at World Cup Finals in Quebec City.
Cole Morgan, 23, also a former junior skier with SVSEF, had his best season to date last year, earning the right to represent the U.S. at U23 World Championships. He was on the podium at U.S. Nationals, and posted a top-ten result at U23 Worlds. Cole was also selected to represent the U.S. at FIS World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. All of this success earned him the right to compete at World Cup Finals in Quebec City.
Mary Rose, 26, grew up skiing for Steamboat Springs and then for the University of Colorado at Boulder. She has represented SVSEF and the U.S. at U23 World Championships, multiple Scandinavian Cup races, Europa Cup races and Europa (OPA) Cup Finals. Domestically, Mary has been successful at U.S. Nationals, with two top-ten finishes, as well as on the SuperTour circuit, with a win and a second place finish. At the 2017 Nor-Am Cup in Canmore, Alberta, Mary took second place in the 10 kilometer classic.
In her first season with the Gold Team, Middlebury College graduate Kelsey Phinney, 23, qualified to represent the U.S. at U23 World Championships. At U.S. Nationals, she was the fifth American woman in the skate sprint, and the top U23 athlete. At U23 Worlds, Kelsey powered past the international competition to 16th place overall in the skate sprint. She saw more international competition in Latvia, where she participated in Scandinavian Cup races; her top result was ninth in a skate sprint, against many women who are World Cup ski racers.
The season is off to a strong start already, with half the team coming off two and a half weeks on snow in New Zealand. Said Mallory on what’s coming down the pike, “we're now entering a time of year where our focus intensifies as our team builds towards the start of the competitive season. We'll head down to Park City for a joint training camp with the National Team in a few weeks, and then head to Canmore for early-season on-snow training before the racing kicks off in West Yellowstone in November.”
With sights set on high-caliber national and international competition, financial support is essential for Gold Team athletes to help with the high demands that come naturally with the sport of cross country skiing – substantial time commitment, equipment costs, and travel fares, to name a few. The Golf for Gold fundraiser takes place this Thursday, September 14, with all proceeds from the event going to the Gold Team. If you would like to learn more about how to support these athletes in their endeavors, please visit svsef.org or call the office at (208) 726-4129.
Back on Snow: An Update from New Zealand
An update from Cross Country Gold Team Head Coach, Chris Mallory:
For the past two weeks, we’ve had part of the SVSEF Cross Country Gold Team training down in New Zealand at the Snow Farm, putting some good time in on snow. A few other U.S. clubs along with the National Team also made the trek down, so the training group has been terrific. While we had spring like conditions for the first part of the camp, we’re smack dab in the middle of winter now after a fresh six inches came down last night. Week one we were based out of Wanaka, making day trips up to the Snow Farm while also getting out for some scenic trail runs. Since then, it’s been all about logging k’s on their 40km network, working technique and speeds into sessions, as well getting out for an epic crust cruise. We’re about to get into some racing with the New Zealand Games happening the next three days, which will be a good close to the camp.
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Athlete of the Month, February 2017 – Kipling Weisel
The Athlete of the Month for February is Kipling Weisel, an alpine Gold Team skier, an alumni of the program and a current member of the U.S. Alpine C Team. Kipling has spent the 2016-2017 season making his mark on the FIS NorAm Cup circuit, competing against top athletes from across the country, as well as from Canada. Sanctioned by the International Ski Federation, NorAm Cup requires qualification, and is a step below the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup. In 16 races, which opened up with competition at Lake Louise in British Columbia, Kipling has secured 10 top-10 finishes, including three podiums. His current NorAm Cup ranking following competition at Copper on February 11 is an impressive sixth out of 130 athletes. Kipling’s growth and strong placement this season shows that he has a lot of potential, building off of natural athleticism, a deep drive and focused training. SVSEF Athletic Director Phil McNichol commented on his progress. “Kipling is having a breakthrough season. It’s exciting to see an SVSEF athlete moving up the ranks in the U.S. Alpine National Team.”
Kipling’s versatility has been evident throughout the winter; he has scored in four disciplines at NorAms, and has proven through this series and beyond that he’s a top contender. Kipling recently took a big step internationally, finishing ninth in the European Cup alpine combined at Sarntal, Italy, and has managed to fit in University races as well as FIS competitions between NorAms. He secured six top-10 results (three of those were podium finishes) in University competition, took home a win and a second-place finish in FIS races, and most recently made the podium in third in a European FIS giant slalom event at Turnau, Austria, March 3.
Kipling is currently attending Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, taking the fall and winter off to travel, train and compete. His ability to balance education and sport and to apply ample focus to each aspect has been instrumental to his success. We’re excited to see where he goes with both his skiing and his studies.