Junior Nationals: Stowe, VT
Junior Nationals was an awesome week packed with 4 races, a parade, a medal ceremony, a banquet, and tons of other awesome experiences!
Race one: Classic 5K individual start
I had one of the best classic races of all time. On the course the coaches were yelling that I was in the lead (granted there were only 11 people who started in front of me), which fired me up even more. I ended up 5th, putting me in a good position for the skate mass start.
Classic 5K, Hannah Halverson (Far West) gaining on me.
Photo: Jackie Schnieder
Race two: Classic 1.4K sprint
I've NEVER considered myself a sprinter. It takes me a long time to accelerate and skiing at a quick tempo is difficult for me. Nonetheless, I qualified for the heats in 5th place. Also, 6 of the 8 Midwest J2/U16 girls qualified for the heats!!! (Claire Benton, Erin Moening, Hannah Rudd, Dottie Anderson, Anna Johnson, and myself) Claire was in my quarterfinal, and we both advanced to the A-final. Anna Johnson got the lucky loser not once, but twice, to make it all the way to the B-Final with Hannah, who crashed. The heats were stacked with Midwest green and black.
Before the final, Reid Lutter (the coach pictured above) told me
I could win it all. I didn't believe him, but in this picture,
taken just after after I won the race, he told me, "You're a
National Champion!" over and over.
Photo: Julie Kautzer
One of my all time favorite pictures: Claire Benton and I
after the final (and after we caught our breath)
Photo: Sunny Freed
In the final, there were at least 3 people including myself trying to get
the best lane. It got tight and I'm pretty sure I accidentally poled on Leah Lange's ski
(The athlete in the red that's stumbling). It was completely unintentional and I still feel bad
about it, but that's the way sprints work. Things get exciting!
Photo: Jackie Schnieder
Podium for the sprint with Hailey Swirlbul and Leah Lange.
Photo: Julie Kautzer
Race three: Skate 5K Mass Start
If anyone thought the Classic sprint was crazy, the mass start brought it to a whole new level. The first turn was on a sharp downhill that immediately started going up, creating a huge pile up right away. Luckily I started in the 5th spot because of my classic race, so was able to sprint the start. I led for the first kilometer or so, then decided to let my teammate pass and lead for awhile, because I knew she was right behind me. I slowed the pace back, but as she passed so did a lot of other people, and somehow I got tripped. I got up, only to trip again. Throughout the next 4 kilometers I fell at least 4 more times, at one point falling back to around 45th place. I ended up making up time to finish at 17th, but it was far from my best race.
Before the carnage started.
Photo: Julie Kautzer
Photo: Julie Kautzer
The Midwest girls after the mass start. Man were we happy to be done!
Photo: Jackie Schnieder
Surprisingly, I wasn't the worst off. I came around a corner and saw Hannah climbing out of the woods after a collision with a tree, and I heard after that Claire lost or broke not one, not two, but THREE poles! All in all, the Midwest J2 girls did amazing, considering the circumstances.
Race four: Skate 3x3K relay
My relay consisted of myself, Erin Moening, and Anna Johnson. I led, and tagged off in second place. Erin had an unfortunate crash, but still skied a good leg, putting Anna in a good position to ski to 5th!
Race four: Skate 3x3K relay
My relay consisted of myself, Erin Moening, and Anna Johnson. I led, and tagged off in second place. Erin had an unfortunate crash, but still skied a good leg, putting Anna in a good position to ski to 5th!
My awesome relay partners after the race!
Photo: SkinnySki
My relay on the podium (well... next to the podium) at the
closing ceremony.
Photo: Julie Kautzer
The two Midwest J2/U16 relays and coach Julia Curry
(Kelly Koch and Dottie Anderson skied with a Great Lakes athlete
to make a complete relay)
Photo: SkinnySki
Other excitement at Junior Nationals:
Some of the Midwest girls at the Midweek ceremony.
Photo: Sonja Hedblom
Anna, Hannah, myself, and Claire with the hardware after the Midweek Ceremony.
Photo: Julie Kautzer
As tradition, the J2 girls dyed our hair pink!
Photo: Anna French
A little out of order, but here's the Midwest gang at the opening ceremony/parade.
Photo: Julie Kautzer
Hannah, Dottie, and I with our glitter and lipstick for
the traditional ski date!
Since there were more girls than boys, Abby Jarzin and I shared
Tom Bye as our ski date!
Photo: Sarah Bezdicek
Anna French also had a double date, so we decided to ski to the Cabin
in the Woods instead (the day after we watched the movie).
Lastly, to top off an amazing week, Loppet Nordic Racing, my club team, won the National title for best club in the country. I am extremely proud of all my teammates, especially since LNR didn't exist 2 years ago!
Biathlon Nationals: Jericho, VT
After Stowe, I went straight to Jericho for a biathlon camp before the National races. It was not only for experienced (or somewhat experienced) biathletes, but also for people new to the sport to try it.
Here's the group. It was pretty crowded in the van,
but much better than walking up the hill.
Photo: Nina Armstrong
Out for a recovery ski.
No explanation needed.
Not only did we improve our biathlon skills, Katrina Howe, a coach and fellow
biathlete, taught us how to crochet. Mine is the light blue and white one.
Trust me they look better with pompoms.
Photo: Nina Armstrong
A few things going on in this picture:
1. Nina Armstrong, my roommate, wrote it for me. She is so sweet!!! I can't wait to see her!
2. Apparently I have a really funny Minnesota accent and pronounce any word with "-ag"
in it in a way that makes anyone not from the Midwest laugh.
We stayed at a National Guard base in Jericho. You can see the barracks down the hill on the left.
This is the view from the top of the hill where you had to go if you wanted cell coverage. We also
made makeshift sleds out of cardboard or plastic bags to go sledding one night.
This picture of my coach Piotr Bednarski sleeping is for the other Loppet
Nordic Racing Chickz. It was rumored that he never slept,
(we get training emails at 3:30 in the morning on a regular basis), but I
have evidence that he does!
The first race was a 10K individual start. That means that you shoot prone, standing, prone, standing, and each miss is a minute added to your total ski and range time. I missed 3, 4, 1, 4, so had 12 minutes added to my ski time.
My second race was a 6K sprint, which in biathlon is very deceiving because it's really not sprinting at all. It just means that you shoot twice instead of four times. I missed 3 in both shooting stages, but felt really good skiing. The race started at 7:00 pm so it was very dark, and parts of the trail lights weren't functioning.
The last race was a mass start. I missed 5, 1, 5, 4, so got pretty dizzy in the penalty loop. I actually fell in the penalty loop after my standing. Not my finest moment, or race for that matter. But I learned when I should take wind clicks and how to keep my head in the race even after some horrible shooting.
Spring Break: Los Barriles, Mexico
When I got home from Jericho, I had to catch up on a ton of homework. Thankfully most teachers gave me an extension, but I still spent most of my spring break with my nose in a textbook. My parents and I went to Los Barriles, Mexico, which is just far enough from Cabo that it isn't tourist-y. It was an amazing trip and I was able to use the Spanish I have learned. Although note to self, non-alcoholic margaritas aren't a thing in Mexico, and if you ask for one you'll only get blank stares.
It was absolutely picture perfect
Photo: Julie Kautzer
Photo: Brad Kautzer
(This is used as a baitfish)
Photo: Brad Kautzer
My dad and I also tried out stand up paddle boarding. It's a blast,
although it does take balance to stay on it standing, as my dad found
out by falling in the water.
Photo: Julie Kautzer
We also snorkeled, swam, walked on the beach, and rented a UTV to explore the arrollos. I also learned running barefoot on the beach is a HORRIBLE idea, despite the allure of new and exciting ways to train.
Spring:
The rest of my spring consisted of running track, biking, and doing strength workouts. I over used my Achilles's tendon throughout the ski season, so rested that as much as possible. The highlight of my track season was breaking my personal record in the 800m from a 2:27 set in 8th grade to a 2:24.
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