Clare Egan: UVM Carnival/Eastern Cup

This weekend I competed at the UVM College Carnival/NENSA Eastern Cup at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, VT. As usual, this annual event was a sunny and bustling celebration of New England skiing.

It was by far the biggest race I've done this year, with over 220 women competing! I was so psyched to be in a big, competitive field after enduring several lonely one- or two-woman biathlon races. Of course, this was a cross-country ski race (not biathlon) so I didn't get to shoot any targets, but that also means I did not have to carry that heavy rifle. What a relief!!!

On Saturday we did a classic sprint. I was nervous for two reasons: 1) it was my first classic race of the year (biathlon is always skate), and 2) it was my first time this year going up against some of the best cross-country skiers in the country. Having raced mostly against myself or one other biathlete, I was not sure how I would fare.

I did not quite have my classic legs under me in the qualifier--or enough kick wax!-- and I struggled on the uphill and finished 24th. I started :15 seconds behind Leah Brams, a U-16 skier from Cambridge Sports Union, and although I almost caught her by the bottom of the long downhill on the first half of the course, she then proceeded to kick my butt up the steep climb and beat be to the finish line. (Those darn CSU coaches and their solid waxing and excellent striding technique instruction!!!) Luckily I was in the top 30 and qualified for the heats. If I had skied just 2 seconds slower I would not have made it!

Here I am in the qualifier, getting dropped by Leah Brams.

In the heats I was determined to improve upon my 24th-place seed, and improve I did! Only the top two finishers in each quarterfinal automatically advance to the semifinals, so I went for it and won my quarterfinal.

On the line with my friends, including MISS CHLOE LEVINS on the far left.

Leading my quarterfinal- against some much lower bib #'s!

Tongue out, guns out!

The lineup in my semifinal was pretty intense, including the reigning classic sprint national champion. As we started around the course I found myself in the surprise position of the lead, and then as we came into the finish I had a moment of college racing deja-vu as two Dartmouth women (one current- Annie Hart, and one former- Rosie Brennen) closed in around me on either side and blew by me in the double-pole finish. Another great classic sprinter, Lauren Fritz, appeared in my peripheral vision but I held her off and qualified for the A-Final!

In the A-Final I moved everywhere from first to last over the course of the heat, but ended up taking 4th behind Caitlin Patterson, Rosie Brennen, and Heidi Halverson (in that order.) I was very pleased to have moved up from my 24th place in the qualifier!!!

A-Final about 200m from the finish.

On Sunday, we did a 5k skate. The course at Trapps has a long history of getting the best of me about 1km from the finish line, so this time I was determined to make it to the end without totally blowing up. The course only takes about 14 minutes, but the last 5 are all uphill which makes for an interesting strategic challenge. It is such a short race but you also have to save something for that last climb.

About 2km into the race, trying not to push too much...or too little.

Much to my delight, I made it all the way to the finish line and I got 3rd. My teammate Caitlin won for the second day in a row, and it is always great to have a teammate on the podium! Erika Flower was second.