Updates! - Wausau JNQ/College Races

Our first official weekend of racing was the Wausau, Wisconsin JNQ/College races! On Saturday we raced skate sprints, and on Sunday we raced a classic distance race. It was a balmy weekend with hardly any sun, but the Olaf team put our talents to the test. Special shout out to Mike Smith, who made the appearance to help out with waxing!

Finals hit all the college skiers pretty hard, so this weekend was a tough one because Christmas break had just begun and we were all mentally and physically exhausted. On Saturday the majority of the team qualified for the skate sprint heats, and had a refresher course on how to race head to head.  The sprint race course itself was challenging, with an steep incline leading into a gradual climb to the finish, making the heats very tactical. Highlights: Almost everyone qualified! Nora finished 2nd in the Junior B Final, Paige finished 3rd in the Senior A Final, and Liam finished 4th in the Junior B Final. Sunday was the classic distance on an extended version of the sprint loop.  Jake took 13th overall for the men, with Liam in 36th and Joel in 47th.  Paige was 10th for the women, Nora was 24th, and Shelby was 55th.

Skate Sprints
5k/10k Classic

It was a tough weekend of racing and I think the whole team was glad to be out of school and on break. The nationals team (Nora, Paige, Jake, and Evan) started preparing to leave on the 1st of January, and everyone else spent the break training, spending time with family and friends, and racing some citizen races.

We'd also like to extend a special thank you to the Dau's for their delicious cooking and cozy hospitality. In fact, thank you to all the parents and families that came out to cheer! It was a fun weekend with lots of spectators. 

Kelsey, Paige, Gretchen, Shelby, Liza, and Nora after the skate sprints

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