NYSEF March 2023 Newsletter

March Newsletter

March Recap: Wow! It seems like just yesterday that our venues were firing up the snow guns, our coaches and race crew rolling out the b-net, and our athletes tuning their equipment for a new season on snow. It's hard to believe that April is here and we've closed the books on NYSEF's 50th season on snow! Another one to remember, that's for sure!

It's been a busy winter at NYSEF, and March was no exception. We kicked off the month with NYSSRA U16 State Championships at Whiteface, where NYSEF athletes took home gold in every race; many qualifying for Eastern Regionals & Finals. The following weekend, NCAA Championships came to Lake Placid, with events at Mt. Van Hoevenberg and Whiteface. Gore Mountain hosted two USASA Freestyle events, as well as a Mid-Atlantic Masters series, and a Kandahar Festival, with Belleayre hosting a Rip Van Winkle Speed Camp. We wrapped up the month at Whiteface with U14 Eastern Regional Championships, The Whiteface Alumni Double Header GS, and our annual Skimeister Family Fun Race and potluck lunch.

We had an amazing event on March 11th at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts - Max Weinberg's Jukebox. It was great to see so many friends and family from NYSEF off the snow and enjoying an evening out at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts. Thanks to Max Weinberg and our sponsors, we were able to raise over $15,000 for NYSEF through ticket sales, and another $17,000 through a Bruce Springsteen VIP ticket auction generously donated by Max Weinberg.

Many of our athletes qualified for championship events, including NYSEF Biathlete Abby VD who took second in two events at US Biathlon Nationals in Casper, WY. Jackson M. competed in U14 CanAms in Mont-Tremblant, QC, and close to thirty NYSEF freestyle athletes traveled to Copper, CO to compete in National Championships from April 1-12. NYSEF also sent three alpine athletes to U16 National Championships in Mission Ride WA. Congratulations to everyone who competed in championship events this spring!

See you out there!

John Norton Executive Director info@nysef.org

March 2023

ATHL E T E OF THE MONT H

Kai McKinnon Nordic Combined Kai had a stellar 2022-23 season with NYSEF and capped it off by taking 1st place in the Under 16 Women’s Nordic Combined Junior National Championships which took place in Coleraine, MN. She also placed 2nd in the Under 16 Women’s Ski Jumping event. Kai was one of 16 athletes from NY, NH, and VT who qualified to represent the eastern division at junior nationals.

XC Junior Race Team: March Update "Teaming Up" by Head Coach Paul Smith As a regional division in cross country ski racing, our Mid-Atlantic region is realistically composed of one single state which often has the fewest eligible skiers. A handful of schools and two club programs consist of this team that competes against divisions four times in size at Nationals. It's a similar story with New York State at the Eastern Championships. The theme for this month is the work that is done by the athletes to come together and not just compete, but be right in the mix at these events. Stepping up to this challenge requires no fear of the outcome and the team certainly did well.

March 2023 The Junior Race Team spent most of the month split between two championship weeks; Junior Nationals in Fairbanks Alaska, and Eastern High School Championships in Ripton Vermont. In Vermont the JRT stepped up big time. It was a whirlwind of a week with 5 races in only 3 days leaving no time for respite. Notably Abigail Van Dorn had a 20th ranking after all of the racing was done.

The crew at Nationals who eventually became withered by the below freezing temperatures still came out inspired and motivated from the week. Maybe lessons learned here from the Inupiaq about how to survive in the extremes of the Alaskan Interior. Breathtaking views of the Aurora Borealis and education of native culture highlighted the week’s adventures. The top results had to be gained in a tough battle setting where the slow snow required constant pace adjustment to maintain speed. This entire group should be proud of their effort and “pro” mentality - all accomplished on the last day without a coach (who was smitten by stomach virus).

Top results were Sophia Kelting placing 12th in the skate sprint & 17th in classic distance. Daven Linck was 32nd, and Andrew Scanio 22nd in skate distance.

XC Devo Team: March Update A week before the Junior Race Team traveled to Middlebury and Fairbanks, New England Ski Association (NENSA) in partnership with Craftsbury Outdoor Center hosted the Bill Koch Youth Ski League Championship weekend. This festival weekend is the marquee event for skiers from kindergarten up to 8th grade, and our DEVO group competed in several days of racing and revelry!

The festival theme this year was, “North Woods in Winter” and was a celebration of the northern forest as both a recreational space and a working landscape. DEVO athletes brushed up on their basic survival skills, animal identification, and maple sugar farming. They tackled the Salomon jumps course, conquered dodgeball, and competed in the skate relay and classic distance.

Just as the JRT gathered as a region representing Mid-A, the DEVO skiers joined New York State Clubs from Rochester, Old Forge, and Osceola to compete against the New England States.

Our team celebrated a podium result, personal best races, and graduation for both Anika Mian and River Gray. Will Preece, had exemplary results both days earning a podium finish in a grade 5/6 relay team with Rochesters Collin Bellizzi, and 23rd place on the distance classic. Liam Stoddard, also charged through the competition to finish 27th in a highly competitive boys grade 7/8 field of 61 competitors.

The Craftsbury Outdoor Center has a long-standing history of hosting races and events. It is one of the most beautiful ski venues in the east, both lodge and trail system, and one which our team looks forward to visiting. However, navigating the southern tip of the Northeast Kingdom on a bumpy dirt road requiring 4wd can be a real challenge. Mother nature graced us with one of our deepest snow storms leading into the festival weekend, leaving Coach Julianne sitting behind a car accident and roadblock. Our team of parents was immediately in contact.

March 2023 A special thank you to all those parents who supported this weekend, but especially to those who went above and beyond organizing a house reservation and a full team dinner on Saturday night. Thank you; Jamie Campbell and Bill Preece, Debbie Erenstone, Mason, Katie and Scott Stoddard, Julie and Alec Mian.

Our final full team celebrated the end of the season at the Olympic Jumping Complex for a XC “ski meister” event, BBQ, and awards ceremony. We appreciate, celebrate, and applaud each athlete for an exemplary season, as well as our DEVO coaching staff, Chris Rose and Nina Armstrong!

Biathlon: March Update

by Head Coach Maddie Phaneuf March came and went in a blink of an eye! A majority of NYSEF's biathletes saw the end of their race season during the final weekend in February. We raced in Jericho, Vermont at the East Regional Biathlon Cup and had NYSEF athletes on the podium both days! Galen H. placed 1st in the Youth Men’s Sprint, Bella W. placed 3rd in the Youth Women’s Sprint, Abby V.D. placed 1st and Jenna S. in 3rd in the U17 Girls Sprint. The following day was Pursuit Day and we saw Abby V.D. and Jenna S. again topping the podium in 1st and 2nd for the U17 Girls, Bella W. in 2nd for Youth Women, and Galen H. in 2nd for Youth Men. Since our season has come to an end, most athletes put their rifles away until next year, but we have two athletes still competing. Abby V.D. is currently traveling to Casper, Wyoming to compete in US Biathlon 2023 Nationals! She’ll race over the weekend in the Sprint, Pursuit, and Relay events. We also have Jenna S. traveling in early April to race in Norway for the Liatoppen Festival. She’ll be traveling with a group of other U17 athletes representing US Biathlon during the race week. This will be Jenna’s first international trip as well as her first international competition!

Congratulations to all of our biathletes for an awesome season!

Special shout out to our graduating senior biathletes; Galen H. who will be attending St. Lawrence University in the fall, and Bella W. who will be attending Middlebury College next January! We will miss you at NYSEF and are looking forward to seeing what’s next for the both of you!

March 2023 BIG News for NYSEF Ski Jumping!

We’re absolutely thrilled to announce that NYSEF was awarded over $60,000 from the North Elba LEAF Fund to purchase a fleet of ski jumping skis, bindings, boots, and suits for our athletes to use. Coming on the heels of the successful FIS Ski Jumping World Cup in February, we think it's safe to say that ski jumping is back in a big way in Lake Placid!

Freeride: March Update The US Freestyle Junior National Championships took place from March 15-18 in Steamboat Springs, CO., and NYSEF Whiteface mogul skier Wyatt Stanclift qualified for the first time. Going in, Wyatt was aiming for a top 20 result but took 11th in his qualifying runs and then bested that in the Mogul final the following day moving up to 7th place. Wyatt spent a lot of time on the road competing this season and it resulted in a performance peak at the best possible time.

Wyatt’s 7th place was his best finish of the season and was 3rd best for all Eastern Freestyle skiers. Congratulations, Wyatt!

The Freeride competition season is winding down with only one more event to go - USASA Nationals at Copper Mt, CO. Close to 30 athletes and coaches from all three NYSEF mountains will be representing the USASA Adirondack and Catskill regions in Slopestyle, Ski/Snowboard Cross, and Railjam events. Up to 2000 athletes participate over 9 days of competitions starting with the snowboarders from April 1-5 followed by the freeskiers from April 9-12. Download the Stack Team App and search for USASA National Championships to see start lists, event details, and results from each day.

March 2023 Nordic Combined/Ski Jumping Update: Although NYSEF's ski jumping and nordic combined teams wrapped up their championship competitions in February, we still had a great couple of weeks of training at home! The postponed Empire State Winter Games competition took place on March 11th on the newly remodeled large hill that the World Cup competed on last month. Several of our development athletes jumped in the HS128 competition, with many athletes setting new personal records, which is always exciting for coaches and athletes. The weather was amazing, and it was a great way to wrap up the competition season at home!

Congratulations to our athletes who were on the podium! Leila F. took first place in the U12 Girls Jumping. Max F. and Jack K. tied for first in the U16 boys jumping. with Eli L. taking third. Schuyler C. also took first in the Open Boys Jumping. On the Nordic Combined side, Leila F. took first again in the U12 Girls, and Max F. Jack K. and Duncan V.D. took first, second, and third places respectively in the U16 Boys.

Alpine Update: FIS Men and Women Wrap Up the Season The FIS men's team had another big month that started with USSA Super G races on our home hill at the Whiteface Open. Athletes had a variety of pathways through the month as half of our team attended U18 Junior Nationals in Mittersill and the other half started the mid-season training block. Skiers prepared for the final races of the year with full-length GS, and slalom and even utilized man-made camel bumps to develop different skills.

Northwood's Bodhi Boschen saw a return to snow this month and came back strong with double wins in our USSA Alumni GS race on Draper's Drop. Justin Zeng competed in his first ski race ever while our veteran Pedro Gonzalez completed his last race at Whiteface as a NYSEF athlete. It is a great time of the year to recognize upcoming efforts from our skiers and also celebrate those who graduate from our programs. Next week will be the last training session of the year and our programming will finish in Maine for Eastern Cup Finals.

Well done team!

- Head Men’s Coach Seppi Stiegler

March 2023

The FIS Woman started March off with a ten-day training block followed by a string of tech starts in Vermont. We traveled to Sugarbush, Stowe, Smugglers Notch, and Burke, and finished off our domestic racing at Stratton VT. A small group of our international racers continued on to Quebec for Spring races at Stoneham and Le Relais. March was fruitful and some athletes scored their personal best results. Sonja T. brought home gold and silver medals at home in the Whiteface Alumni GS Double Header. We capped off the season with some of the best snow and training of the year at home. Our annual retro free ski day was once again a huge success and we toured most of what Whiteface has to offer - even the magic carpet! Congratulations to all for their efforts throughout the year!

- Head Women’s Coach Jeremy "Worm" Transue

Alpine Update: Three U16s Qualify for Nationals!

March was a busy month of championship events for our U16 alpine crew! The month kicked off with US Ski and Snowboard Open Super G races at Whiteface in front of a home crowd where Northwood School's Cara D. and Julianne B. placed first and second respectively. On the men's side, Winter Term's Henry P. brought home a bronze medal, with teammates Mikey M. and Paul F. racing into sixth and tenth.

Next, the team shifted focus to NYSSRA U16 State Championships - also at Whiteface - where NYSEF athletes took home gold in every event. Cara D. swept all three ladies' races, with teammate Denny S. taking the men's super G and slalom wins. First-year Mikey M. won the men's giant slalom on the final day of the competition. NYSEF's Julianne B., Henry P., Cole VE., Paul F., Sydney K., and Aston F. all found themselves on the podium as well over the weekend.

At the conclusion of state championships, thirteen NYSEF athletes were named to the Eastern Regionals team, and eight were named to the Eastern Finals team.

Eastern Regional Championships took place the following week in Sugarloaf, ME, where Cara D. once again found herself on the podium, securing second in the women's slalom. Cara along with Julianne B. and Denny S. performed well enough to earn themselves a trip to US Ski and Snowboard National Championships from April 3-7 in Mission Ridge, WA. The following weekend was Eastern Finals in Attitash, NH, Taylor D. from Gore laid down some amazing runs to place eighth in women's slalom and sixth in super G, with Winter Term's Lucas D. winning silver in the men's slalom! Athletes returned home to finish out the season with races at Cochran's, and Sugarbush in Vermont, as well as the Whiteface Alumni Open GS races at home. At Whiteface, Cara D once again swept the U16 podiums, with Denny S. taking the win in GS#1 and Henry P. coming out on top in GS#2.

As the season wraps up, athletes will continue to train at home and enjoy the spring skiing, before sending their three teammates off to Nationals. As the snow melts, U16 athletes will move into off-season strength and conditioning, and planning for some summer ski camps!

March 2023

Alpine Update: U14s Take on Eastern Regionals at Whiteface Alpine U14 athletes from Belleayre, Gore, and Whiteface had a busy month to cap off the 2022/2023 season. Championship racing kicked off at West Mountain with the Mud, Sweat, 'N' Gears State Championships in early March. Belleayre athlete Amelia K. captured the State title in the ladies' Super G on the first day of competition, with Whiteface's Ollie B. and Georgie L. placing third and fifth just behind her. On the men's side, Thomas R. of Whiteface Winter Term placed second, with teammates Emmett F. and Jackson M. tying for seventh. In men's giant slalom, Northwood School's Jackson M placed second, with Noah F. of Gore in ninth. In the slalom, Jackson M. once again brought home a silver medal, with Thomas R just behind in third, and teammate Ollie B. taking third for the ladies.

Four NYSEF athletes qualified for and competed in Eastern Regional Championships, hosted

by NYSEF at Whiteface from March 18-21; Amelia K, Ollie B., Jackson M., and Thomas R. All four athletes were able to lay down some fast runs in front of the home crowd. Congratulations to Jackson M, whose performance over the four days earned him a spot at CanAm Championships in Mont-Tremblant, QC from March 30 - April 2.

Athletes wrapped up their season with some racing and spring skiing at home, At Whiteface, athletes competed for the coveted title of Skiemeister - with Asa S. and Ollie B coming out on top. Some second-year athletes competed in their first FIS races as well. At the Whiteface Alumni GS Double Header, both Thomas R. and Ollie B. had incredible showings, with overall 4th and 5th place finishes respectively in a field of FIS, U16, and Masters athletes. The following weekend, a contingent of athletes traveled to Sugarbush, VT for spring slalom racing, where many were able to lay down two solid runs and score FIS points. These spring races are important for athletes, who gained racing experience on a higher level and will be able to begin their U16 racing careers next season with FIS points - placing them higher in most race starts.

March 2023

Alpine Update: So many Kandahars!

NYSEF U12 alpine athletes were just about everywhere this past month! Contingents from Belleayre, Gore, and Whiteface competed all over New York and at home venues in both Kandahar and Rip Van Winkle Events. The weekend program wrapped up at all three venues at the end of the month. Congratulations to our racers moving up to U14 racing next year!

March 2023

Alpine Update: Whiteface U10s & U12s Conquor the Slides!

This month, U10 and U12 alpine athletes at Whiteface Mountain got an opportunity that most had only ever dreamed of when the fabled slides off of Chair 6 opened at Gold Status! The Slides are double-black, expert-only terrain, and haven't opened to the general public in several years due to the conditions needing to be perfect. Skiers must remove their skis, and boot-pack uphill approximately 1/4 mile before traversing over to the slides to ski them. Our athletes made it look easy!

March 2023 The Annual Whiteface Skimeister!

The 2023 Skimeister Champions are Ollie B. & Asa S!

Gore Beach Party!

March 2023 Belleayre Unicorn Race!

e h T e v a S e t a D The Annual NYSEF Golf Open Sunday, June 11, 2023 Lake Placid Club

March 2023 NYSEF Swag!

NYSEF Gear is available for purchase at the NYSEF Whiteface Training Center. Building Hours are 8am-4pm daily while the mountain is open. Contact Tiffany. tiffanyve@nysef.org Skida Hats!

Neckies!

Sweatshirts & Zip-Ups! NYSEF Mugs!

Youth Gear and more!!!

Thank You! Thank you to our sponsors: Merrill L. Thomas, Long Run Wealth, Lake Placid Family Dental, Black Rock Foundation, and the Donald C. McGraw Foundation.

March 2023

Do you have news or photos to share with us?

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