Nordic Team Sweeps Weekend at ECSC Sleepy Hollow
Sleepy Hollow, VT ~ The Paul Smith's College Nordic ski team dominated the first official weekend of Eastern Collegiate Ski Conference (ECSC) competition, sweeping the top spots in each race in Sleepy Hollow, VT.
Saturday's Skiathlon saw both the men's and women's teams go 1-2 overall as the Bobcats swept the top-two podium spots in the 10k event. On the women's side, Greta Dickman (Wisconsin Rapids, WI) and Rowan Tanguay (Fort Kent, ME) crossed the line first with times of 34:53.0 and 35:14.0, respectively. Spring semester newcomer Katya Koshkareva (Ridder, Kazakhstan) rounded out the scoring in 12th place with a time of 40:02.5 as PSC defeated runners-up Dartmouth by a score of 15-30 (lowest score wins).
On the men's side, Sisu Lange (Lyndonville, VT) and Philip Matthews (Half Moon, NY) also finished 1-2, with times of 29:49.0 and 30:06.8, respectively, followed by Gabriel Lloyd (Charlestown, NH) and Isaac Kristich (Palmer, AK) in eighth and ninth places as the Bobcats left no doubt to who would win the team Skiathlon, defeating Clarkson 11-19.
"Coming off a rough stretch two weeks prior at Senior Nations, it felt super good to get back into racing that simply felt good," said Lange. "Feeling all the parts coming together and having great races is what it's all about."
Sunday's Team Sprint Relay was more closely contested on the men's side, as the Bobcat trio of Matthews-Lange-Kristich won by just 18 seconds with a time of 38:34.1, ahead of Clarkson's 38:52.2. The two ECSC powerhouses have traded blows in recent years, as both have claimed team National Championships on the men's side.
"I would also like to acknowledge Philip Mathews and Isaac Kristich who were on my relay team and who did incredible jobs in their legs. It was great to see everyone pushing and having a blast," added Lange.
The women's competition was less of a challenge as the trio of Dickman-Tanguay-Koshkareva won the Team Sprint Relay by nearly three minutes with a time of 46:42.2. It was the first time since 2022 that a school has swept each event in an ECSC competition.
"This was a great weekend for our program. We saw stellar performances across both teams, and the depth we showed - especially with our first-years stepping up in a big way - is really exciting. Watching the women put three first-years on the podium and Sisu lead the men set the tone. When you've got that kind of talent getting after it right out of the gate, it makes for a fun season ahead," said head coach Matt Dougherty.
Up next for the Nordic team is another ECSC event, this time at the Rikert Outdoor Center in Ripton, VT starting Saturday, January 24th.
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