GRP at US Cross Country Championships Day Three and Four
Caitlin Patterson (left) and Kaitlynn Miller (right) in the finishing straight in the women’s 20k (photo Reese Brown)
US Nationals in Houghton, Michigan are now complete, with several more podium performances by GRP skiers. A four race series, US Nationals started with the freestyle events on Thursday, January 2nd and Friday, January 3rd (coverage here). With the skate skis packed away, racing continued on Sunday, January 5th and Tuesday, January 7th with classic mass starts and a classic sprint.
Caitlin Patterson, Hailey Swirbul, and Kaitlynn Miller (L to R), 20k US women’s podium (Photo Reese Brown)
The third day of racing in Houghton brought 20/30k mass start classic races. The men raced first on a four lap 7.5k course. Adam Martin and Ben Lustgarten skied in the lead pack for the majority of the race and finished 5th and 6th, respectively. Akeo Maifeld-Carucci finished in 21st place, and Braden Becker was 34th. The women raced later in the afternoon in a steady snow storm. Caitlin Patterson had another strong result, finishing 2nd to APU’s Hailey Swirbul, for her third podium of the week. Kaitlynn Miller also had a strong result, placing 4th, as the 3rd American. Liz Guiney finished 15th.
Adam Martin and Ben Lustgarten charging off the line in the men’s 30k mass start (Photo Reese Brown)
Hailey Swirbul nips Caitlin Patterson at the line during Tuesday’s CL sprint. (Reese Brown photo)
Day four brought a classic sprint on a new 1.5k, two lap course. GRP men qualified
10th - Ben Lustgarten
19th - Adam Martin
30th - Braden Becker
35th - Akeo Maifeld-Carucci
with Ben coming closest to advancing out of heats with his third place in Quarter 1.
GRP women qualified:
2nd - Kaitlynn Miller
4th - Caitlin Patterson
11th - Liz Guiney
and all advanced to semis, with Caitlin making the final and finishing 2nd to her nemesis all this week, Hailey Swirbul of APU.
The GRP skiers now have a short break in their SuperTour schedule, and will resume racing on January 24th at home in Craftsbury for a combined SuperTour/Eastern Cup/Carnival.
Results