GRP Ski President’s Weekend Update

Ida Sargent classic sprinting earlier this year in Ruka, Finland

Last Updated: 17.Feb.2015

The Green Racing Project skiers are experiencing a calm before the storm: Ida Sargent is set to race at World Championships, which start on the 18th of February, and the American Birkebeiner crew is already on the road for their race on the 22nd. However, there was no rest for the weary, as this weekend the stateside crew competed in Eastern Cups and Carnivals while Ida competed in a World Cup in Östersund, Sweden.

After a two week break from World Cup competition, many skiers used the World Cups in Östersund as a final tune-up before World Championships in Falun. The US Ski Team had solid results in both days of racing, a good indication of fitness for World Champs. Ida took 41st in Sunday’s classic sprint, missing qualification by 3 seconds, but her two teammates Sophie Caldwell and Sadie Bjornsen made the rounds and ended up 20th and 22nd. The US team has not announced the line-up for starting spots for World Championships, but the classic sprint is on the 19th and the team sprint on the 22nd.

Meanwhile, it was another cold New England race weekend in Hanover and Holderness, where NENSA held the final Eastern Cup Weekend: the Silver Fox Trot and Cheri Walsh Memorial. A group of four GRP men made the trip to New Hampshire for a set of 10k individual start races: freestyle on Saturday and classic on Sunday. In Saturday’s race at Oak Hill in Hanover, both Gordon Vermeer and Pete Hegman landed on the podium in 2nd and 3rd, and Andrew Dougherty was close behind in 5th. Sunday moved to Holderness for a 10k classic, and Gordon was 2nd again, while this time it was Andrew rounding out the podium in 3rd. The GRP men showed remarkable consistency, with Alex Schulz close behind Andrew in 4th, and Pete Hegman 5th. Also in the east, Green Teamer Liz Guiney traveled to Middlebury Carnival for a 5k skate individual and placed 7th among EISA college skiers.

The Green Racing Project will bring a two woman, two man contingent to the Birkebeiner in Hayward, Wisconsin to race the 50k skate on the 22nd, and also contest the elite sprints in downtown Hayward. Check the GRP Facebook page and/or Twitter for updates from World Championships and the Birkie!

Results from Feb. 14 &15-
World Cup- Classic Sprint
Eastern Cup- Silver Fox Trot & Cheri Walsh Memorial