Juniors, it’s time to register for winter programming and trips! We’ve got a lot on the schedule this year, and there are a lot of resources linked below which I hope are helpful in navigating the confusing scene of Nordic racing and training in the winter.

Junior Winter Primer (which includes many of the links below): An outline of frequently asked questions, schedules, licenses, and more which can be important reading before the winter begins.

22/23 Race Calendar (subject to editing as the season goes on): Races at the Eastern Cup and regional (NENSA) level outlined in one document. Note that this does not include VPA high school races.

MNC Juniors Expected Costs: A slightly more detailed (and current-season-specific) version of this page which exists on the Juniors dropdown menu of the MNC homepage.

Link to MNC Registration Pages: The home for program registration, including MNC Membership and other age groups.

Congrats to Ava (and SMS skier Fin Bailey) on receiving the prestigious Gallagher Award from NENSA!

From NENSA:

In 2014 NENSA began the tradition of honoring the most outstanding male and female Eastern Cup skiers with the Gallagher Award.  As we build excitement for the new season, NENSA is pleased to announce that Ava Thurston (Mansfield Nordic) and Fin Bailey (Stratton Mountain School) are the 2022 Eastern Cup Champions.  Their inspired efforts are a perfect way to celebrate Mike Gallagher’s legacy as an athlete, coach, and community leader.

Thurston matriculated to Dartmouth College this fall after one of the most storied Vermont High School careers in both cross country running and skiing — including numerous State titles in each sport.  On the Eastern Cup circuit she was the top junior woman in six of the eight races, placing second to two different Canadians in the events she did not win.  Thurston went on to Junior Nationals in Minnesota last March and swept all three individual events and anchored the New England U18 Team to victory.  If you pull up the most current F.I.S. points list you will find Thurston is ranked 1st for her birth year (2004) in distance and 2nd in sprint — now, that is something that would make Mike Gallagher proud to see!

Adam Terko, Mansfield Nordic Ski Club Head Coach, describes Thurston, “Ava has a lot of strengths, both literally and figuratively. But her pure love of skiing (not just racing, but skiing itself) is what strikes me most. She’s motivated to be a better skier, not just a faster skier. Because of that motivation it’s hard to imagine something she won’t be able to do on a pair of skis or for the sport itself.”