If you’ve been following Vermont sports this spring you’ll likely already know that not all of our Junior athletes have been training with MNC these past couple months. Our skiers have busy putting down fast times and scoring big goals in spring sports like lacrosse and track, with the TF State Meet having wrapped up this past weekend.
Running hard
It was a smattering of MNC names at the top of the charts in many distances: Emma Crum and Rebecca Cunningham went 1-2 in the 3000m with Finnegan right there in 6th.
Emma repeated her win in the 1500m followed closely by Hattie Barker. Quincy and Hattie were 2-3 in the 800m with Gillian Fairfax hot on their heels in 9th. In the 200m Quincy and Finley Barker were 4-6. Quincy also anchored the BHS team to a win in the 4×800.
Jack Crum posted a 10:16 in the 3000m, a time that would’ve taken top honors in our own MNC 3k run a few weeks ago! Noe Lindemuth snagged 3rd in the 400m dash while Willem Smith posted a 4th in the 800.
Head swimming from all that? Just go to this link to view the complete results. Way to go track runners!
Riding fast
Did you know that Hanna Holm has spent this spring training and riding with the OGE Enduro Race Team? This is a female-driven race team competing in the Eastern States Cup, essentially the mountain biking version of the US Supertour for XC skiing.
In her first race for the team down in Pennsylvania this weekend, Hanna took home 2nd place for Juniors, ahead of big names from the UVM cycling team and 90+ other competitors! Right on Hanna’s pedals in 4th place was UVM skier and MNC summer collegiate training group member Jenny Pedersen.
Poling power
Closer to home, the Juniors took to the pavement of Richmond again in a go at our double pole test. Nearly every ski team in the world has a double pole test…a trip up a measured hill where you can only double pole: no striding, no kick double pole, and certainly no skating. This measures not just arm strength but core (trunk, back, shoulders, glues) and leg strength too. Double poling is a far more “complete” movement pattern than it was even just 10 years ago.
I put out the call to Ben Lustgarten, local World Cup and World Championship competitor, and he said he’d give the test a go with us as well as spend some time skiing with the gang and doing a few passes up another hill with them. Thanks Ben!
You can catch some clips below: the first video is all of the competitors, and the second clip is just a shot of Ben that includes some slo-motion. Nothing says “strong core” like watching Ben maintain a neutral spine and engaged, active hips and legs throughout the whole poling motion.
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