Bobcat's end season at FIS COC and US Biathlon National Championships

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – The competitive seasons for five Paul Smith’s College student/athletes ended last weekend in Lake Placid with a pair of traditional winter events at the Olympic Ski Jumping Complex and the Olympic Sports Complex at Mount Van Hoevenberg.

Aidan Ripp, who put himself in the mix for an Olympic berth in Beijing, entered his second and third career FIS Continental Cup Nordic combined events. The 4.0 student at PSC was 13th and 10th in the two races, where the jumping occurred on the normal hill. Ripp’s efforts were highlighted by the sixth and eighth fastest skiing legs in the 15K and 10K distances, respectively, despite starting at the end of the field in those events.

"Aidan finished a tremendous year in Lake Placid,” said Matt Dougherty, PSC Nordic coach. “His season started just after Thanksgiving in Bejing, China with the FIS Continental Cup Olympic test event, and extended all the way to the end of March. He has demonstrated such strength, perseverance and consistency over that time."

Ripp had a top 30 finish in Beijing and followed that with an 11th place performance in his first foray into Olympic trials in Lake Placid. His momentum continued through the U.S. Collegiate Ski Association Championships in early March where Ripp led the Bobcats to their first-ever national team championship as he simultaneously captured two individual U.S. titles. “He’s been such a great teammate throughout the season,” continued Dougherty. “Despite having so much individual potential, Aidan has continually looked to do better for his team and teammates. He set the tone for training and consistency, kindness and sportsmanship throughout

the season. I could not be prouder of him and his accomplishments. I look forward to next year where I expect another big leap forward in both Nordic combined and Nordic skiing."

It was a noteworthy end to Lake Placid’s outdoor season as the U.S. Biathlon Association returned to the two-time Olympic village for its annual national championships.

The Bobcat contingent was paced by Dolcie Tanguay, third in sprint women in 33 minutes, 8 seconds, and Kasia Bosek (45:09), fifth in that event despite her involvement in a significant crash. In the pursuit, Tanguay was fifth and Bosek seventh.

“The end of a long season can't end better than our weekends did,” reflected Dougherty when it all concluded. “Our biathletes had career-best finishes, highlighted by Dolcie’s podium result in the junior sprint. She had an incredible leap forward in performance this year and it showed at nationals with consistent shooting and fast skis leading to her high finishes.”

Logan Jensen took eighth in sprint men with a time of 38:33, followed by Diego Schillaci in 11th in 39:32. They were also 11th and 13th, respectively, in the pursuit.

The biathlon relays were mixed age and mixed team events with athletes from multiple regions. Jensen brought his Bobcat contingent into fourth place on the strength of a ski leg that saw him shoot clean. Skiing with the country’s top competitors including U.S. Olympic and national team members, Jensen’s split time was seventh fastest on the day.

"Logan had an incredible weekend for his first participation in a U.S. national championship. Making it more remarkable for him was the switch that saw us change Logan from right-handed shooting to left this year. We can expect another big move forward next year with a season of shooting lefty behind him.”

All five PSC student/athletes are products of the college’s education and sport initiative created with USA Nordic and the US Biathlon Association. This program provides an educational component for elite level athletes as they simultaneously train for international competition. They have access to world-class cross country ski training at the E. Philip Saunders Nordic and Biathlon Stadium on the PSC campus.

"We will be adding even more depth to the biathlon and Nordic teams next year and I can't wait to see what these athletes can do with another year in the program under their belts."

Andrew Weibrecht, a member of the PSC Olympic Advisory Council, entered the biathlon nationals. The Olympic silver and bronze medalist in alpine skiing, also an avid outdoorsman, showed his well-rounded abilities on snow by finishing second in his biathlon age group.

Weibrecht, a three-time Olympian, retired from the alpine sport after the 2018 Winter Games.