Men's Nordic Team Three-peats as ECSC Regional Champions
Saranac Lake, NY ~ The Paul Smiths College men's Nordic ski team made history this past weekend at the Eastern Collegiate Ski Conference (ECSC) Regional Championships hosted at Dewey Mountain in Saranac Lake NY. The team secured their third consecutive regional championship title, showcasing their recent supremacy in the sport.
The competition kicked off on Friday night with a Classic Sprint under the lights as the Bobcats wasted no time in asserting their dominance. Aidan Ripp (Cloquet, MN) took home the individual championship title while teammates Philip Matthews (Half Moon, NY), Timothy Ziegler (Marquette, MI), and Diego Schillaci (New Patlz, NY) followed closely behind in third, fourth, and fifth places, respectively.
The women's team also put on a strong performance as Dolcie Tanguay (Fort Kent, ME) clinched first palce and Jessie Church (Bethlehem, NH) secured a fourth-place finish. The women's team also took the win on Day 1 of the competition.
Day 2 saw the men's team continue their winning streak as Ripp claimed yet another victory, this time in the 7.5k Race. Paul Smith's College's strong performances secured the overall team regional championship title once again as the Bobcats showed incredible depth and strength, taking first, third, fourth, and fifth places for the second day in a row.
The women's team, despte facing challanges, put forth a valiant effort as Jessie Church led the charge and secured a second-place finish. The women's team finished just two points behind Cornell University in the overall championships. Tanguay did not score on the final day of the competition as she headed to Estonia for IBU Jr World Championships where she will compete for the US team.
Head Coach Matt Dougherty noted "This weekend was incredible. The men's team really had a special weekend - not just the top four, but the entire team had great results. The women's team's performance was incredible too and it's tough to lose by two points but considering they were without their #1 racer [Tanguay] on Day 2 and our #3 racer [Bosek] was quite ill. It was an incredible performance. I am so incredibly proud of these teams. Special thank you to Dewey Mountain and everyone who helped make the trails and race great," said Dougherty.
Both teams will now set their sights on the United States Collegiate Ski Association (USCSA) National Championships in Lake Placid NY, where they will aim to continue their streak as podium contenders. With their impressive performances at the regional championships, the Paul Smiths College nordic ski teams are poised for success at the national event next month.
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