Bobcat Women Win First Ever ECSC Regional Title!

From left to right: Olivia Caprio, Jessie Church, Bridget Reusch, and Kaisa Bosek celebrate with the ECSC Championship Trophy after winning Regionals (Matt Dougherty photo).
From left to right: Olivia Caprio, Jessie Church, Bridget Reusch, and Kaisa Bosek celebrate with the ECSC Championship Trophy after winning Regionals (Matt Dougherty photo).
Results Results
February 17, 2025

Holderness, NH ~ The Paul Smith's College Women's Nordic Team have won their first-ever Eastern Collegiate Ski Conference (ESCS) Team Championship after three years of runner-up finishes.

The ECSC Team Skate was hotly contested on both the men's and the women's side as perennial powerhouses Paul Smith's College and Clarkson University (who have both won team national championships in recent years) battled it out on Saturday as the competition lasted only one day due to the impending storm and concerns over heavy ice on the course.

Saturday's Women's Team Skate saw the Bobcats finish in a close grouping as they skied together with poise and an outstanding team dynamic.  Jessie Church (Bethlehem, NH) finished just off the individual podium in fourth place, followed by Bridget Reusch (Farmington, ME) in fifth, Kaisa Bosek (Alexandria, MN) in sixth, and Olivia Caprio (Perkiomenville, PA) in eighth.  They finished ahead of second-place Cornell by an impressive 20 points.

"We are so happy and proud to finally win ESCS Regionals!" said the collective of Church, Bosek, and Reusch who chose to respond as a group.  "It has been our goal for the past four years.  We have always had what it takes to win regionals, but for the past two years we have been missing two of our key racers due to racing overseas and sickness.  This year everything finally came together!"

The Bobcats finished in first by a wide margin after losing by one, four, and two points the last three years, respectively.  They used that motivation from previous regional competitions to finally traverse the mountaintop and win it all at the Holderness School's FIS-certified Nordic trails.

"We have a strong pack that is consistently in the top-ten each race this season and a tried-and-true strategy, we race for each other and no matter what we celebrate each other!  This mindset is how we are approaching the upcoming national championship.  With only three women going to nationals, we will be one of the smallest teams there.  This means our strategy is to put our all into each race as each one of us will be scorers.  It's not an easy task but that hasn't stopped us before.  We are all excited to push past our limits and leave it all out in Bend!" they added.

The Bobcat men fell just shy of taking home their fourth regional title in a row as they finished three points behind first-place Clarkson.  Philip Matthews (Half Moon, NY) finished on the podium in second place, followed by Diego Schillaci (New Paltz, NY) in fourth, and Gabriel Lloyd (Charlestown, NH) in eighth.
 
"It was a great weekend for the Bobcats and it was was thrilling to see the women get a long-awaited championship," said Head Nordic Coach Matt Dougherty.  "Even coming off some serious illnesses they put together a great race," he added.
 
Both teams qualified for the United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) National Championship in Bend, Oregon March 10th-15th.  The Nordic program at Paul Smith's College is one of the strongest in the country, and the Bobcats will look to continue their recent success with multiple Individual and Team National Championships.
 
"The women look to be in the hunt for a fourth year in a row on a podium at Nationals which is amazing.  The men had a good weekend probably their best team race of the season," remarked Dougherty.
 
You can follow the Bobcats on Instagram at @paulsmiths_nordic or follow the general athletics account at @smitty_nation for scores, photoes, updates, and more!

 

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At Paul Smith's College, it's about the experience. As the only four-year institution of higher education located in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, Paul Smith's provides real-world, hands-on learning in fields such as business and hospitality, culinary management, forestry, environmental sciences, and natural resources. We can draw on industries and resources available in our backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. Our community of resourceful, enterprising, supportive, and adventurous individuals collectively provides experiential education, student support in the classroom and beyond, and meaningful opportunities for our alumni. We pride ourselves on research and advocacy on issues that improve our planet and the lives of the people who inhabit it. Learn more at www.paulsmiths.edu.