Nordic Skiing Sets Historic Firsts at ECSC Regionals
Ripton, VT ~ History was made in Vermont over the weekend as the Paul Smith's College men's and women's Nordic teams captured the Eastern Collegiate Ski Conference team championships.
The Bobcats delivered a defining program performance at Rikert Outdoor Center, sweeping all four individual races en route to claiming top spot on each team podium for the first time ever. The men's team marked four wins in the past five years, while the women have gone back-to-back at ECSC Regionals, showcasing the dominance that Paul Smith's College has brought to the sport.
Day One's Skate Sprint saw Rowan Tanguay (Fort Kent, ME) earn the victory as she led the charge with a tactical, composed finish. Greta Dickman (Wisconsin Rapids, WI) followed Tanguay in second place, while Katya Koshkareva (Ridder, Kazakhstan) earned importance team points with a 13th-place finish. On the men's side, Philip Matthews (Half Moon, NY) was fantastic, delivering a commanding sprint victory. Teammates followed in fourth, fifth, sixth, and and eighth as the Bobcat depth overwhelmed the field.
On Day Two, the 7.5km Classic race saw Dickman rebound from a second-place finish the day before to claim the top podium spot on the women's side. The win sealed the second straight ECSC championship for the Lady Bobcats as they look to bring their pedigree to the national championships next month in Lake Placid. Matthews followed his Skate Sprint victory with another in the men's Classic as he anchored the team with their fourth regional title in five years.
"After a few weeks of the team being sick and not seeing the full team race, this was a great weekend," said Matt Dougherty, PSC Nordic head coach. "Every single skier showed up and maximized the opporunity. Everyone was skiing at a high level and setting the tone - it was one of those special performances," he added.
Up next for the Bobcats is the Bobcat Invitational as they host many of the same teams from regionals at the VIC this coming weekend. They'll then gear up for the United States Collegiate Ski Association (USCSA) National Championships starting March 9th in Lake Placid, NY at Mount Van Hoevenberg.
You can follow the Nordic team on Instagram at @paulsmiths_nordic or you can head over to @smittynation for schedules, results, graphics, and much 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.