Eliot Solderholm wins Stone Wall 10K Snowshoe Race ~ PSC Runners Excel in Deep Powder
Eliot Soderholm won the Stonewall 10K Snowshoe Race while Cazimir Coubles placed fourth in the 5K in Mannsville, NY.
January 22, 2024
2024 Stone Wall 5 & 10 K Snowshoe Race
Winona State Forest, CCC Building, Mannsville, NY
www.webscorer.com/race?raceid=91106
21 January 2024
Eliot Soderholm placed first overall in his first 10K snowshoe race in what was the coldest temperatures he has experienced in competition and the deepest snow he has seen too. He kept the pace under control, and paced off Jeremy Drowne (Plattsburgh, NY) who has decades of racing experience for nearly the entire race, then outsprinted Drowne to the finish. Zack Sprott - Scribner placed fifth overall, and Carson Wohlers placed 12th. This race course included about 40% single track running in the deep powder, making this race quite difficult.
Cazimer Coubles placed fourth overall in the 5K in an equally challenging course in his first attempt at snowshoe racing. On the women's side, Reese Covington, Haven Bradt and Alexa Adams all finished in the top 10 in the 5K. There were 23 women who finished the 5K.
In snowshoe racing, the environmental conditions (snow depth, packed vs unpacked, powder, ice, slush, wind, rain, snow, and temperature and terrain) all provide challenges to the athletes. In a sport where finish times are far less important from day to day and season to season, the time spent challenging yourself and surrounded by the beautiful forests covered by snow provides a wonderful benefit to those who are willing to take part in this sport.
Mannsville, NY is located on the Tug Hill Plateau, just east of Lake Ontario and is prone to receiving what locals call "lake effect" snow. This happens when the westerly winds sweep across the warmer temperatures of Lake Ontario, and the winds pick up moisture from the lake. As the moisture and wind cross the colder lands east of the lake, the clouds quickly form and then dispense copious amounts of snow in what are called "snow bands." The Tug Hill Plateau experienced 2 1/2 feet of lake effect snow on Wednesday and Thursday leading up to the Stone Wall races. The organizers and volunteers did a great job of grooming the 60% of the race course with traditional trail grooming equipment, while also walking the "single track" portions on foot, wearing snowshoes. The temperature throughout the event hovered around zero F, while the clouds disappeared, blanketing the course with sunshine, and the winds died down.
The ten Paul Smith's College runners did an awesome job in the first event of the winter season, and finished with wonderful expressions of satisfaction for their efforts.
Next week, the team is heading to Queensbury, NY for the Gurney Lane 5K snowshoe race on Sunday January 28th.
|
Name |
Distance |
Time |
Place |
Place/ Gender |
|
10K |
59:45.7 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Zack Sprott – Scribner |
10K |
1:12.24 |
5 |
5 |
|
10K |
1:20:25 |
12 |
11 |
|
|
Cazimer Couble |
5K |
34:46.1 |
4 |
4 |
|
Nate Shader |
5K |
42:11 |
15 |
11 |
|
5K |
43:23 |
17 |
12 |
|
|
5K |
45:37.3 |
18 |
6 |
|
|
5K |
45:37.6 |
19 |
7 |
|
|
5K |
49:32 |
22 |
9 |
|
|
5K |
59:03 |
27 |
12 |
Finishers: 52 in the 10; including 20 women and 32 men.
44 in the 5K; including 23 women and 21 men.
