The BSF finished off the week in SilverStar with a skate sprint and a classic 10k individual start. In the skate sprint, Sarah Goble led the team with the team's first podium of the season. Sarah finished in second place! Erika Flower was 16th, Mariah finished in 22, and Hannah just missed the heats qualifying 32nd. On the men's side, Graham led the men narrowly beating Finn in the finals. Graham placed 5th, Finn finished 6th, Reid was 15th. A BSF junior skier, Max Kluck ended up winning the qualifier by over a second, however got knocked out in the quarterfinals. Overall the team had 3 skiers in the final, and represented Montana very well.
The following day was the final race of the first weekend. This day was a 10k individual classic start for both men and women. The course was the same as the skate race, a very hilly and slow course. Finn led the team with another podium, earning a silver medal. On the men's side, Reid placed 10th, just 4 seconds from 6th. Graham finished 18th and Simon placed 58th. On the women's side, Sarah finished 7th, Mariah was 10th, Erika placed 15th, and Hannah rounded out a great day for the ladies in 19th. All the women in the top 20! Finn recaps his race below.
“I woke up and knew today was going to be a good day. Today was the first day we saw the sun all week. It was beautiful out! The temperature was right around 0 fahrenheit so it was quite cold. I had a solid warm up, and when I tested my race skis, I felt confident in their ability to kick up the steepest of hills. I started relaxed but fast because I knew it was only 10 kilometers. This can go by very quickly, and if you start slow, you can lose time you can’t get back. I didn’t get many splits out there, but I knew I was moving well. I was able to be snappy and quick up all the hills and I didn’t have work to kick, it was just there the whole time. All thanks to my coach and wax tech! It took a while for the results to upload so I got changed and started to cool down. I then heard I was in second and all the skiers had finished. I was excited for this result but the goal was to win. However I know it's early in the season and my fitness is just coming around.”
After a nice hot tub and sauna, the team packed the van and got to bed for an early wake up. The alarms went off at 5:45am and the team was underway with the 12 hour drive to Idaho. The van was spacious enough that everyone was able to get some sleep during the drive. Andy did an incredible job getting us there safely and in good time. However a 12 hour drive is never easy. After getting to the hotel, the team went on a walk before getting some dinner and getting to bed! It was time to get prepared to race in Sun Valley.
The following two days, the team had PT/ massage appointments to help recover from the stiffness created by the long drive. Thanks to Brett Hanson and Ketchum Bodyworks for making sure we are ready to go for the week!
Stay tuned for race updates from the Pro Team in Sun Valley!
