Maine High School Skiing

Collegiate Skiing at the USCSA Level

Details: Published: Saturday, 28 March 2020 06:38

Aspiring to continue racing in college is a common desire for many high school athletes. While the D1 programs are an option for some student

athletes, they may not be a good fit for all athletes. There is another option: the USCSA circuit! Many Maine skiers compete in this circuit but it has been the best kept secret in Maine. The secret is now out: there is a lot of great racing on the USCSA circuit.

USCSA allows athletes to find the perfect balance between academics and athletics. You can still train and race at a high level without sacrificing your personal life. You can find great racing across New England and compete at Nationals if you qualify. This year UMF and UMPI competed in races at PI, Titcomb, Black Mountain and Mountain Top, VT. before travelling to Gore Mountain, NY for Regionals. It was great to have so many athletes come up to me and say hi from teams like Cornell, Castleton, and Clarkson.

State Champion Spotlight-Emma Charles

Details: Published: Friday, 27 March 2020 06:37

We now spotlight state champion Emma Charles of Mt. Blue. Emma was the 2020 Class A Classical, Freestyle, and Pursuit state champion. She also Emma was the KVAC Nordic skier of the year and was part of the New England team at Junior Nationals. We asked her about her success and about being at Junior Nationals that was cut short.

What were your preparations leading up to the state meet?

This year’s preparation for the state meet was a lot different than last year. I had spent the previous two days competing in three Eastern cup races in order for me to qualify for Junior Nationals. That meant I was having to do a lot more recovery work after each race and doing as little skiing as possible during that time than I usually do. I had to do 25 minute long ice baths after each race, eat more food than I’ve ever eaten in my life, and go to bed super early. Because of all of those preparations, I hadn’t really felt as tired as I thought I would, but I still knew that it was going to be a tough couple of races coming up for states.

How did you deal with the pressure and emotions that come along with competing in a state meet?

I was in a really good mindset leading up to the first day of states because I was still so excited about making it to Junior Nationals that I wasn’t really thinking about the fact that I was about to do my fourth race in just three days. Although, on the second day of states I was pretty exhausted. I was still super excited to race, especially on my home course, but I was ready to be done with all of the stress that my mind and body had gone through in such a short amount of time.

What was going through your mind at the starting gate?

State Champion Spotlight-Alex Hemingway

Details: Published: Thursday, 26 March 2020 07:31

We now spotlight state champion Alex Hemingway of Mt. Abram. Alex was the 2020 Class C Classical state champion. We asked him about his favorite ALEX moment of the season and what surprised him.

1) What were your preparations leading up to the state meet?

Leading up to the meet I was focused on a good diet and getting lots of sleep. Training a lot but not so much where I was tired every day.

2) How did you deal with the pressure and emotions that come along with competing in a state meet?

Didn’t really have any but just trusting in training and fuel.

3) What was going through your mind at the starting gate?

3...2...1... go. Keeping strategy and finding the fast snow. My knowledge of the course and knowing when to push and when to hold pace.

4) What do you contribute your success to?

State Champion Spotlight-Carter McPhedran

Details: Published: Wednesday, 25 March 2020 06:46

We now spotlight state champion Carter McPhedran of Maranacook. Carter was the 2020 Class B Freestyle, Classical and Pursuit state champion. He carter also was the KVAC Nordic skier of the year and won the 2020 Sassi. We asked him about the success and his favorite moment from the season.

1) What were your preparations leading up to the state meet?

Coming into state meet, I focused on eating well, sleeping a lot, and training just enough so that I felt energetic and snappy but still got a good workout in. After a season of hard training and intense racing, I wanted to make sure I was at my peak for the state meet. I stayed positive, visualized what I wanted at the meet, and did everything in my power to do that.

2) How did you deal with the pressure and emotions that come along with competing in a state meet?

I have always had a knack for dealing with pressure in racing. To do this I focus on a few important things about skiing and about my life in general. First of all, I know that I have the power to control my actions and that if I want to have a good race on a given day, I can make that happen. In addition, I remember that the people who support me do not care how fast I ski or how I place; they will support me no matter how I do in the race.

3) What was going through your mind at the starting gate?

State Champion Spotlight-Leif Harvey

Details: Published: Tuesday, 24 March 2020 06:49

Our next Nordic state champion spotlight is Leif Harvey of Greely. Leif was the 2020 Class A Freestyle State Champion. We asked him about his plans DW5D7900 2 for next year and his thoughts at the startling line.

1) What were your preparations leading up to the state meet? My preparations for the state meet really began in the summer, where I rollerskied or ran almost everyday. Then I traveled to Titcomb a couple weeks before states to preview the course. During the last week before states, I prepared by doing proper training, resting up, and thinking about strategy.

2) How did you deal with the pressure and emotions that come along with competing in a state meet? Nerves can get in the way of performing to your highest potential, and the way I deal with it is to just to focus on myself and make sure that I'm ready for the race mentally and physically. This allows me to take my nerves and convert into positive momentum for the race.

3) What was going through your mind at the starting gate? At the starting gate of the skate race, I watched as William Jordan, the competitor ahead of me, leave the stadium. I was thinking about how I need to pace myself during the first kilometer to make sure I could power up the hills. I didn't want to end up super tired on the hills and die, so it was crucial to make sure I went out at a sustainable tempo.

4) You won the freestyle, what do you contribute your success to?