Weston Inspiration as Nordic Squad Closes Out Season at NCAAs

Author: Josh Axelrod

Winter, it seems, is here to stay, but ski season, sadly, is not. This past week, five Middlebury nordic skiers traveled to Dartmouth to face a tough international field in this year's NCAA National Championships.
High hopes were riding on the shoulders of Garrot Kuzzy '06 and Colin Rodgers '04, two skiers who had led the Panther men with weekly finishes in the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA) top 10. Yet, with nerves riding high and expectations on the line, it was the experience of Captain Tim Weston '03 that led the Panthers to glory on the grueling Oak Hill courses.
The week began with the women's five-kilometer skate in conditions that athletes and coaches called "rocket fast." For one lap, entire seasons were laid on the line in the search for national glory. Claire Anderson '06, coming off the first Middlebury Carnival victory by a Middlebury female nordic skier since 1983, was hoping for the best. "I was nervous before the race, and I didn't feel too bad," says Anderson, "but then I threw up right before I started and I was a little surprised that I was nervous enough to do that."
Indeed, the day was not hers to relish. Pushing out of the start gate and skiing to the bottom of the first climb, it became all too evident that Anderson was falling ill, and her expectations would be dashed by a body that did not want to cooperate. Instead, Kate Newick '04 took charge in her ever-steady fashion and finished 29th, fairly far back in the field, but exactly where she had been finishing in EISA races throughout the season. Coach Terry Aldrich remarked, "It was tragic that Claire came down with the flu just before her race, Kate Newick skied very steadily and I believe both will be even 'hungrier' next year to be the top-ranked skiers in the East." Anderson finished 37th, showing true grit in finishing the race.
On the men's side, the 10-kilometer skate got off to a beautiful start in near 40 degree weather, with literally thousands of fans in attendance to watch the races. Rodgers, Kuzzy, and Weston each had high hopes for the day and took to the course with a strong will to show that Middlebury could contend with anyone out there. After one lap, Rodgers was skiing in a solid 11th place. Kuzzy was strong as well, looking to easily broach the top 20, and possibly land himself in the top 10. With his final NCAA appearance in mind, Weston had set his goals high. "I was very anxious and excited from the start, and I went out too hard. My second lap time was significantly slower than my first, but I hung on and finished 22nd. My goal was top 15 for the skate race, so I was disappointed to miss that."
Still, Aldrich remarked that, "Tim had two of the best races of his life. His 22nd place finish was by far his best skate result of his career here at Middlebury." But Weston was not the only story of the day. Kuzzy, coming off his impressive second place finish as the Middlebury Carnival, found himself in 13th place, just seven seconds from an All-American finish. Rodgers "hit the wall" in the second lap, and finished well back in 29th place.
Anticipation for the second day of racing built over the next day, as thousands of fans again lined the Oak Hill course to cheer the men and women on in the 20-kilometer and 15-kilometer mass start classic races.
With the firing of the starter's pistol, the men began their 20 kilometer trek twice around the demanding 10 kilometer course. Kuzzy and Rodgers got off to strong starts in the middle of the field, while Weston got pushed out of the lead group, and was nearly last out of the stadium. Over the next 20 kilometers, Weston found himself slowly reeling in various skiers, passing them by and looking ahead for the next person to catch. At five kilometers he passed Kuzzy and Rodgers and continued accelerating, never looking back.
At 18 kilometers, Weston found himself in ninth place, just 10 seconds from another group of three skiers. He kept contact with them down the winding downhill back into the stadium where the crowds spurred the skiers all to very strong finishes. Pounding hard and seeing only the finish line and the skiers in front of him, Weston flew through the final 100 meters to just miss catching the group in front of him, though he still had a magnificent ninth place All-American finish in a field that has, until recently, been dominated by European exchange students skiing for western schools.
Weston remarked after his race, "My goal ever since I've been racing at the collegiate level was to earn All-American at NCAAs. I knew all season my fitness was at a high level, but my body was not reacting well to the training and racing. Many people were surprised by my performance, but I felt like I should have been skiing this fast all season long. I hope to carry this end of the season momentum with me all summer and fall and into next winter. Right now my plans are to continue skiing and racing for at least another two to three years. the crowd was amazing on friday for the classic races, and having my parents there made it a great day. My father was my ski coach ever since I've been racing, so it was a special day for my family."
Aldrich added, "[Weston's] All- American ninth place finish (third Easterner) on Friday was phenomenal considering his best Eastern finish was ninth at the Middlebury Carnival the previous weekend. I would have to say his performance on Friday was one of the most impressive I've ever seen in my 28 years of coaching here at Middlebury considering his struggles early in the season."
Having less fortunate days, Rodgers finished in 31st place with Kuzzy just behind him in 32nd. On the women's side, Newick was the lone Panther entry (after Anderson's illness) finishing in 29th place yet again. With one of their strongest seasons behind them and only two seniors graduating, the Panther's will be looking to better their performance next winter.