Bend Nordic Team skiers earned 4 medals at the Junior Olympics in Truckee, CA. Twelve BNT athletes each raced in a skate sprint, skate mass start, classic individual start and relay race from March 9-14, 2009.
Pat leading the relay. Photo from the event website.
Tom Smith brought home two medals with his 6th place skate sprint finish and 8th place classic finish. Smith also earned All American status in both races. BNT skiers, Reitler Hodgert and Pat Madden teamed up with Erik Bjornsen from the Methow Valley Nordic Team to place 4th out of 28 teams in the J1 boys relay. According to BNT coach Ben Husaby, “It was really exciting to come away from this event on a high note. It was incredible to see Pat come into the stadium as the first J1 racer and Reitler skied his absolute best knowing that the entire field was chasing him. This was a career defining moment for Reitler.” The BNT is now ranked as the 16th best Junior National Club/Team in the US. According to USSA representatives, “The award was initiated to recognize the importance of strong clubs to the development of a strong national ski program.” BNT coach, Brenna Knowles said, “It is impressive for us to be ranked this high in our first few months as a team. There are hundreds of junior Nordic clubs and teams in the US and we are looking forward to improving our ranking in future years. Most importantly, it is encouraging for our athletes to know that this ranking is a reflection of their hard work. We are truly proud of all of our BNT skiers.” The Bend Nordic Team is a member of the Pacific Northwest Division (PNSA) which is one of 10 divisions across the country. Bend Nordic Team members raced not only for their team but for the division. The PNSA placed sixth in both the classic and relay events and claimed 10 medals. BNT athlete Joe Madden was chosen from the 30 athletes from the PNSA as the nominee for the annual Dave Quinn Award, which is a national award presented to a Junior Olympic athlete who best exemplifies the ideals of the sport.
Reitler Hodgert powers to the finish in the relay. Photo from the event website.
In the skate sprint, Pat Madden qualified for the quarterfinal rounds and placed 19th. Kelly Crowther qualified 28thand moved up to 25th in the quarterfinals. Isabel Smith qualified 12th and ended up 26th after the quarterfinals. According to Smith, “Sprint racing is an adrenaline rush and you have to have a really good start, stay on your feet and then in the last 100 or 200 meters, dig deep until the finish.” Smith said the Junior Olympic sprint was her favorite race of the week. “I had my best performance and our team’s wax was so fast on the downhill.” Notable results from the classic race include Isabel Smith’s 24th place, Pat Madden’s 11th place and Reitler Hodgert’s 31st place. In the Skate event, Isabel Smith was the top ranked BNT skier pacing 29th out of 84 young women. Pat Madden was 24th out of 94 young men and Tom Smith overcame a major equipment problem to secure a 12th place finish. According to Smith,” I was leading the race in the first half a kilometer and when I went to step down, my ski was gone, the binding had released and I had to stop, turn around, chase my ski through the entire OJ boys pack, put my ski back on and start over. When I finally got my ski back on, I was in last place.” According to Knowles, “Anything can happen in a ski race and Tom made the right choice to get his ski back on and chase down the field for the rest of the race. This is a situation where it would have been easy for someone to succumb to frustration and give up, but Tom set a good example for our team by brushing bad luck aside and trying his best.” The Bend Nordic Team had 2 skiers, Luc Boileau and Kelly Smallwood, compete in the youngest category (14 & 15 years old). According to Knowles, “I think these two young skiers have learned the most from this Junior Olympic event. Luc and Kelly are already motivated to start training for next year’s races and they realize that their biggest improvements to their Junior Olympic results will come from the training that they will do during the summer months.”
Luc Boileau at his first JO's. Photo from the event website.
The Bend Nordic Team will offer summer programs for young people who enjoy Nordic skiing and cycling. Activities include rollerskiing, running, cycling, hiking, bounding, strength and agility training. According to Knowles, “We have a handful of nationally ranked athletes coming from across the country to attend our summer programs and our divisional camps. We are excited that some of the strongest skiers in the country are choosing to spend time in Bend, which is one of the best training venues in the country. We are glad that these athletes trust our experienced coaching staff to guide them toward their skiing goals.”
Complete results and selected photos are posted at:
For photos from the season visit: http://curthawkinson.smugmug.com/Nordic
Curt’s photos are courtesy of BNT and may be used for publications.
For information on the Bend Nordic Team visit: www.bendnordic.org
For information on the Bend Cycling Club visit www.bendcyclingclub.org
Our parent organization’s website is www.bendenduranceacademy.org
