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SBA Nordic Shines in Soldier Hollow

Halvorsen at the top of the podium
Sugar Bowl Academy and Far West Nordic ski racers had an exceptionally strong showing racing against the best of the West in Soldier Hollow, Utah, last weekend. In the sprint race, top finishes included SBA's J2 Hannah Halvorsen finishing first and J1 Katrin Larusson finishing third among all J1/OG combined. For the boys, J2 Peter Carroll placed a strong sixth in the sprint.

Day two saw Halvorsen taking fifth in the Classic 5K among J2s and Larusson eighth among all J1s. Sam Zabell finished fourteenth for J2 boys. 

Larusson (right) on the podium again
Congratulations to all of Far West Nordic and to the strong skiing of the entire Sugar Bowl Academy ski team at Soldier Hollow! Given her particularly strong showing at Soldier Hollow, Hannah Halvorsen is spotlighted in this post. Below, Hannah offers her thoughts on becoming part of the Fighting Marmot sprawl, on her win at Soldier Hollow, and on her goals for the future.
"I made the decision to come to SBA based on what I believed would be a unique school environment that would best support my academic and athletic dreams year around. I am super excited about the flexible schedule that will allow me to train longer each day in the mornings and attend school in the afternoon. SBA also works around our competition schedule so I won't miss classes. I am excited to train and be a part of a team and school that is super passionate about the sport I love so much, Nordic skiing. I have been skiing since I was one and still love doing it everyday. SBA offers me the opportunity to train at a high level with great coaches and teammates each day and get a good education while I pursue my Nordic dreams. That said, I will miss my teachers, coaches, and teammates at Truckee High School, whom I respect very much. I never envisioned winning the Soldier Hollow sprint before it took place. Not only standing on the podium, but the entire experience of competing at this level was absolutely incredible. I learned so much, had so much fun, and now have the exciting hope and determination to carry out my dreams even farther. My goals for this season are really to take in every awesome experience and learn as much as I can about high level racing. This is really the beginning of my Nordic career and I intend to start off on a good foot. I don't have much past experience to really set any goals for a certain place or number, so I hope to do my best, learn, and enjoy every moment and see where it takes me." - Hannah Halvorsen ('16)

Alumni Spotlight: Emperor Meng?

News of SBA Nordic alums Austin Meng and Cassidy Cichowicz has surfaced recently from St. Lawrence University Ski Team's Facebook and blog posts. The SLU Ski Team maintains a strong social media presence, with its own Facebook page, Tweets, and a Blogger page much like our own. 

SLU's Facebook page reports that Meng had a top-ten finish at today's University of Vermont 10K Classic. The SLU Ski Team's blog site reports that Meng "has been the story of calm, consistent skiing" throughout the season.  

The Fighting Marmot congratulates Austin on his fine skiing this season at SLU and wishes both Meng and Cichowicz the best in the season's remaining races.