Junior National Qualifier Race (JNQ #1) at Mt. Bachelor - by Sophie Corkran
The first Junior National Qualifier race, held at Mt. Bachelor this past weekend, was a great success for Teacup athletes. Racers endured blizzard conditions with 30 mph wind gusts and 18 inches of new snow. In fact, PNSA coaches changed the format of the skate race due to the severe weather. Instead of a King's Court sprint format, U12/14 athletes did an individual start 3k and U16/18 did a 4k.
Fergus - U14
Fergie looked really smooth and confident in his 3k skate race. It was his first JNQ race and he skied it with lots of power. He placed 10th in the classic and 11th in the skate.
Anneka - U12
Anneka had great skating form in the 3k. She had the harshest weather of the day to ski through, powering through the strongest winds and hardest snowfall. She placed 3rd in skate and 4th in classic.
Kailua - U14
Kailua placed 3rd in skate and 4th in classic and had awesome technique in both races. Her smooth form coupled with her strength lead to her high placings.
Catcher - U16
Catcher, after having done a 26k race only a week before, had great finishes of 13th in the skate and 11th in the classic. He truly had the guts to push himself to his limits.
Benjamin - U16
Beni had great performances in both his races. Despite falling into deep snow during the skate race, he managed to regain time and finish 5th. In classic he finished in 4th.
Sophie C. - U16
Sophie C. had a great final lap of her skate race, despite starting too fast, by V1 jumping over the top of steep hills. In her classic race, she caught up to competitors with strong double poling. She managed to claim 8th in the skate and 10th in the classic.
Sophie K. - U18
Sophie K. had spot on technique and looked strong in both the skate and classic events. She placed 12th in classic and 13th in skate. During the hectic mass start classic race, she had no time to take the hand warmers out of her gloves. She skied the entire race with burning palms!
Justin - U18
Justin competed in his first ever JNQ and did extremely well against his more experienced competitors. He skied with a lot of vigor, especially on steep uphills. He finished 12th in skate and 9th in classic. He had to do the longest race of any Teacup athlete, a 10k classic.
A big thank you to Coach Karl, for his expert waxing and race advice! Also, thank you Denes, the #1 wax assistant. Finally, thank you all parents who provided transportation to and from the mountain and cheered for the racers.
We're looking forward to the Spokane JNQ next weekend!
