Competing in the women's and men's senior/master divisions, sophomore Megan Corazza placed second and senior Calon Russell finished sixth to give the Whitman cross country ski teams their best performances in the finals of the one-kilometer freestyle sprint events on Saturday, Jan. 22, at the Mt. Bachelor Open.
Times for the men's and women's sprint finals were not immediately available.
In the women's finals, five Missionaries finished in places three through seven. In order, they were sophomore Lisa Haas, sophomore Lindsey Love, senior Jamey Allsop, freshman Kyra Hamilton and senior Taylor Dale.
In the men's finals, freshman Daniel Cadol placed seventh, one spot behind Russell. Placing ninth throuth 11th, in order, were freshmen McLeish Martin, Daniel Overgaag and Ben Coven.
In the women's qualifying rounds, Whitman competitors and their times were Haas 2:18.2, Corazza 2:20.2, Love 2:20.4, Allsop 2:28.0, Hamilton 2:31.2, and Dale 2:37.7.
In the men's qualifying rounds, Whitman racers and their times were Russell 1:52.6, Cadol 1:54.6, Martin 1:54.6, Overgaag 1:59.5, and Coven 2:02.7.
Freshman Daniel Overgaag and sophomore Lisa Haas posted Whitman's best times in 10-kilometer classic races held Sunday, Jan. 23, as part of the Mt. Bachelor Open.
Competing in the men's senior division, Overgaag placed second in a time of 28 minutes, 46 seconds. One of his Whitman teammates, freshman McLeish Martin, took third place in 29:46.6.
Haas placed third in the women's senior division in a time of 36.05.7. Next in line for Whitman was senior Taylor Dale, who placed fourth in 36:14.3.
The first-place finishers in the senior divisions were Jeremy Crawford for the men in 28:34.6 and Devon Crawford for the women in 34.08.2.
Others placing for the Whitman men were senior Calon Russell, 4th, 29:52.1; freshman Ben Coven, 5th, 30:17.6; and freshman Daniel Cadol, 7th, 34:25.
Other Whitman women placing were freshman Kyra Hamilton, 5th, 36:47.2; senior Jamey Allsop, 6th, 37:19.7; sophomore Megan Corazza, 7th, 38:36.5; and sophomore Lindsey Love, 8th, 38:58.
"Overall, it was a good weekend," Whitman coach Eli Brown said. "We have such a tight team, and they are really starting to ski well. I'm looking forward to nationals already."
It isn't every day that cross country skiers from a small college get to compete against some of the best athletes in the country in a race featuring hundreds of skiers. One of those rare opportunities came along on Saturday, however, during the Boulder Mountain Tour near Ketchum, Idaho, and Whitman's Calon Russell made the most of his opportunity. Russell (McCall ID, McCall Donnelly HS/McCall Nordic Ski Club) skied the 30-kilometer course in one hour, 26 minutes and 58 seconds, placing 17th overall and just four minutes behind the winner, two-time Olympian and eight-time national champion Carl Swenson.
"Calon skied the best race of his life," Whitman cross country coach Eli Brown said. "He is skiing so strong now, I really think he is going to blow away the competition at nationals this year, which would be a great way to end his college career."
Russell's time placed him third in the 19-24-year-old age group. Swenson's winning time was 1:22.46.
The rest of Whitman's cross country team also had strong showings Saturday. On the men's side, Dan Overgaag (Pinedale WY, Pinedale HS) finished 1:30.33, placing him 56th overall and fourth in the 19-24 age group. Others competing for Whitman were sophomore Mark Wilson (Minneapolis MN, South HS/Minnesota Ski Valley Club), 62nd, 1:31.22; freshman McLeish Martin (Gunnison CO, Crested Butte Academy), 89th, 1:35.05; Dan Cadol (Jackson WY, Jackson Hole HS), 121st, 1:38:06; and senior Ben Coven (Putney VT, Putney School), 150th, 1:40:19.
On the women's side, sophomore Megan Corazza (Homer AK / Homer HS) had Whitman's best finish by placing third in the 19-24 age group and 31st among women competitors. She placed 179th overall in 1:41.53.
Corazza's teammates filled the fourth through eighth spots in the 19-24 age group. Senior Taylor Dale (Crested Butte CO, Gunnison HS) was 237th overall in 1:46.59, placing one spot and two-tenths of a second ahead of sophomore Lindsey Love (Jackson WY, Jackson Hole HS/Jackson Hole Ski Club). Next in line for Whitman were sophomore Lisa Haas (Anchorage AK, Service HS), 294th, 1:50.16; senior Jamey Allsop (Bellingham WA, Sehome HS), 305th, 1:51.03; and freshman Kyra Hamilton (St. Paul MN, Saint Paul Academy & Summit), 30thth, 1:51:06.
The turnout was on the small side, but the Whitman cross country teams made some good showings in the first Northwest Collegiate Championships Saturday at the Anthony Lakes Nordic Center near La Grande, Oregon.
Whitman freshman Kyra Hamilton topped the field in the women's 10-kilometer classic in 40 minutes, 58 seconds. "Kyra has felt tired for most of this year, but she seems to be coming on strong now," Whitman cross country Eli Brown said. "It was great to see her have a great race at altitude, since she is from Minnesota originally."
In the men's 15-kilometer classic, freshman Dan Overgaag placed second in a time of 49 minutes flat. Other finishers for Whitman men included freshmen Ben Coven, 4th, 52:46; Dan Cadol, 6th, 55:53; and Andrew Kromroy, 7th, 58:18. Also placing were freshman Ryan Gold, 8th, 60:29, and Tom Wier, 11th, 71:47.
In the women's race, Whitman skiers finished in spots three through six, led by freshman Megan Corazza, who took third in 43:41. Next were sophomore Lisa Haas, 43:53; senior Jamey Allsop, 44:40; and sophomore Piper Foster, 46:42. Freshman Katie Villano was eighth in 50:09.
Brown hopes to make the Northwest Collegiate Championships an annual event.
Whitman freshman Kyra Hamilton won her second race in two days Sunday at the Northwest Collegiate Championships Sunday at the Anthony Lakes Nordic Center near La Grande, Oregon. Hamilton won the women's 7.5-kilometer freestyle in 27 minutes, 21 seconds. Teammate Megan Corazza was a close second, finishing just three seconds off Hamilton's pace.
Placing in spots three through five for the Whitman women were Lisa Haas, 29:15; Katie Villano, 30:16; and Piper Foster, 30:28.
In the men's 10-kilometer freestyle, Missionary freshman Ben Coven finished four overall in 35:47.
Others placing for the Whitman men Sunday were Andrew Kromroy, 6th, 37:00; Dan Cadol, 7th, 37:03; Dan Overgaag, 8th, 38:28; Ryan Gold, 9th, 41:21; and Tom Wier, 11th, 50:26.
A pair of first-year skiers, Kyra Hamilton and Dan Overgaag, had Whitman's best times Friday in the freestyle races at the NCAA regional cross country championships near Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Competing against some of best skiers in the country and world, Hamilton placed 32nd in the women's 5-kilometer freestyle, while Overgaag finished 33rd in the men's 10-kilometer freestyle.
Whitman cross country coach Eli Brown and several of his skiers are using the NCAA regionals to help prepare for the U.S. Collegiate Ski Assocation national championships, which take place next month. Some of Whitman's top skiers, however, skipped the trip to Jackson Hole to stay on campus and concentrate on their academic work. This group included Megan Corazza, Lindsey Love and Taylor Dale for the women, and Martin McLeish for the men.
Hamilton completed her race in 19 minutes, three seconds. She finished three seconds ahead of teammate Lisa Haas, who placed 33rd. Also placing for the Missionaries were senior Jamey Allsop, 35th, 19:14; sophomore Piper Foster, 37th, 21:55; and freshman Katie Villano, 38th, 22:44.
In the men's race, Whitman's Overgaag finished in 33rd place in a time of 32 minutes, 21 seconds. Senior Calon Russell was one spot back with a time of 32:44.5. Two Missionary freshmen, Ben Coven and Dan Cadol, placed 37th and 38th, respectively, in times of 37:45.5 and 38:32.9.
Both cross country races were dominated by the University of Colorado (UC), the two- time defending NCAA ski champion (alpine & cross country), and Denver University.
In the women's race, UC skiers from the Czech Republic, Norway and Sweden swept three of the top four places. Denver had four skiers from Germany, Austria, Finland and Norway finish in the top 10.
Denver also had four racers, one from Italy and three from Germany, place in the top 10 of the men's race. Four Colorado men, including two from Sweden, also finished in the top 10 of the men's event.
With three Missionaries placing in the top 10, the Whitman women's cross country team captured a national title in the 10-kilometer classic race as the U.S. Collegiate Snowsport Association's national championships got underway Wednesday in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire.
Meanwhile, the Whitman men's team placed third in its 15-kilometer classic race as two of its racers made the top 10 in that event.
Kyra Hamilton, a freshman from St. Paul, Minnesota, paced the Whitman women, placing fifth overall in a time of 35 minutes, 53 seconds. Megan Corazza, a sophomore from Homer, Alaska, finished seventh in 36:20, while Jamey Allsop, a senior from Bellingham, Wash., placed tenth in 36:45.
"It's been great watching Kyra get stronger and stronger this winter," Whitman cross country coach Eli Brown said. "She competed in three sports during her four years of high school, and by the time she came to Whitman last fall, I think she was really tired. She ran cross country for us in the fall, but only recently has she started to get her bearings. Looking ahead, I think she's going to be one of our best runners and skiers for years to come."
Brown praised Whitman's next two finishers, Corazza and Allsop, for their toughness and desire. "Megan is always as tough as anyone out there, which probably stems from the fact that she works as a fishing boat captain during the summer," Brown said. "Jamey has only been skiing for a couple of years, so for her to finish 10th is great. Her technique isn't as strong, but she just works harder than anyone else."
The Missionary women won the team title with 22 place points for its top three finishers. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and St. Olaf College tied for second place with 31 points each. Clarkson University was fourth with 39 points and the U.S. Military Academy was fifth with 42 points. The women's field included 11 teams and 34 skiers.
Clarkson's Katie Johnson, a senior, won the women's classic race for the third consecutive year. Her time was 34.36.
Three other Whitman women placed high in the standings, led by sophomore Lisa Haas and her 11th-place showing in 36:50. Sophomore Lindsay Love and senior Taylor Dale both finished in 38:22, with Love edging Dale for 13th place. By placing in the top 15, all six of Whitman's competitors in the women's race earned All-American honors.
While the Whitman women won a national title in their event, no Missionary had a better day than Calon Russell on the men's team. A senior from McCall, Idaho, Russell posted Whitman's best individual finish of the day by placing fourth in the men's 15-kilometer classic. He and teammate Dan Overgaag, a freshman from Pinedale, Wyoming, who placed seventh, spent much of the race battling a trio of powerful skiers from St. Olaf College for the lead. Early in the second half of the race, in fact, Russell and Overgaag led the pack.
St. Olaf's Andy Erickson, a 1994 Olympian in the biathalon, eventually won the race in 49:41. Two of his teammates followed him to the finish line, with Whitman's Russell taking fourth in 50:32 -- 24 seconds out of third place. Overgaag's seventh-place time was 50:56.
"I was so impressed with Calon and Dan," Whitman cross country coach Eli Brown said. "They went head-to-head with an Olympian for the first half of the race, and then they made a real effort to pull away once they had the lead. They showed a lot of heart and desire. They gave it everything they had."
By taking the top three individual spots, St. Olaf won the men's classic team title with six place points. The Clarkson men finished second with 20 place points, edging Whitman and its 23 points. The University of Wyoming was fourth and MIT fifth. There were 11 men's teams and 40 competitors.
McLeish Martin, a freshman from Gunnison, Colo., also contributed to Whitman's team score, placing 12th in 52:53. Three more freshmen also competed for the Missionaries: Ben Coven, 15th, 54:29; Andrew Kromroy, 25th, 56:54; and Dan Cadol, 29th, 1:00.19.
Russell and Overgaag, along with Martin and Coven, earned All-Americans honors by placing in the top 15.
The Whitman men's and women's cross country teams both placed second in the 10-kilometer freestyle races Friday at the U.S. Collegiate Snowsport Association championships at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire.
Five Missionary women placed in the top 15 to earn All-American honors. Whitman was second in the team scoring behind the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The University of Colorado was third.
Meanwhile, Calon Russell placed second in the men's 10-kilometer freestyle to lead the Whitman men's team to a second-place showing behind St. Olaf College. Russell, a senior from McCall, Idaho, placed fourth earlier in the week in the men's 10-kilometer classic.
St. Olaf's Andy Erickson, a 1994 Olympian in the biathalon, won the men's race in 21 minutes, 11 seconds. Erickson also won the men's classic race earlier in the week. Whitman's Russell was second in 22:11. "It was the last individual race of Calon's college career, and he made it a great one," Whitman cross country coach Eli Brown said.
Rounding out the top three for the Whitman men's team were Dan Overgaag, a freshman from Pinedale, Wyoming, who placed eighth in 22:59, and McLeish Martin, a freshman from Gunnison, Colorado, who finished 12th in 23:34. By placing placing in the top 15, all three of Whitman's top finishers earned All-American honors.
Taylor Dale, a Whitman senior from Crested Butte, Colorado, placed fourth in the women's race in a time of 26 minutes, 21 seconds. "It was an awesome last race for Taylor," Brown said. Because of academic commitments waiting on campus, Dale was unable to stay in New Hampshire for Saturday's cross country relay race.
MIT's Jessica Kleiss won the race in 25:12, just two seconds ahead of a St. Olaf competitor. Kyra Hamilton, a Whitman freshman from St. Paul, Minn., was ninth 27:23 and Jamey Allsop, a senior from Bellingham, Wash., 11th in 27:39.
Also placing high for the Whitman women were Megan Corazza 14th, 27:44; Lindsey Love, 15th, 27:46; and Lisa Haas, 17th, 28:10.
Others placing for Whitman in the men's race were Dan Cadol, 22nd, 24:57; Ben Coven, 26th, 25:11; and Andrew Kromroy, 27th, 25:39.
Whitman's top cross country relay teams both placed second Saturday as the U.S. Collegiate Snowsport Association championships came to a close at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire.
In the women's 5-kilometer relay, the Whitman team of Jamey Allsop, Lisa Haas and Kyra Hamilton finished less than 40 seconds behind the winner, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The Missionary trio finished in 46 minutes, 20 seconds. MIT won with a time of 45:43 and St. Olaf was second in 47:09.
A second Whitman women's team competed and placed seventh. Megan Corazza and Lindsey Love teamed with Dana Wong, a member of the Whitman alpine team who replaced Taylor Dale. Dale left New Hampshire after Friday's races because of academic commitments waiting on campus.
In the men's 7.5-kilometer relay, Whitman's Calon Russell, Dan Overgaag and McLeish Martin placed second in 39 minutes, 17 seconds. A team from St. Olaf College won the race in 38:06. Whitman's second team of Dan Cadol, Ben Coven and Andrew Kromroy placed eighth.
In the men's cross country individual combined scoring, Russell finished second behind a former Olympian, St. Olaf's Andy Erickson. St. Olaf won the combined team scoring, with Whitman placing second and Clarkson College taking third.
MIT was the winner in the combined team scoring for the women. Whitman was second and St. Olaf third.