Three Podiums at U.S. Cross Country Ski National Championships

Scenic Nordic skiing shot at Vermont, Feb. 4, 2022

Photo by: flyingpointroad.com

Three Podiums at U.S. Cross Country Ski National Championships

1/9/2023 1:44:00 PM | Skiing

Hagenbuch, Thurston and Lange impress

By: Rick Bender

HOUGHTON, Mich. — A number of Dartmouth skiers competed at the U.S. Cross Country Ski National Championships last week, hosted by Michigan Tech, and three of those Nordic skiers came away with a stop on the podium before the event concluded on Saturday.

The event began with the 10K freestyle for both the men and women last Monday, and sophomore John Steel Hagenbuch — who collected three podiums at Super Tour races last month — continued to impress by taking second overall in the men's race. His time of 25:00.3 trailed only Denver's Andreas Kirkeng in the final standings. Freshman Jack Lange performed well among the U20 crowd, placing fourth with his time of 26:22.6, while sophomore Wally Magill was sixth in 26:35.7. In the women's race, freshman Ava Thurston finished fifth among the U20 racers in 30:44.6 while sophomore Emma Reeder placed 11th in 31:08.6.

The classic distance races were held on Friday, and Dartmouth shined in the junior division with Thurston taking the gold in the women's 10K with her time of 32:39.8, while Lange reached the podium in the men's 10K with a time of 27:36.8, just 3.6 seconds off the pace and good for third.

Thurston and Reeder were also two of the five U20 skiers to qualify for the quarterfinals in the classic sprint on Wednesday. Hagenbuch was the lone Big Green skier to reach the quarterfinals on the men's side, while freshman Cooper Camp advanced to the finals in the junior men's bracket, finishing sixth.

Hagenbuch had another strong showing, this time in the men's 20K classic on Friday, crossing the tape in sixth place (52:12.2). Sophomore Nina Seeman was the lone Big Green skier entered in the women's 20K, placing 25th overall (1:04:36.7).

On Saturday, the final day of competition, Hagenbuch reached the quarterfinals of the men's freestyle sprints while Seeman and Thurston advanced to the quarters on the women's side.

Dartmouth will open the 2023 season on Jan. 12 beginning with the giant slalom at the Bates Carnival.