By Matt Smider, Revelstoke Nordic Ski Club
The Revelstoke Nordic Ski Club finished 11th overall, sixth amongst junior teams and tops in B.C. at the 2017 Ski Nationals in Canmore from March 18-25.
More than 650 of the country’s top skiers attended the championships, and Revelstoke’s contingent of 13 racers contributed to the club’s best-ever performance.
Beth Granstrom led the way for our local team, capturing the 2000 girls aggregate award and two individual medals. Alana Brittin claimed an individual medal and paired up with Elizabeth Elliott to claim silver in the relay.
Kate Granstrom continued her superb season with two top 10 placings, while Erik Brosch consistently finished in the top 30, with a ninth place in his final race.
In her first Ski Nationals, Kolibri Drobish snuck inside the top 10 on two occasions, leading the way for other Revelstoke Nordic first-time competitors, Eden Thomas, Rebecca Brosch, Elliot Wilson, Jaclyn Elliott, and Nelson & Alexandra Luxmoore.
Finally, Megan Evans represented her hometown club, while competing as a senior athlete with Carleton University.
Ski Nationals began on Saturday, Mar. 18, with a relay cross event, where athletes each skated skied their way around one lap of a technical 2.5 km loop complete with slalom turns, drops and rollers. On Sunday, racers strapped on their skate skis again for the short distance individual start skate event.
Tuesday’s race was the medium distance classic individual start events, followed by two days of classic sprinting; the longer 1.3 km course was raced by senior athletes on Wednesday and the shorter 1.1 km course was tested by the junior athletes on Thursday.
Finally, the championships closed out with the long distance skate mass start races on Saturday.
The 2017 event was the largest ever Ski Nationals, with more than 400 skiers registered in the juvenile and junior categories. Revelstoke highlights included:
Saturday, March 18: Relay cross
2nd – Alana Brittin and Elizabeth Elliott, challenge girls
Sunday, March 19: Skate interval start
8th – Beth Granstrom, junior girls 5 km
9th – Kolibri Drobish, juvenile girls 5 km
15th – Alana Brittin, junior girls 5 km
17th – Elizabeth Elliott, junior girls 5 km
22nd – Megan Evans, senior Women 5 km
23rd – Kate Granstrom, junior girls 5 km
24th – Erik Brosch, juvenile boys 5 km
Tuesday, March 21: Classic interval start
1st – Beth Granstrom, junior girls 10 km
3rd – Alana Brittin, junior girls 10 km
9th – Kate Granstrom, junior girls 10 km
17th – Erik Brosch, juvenile boys 7.5 km
18th – Kolibri Drobish, juvenile girls 5 km
18th – Elizabeth Elliott, junior girls 10 km
30th – Megan Evans, senior women 10 km
Wednesday, March 22: classic sprint
28th – Megan Evans, senior women 1.3 km
Thursday, March 23: Classic sprint
3rd – Beth Granstrom, junior girls 1.1 km
9th – Alana Brittin, junior girls 1.1 km
15th – Kate Granstrom, junior girls 1.1 km
18th – Elizabeth Elliott, junior girls 1.1 km
19th – Kolibri Drobish, juvenile girls 1.1 km
28th – Erik Brosch, juvenile boys 1.1 km
Saturday, March 25: skate mass start
7th – Kate Granstrom, junior girls 7.5 km
9th – Erik Brosch, juvenile boys 10 km
10th – Kolibri Drobish, juvenile girls 7.5 km
15th – Beth Granstrom, junior girls 7.5 km
16th – Elizabeth Elliott, junior girls 7.5 km
20th – Alana Brittin, junior girls 7.5 km
20th – Megan Evans, senior Women 30 km
Overall aggregate awards
1st – Beth Granstrom, 2000 girls
5th – Alana Brittin, 2000 girls
6th – Kolibri Drobish, 2002 girls
8th – Kate Granstrom, 2000 girls
9th – Erik Brosch, 2001 boys
9th – Megan Evans, U23 Women
The 2017 Ski Nationals marks the end of the competitive season. Thanks to our parental support team for their ongoing efforts, in particular, Penny Page-Brittin for her services as lead wax technician throughout the championships. Local athletes will now enjoy a much deserved rest, before they began their dry land training later in the spring. See you on the roller skis!
