Nordic Ski | 1/30/2025 11:30:00 AM
After another successful weekend in Vermont at the Middlebury Invitational, the Clarkson University Nordic Skiing team is back in action this Saturday and Sunday, making a short trip to the Adirondacks for the Paul Smith's Invitational. Following an influx of new snowfall throughout much of the week the trails will be densely packed in preparation for the first, chilly, February weekend of 2025.
The Events: Saturday will consist of a Mixed 2x5km Skate Relay, where teams of two (one male and one female) will compete in a relay with each skier doing one 5km lap. Sunday's event will be a 15km Classic Individual start.
The Team: Freshman Matthew Clarner has already posted three individual, first-place finishes in 2025, over the opening three weekends, taking first out of 85 skiers in the 10k Skate with a 25:16.02 time on Saturday at the Middlebury Invitational. Clarner followed that with another first place finish on Sunday as part of the Clarkson A team, combining with Joey Rouhana and Finn Payne to pace the field of 24 teams in the Classic Team Sprint with a 29:52.61 finish. Rouhana has continued to play a significant role in the scoring this year for the Golden Knights. Besides dropping to sixth overall, at 25:55.94, on Saturday, the Junior has finished in the top three in all other races this year, including claiming first place on both days of the UVM Invitational. Payne will be hoping to continue his resurgence in the scoring following a fifth place finish on Saturday, tied for his best, since a second place finish on the opening weekend of the season at the White Mountain Classic. Torsten Brickley will have his sights set on breaking back into the top 10 overall, following an 11th place finish this past Saturday. The Sophomore has consistently timed in within the top third of finishers with his season best finish of third coming at the UVM invitational Skiathlon.
For the women, Skylar Francis has continued to lead the Golden Knights in scoring, following a 13th place finish out of 78 skiers on Saturday with a 32:11.37 timestamp. The Sophomore has only had one race this season where she has finished outside the top 20, including two second place finishes at the White Mountain Classic and Jackson Jaunt, out of 22 and 23 skiers, respectively. Sophomores Clare Janas and Raegan Joly will both be in the hunt for higher finishes with the pair rounding out team scoring for Clarkson.
