Nordic Ski | 2/6/2025 11:00:00 AM
ECSC Divisionals are on the docket this Saturday and Sunday as the Clarkson University Nordic Skiing team will return to the Adirondacks to take part in the 2025 edition of the event, hosted by Paul Smith's College. After facing frigid temperatures over the past weekend, conditions are expected to be somewhat similar at the Visitor Interpretive Center in Paul Smiths with highs in the low 20s projected for each day.
The Events: Saturday will be a 15k Classic Mass Start, with Skate Team Sprints to follow on Sunday.
The Team: The men will be looking to reverse the result of the 15k event this past Sunday as it was the first event of the year where a Golden Knight skier was not the first to cross the finish line. Freshman Matthew Clarner (45:23.4), freshman Finn Payne (47:03.0) and junior Joey Rouhana (47:32.0) finished second, third and fourth, respectively, out of a field of 50 skiers. Sophomore Torsten Brickley (48:50.6) came in at eighth overall, closing out the Golden Knights presence in the top ten. In similar-length events earlier in the year, Clarner (39:30.9) took first place, out of 27, with Payne (40:15.6) and Rouhana (40:48.5) in second and third at the White Mountain Classic 12k race. Clarner also earned first place honors, out of a field of 85, later in January at the Middlebury Invitational 10k skate, with a 25:16.02 timestamp. In team skate events, the Clarkson "A" team of Rouhana, Clarner and Payne placed first, out of 24 teams during the second day of the Middlebury Invitational, while the "B" team of Brickley, freshman Silas Bartol and junior Adam Jansen finished in ninth.
For the women, Skylar Francis has led the Golden Knights through 2025, consistently ranking in the top-half of skiers in events. Last weekend in the 15k freestyle, Francis (1:00:19.7) finished 11th out of 61, with her tied-best finish of second place, out of 23, coming at the White Mountain Classic 12k where the sophomore crossed the finish line at 54:10.1. Sophomores Raegan Joly and Clare Janas have continuously completed the team scoring for Clarkson over the course of January and February, both will be looking for season-best finishes headed into the weekend.
