Current News

Photo courtesy Tom Shay / Aroostook F Stops.

PRESQUE ISLE – The 5th annual Aroostook Women’s Ski Day took place on Sunday under bluebird skies at the Nordic Heritage Center. Over 75 participants from all over Northern Maine took part in a full day of activities including cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, Zumba, yoga, and nutrition talks. Twenty-five volunteers assisted with everything from leading clinics to serving lunch. 

The day kicked off with a huge group welcome and Zumba warm-up. Morning ski clinics were broken down into groups according to abilities, ensuring that every participant had appropriate and personalized instruction. Equipment for the day’s activities was provided courtesy of Healthy Hometowns and University of Maine Presque Isle. Following a healthy lunch, participants again headed outside to ski or snowshoe in the afternoon. Or they chose to stay inside for a relaxing yoga class or informative nutrition talk. Five local massage therapists donated their time in the afternoon so that fifty lucky participants from a random draw won a free massage.

The Aroostook Women’s Ski Day serves as a fundraiser for the Hope and Justice Project, an organization dedicated to the prevention of domestic violence through education, and to providing support for those affected by domestic violence. The event also raises money for the Nordic Heritage Sport Club, the non-profit organization that maintains free public recreation facilities at the Nordic Heritage Center, supports community sports programs, and hosts international ski and biathlon events. In the five years since it’s inception, the Aroostook Women’s Ski Day is proud to have raised thousands of dollars for these two important organizations. More information about the Hope and Justice Project can be found at www.hopeandjusticeproject.org. Information about the Nordic Heritage Sports Club can be found at www.nordicheritagecenter.org.

The Aroostook Women’s Ski Day is always on Super Bowl Sunday, so be sure to mark your calendars for next year’s event!

Photo courtesy Tom Shay / Aroostook F Stops.

  Oslo, Norway Tim Burke has been struggling with his standing shooting this season, but not today. He had his first 4-stage clean race of his career to move from 15th place into 6th in today's Pursuit race. Teammate, Lowell Bailey, who finished 8th in the Sprint on Thursday, was in third place in todays's Pursuit after two shooting stages, but had three misses in his standing shooting to drop to 12th. Jay Hakinnen finished 25th today. 

 Pineland Farms, Maine The Super Bowl raffle to support the US Biathlon team closed at 1PM this afternoon. Thank you to all of the people who bought tickets. We raised $64,000, sold 54,000 tickets and have given a big boost to the US Team. The winner was from Canton, Massachussetts, and bought 50 tickets this morning...

The fourth North American Cup that was scheduled for LaPatrie was quickly moved to Valcartier after Tuesday’s rain deteriorated the course. Athletes and coaches quickly changed reservations and arranged for the change in race venue.  The Maine Winter Sports Center Athletes arrived to Valcartier on Friday afternoon to preview the course at the Myrian Bedard Biathlon Center in the powdery snow.

 Brezno-Oserblie, Slovakia Follow Russell Currier and his teammates, Leif Nordgren, Mark Johnson, Hannah Deissigaker and Laura Spector at European Biathlon Championships. Click here for results: services.biathlonresults.com/Schedule.aspx

FORT KENT – The 10^th Mountain Center played host on Sunday to the second Aroostook Cup of the season during the annual Frostbite 40 km, 20 km, and Citizen’s 5 km. Though temperatures were comfortably in the mid-twenties, the wind was another story. In fact, the race start was delayed by 30 minutes while organizers cleared a number of downed trees from the trails.  The high winds forced a change in course to avoid open fields where drifting was significant, a change that racers greatly appreciated as the blowing snow made for slower skate skiing conditions. Many thanks to Paul Cyr for getting those trees out of the way!

Fred Bailey, skiing for Nordic Heritage Sports Club (NHSC), took home a solid win in the men’s 40 km with a time of 2:02.23, more than two minutes ahead of Austin Ross, also from NHSC. Will Sweetser of Snowy Mountain finished third. In the women’s 40 km Lauren Jacobs (NHSC) won with a time of 2:24.11. Sherry Dubis skiing for the host club finished second, while Susan Plissey of Snowy Mountain was third.

With 26 participants, the 20 km race was the largest of the day. Mike Lessard, skiing for Northern Skiers, finished the course in 1:01.08.  Welly Ramsey and Derek Rowe also earned valuable club points for Northern Skiers and finished second and third, respectively. UMPI student-athlete Justine Cyr, earning points for her home club 10^th Mountain, took home the women’s win with a time of 1:12.09. Sarah Dominick of Snowy Mountain was second and Hilary McNamee of NHSC was third.

Carl Soderberg (Northern Skiers) won the overall 5 km, and his daughter Anna came in third overall and first for women. George Ferland of Snowy Mountain was second and Justin Perry (NHSC) was third for men. Desiree Smith and LeAnn Abbott, both skiing for Nordic Heritage, were second and third in the women’s race.

Skiers around the County are looking forward to the next Aroostook Cup races. The C-ME Ski in Limestone will be on Saturday February 11, followed by the Karen Sprague Memorial in Stockholm on Sunday February 12. More information, results, updated club standings, and more can be found at www.goaroostookoutdoors.com.

Sarah Doak from Caribou HIgh School skiing to finish 2nd in the J2 girls field

Rumford, ME-  Warm temperatures made for a great race day on Saturday at Black Mountain of Maine in Rumford for the annual Sassi Memorial Invitational.  This race is aJunior ll Team Qualifier (ages 14 and 15) for the J2 New England Festival held in March and is a chance for high school skiers from across the state to compete against each other in preparation for the State Nordic meet.  Fifteen athletes from Aroostook County representing Caribou High School, Presque Isle High School and the Maine Winter Sports Center competed in the 5 Km classic race.

Sarah Doak took 2^nd place in the J2 girl’s field qualifying for the Maine J2 Team.  For the High School Girls, Caribou’s Ashley Richards placed 8^th overall, and her teammates, Chelsea Bard and Katie Plourde placed 18^th and 19^th giving the Caribou High School girls enough points to take first in the Team Results.  Presque Isle’s Bonnie Corey had a personal best placing 69^th, and teammate Danielle Allen was 157^th out of 223 girls.  Maine Winter Sports Center Athletes Zoe Chace-Donahue placed 4^th and Emelie Chace-Donahue took 29^th overall.

Qualifying for the J2 Maine Team in the boys field were Ryan Washington from Caribou in 3^rd and teammate Brendan Cyr in 11^th while Maine Winter Sports Center’s Kamran Husain took 8^th place, Rylee Knox in 10^th, and Lance McKenney was 13^th.  For Presque Isle, Noah Rossignol placed 47^th out of 107 J2 boys.

Caribou’s Caleb Chapman placed 3rd overall in the Men’s field with teammates Jesse Sandstrom in 30^th and Josh Kovach in 37^th.  Congratulations to all the skiers from Aroostook County for such a strong showing at this statewide premier event.

Full Results can be found on mainehighschoolskiing.com

Kamran Hussain skis to finish 8th for J2 boys

Ryan Washington charges up the hill during the classic race

Katie Plourde from Caribou High School at the Sassi Memorial Race

Raleigh Goessling cleans his last stage for the win of the Junior Men 12.5KM Mass start.

Fort Kent, ME-  North American Cup number four kicked off in cold January temperatures in Ft. Kent, Maine this past weekend. Each day MWSC athletes had to wait  in the logde for the temprature one hour delay. The cold temperatures allowed for excellent grooming on the trails on the home course. There were a total of 14 biathletes representing the Maine Winter Sports Center in the Masters Men, Senior Men and Women, Junior Men and Women, Youth Men, and Junior Boys and Girls at 10th Mountain.

Fort Kent, ME- North American Cup number four kicked off in cold January temperatures in Ft. Kent, Maine this past weekend. Each day MWSC athletes had to wait  in the logde for the temprature one hour delay. The cold temperatures allowed for excellent grooming on the trails on the home course. There were a total of 14 biathletes representing the Maine Winter Sports Center in the Masters Men, Senior Men and Women, Junior Men and Women, Youth Men, and Junior Boys and Girls at 10th Mountain.

The sprint race took off in the bright sun of Aroostook County on Sunday. After the two stage race, there were a total of ten podium finishes in respective age categories.

SPRINT RACE SATURDAY

Mike Lessard- Senior Men 10KM Sprint 4th

Ben Greenwald- Jr Men 10KM Sprint 3rd

Will Sweester- Senior Master Men 7.5KM 1st

Kamran Hussain-Senior Boys 6KM 2nd

Cody Johnson-Senior Boys 6KM  3rd

Jason Bartley-Junior Boys 6KM 1st

Lance McKenney-Junior Boys 6KM 2nd

Caleb Willett-Junior Boys 6KM 3rd

BethAnn Chamberlain Senior Women 7.5K 2nd

Melissa Manning Junior Women 7.5K 7th

The mass start competition took off from the stadium in colder temperatures Sunday morning. The biathletes left start the double pole lanes in a hurry to the 10th Mountain trails. This secured the Maine Winter Sports Center seven more podium finishes. It was a sucessful weekend for the athletes and the 10th Mountain Ski Club. The biathlon team which will consist of the Senior Women, the Junior Team and Development Team will train at home this week in preparation to travel Canada next weekend. We wish them luck at NorAm #4.

MASS START SUNDAY 

Raleigh Goessling –Junior Men  12.5 KM 1st

Erik Rupert –Junior Men  12.5 KM 4th

Ben Greenwald- Junior Men 12.5KM 5th

Cody Johnson Senior Boys 7.5KM 2nd

Kamran Hussain Senior Boys 7.5KM 3rd

BethAnn Chamberlain Senior Women 12.5KM  2nd

Katrina Howe Senior Women 12.5KM 3rd

Melissa Manning Junior Women 10KM 5th

Cody Johnson Senior Boys 7.5KM 2nd

Kamran Hussain Senior Boys 7.5KM 3rd

 Rumford, ME—The Junior classic race at the  U.S. Cross-Country Skiing Championships helped to determine the U.S. teams to the World Junior Championships and the J1 Scandinavian Trip.  But, those were not the only titles determined on the tracks at Black Mountain that day: Maine’s Tenth Mountain Division Junior Cross-Country Championship went to Rachel Hall and Tom Rabon for the second consecutive year.

Brendan Cyr strides in sprint race.

Titcomb Mountain, Farmington, Maine