Midwest Collegiate Racing Recap

CCSA Race Recap

The races went down much like the first weekend.  Northern Michigan dominated both days, however, St. Scholastica was added to the mix.  Saturday featured a 15k skate race for the men and a 10k for the women.  Erik Soderman from NMU took the win skating 17 seconds clear of Kyle Bratrud from NMU who took second.  George Cartwright and Fredrik Schwencke took 3^rd and 4^th (also NMU).  Paul Schommer led the College of St. Scholastica with a 5^th place finish and Matt Wong led Michigan Tech with a 7^th place finish.  On the women’s side, Rosie Frankowski continued her dominance taking the 10k by 1:21.  Jordyn Ross finished 2^nd and Alice Flanders led Tech with a 3^rd place finish.  Brooke Adams led CSS with an 8^th place finish.

Sunday was a 10k classic for men and 5k classic for women.  This race was run on a 2.5k “back up loop” being tested for Nationals next year, unlike the skate races which were run on the original 5k loop.  Schwencke took the victory for NMU with Bratrud and Soderman finishing 2^nd and 3^rd respectively.  Stratton Mountain School’s Ben Saxton finished 4^th while Schommer again led CSS with a 6^th place finish and Matt Wong led Tech with an 8^th place finish.  NMU went 1-3 on the girl’s side as well, led by Frankowski who took another victory and followed by Mary Kate Cirelli and Jordyn Ross.  Deedra Irwin led Tech with a 6^th place finish and Anita Kirvesniemi led CSS with a 9^th place finish.  The first official race of the CCSA with NCAA points on the line will be US Nationals in Soldier Hollow, Utah with the first race beginning January 4^th.

Ready for Nationals

I am currently flying to Detroit in route to Salt Lake City in preparation for US Nationals.  Although I am a little disappointed at missing two great opportunities to get my first collegiate win, it feels good to be consistent and that is what I need most right now.  The 15k was well paced and I balanced my energy effectively and felt my technique stayed relatively together.  Upon analysis of video after the race I feel I can make the necessary changes to add a little efficiency before Nationals.  The classic race felt so much better than last weekend it was ridiculous.  I felt like I put my energy to use and my striding felt powerful and effective as opposed to useless like last weekend.  I have to give a big thank you to Chad, the coach of CSS, for giving me splits and words of encouragement during and after the classic race.  He didn’t need to and I know it may seem like a small thing, but it was a warm reminder that we are all competing for the betterment of US skiing, not just racing in college. 

I will now be traveling to George Cartwright’s house in Lander, Wyoming to get acclimated along with my other teammates Adam Martin and Krystof Kopal.  I spent Christmas at George’s last year and felt like it really helped when the races rolled around.  I am very grateful that George has such awesome parents willing to put up with me and make me feel at home.  I am even more blessed my parents are willing to let me go out there to chase after what I love.  With Nationals at Houghton next year, it will be wonderful to spend Christmas at home again. 

I am very excited about my fitness and I feel if I manage my fatigue levels the next few weeks (especially at altitude), then I will set myself up for some excellent opportunities out there.  Confidence is an awesome thing to have going into Nationals and I feel good knowing I am skiing confidently. 

It was also great to see my friend and SMS athlete, Ben Saxton at the races this weekend.  And I am incredibly proud of how my teammate Rosie Frankowski has been skiing.  She has been nothing but professional and humble this year and it makes me happy watching hard work and true dedication pay off, I can’t wait to see her race the nation’s best! 

Next stop Wyoming!

About the author... NCAA All American Kyle Bratrud is entering his third season as an NMU Wildcat under Sten Fjeldheim. Spurred on by his World Junior participation last season, he is pursuing his dreams of making it on to the US Ski Team with everything he’s got. As a college athlete, Kyle will be sharing his thoughts, training, and racing experiences as he travels and competes around the college circuit and hopefully beyond.