“The performances this weekend were really impressive across both teams. From Brady Miller just being on fire in the sprints to Emily Cieslewitz consistently performing in the top-30 every week,” PSC head coach Matt Dougherty said. “There have been so many athletes who have stepped up into new roles and helped both teams overcome challenges to deliver these special performances.

“The resilience the teams have demonstrated is not only impressive but will be valuable to draw upon at USCSA Nationals where we will be skiing at extremely high elevation and on a different snowpack,” he added. I am confident the team will rise to the challenge and perform to the best of their abilities again.”

The ECSC Championships started off with the individual skate race. Saylor Landrum of St. Paul, Minnesota started off hot with a top-6 time in qualification and won all of her heats leading up to the final.

Landrum, a first-year skier, traded the lead with a skier from Cornell in the final race. But in the last 50-meters, she closed the gap and won her first-ever collegiate championship with a boot throw at the line.

“It was an invigorating experience,” Landrum said in a statement. “I came into the day knowing this race format would probably be one of my stronger events, so I was stoked from the beginning to end.”

The Paul Smith’s men’s team had with seven racers qualify for the rounds in the individual skate race and six made it to the finals. The Bobcats had 50% of the field in the finals with three men in each A and B final.

In the A final, teammates Aidan Ripp of Cloquet, Minnesota and Nathan Livingood of Falmouth, Maine quickly separated from the pack and battled each other on the course. Ripp won the championship, while Livingood finished as runner-up. Teammate Gustav Whitcomb of Holderness, New Hampshire finished sixth and Logan Jensen won the B final.

During the men’s 7.5K Classic Race, Ripp and Livingood mirrored their results from the individual race, with Livingood finishing in first and Ripp taking second. Whitcomb finished in fifth.

The women’s team turned in a solid performance with Jessie Church or Bethlehem, New Hampshire finishing in fourth place, Landrum placing 15th and Emily Cieslewitz of Marcy in 30th.

The consistent performances landed the women in the runner-up position for the championships, which earned them a spot in the United States Collegiate Ski Association National Championships which will take place in Mammoth Lakes, California on March 6-12.

“Going into Nationals knowing how to race an event like that and having the experience in all of the different formats is a huge relief and is just adding to the excitement for this awesome opportunity,” Landrum said.