From left are Paul Smith’s Nordic skiers Edison Byrum, Griffin Smith, Diego Schillaci, Philip Matthews, Isaac Kristich and Gabriel Lloyd after winning the team sprint national championship trophy at USCSA Nationals on March 12. (Provided photo — USCSA)

BEND, Oregon — For Paul Smith’s College’s Nordic skier Philip Matthews, Wednesday, March 12 will be a day that he’ll remember forever.

Matthews, of Half Moon, claimed an individual national championship, and helped the Bobcats secure the 1.5-kilometer team sprint national title at the 2025 United States Collegiate Ski & Snowboard Association Nationals in Bend, Oregon.

The victory win was an emotional moment for Matthews, as his father died following a year-long cancer battle just days before the team left for the national championships.

This year the team has had to experience two firsthand battles with cancer, as teammate Jacob Alberga of Saranac Lake and a 2024 All-American is also currently in treatment.

”This one meant a lot to me since my father passed away two weeks ago, so today I raced for him,” Matthews said. ”Although I dedicate my win to my teammate Jacob Alberga who couldn’t come out because he is battling cancer.”

The Paul Smith’s women’s Nordic team kicked off the week off with incredible racing. First-year skier Bridget Reusch of Farmington, Maine secured a fifth place finish followed by senior Jessie Church of Bethlehem, New Hampshire in ninth and Kaisa Bosek of Alexandria, Minnesota in 19th. The performance lifted the Bobcats into second place on the day, and Reusch and Church recieved first and second team All-American honors, respectively.

The men were in a tight battle, finishing fourth on the day, just nine points out of first. Matthews led the team on the day with a fourth place finish, followed by Diego Schillaci in 14th. The duo took also home All-American awards.

”What a fantastic start to these Championships for both the men and women — racing at altitude is always difficult for an eastern team but the team has risen to the challenge,” head coach Matt Dougherty said. ”The women opened nationals with a brillant performance and really set the tone for the week. The classic sprint was amongst the most challenging conditions to race in and the pool team just dug in and did their best regarldess of conditions.”

Church led the women’s squad the following day with a 12th place finish in the Class Sprints. She was followed by Reusch in 14th. Church was named to the second team All-American list for her effort.

The men’s race was a classic battle of wills as five Bobcats made it into the qualifying rounds. Matthews, Schillaci, Gabriel Lloyd, Isaac Kristich and Edison Byrum were in the mix going into the knockout rounds. Matthews and Schillaci were able to advance to the A Final, putting two Bobcats in the final six racers.

With Schillaci finishing sixth and Kristich finishing 14th, the Bobcats were also able to repeat as team sprint national champions. Matthews and Schillaci earned first team All-American honors, and were joined by Kristich as a second team All-American.

In the A Final, Matthews followed Colorado-Mesa skier Ivar Skaseth and a Wyoming skier up the final climb. Matthews took the inside line on the final downhill turn and caught second place before putting on the gas to catch Ivar in the home stretch just meters before the finish line.

As he pumped his arms and extended through his poles one last time before crossing the finish line in first, Matthews arched his back slightly and let out a primal scream of joy into the snowy Oregon grey light.

”It was one of the hardest fought races I’ve ever done,” Matthews said. ”I had to chase the entire time and after the last hill I was in third, managed to take a better line on a downhill to get the guy in second and catch up to the guy in first, but at the very end on the straight away I saw him take one big pole where his hands were near his feet, basically folded over, and I knew that I had him.”

”It was great because this was the race that I knew I could win and trained all year for and my team was so amazingly supportive of me all day and it was a victory for them as well, especially when we celebrated in the finish area after the race was over,” Matthews said.

”As we compete out here I can’t help but note Paul Smith’s College’s amazing performance over the last four years of winning 14 team national championship titles and 12 individual national championship titles,” Dougherty said. ”This is the direct result of the amazing support from the college and everyone who works there, the development of a world class venue at the VIC, and the support of the Nordic community in the Adirondacks and from our donors and friends. These titles don’t belong to the team — they are for everyone who helps us and believes in us. For one of the smallest colleges in the USCSA to win consistently is only because of the love and support from the college and our supporters.”

Up next for the Bobcats is the 15K Classic Individual race on Friday.