Though the season has yet to begin, the Tufts ski team is raring to go. And over winter break, it will get a chance to test its mettle in the first races of the 2010 season.
The team will have its first races on Jan. 9 and 10 at Sunday River in Newry, Maine. Afterward, the Jumbos will go to New Hampshire's Waterville Valley for about a week to train and work with coaches there before another race, to be held at a currently undetermined location, the next weekend.
"This year is weird in that in general we go to Waterville and go straight into our first race weekend," junior co-captain Brian Bresee said. "This year we are actually having two races earlier than usual."
The Jumbos will be looking to improve upon last year's season, in which they came just short of reaching nationals despite a strong showing. The team is hoping to reach that goal this season.
"Last year we had a pretty young team, with three of our top skiers as sophomores," Bresee said. "At Regionals we were qualified for Nationals on the first day but got knocked out on the second day. What we are hoping to do this year is take this team and develop a little bit more and send a team to nationals."
Tufts will be relying on those three now-juniors, Bresee, Tom Valentin and Arlin Ladue, who is also the Executive New Media editor of the Daily, to help get it over the hump and into Nationals. Seniors Pat Tonelli, who was abroad during last season, and Greg Hering should also be key contributors this year. These five should be the Jumbos' top finishers this season.
Team members have been preparing for their season throughout the semester, running two dry land practices a week in which they work on conditioning. And with the winter weather coming, the Jumbos are ready to roll on down the hill in just a few weeks.
