PRESS RELEASE
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – Two Bridger Ski Foundation (BSF) Nordic skiers topped the podium during the first half of the USSA Cross Country Junior Nationals in Lake Placid, New York. Sofia Shomento and Marin Coletta, both seniors in high school, have made the trip to Junior Nationals five times, but this year, everything came together.
On Monday, Shomento earned a silver medal, and two days later Coletta became a national champion. Both women also skied on relay teams that medaled, as well. A total of twelve skiers from Bozeman are representing Bridger Ski Foundation and the Intermountain Division at the championships.
Sofia Shomento, silver medalist at Jr. Nationals in the 5K Freestyle.
5K Silver
The 5K Freestyle race sent skiers out onto the course at intervals, one at a time. Racing the clock, Shomento says she wanted to take advantage of the climbs. “I looked to push hard on those uphills, and I was feeling pretty good and I kept pushing harder,” she said.
“Sophia was strong and very concentrated,” said BSF Head Nordic Coach Dragan Danevski.
Shomento had a goal to land on the podium, and she completed the two-lap course in 14:20, finishing second among all other U18 racers, with one of the fastest times of all the age groups that day, as well. Margaret Gellert of Alaska Winter Stars was first. BSF skiers Marin Coletta and Ariana Woods also finished in the top 30.
Shomento had the opportunity to represent the U.S. Ski Team with a group of junior skiers in Norway this winter. “That trip to Norway was a super good experience,” said Shomento, and one that helped prepare her for nationals.
Sprint Gold
Marin Coletta, 2017 Jr. National Champion in the classic sprint.
Sprint races, while short, require endurance as skiers race in multiple heats during the course of a few hours. Coletta’s goal coming into Nationals was to finish in the top 10 of a race—hopefully in the classic sprint. “This is my fifth time to Junior Nationals,” said Coletta, “but I’ve come across a lot of obstacles.”
On Wednesday, after Coletta won her quarterfinal race, she says, “I realized I maybe had the legs to last all day.” Her confidence—in her legs, her skis, and her support system grew as the day progressed.
“Conditions were very tough,” explained Coach Danevski. The snow was soft and mushy, and the course itself, with long hills, was also challenging. “Marin was very focused and she was skiing technically very well on those hills,” he said.
In the finals, she skied strategically, getting into good position for the first long climb. With one skier in front of her, Coletta said, “I knew just by striding and getting some good power off my skis that I would have the juice to pass her. And I did that.” They took a big turn onto the downhill and Coletta led the charge into the hectic finishing sprint. “I didn’t realize until the final stretch that I was leading,” she said.
Coletta finished in 5:14.30, more than 4 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Rena Schwartz of Vermont’s Green Mountain Valley School. “I let out a big scream at the finish," she said. "Finally, everything came together.” BSF teammate Ariana Woods advanced into the B finals, and finished in 11th place overall for the day.
Coletta joined the Intermountain Division's U20 women for the team relay, and earned a bronze medal on Saturday.
Both Coletta and Shomento have committed to skiing with top Division I ski teams next year, Colby College and Dartmouth University, respectively. And they both offer profuse thanks to BSF, their coaches, their teammates, their families, and all the parents who’ve cheered them on over the years. “It’s a team effort,” said Coletta.
Other Highlights
In the U20 men’s sprints, BSF’s Scott Mooney finished 11th, with Nick Matelich 18th and Nathan Wells 20th. The same trio all finished in the top 25 for the Classic 15K, with Wells in 16th, Matelich 19th, and Mooney 23rd.
Ariana Woods was 11th in the U18 sprints, 28th in the 5K Freestyle, and 38th in the 10K.
U16 skiers Kai Mittelsteadt and Seth Wyatt skied to a 5th place finish in the men's relay. Mittselsteadt also finished 8th in the Classic 5K and 14th in the Classic Sprint.
U16 skier Georgianna Fischer finished 33rd in the Classic 5K and 39th in the 5K Freestyle. Teammate Paige Coletta was 45th in the 5K Freestyle and 48th in the 5K Classic.
In the U18 Men category, Robert Kwapisz was 42nd and Andrew Meyer 63rd in the sprint. Meyer finished 46th in the 10K freestyle, while Kwapisz was 65th in the 10K classic.
