OUA Qualifier #1

What: Ontario University Athletics Qualifier #1/Ontario Cup #1
Where: North Bay Nordic Center, North Bay, Ontario
When: Jan. 17-18, 2008
Who: The pre-selected University of Waterloo Nordic Team
Why: It seemed like a really good idea to get on the bus at the PAC when it arrived at 8:45. Oh, and to do two races, an Individual Start Classic on Saturday and an Individual Start Skate on Sunday.
How: Well, the transit to North Bay was done by bus, but all the skiing was done on cross-country skis. Funny, seeing as that's what kind of race weekend it was.

In the week leading up the the races, North Bay, like the rest of Ontario, had been gripped with viciously cold temperatures. Reports of it reaching as cold as -34 without the wind chill were reported by local resident/UW ski team member Cam Moore, currently doing coop in beautiful, scenic and cold-as-hell North Bay. Regardless, the team exited the bus on Friday quickly, either fresh with excitement for the first real race of the season, or simply glad to be off a confined bus half-filled with Guelph skiers whose favourite movies don't extend much beyond Transformers, anything with Paris Hilton, or Joe Dirt.
After a hurried loop of the 8km course for the men, and a frantic 5km for the women, it was back on the bus to avoid the -25 weather and excessive, rampant porta-pottie placement. An evening of eating, team meetings and drinking water followed for the athletes, while the triple-threat coaching staff of Justin Faulkner, Glen McIntyre, and athlete/coach or coach/athlete Colin Rhodes tackled the perfectly prepared race skis for the next mornings race.
The next morning, the cold temperatures pushed back the start for the mens 16 km and the womens 10km races. After dithering about, the men managed to get their cheese together and motor off into the cold. The field was large and talented, as 66 men from 8 universities showed up. The perennial skiing powerhouses Lakehead and Carleton Universities posted a combined 6 men in the top 10. The UW men also brought their A-game, with 3rd year pro Kieran Jones leading the charge in 19th place, his best showing on the OUA circuit since he was a rookie. In 20th, right behind Jones, was the unstoppable, ever-surprising, slightly insane rookie Andrew "Slow" Jeffrey who in his first year skiing competitively at any level has shocked the competition. Cam Moore finished in 32nd, and, when interviewed post race said "I was spurred on by my new hometown crowd, had some fantastically grippy wax, and had a great sleep last night". Moore was closely followed by Yudai Nakagawa, who finished in 34th and again walked away with the OUAA category. Rookie Nolan "Results" Beanlands, new to classic skiing and tired from exhaustively researching the competition finished in 42nd while skating specialist Derek Hartman crossed the line in 50th. Unfortunatly team leader/captain/trianer/hardman Mike Neilly was injured, and could not compete. With the men done, it was the time for the baby-producing side of the team to get down to business.
The women's field produced a similar depth to the mens, with 49 women getting at least as far as the start line of the 10km. Carleton dominated on the womens side as well, putting 4 women in the top 10. Even before the results rolled in, it was a great day for the UW women's team, as a whopping 5 women made the trip to North Bay to race. UW's Nellie Dow, who has time and again proved her value to the team with top results continued her great classic skiing performances, posting a solid 6th place. Kelly Skinner, continuing her comeback on the OUA circuit, posted a strong 24th, while rookie Jessive Stevenson was 32nd. Martha Sutton, who was last years Female Rookie of the Year, has been struggling with injury all fall but still skied to 35th, just ahead of Svenja Morgan, who was 36th. After a cold, tough, first days racing, the team fueled up, in Moore's case with cheap hotdogs, in Morgan's, soy nut butter and headed back to the hotel in the vain attempt to catch the end of the World Cup races happening in on the Olympic trails in Whistler.
Results Day 1
Men
1. Colin Abbot, Carleton U 49:39.7
2. Scott Sullivan, Lakehead 50:22.6
3. Chris Hamilton, Lakehead 51:25.2
UW Results
19. Kieran Jones 57:38.9
20. Andrew Jeffrey 57:42.8
32. Cam Moore 59:50.0
34. Yudai Nakagawa 1:00:18.0
42. Nolan Beanlands 1:03:00.6
50. Derek Hartman 1:05:43.8
Women
1. Alana Thomas 35:24.4
2. Mary Thompson 36:04.1
3. Zoe Braul 36:27.0
UW Reults
6. Nellie Dow 37:47.1
24. Kelly Skinner 43:25.6
32. Jessica Stevenson 45:09.5
35. Martha Sutton 46:43.6
36. Svenja Morgan 46:47.0


And thats all from day one of racing! Check back tomorrow for Day 2, and stay tuned for both the Photo of the Week and a brand-new, never-before seen feature! (Hint: It may have been talked about already, but seriously, this time its really coming.)