Greetings,

Well we almost eclipsed the century mark for Catamount race attendance. By my count we sent 94 racers out of the gate to compete in the Catamount home GS race. Out of a possible 188 total runs (94 x 2) our racers completed 93% of their runs. This number falls well within the “very acceptable” range when considering the degree of challenge a course set should present for club racers. Out of the 46 girls competing, seven skied to a top 5 finish, and 19 or 41 % secured a top 10 finish. The boys managed 15 top 5 (31%), and 24 (50%) earned top 10 recognition. When girls and boys top 10 finishes are combined (43), the result indicates that 46% of our racers skied fast enough to earn this recognition. Racers comprised a total of 14 classes (U8-U15); 7 classes for girls and an equal number for boys. Disregarding ties, a total of 14 first place finishes were possible for the Catamount race. Eleven catamount racers earned this mark. Another way to view this achievement is that 78% of the possible first place rankings went to Catamount racers. A number of the age groups had a banner day as well. In particular, the U12G entered 5 competitors and all five achieved a top 10 finish; six U12B entered the race and 5 scored top 10 recognition; eight boys comprised the U13 class and 5 raced to a top 10 finish, the 2 U15G and 3 U15B raced to a top 5 finish. I began this report with the total number of racers that finished the course. If 173 attempts were completed without a fault, that leaves 15 attempts that resulted in either a DSQ or DNF. What I find of interest with this number is that all but 2 racers attempted a second run. I believe one of our racers or perhaps both incured an injury that impeded their return. The underlying message here I believe is one of a desire to improve (resiliency) regardless of an outcome. This attitude is contageous in the sense that the racers who got back in the start gate are role models for everyone. The achievements that our racers earn week-to-week by no means should be ignored, but behaviors such as this deserve special recognition. Saturday we will be focusing on SL training for Sunday’s SL race @ Butternut.

Regards,

John