Matt Robinson ’27 grins at the camera while getting ready to race on Siberia Field.
Nordic Skiing competed under the lights at Weston Ski Track on last Friday, racing against Belmont Hill, Rivers, and Middlesex; the team then faced the same schools in its only home meet of the season on Wednesday. Only when Andover sees sufficient snowfall does it host meets, and last season, the team organized its first race on its home course in over 20 years.
The race took place at Weston Ski Track, a venue familiar to the Nordic team. However, according to Matthew Robinson ’27, the course featured some changes.
“It’s the same venue that we’ve used before for a lot of races, but they changed up the course to have some different hills. Overall, it was an easier course than we have been experiencing at the big schools up north,” said Robinson.
Despite the relatively manageable terrain, conditions presented their own difficulties. The snow was firm and fast, allowing for quick speeds but increasing the risk of mistakes.
“The snow is very fast and firm, which also means that it’s a bit easier to fall. People had to be extra careful not to lose their balance,” said Robinson.
The course featured several critical hills that proved decisive in the race. Sebastián Vermut ’27 explained how the terrain shaped the competition.
Vermut said, “There are hills, one after another, including one called Mountain West, which is very steep. On the back stretch is a long, flat section where you can really get fast. Because of that, the hills became really important. Everybody was going pretty much the same speed on the flats, but the difference was made on the hills.”
Vermut delivered one of the team’s strongest performances, finishing third in the sprint and remaining in contention with the leaders throughout the race. Robinson also noted Julia Xu ’28’s strong performance, placing seventh.
“Sebastián Vermut was in contention for the win the whole time. He ended up being third in the sprint. He had a really strong race, trading back and forth with the leaders the whole race. I also want to shout out Julia Xu ’28. She finished seventh, a really strong race from her, and she was in contention with a bunch of really strong athletes from other schools, so we want to keep that performance up as we head into the final few weeks of the season,” said Robinson.
For Vermut, team captain Noah Binkowski ’26 also stood out, returning from injuries that had disrupted his season.
Vermut said, “He’s been in and out of the season. He’s had a couple of crashes, and seeing him back in this race was really cool. He did really well, definitely getting more confidence back. He’s the captain on and off the field. This race is one of the times when he’s proven that it’s not a mindset thing; he can actually ski really fast, and he did, which is really impressive.”
The team later hosted a race against Belmont Hill, Rivers, and Middlesex, continuing to build momentum. According to Alfonso Gonzalez-Cano ’27, the second race featured slower snow conditions on its home course.
“The conditions weren’t great, but it was more meant to be fun for me. The snow was slow for this race. There was hail, which was surprising because it’s our home course. I thought it was a fun course,” said Gonzalez-Cano.
With strong individual performances and continued improvement, Nordic Skiing looks to maintain its momentum as the season approaches the NEPSAC Championships this Saturday.
