A canceled race before the winter break and the absence of snow set the All-Gender Nordic Skiing team off to a slow start to its season. However, after claiming second place on Friday against Middlesex and Belmont Hill and putting up a strong performance this Wednesday against Holderness, the team is hopeful, looking to develop new skiers and refine the team’s overall pacing and conditioning.
Noah Binkowski ’26 elaborated on the team’s first event, which was friendly and served as a good form of practice, especially for the new skiers.
“It was a relay, so we were in teams of two. Each person did one lap three times. It was a small race with only three teams, and didn’t matter towards the season,” said Binkowski.
Sebastian Vermut ’27 highlighted the standout skiers in this event, praising Co-Captains Luke Williamson ’25 and Sage Preston ’25. Vermut also shouted out Binkowski for his leadership qualities, noting how he supported and guided his new skier teammate during the event.
Vermut said, “Our captains are the two strongest members of our team, and also more than that. It was the first race back from the off-season, and they set the precedent of what being good on this team actually means. But also, I’d say there were standout performances from Noah Binkowski just because of his partner. Noah’s partner was new to the sport and Andover itself, and he helped him get acquainted with the team.”
Binkowski also received overwhelming praise from Michael Bria ’27 for his performance in the second meet, in which he showcased his skill by keeping pace with Williamson.
“I’d say Noah Binkowski definitely had a good race. He was keeping up with Luke Williamson, who is, I think, our fastest racer,” said Bria.
The new skiers, while initially requiring extra guidance, are viewed by the team as valuable assets to develop for future success. To support their growth, the team has been prioritizing these skiers by providing them with additional time on the snow machine and focusing on teaching the fundamental aspects of Nordic skiing.
Vermut said, “Priority was given to beginner skiers who had more time on the snow machine to practice on, just because they would benefit more. For the past couple of weeks, we’ve been keeping our cardio and doing the basics, waxing our skis to make sure all is ready. Also, we practiced double poling, which is more of a classic ski style, and it is really helpful to have on the ground, especially for beginners to learn on an open field.”
Bria elaborated on the team’s training leading up to the second race, attributing the team’s success to dedicated cardio workouts. Bria also provided insight into how the team utilizes various parts of campus to enhance its training regimen.
“Before the second race, we were doing a lot of snow work up in the old Abbot campus with our snow machine, and just getting out and doing hill runs… The biggest thing for a lot of us was the 5K run in practice doing the Chatham loop… Just being able to continuously keep that endurance for a long time. That was definitely a major part of our success overall,” said Bria.
On Wednesday, the All-Gender Nordic Skiing team will compete at Holderness Academy.
