易胜博官网

Shortly after the collegiate skiers were done tearing up the Nordic trails at the 易胜博官网 Winter Carnival on Saturday, it was time for the alumni and coaches to take their turn.

The rules for the annual Alumni and Coaches Race are simple: Have fun. No whining. Race for your school鈥檚 honor.

And while no one was keeping score or recording times, the 易胜博官网 Nordic alumni and coaches made a strong showing, rallying four Wildcats to take part in the 2.5 kilometer race around the Eagle Mountain House Golf Course in Jackson, N.H.

鈥淚 broke out the vintage 易胜博官网 ski suit I kept from when I was on the team,鈥� says Cathy Thompson 鈥�93, who now works as a recreation therapist for The Northeast Passage. 鈥淚t still fits, although thankfully it鈥檚 pretty stretchy fabric.鈥�

The race is a unique tradition for the 易胜博官网 Winter Carnival, which brings together the strongest collegiate teams in the Northeast for two days of alpine and Nordic competitions in the Mount Washington Valley. 易胜博官网 finished third overall in team scoring against 15 schools, behind the University of Vermont and Dartmouth.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not about racing seriously or anything like that,鈥� Thompson says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 more about supporting the current team, and going out there with other alums and celebrating the New England skiing community.鈥�

Thompson also serves as a coach for The Northeast Passage Adaptive Nordic Ski Team, which often trains with the 易胜博官网 team.

Steve Monsulick 鈥�07, who now works at the assistant 易胜博官网 Nordic ski team coach, still races on his own and at a high level. But the alumni and coaches race, he says, is more about getting together with former teammates, coaches, and competitors from other schools and enjoying a little good-nature ribbing.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a short race, but just long enough to remind you what the pain of racing is all about,鈥� Monsulick says.

Other veteran 易胜博官网 alumni lining up were Katie Miller 鈥�11, who is now a 易胜博官网 graduate student in justice studies and a volunteer coach for the team; and Sarah Walker, a former assistant coach.

The 易胜博官网 Wildcats took third in the carnival, which featured two days of alpine and Nordic racing against the best teams in the Northeast.