SKI-O, MENDON PONDS 1/15/00
As I walked to work this morning, I congratulated myself for helping to save the earth from global warming. With the temperature in the single digits, this seems a bit crazy, but anyone involved with cross country skiing knows the warming has already started. It's hard to recall a recent ski-O where snow condition was not an issue. Nevertheless, we have had great luck at Mendon Ponds in the middle of January for quite a few years in a row. This time, on Wednesday, when the original course setter, who would have had to ask for time off from a Real Job, had to decide whether to go ahead, the ground was as bare as, well, an M60's pate. So he decided rationally to call it off. But by Thursday, it was snowing pretty hard, so the author (who works in Higher Education) volunteered to draw circles on the map and put (or better yet, have Dayle put) controls there. The circles went in open places, and the snow turned out to be acceptable, although on Friday the ground was not frozen and wet in spots, in spite of the bitter cold. By meet day, the ground had frozen, and the temperature was good. The next day brought on melting, so we had the best possible day! There was quite a bit of route choice, including some bushwhacking (literally) and I heard reports (possibly apocryphal) of one who skiied on the water. Channel 8 News showed up looking for the "snow hike." They finally decided we were the ones they were looking for, and Rick Worner gave them a sound bite on ski-O. Apparently it aired that night, but we were too exhausted to stay up to check it out. Thanks to Pege Brooks, Kay Sheehan, Louise Cook, Carol Moran, Rick Worner and whoever brought food! By the way, we charged all ESG people an extra dollar by mistake. We will get it back to you at the US champs, or next time we see you. Or you can use it to buy a chance on the sweater Dayle is doing to benefit the US team. (let us know this week for that!)
Rick Lavine: course setter.
Dayle Lavine: meet director
RESULTS
BLUE 12 km.
Mens masters and elite
Name time ESG class
1. Owen Baird 53:47 ME
2. Garce Reed 66:50 MM
3. Sergey Dobretsov 67:40
4. Steve Halasz 70:50 ME
5. Randy McGarvey 84:25 ME
6. Jim Tappon 88:40 MM
7. Tom Lamme 88:44 MM
8. Doug Brooks 89:22 MM
9. Eric Barbehenn 95:03 ME
10. Rick Worner 107:00
11. Tom &
Jack Wallenhorst 130:40
12. Jim Russell 142:25 MM
RED 11 km
Female elite
1. Dayle Lavine 74:18 (unofficial, helped set controls)
2. Heather Baird 79:05 FE
3. Sunita Halasz 92:12 FE
4. Joel Shore
& Nicolette Monsour 94:00
GREEN 8.5 km
Female masters, Male and Female scholastic
1. Ed Despard 49:42 MS
2. Erin Colquitt 52:27 FS
3. Larry Colquitt 86:51
4. Pege Brooks 88:30 FM
5. Tim Russell 94:48
6. Jenna Colquitt 99:20 FS
7. Sue Nickoley 100:50 FM
8. Dave & Ann
Fiorino 127:30
9. Lee May 130:00
YELLOW 6.5 km.(touring)
1. Robert Rouse
& Rosalie Ayres 84:20
2. Carol Moran 93:15
Louise Cook
&Joanne Hemenway DNF