The Maine Team Selection Race will be held Saturday, March 5th at the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center. The snow date is Sunday, March 6th. The sole purpose of the race is to select the athletes who will attend the NENSA U16s or EHSC. All athletes must register in advance using THIS ONLINE REGISTRATION. . No day of race registration is allowed. Entry fee is $22.00 made out to the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center. Registration closes Wednesday, March 2nd at 5:00 PM. You do NOT have to be a NENSA member to attend the Selection Race, but you MUST be a NENSA member to attend U16s or EHSC.
Here is the schedule for the event:
8:00 Course open for inspection
8:30 Bib pick up
10:30 Girls Classic 5km 15 second interval start
11:30 Boys Classic 5km 15 second interval start
12:30 Course closed for grooming
1:00 Bib pickup and FS course open for inspection (approx. time)
2:00 Girls 2.5km Pursuit start
3:00 Boys 2.5km Pursuit start
The race is run under the attached rules. We will be naming the top 24 Female and 24 Male athletes to both the U16 and EHSC Maine Teams. Any athlete who attends the USSA Junior Nationals is automatically named to the team, but they MUST send their non-refundable deposit to Buzz Bean by March 1st. (Contact Buzz at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) Final details including prices will be posted shortly on the MHSS website. In addition, the following applies:
Any athlete who wins the Pursuit race at states in any class, also, the top high school and top U16 finisher boy and girl from the Aroostook County Championships will be automatic selections to the team.
These athletes MUST ALSO send their non-refundable deposit to Buzz Bean by March 1st. He will NOT chase after you! We will be naming 10 alternates to both teams: ALL athletes MUST provide a non-refundable check made out to Maine Nordic at the naming of the team after the racing concludes. If alternates are not called upon to race their checks will be destroyed; if they are called upon and choose not to participate, they will not receive a refund.
The race is open to any Maine resident but athletes MUST be enrolled in a Maine high school (or another high school out of state) to attend EHSC. 8th grade students may attend the U16 event (and the Selection Race) provided they meet the age requirements for U16, but may NOT attend EHSC. The race is NOT open to athletes who do not meet the NENSA age/grade requirements, ie. no PGs, etc.
All athletes and coaches MUST be fully vaccinated per CDC guidelines to attend either U16s or EHSC. There are NO exemptions at all. Please schedule your vaccination (or booster if eligible) immediately if you aren't fully vaccinated. In addition it is highly likely they will need proof of a negative PCR test immediately preceding the events, so plan ahead! Final details on the website shortly.
U16s are at Jackson, NH `March 12-13 while EHSC are at Titcomb Mountain March 19-20. Final details will be posted shortly. The team will be staying together for U16s but will NOT be staying together at EHSC. Athletes must provide their own transportation (and accommodations if desired) to the EHSC events. A bag lunch will be provided at both events on Sunday. Please visit nensa.net for more information about the Championships.
An All Star group of coaches have been selected for each trip and will be providing amazingly fast skis for the races. Team members will receive detailed emails from the U16 Trip Leader Elysha Dyar (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) and EHSC Trip Leader Buzz Bean (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) shortly after the Selection Race. Contact Buzz Bean for more info about the Selection Race.
Wax 'em up, keep skiing and get ready for a great race at the SOC!
GO MAINE!!!