January 13, 2010 (Rumford, ME) – This weekend the best cross-country ski racers in New England converge in Rumford, Maine for the TD Bank Rumford Eastern Cup weekend at the Black Mountain. This is the most competitive regional series in the United States, with its races also serving as Junior Olympic Qualifiers for the New England JO Team. 

TD Bank Eastern Cup at Rumford, Maine’s Black Mountain this Weekend
January 13 (Rumford, ME): This weekend the best cross-country ski racers in New England converge in Rumford, Maine for the TD Bank Rumford Eastern Cup weekend at the Black Mountain. This is the most competitive regional series in the United States, with its races also serving as Junior Olympic Qualifiers for the New England JO Team. This weekend will also serve as a final World Cup and Olympic preparation race for Sidney, Maine and New Zealand’s Ben Koons who will compete in the 2010 Olympic Games and World Cup races in Canada leading up to that event.

Koons raced often at the Black Mountain venue during his high school years as a state champion at Maine’s Messalonskee High School. “During high school Rumford was kind of like a second home course to me because we had so many races there. I have had some of my best races there… and worst… and plenty in between.” Saturday’s format, a classic sprint, is also an event at the upcoming Olympics, and Koons is excited for such specific preparation for his races in Vancouver, “I’m looking forward to the classic sprint, its been a while since I’ve done one.” Despite his Olympian status, Koons will not race unchallenged this weekend. US Biathlon team member Russell Currier (Maine WSC/Caribou, ME) will be looking to take out his frustration on missing out on this year’s Olympics. Another quiet challenger might be recent UVM graduate Juergen Uhl, a top collegiate racer who is still in Vermont. It has been reported that his training is going well and that he will be ready to go this weekend.

On the women’s side, the real challenge on Saturday might come from the youngest category, the J2 Girls. With all women racing the same distance, and both Corey Stock (CSU/Lincoln, MA) and Heather Mooney (Stratton/Peru, VT) coming off very strong races in the recently concluded Canadian World Junior Team Trials, it will be interesting to see how things stack up. Eastern Cup leader Sophie Caldwell is not competing this weekend, but Gage Fichter (Stratton/Putney, VT) who holds second place in the standings will be in attendance and will be looking to pick up a spot in the standings. For both men and women, a strong group of skiers from Craftsbury’s new Green Racing Project should also impact the results.

The event is hosted by Chisholm Ski Club and the New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA). Chisholm Ski Club is located at Black Mountain of Maine Ski Area in Rumford, Maine. The Club has a rich tradition dating back to the early days of the 20th century at its Spruce Street location and its mid 1900’s days at Scottie’s Mountain. Over the years the Club has hosted several world class Nordic skiing events, including the 1950 World Championships, 1976 NCAAs, 1991 National Biathlon Championships, 1993 US Nationals, 1993 U.S. Masters Nationals, 1996 National Junior Olympics, 1996 US Nationals, the 1999 NCAAs, and the 2003 and 2004 US Nationals. Black Mountain is also the site of Chisholm Ski Club’s annual Winter Carnival, a traditional event that dates back to 1924.

See NENSA.net for full details, and after the event, check back for results, photos, and more. For immediate updates during the events, follow the athletes and coaches directly at <http://www.twitter.com/nensa/athletes>www.twitter.com/nensa/athletes