Keep the momentum rolling.

Coming off one of the best seasons in program history, the St. Michael’s Nordic ski team looks even stronger going into the 2024-2025 campaign.

“I can’t wait to see how well they race,” head coach Molly Peters stated in an email earlier this fall. Peters, who is entering her 13th season at the helm, said the Purple Knight’s squad is bigger than it’s been in a long time “and definitely the best group we’ve ever had.”

That’s saying something, especially in light of last year.

Henrick Wist became the fifth Purple Knight — and first since 1999 — to qualify for the NCAA championships. He finished 37th in the 7.5k freestyle and was 36th in the 20k classic mass start in Steamboat Springs last March. The Trondheim product joined an exclusive club — with Jens Johansson (1999), Anne-Birgit Stange (1983), Hege Vethe (1996) and Amy Vile (1998) — as the only Nordic skiers to represent the school at a national meet.

Wist also earned EISA co-skier of the week after claiming the 15k classic title at the Dartmouth Carnival — the first St. Michael’s individual win in 28 years. At that event, the Purple Knights placed fourth as a men’s team on Day 1 and Day 2, their best finish in the modern EISA era.

Meanwhile the women placed seventh and sixth, respectively, at the two-day Williams Carnival, with first-year skier Zoe Devine sliding into the top-30 in the classic mass start. The relay trio of Devine, Grace Castonguay and Clara Wyatt placed seventh out of 11 teams, the best finish since Vile led a 3×5-kilometer squad to a seventh at St. Lawrence in 1998, according to the St. Michael’s athletic communications department’s reporting. Later in the spring, Castonguay and Evelyn Hudrlik competed on the IBU Cup circuit in Europe. Castonguay also won the sprint race at the U.S. Biathlon Collegiate National Championships.

Still, Peters said her grade for the season was a ‘B.’ The big lesson learned was the importance of health and recovery.

“We had too many skiers that missed races because of sickness,” she said. “We have learned to hold the firs- years back a bit in their first fall on campus. Also, taking more time to recover after sickness.”

Heading into the winter, the only major loss to graduation was Castonguay — who is now racing on the national biathlon team. The 21-member squad welcomes a slew of promising freshmen, starting with Daniel McCollor. The Wayzata product finished fourth and second in his final two Minnesota state meets and was part of the American U18 Scando Cup team.

He’ll be joined by SVSEF post-grad skier Otus Beason and Aspen Valley Ski Club’s Sam Friday. The women added Ski and Snowboard Club Vail’s Keely Hendricks as well as Jersey Miller and Sophie Stephenson. Peters said all 10 men and 11 women have been gelling well ever since practices began in early September.

“The team is so excited to work together and push each other,” Peters said. “They love all parts of training, whether it’s roller skiing, running or hiking.  They have also been really into strength training and playing squash.”

Peters, whose parents own Sleepy Hollow Nordic, the team’s training venue, raced during her high school days growing up in Vermont and later competed at Middlebury College. She started at St. Michael’s as the women’s cross-country coach and added Nordic shortly after. The growth of the program under her watch is evidenced in part by the team’s new ski house, which opened on campus this fall.

The Kelley Ski Center is located inside Senior Hall, an older building on campus that has been “mostly underutilized in recent years,” according to a September press release. The Center will have four-times the amount of space as the Nordic and Alpine teams’ previous home, Peters said. Teams will have a gathering space to watch videos, a kitchen to cook meals and an area for waxing and ski tuning.

“It’s super exciting!” she stated regarding the project, which was largely made possible by generous contributions from former skiing captain Tom Kelley (Class of ’69) and his wife, Denise, as well as alumni, parents and the local community.

“We are so excited that the skiing teams at Saint Michael’s will soon have a space that matches the growth they’ve shown over the last few years – and that allows them to keep growing,” Matt Akins, Saint Michael’s Director of Athletics stated in the press release prior to the Sept. 20 ribbon cutting ceremony. “The possibilities are endless now, thanks to Tom Kelley and all of the other alumni, parents, and local partners who supported this vision and ultimately helped it become a reality.”

Heading into the winter, Peters didn’t explicitly list any objective goals for her team, but wants the focus instead to be on the journey.

“I want the team to work together and push each other. I want them to enjoy the process and have fun with their training,” she said. “We can be serious on hard days but also enjoy the recovery workouts and make them fun. I also want them to see the improvement from last season and be proud of themselves.” 

St. Michael’s team results (2024 EISA Carnival circuit)

(day 1 place/day 2 place)

UVM Carnival

• Women – 11th/11th
• Men – 9th/11th

Colby Carnival

• Women – 8th/11th
• Men – 9th/10th

Harvard Carnival

• Women – 11th/10th
• Men – 9th/9th

Dartmouth Carnival

• Women – 10th/10th
• Men – 4th/4th

Williams Carnival

• Women – 7th/6th
• Men – 6th/7th

Regionals

• Women – 9th/11th
• Men – 9th/7th

EISA 2024 individual rankings

Men

1. John Steel Hagenbuch DAR 200 200 400
2. Remi Drolet HAR 160 200 360
3. Finn Sweet UVM 130 160 290
4. Jack Lange DAR 160 110 270
5. Keelan Durham WIL 160 62 222
6. Jack Christner MID 90 116 206
7. Benon Brattebo UVM 126 56 182
8. Jack Young CBC 110 71 181
9. Luke Allan DAR 90 90 180
10. Logan Moore MID 77 100 177

Women

1. Haley Brewster UVM 200 180 380
2. Shea Brams MID 90 200 290
3. Lucinda Anderson UNH 160 95 255
4. Ava Thurston DAR 100 150 250
5. Emma Crum BOW 125 110 235
6. Marielle Ackermann UVM 140 90 230
7. Jasmine Drolet DAR 140 80 220
8. Annie McColgan UVM 105 110 215
9. Elizabeth Tuttle UVM 140 72 212
10. Hattie Barker UNH 68 112 180

St. Michael’s athletes

Men (place, name, points)

• 12, Henrick Wist – 164
• 24, Declan Hutchinson – 89
• 48, Sondre Michael Braennare-Gran – 13
• 55, Andrew Scanio – 4

Women (place, name, points)

• 37, Grace Castonguay – 23
• 46, Zoe Devine – 7
• 53, Clara Wyatt – 3