Nordic Ski | 3/9/2025 11:00:00 AM
Following nearly a month off from competition, the Clarkson University Nordic Skiing teams are back in action March 11-12 and 14-15, as the men and women travel to Bend, Oregon for the USCSA National Championships, held at Mount Bachelor. Conditions on the mountain look very favorable for competition with temperatures in the low to mid 20s and snow showers forecasted for the week. As of March 7th, the mountain currently has a base depth of 118" of snow with a cool weekend in store ahead of championship week. The event will be the finale of the 2025 Nordic Ski season with the men hoping to follow up their first-place overall finish in 2024 where they claimed the overall USCSA National Championship.
The Events: Competition will be split into four days with Thursday as a "rest day" to break up the week. Tuesday will be the 7.5k Individual Start Skate with Wednesday being Classic Sprints. Friday will then move to the 15k Classic Mass Starts and Saturday wrapping up with Skate Team Sprints.
The Team: Six individuals from the men's side and all three individuals from the women's side will be making the trip to Oregon. Freshman Matthew Clarner and classmate Finn Payne will be aiming for high finishes over the week as both have showcased through the season so far. Clarner has amassed seven first place finishes so far either individually or as part of a team to go along with three second place finishes as well, his best races have been the shorter events with two of his three second place finishes on the year coming in 15k distances but he has won all the 7.5k races he has taken part in. Payne went through a bit of a mid-season rough patch but has still contributed heavily to first place finishes in the Classic Team Sprint in two events this year while consistently finishing within the top 10 of skiers in both 7.5 and 15k distances with his best finish in the latter being 3rd of 50 at the Paul Smith's Invitational. After finishing ninth overall at the 2024 nationals, Joey Rouhana will look to carry some momentum into the week from his finishes over the 2025 season. The junior has claimed four first place finishes while claiming a spot in the top-three overall, the Skiathlon and Criterium at the UVM Invitational provided his best finishes individually with 1st out of 72 and 63 skiers, respectively. Sophomore Torsten Brickley finished 29th overall last year and will compete in the 15k on Friday. Throughout the season he has finished 8th out of 50 and 12th out of 60 in races of the same distance. Junior Adam Jansen skied to 39th overall at Lake Placid in 2024 and will take part in the 7.5k skate on the opening day in Oregon, two 7.5k Skate races in 2025 saw him finish 11th of 30 at the Jackson Jaunt and 11th of 61 at the ECSC Regionals. Silas Bartol wraps up the men's side competing in the 15k Classic with the freshman placing 13th of 50 in a 15k Freestyle at the Paul Smith's Invitational and 14th of 60 in the 15k Mass Start at the ECSC Divisionals back in February. The participants for the Skate Team Sprints on Saturday are still yet to be determined.
For the women, Skylar Francis has been a constant at the front for Clarkson posting one first place finish and two second-place finishes through 2025. The sophomore will have her sights set on bettering her 2024 nationals results which saw her place 33rd overall. Classmates Raegan Joly and Clare Janas both competed in Lake Placid last year with Joly posting a 51st place and Janas a 54th place finish. Both skiers have had an up-and-down stretch in 2025 but are shooting for season bests out in the Pacific Northwest.
