The St. Lawrence University Nordic ski team will open the 2024 season at the University of Vermont Carnival at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center this weekend January 12-13.

Last season, Emma Strack made her second postseason appearance in as many years to conclude the St. Lawrence University Nordic ski team's 2023 campaign with a postseason run at the NCAA Skiing Championships hosted by the Saints in Lake Placid, N.Y. Strack's appearance marked the fifth consecutive trip to NCAAs for members of the Saints' Nordic squad.

Strack posted a 15th-place finish in the five-kilometer freestyle and a 14th-place finish in the 20K classic, posting the best NCAA results for the Scarlet and Brown since Caroline Carpenter recorded a 16th-place finish in the 5K in 2012, when the championships were held in Bozeman, Montana.

"It will be no surprise to see Emma lead the team throughout the season as she has now established herself as one of the best in the country and a threat to win races," said head coach Ethan Townsend. 
 
"Etta Leugers started to crack into the top 35 last season and if she can do that more consistently along with team captain Amanda Vansant, then we really start to move up the EISA team score. I'd also expect Lilli Thomas and Claire Wagner to be impactful."

Leugers posted a season-best 33rd-place result in the 10-kilometer classic at Williams, finishing with a time of 40:55.1.

"On the men's side, with Brian Beyerbach graduating we will see who steps forward to consistently lead the men's team. I'm hoping Colton Martin will be a regular fixture in the top twenty and after that team captain Jax Lubkowitz and Lucas Jenkin seem to be in solid form. I also think that Nico Alexander and first-years Geo Debrosse and Oliver White could be very helpful in the team scoring with others potentially jumping in as well."

Martin recorded a season-best 26th-place finish in the men's 20-kilometer classic at the Saints home carnival in Lake Placid, during the Eastern Regionals, finishing with a time of 58:02.3.

The Saints strong group of returners is joined by eight members of the Class of 2027, who have been training hard and ready to get the season underway this weekend.

This season opens at the UVM Carnival this week and then will take the Scarlet and Brown to the Colby Carnival at Quarry Road in Waterville, Maine. The Saints will have the weekend off before opening February at Harvard Carnival, which will be back at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center on February 2-3. St. Lawrence will then head to Dartmouth on February 9-10, before traveling to Williams on February 16-17, and then Middlebury on February 23-24, which serves as the NCAA Eastern Regionals.

"The EISA field is increasingly more competitive," Townsend concluded. "But I believe this group can compete if we stay focused and support each other. We had a great fall of training and it is a very fun group to work with."

Follow the links to check out the Saints' latest news, roster and schedule for the upcoming season.