The St. Lawrence University Nordic ski team will open the 2025 season at the Bates College Carnival at Black Mountain in Rumford, Maine this weekend January 10-11.

"Our training this fall has been great," said head coach Ethan Townsend, who enters his 23rd season in 2025. "We have a very positive and fun group and I am excited to see how they do. With a first-year class of ten, many of whom are from out of the region, it will be interesting to see how they do at the Eastern venues. We are starting the season with a small group racing at US Nationals in Anchorage, while the rest get familiar with the new course at Oak Hill, Dartmouth race site."

Last season was highlighted by a third trip to the postseason for Emma Strack at the 2024 NCAA Championships. Strack finished 16th in the 7.5K freestyle, posting the fifth-best result out of all the EISA skiers competing at nationals. Her 16th-place finish ties for fourth in the Saints record books for best finishes at NCAAs. She also holds the second and third place records from her results from the 2023 season.  

In 2024, Strack became the first skier in Coach Townsend's tenure to podium twice and now is the first skier to qualify for NCAAs three times.

Also on the women's side last season, Etta Leugers posted a career-best 39th-place finish in the 20K classic at Middlebury and finished with two other top-40 finishes on the season. As a team, the women's squad started out the season with a fifth-place result at the UVM Carnival for their best performance of the season.
 
On the men's side, now sophomore Geo DeBrosse performed consistently for the Saints all season recording a career-best 42nd place in the 7.5K skate at Harvard, while Trevor Aitken skied a career-best 27th-place finish in the 10K classic at Williams. The men's team finished 10th five times throughout the season.

Seniors for the Scarlet and Brown this season include Charlotte Brown, Leif Harvey, Jack Hulsey, Lucas Jenkin, Leugers, Marlia Richer, Strack and Lilli Thomas. Aitken and Niko Alexander return for their junior campaigns.

Back for their sophomore season with the Saints are DeBrosse, Riley Hutchinson, Carli Krebs, Samantha Legate, Justin Levesque, Foster Savitsky, Anika Vandenburgh, and Oliver White.

The Saints strong group of returners will be joined by 10 new members of the Class of 2028, Emily Campbell, Carter Forest, Andrew Krieger, Berit Meyers, Carl Morse, Evan Nichols, Emily Percival, Boden Sundell, Caroline Tarmy, Elle Waite, and Cassidy Wright.

The season opens at the Bates this weekend and then the Scarlet and Brown will return to their home base and host the St. Lawrence Carnival on January 17 and 18 at Mt. Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Following a weekend at home, the Saints will travel to Sleepy Hollow for the Saint Michael's Carnival, Oak Hill for the Dartmouth Carnival and the Rikert Touring Center for the Middlebury Carnival. The University of New Hampshire will host the NCAA Eastern Regionals on February 21 and 22 in Jackson, N.H.

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