NNF Cup Update: Steamboat Springs and SMS T2 Score Big at the American Birkebeiner

by | Mar 1, 2023 | Featured, NNF Cup

Full recap from Nordic Insights HERE

The US SuperTour presented by the National Nordic Foundation joined up with the largest cross-country ski race in North America last Saturday, as the field competed in the American Birkebeiner in Cable, Wisconsin. The elite skate race acted as the next stop in the NNF Cup, with marathon skiers eager to get their shot to contribute to the action.

While NNF Cup standings did not change at the top, both the Men’s and Women’s races saw a pair of clubs continue to shoot up the standings: Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, and Stratton Mountain School T2. For Steamboat, an early move by David Norris on the powerlines 4 k into the race led to a commanding win on Main Street. Norris used the Birkie as a final tune-up for World Championships, as he heads to Planica for the 50 k this weekend.

The women’s race, meanwhile, featured a vintage Birkie battle between the two women who have defined the Birkie’s recent past – Stratton Mountain School’s Alayna Sonneysn, and Steamboat Spring’s Jessica Yeaton. From the Seeley Firetower to Mosquito Brook, with B*tch Hill in between, the two stuck together. Yeaton looked to instigate a long-burn sprint off Lake Hayward, but Sonnesyn responded and came up Main Street to win her fourth Birkie.

The win marked the second SuperTour weekend in a row where Sonneysn had scored maximum points for Stratton Mountain School T2 (alongside teammate Lauren Jortberg last weekend), and as a result the Vermont team that hadn’t scored any points in the NNF Cup until Senior Nationals in January moved into fifth place in the Women’s classification. Meanwhile, the Steamboat Springs couple of David Norris and Jessica Yeaton also combined to move the Colorado club up to the top ten in the Overall Classification.

 The SuperTour takes a break as its skiers again scatter to the opportunities earned through their results on America’s premier domestic circuit. With skiers set to start at World Championships, World Cups, or the OPA Cup in weeks to come, the action will look elsewhere. The final SuperTour period begins in Craftsbury, Vermont March 22nd.

Full Results

American Birkebeiner Results

NNF Cup Standings After Mayor’s XC Challenge in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Overall

  1. Bridger Ski Foundation Pro Team – 1052 points.
  2. University of Utah – 1023 points.
  3. APU Nordic Ski Center – 963 points.

Men

  1. Bridger Ski Foundation Pro Team – 596 points.
  2. APU Nordic Ski Center – 592 points.
  3. University of Utah – 460 points.

Women

  1. University of Utah – 563 points.
  2. Craftsbury Green Racing Project – 514 points.
  3. Bridger Ski Foundation Pro Team – 456 points.

 

The NNF Cup celebrates club excellence in America’s premier domestic ski competition by tallying performance of club teams across the SuperTour season. The NNF Cup was awarded to Alaska Pacific University last season. Follow along on our website, Facebook, Instagram, and newsletter as we track this season’s cup!

 

NNF Cup Rules and Regulations can be found here.

(Photo: (c) 2023 American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation)

 

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