Current NENSA Points List used for seeding all NENSA Eastern Cups (Feb 1. 2004 List): Men | Women (.pdf files)

NENSA Rules (and Points Explained) - a must read for parents, coaches, and athletes.

JO Info Packet for Athletes and Parents

New England Junior National Coaching Squad

	Jeff Hixon (Team Leader): Jeff returns to the New England JO staff this year as a three-peat Team Leader. 2004 marks his fifth year in a row working with New England. This University of New Hampshire alumnus balances coaching for the Northeast Nordic Ski Club and working at a small pharmaceutical company in Cambridge. Over the years, he has coached various NH Eastern High School and J2 Championship teams. Jeff resides in Salisbury, MA with his wife, daughter, and five cats.
	Laura Creagan (Assistant Team Leader): Laura returns to the New England JO coaching staff for her second year. When she is not thinking JO’s or coaching her team at Greely High School, she is consumed by her IT consulting business called DB-Ology, Inc. which she operates with her husband Sean. During the summer she switches gears and trains and competes in triathlons. Laura's ultimate goal as an xc ski coach is to someday be involved with the Winter Olympics. As an athlete, Laura hopes to one day complete an Ironman distance triathlon. Laura brings to the New England JO Team a wealth of Nordic experience. Over the past six years she has coached for both Cape Nordic and the Maine State Team at Easterns.
	Matt Whitcomb (Head Coach): 2004 marks Matt’s second season as Head Nordic Coach for Burke Mountain Academy. At Burke, he is a dorm parent for thirteen unfortunate students and is a member of the school’s Senior Management Team. Prior to his coming to Burke, he coached the Glacier Nordic Ski Team in Whitefish, MT under the guidance of Pete Phillips. Matt sits on New England’s Junior Committee as a new member for 2004. He is a 2001 graduate of Middlebury College where he majored in geology and captained the Nordic Team. He looks forward to his third ski season as a JO coach. Matt, a graduate of Stratton Mountain School, is originally from Worthington, MA and the Berkshire Trails Nordic Ski Club.
	Jon Arne Enevoldsen (Head Wax Coach): Jon is from Narvik, Norway where he worked as a civil engineer. In Norway, he also dedicated his time to a strong coaches education program. He has been a professional coach for ten years and looks forward to his fifth year as a JO coach. Jan is the Head Nordic Coach at Green Mountain Valley School.
	Sverre Caldwell: Sverre started coaching the year Matt was born. He has been at Stratton since 1980 and served four of those years as headmaster. In fact, Sverre coached Matt in 1996 and 1997. Sverre was US Ski Team Eastern Regional Coach from 1987-1990, coached the Olympic Team in Calgary, is a two-time World Junior competitor (coach actually), and has coached the New England JO Team for a dozen years. He has served as both Head Coach and Team Leader for New England. “Sver-dog” is a Darthmouth alumnus and a two-time USSA Coach of the Year recipient. WOW.
	Alexei Sotskov: Alexei, 43, hails from Russia where he was educated at the from Physical Culture and Sport Institute in St. Petersburg. He graduated in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science and a major in Nordic Ski Coaching. From 1978-1991, Alexei competed nationally and internationally as a Nordic Combined skier for Soviet Union Ski Team. He then became the Head Nordic Combined Coach for the School of Superior Athletic Performance in St. Petersburg. Alexei headed the program at Gunstock in Gilford, NH before turning most recently to Vermont Academy where he is Director of Sports on Snow and Head Nordic Coach. Alexei is Chairman for the Junior Committee of NENSA 2001-present, is entering his fourth year as NE JO coach, and resides on campus at Vermont Academy. He spends his free time at his house in Gilford, NH.
	Megan Smith: Megan is from New Hampshire and the Monadnock Ski Club. She has been coaching for five years. During this time she has worked for the Monadnock High School team, in addition to the NH J2 team where she was head women’s coach. She has a double major in Exercise Science and Integrative Health Studies from New England College. Megan enjoys biking, hiking and rock climbing, but spends the majority of her spare time raising sheep. Megan looks forward to her first year working with the New England JO squad.
	Jordan Goldwarg: Jordan Goldwarg is a 2003 graduate of Williams College, where he was a four-year member of the ski team. This winter, he has shifted his skiing focus to coaching, working as the development coach at Dartmouth College. Jordan grew up in Montreal and spent his formative years of racing in Quebec. Although this is his first year of JO coaching, he hopes to bring his passion for skiing and his experience as a racer to the New England team, helping us to achieve the best results possible in Lake Placid.
	Scottie Eliassen: A 1990 graduate of Dartmouth College, Scottie currently resides in Lyme, NH. She raced with the St. Paul’s School and Waterville Valley from 1983-86 before racing for three seasons at Dartmouth. Scottie brings to the New Engand team vast JO experience as she has spent six seasons in every position from cook to Head Coach. In addition, she has worked for the Ford Sayre junior program since 1992 where she is head coach for both the BKL and high school programs. Over the past three years, Scottie has been a part of two junior training/racing trips to Norway.
	Pete Phillips: Pete has recently landed in Bethel, ME, with his dogs Rocky and Sitka. He spends his time in Bethel recovering from the work days with Chummy and Ray up at Black Mountain working for the Chisholm Ski Club in Rumford. Pete originates from Seattle, WA, spent fifteen years living and coaching in Sun Valley, ID, two years of the same in Bozeman, MT, three in Whitefish, MT, and a total of six years coaching the JO’s for Intermountain. He is a three-time Team Leader at JO’s, and coached the USST Scandinavian Cup in 2002 in Norway. Pete also spent thirty summers fishing for salmon in Alaska. How old is this guy?
	Pepa Milocheva: Pepa is from Sofia, Bulgaria. She currently works for the Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Vermont where she has been a ski coach for eight years. At Craftsbury, Pepa started the Craftsbury Nordic Ski Club with its director, John Brodhead. Pepa has a Masters in Physical Education and Sport from the Bulgaria Sport University. Here, she perfected her skills in the fields of anatomy, sport physiology, biomechanics, and training theory. While not studying, Pepa competed in ski orienteering and was World Champion in 1994. She was a member of the Bulgarian National Ski Orienteering Team from 1984 to 1995, during which time she won an additional two silvers and four bronze medals at World Championships. Pepa returns to the New England JO team for her second year.

2004 JO Team Roster

JO Registration for athletes (.pdf)

Final Standings: J1/OJ Girls | J1/OJ Boys | J2 Girls | J2 Boys

Current NENSA Points List used for seeding all NENSA Eastern Cups (Feb 1. 2004 List): Men | Women (.pdf files)

JO Info Packet for Athletes and Parents

2004 JO Qualifying Procedure
New for 2004! Please read the qualification criteria below. Changes have
been made for 2004.
• A J1 and OJ's best four out of eight JOQ's will be counted toward
qualification. Please note that there are two sprints included in the eight:
12/20 CL at Bolton and 12/29 F/S at MWSC. You may count either of these
sprints but not both. You do not have to count either one. Eastern Cup
sprints cannot be used as NRL substitutes races
• A J2's best three out of six J2Q's plus will be counted toward
qualification. Please note that there are two sprints included in the six:
12/20 CL at Bolton and 12/29 F/S at MWSC. You may count either of these
sprints but not both. You do not have to count either one. Eastern Cup
sprints cannot be used as NRL substitutes races.
• Up to 3 FIS/USSA substitutions may be used for JO qualifying purposes (2
for J2's.) This season, the Nationals are again at Rumford and provide
eligible FIS/USSA competitions within the region. Competing in Nationals and
Continental Cups across the country is a great way to get valuable points
toward making the JO team. Take note: When NRL races are also NENSA JOQ
races, only the NENSA points earned can count toward JO qualifying!
.• J2's will again be scored separately for JO Qualifying purposes. All J2's
who do not carry points from the 2002-2003 NENSA Points List will carry 220
for base calculation purposes.
New England Junior Olympic Team Qualification Criteria, 2004
The USSA Cross-country Junior Olympics (JO's) provides the opportunity for
Junior skiers (born 1983 or later) from USSA divisions and districts to
compete against one another in one sprint event, two regular distance
individual races, and one relay event. The 2004 JO's will be held March 7-14
in Lake Placid, N. Skiers may only compete in JO's as part of their district
or divisional team. To be eligible for the New England team, a skier must be
a member of USSA and must have a permanent or temporary address in New
England.
Team Size and Composition
The team shall be 21 males and 21 females plus any skiers who qualify at
World Junior Championship team trials or through the final NCAA East list
(USSA rules.) The New England team will have members from the following age
categories; no more than 6 males and 6 females in the J2 group, no more than
12 males and 12 females in each of the J1 and OJ age groups (USSA rules),
excluding World Junior Championship team trials qualifiers (USSA rule) and
NCAA East list qualifiers (USSA rule.) The final team will consist of at
least 6 males and 6 females in the J1 age group.
Qualifying Races
12/20/03 Banknorth Eastern Cup at Bolton Valley, VT
CL Sprint JOQ/J2Q / NRL Race
12/29/03 TAMC Nordic Heritage Nor-Am/Banknorth Eastern Cup Race, Presque
Isle, ME 10K/10K Cl interval start JOQ NRL Race
12/30/03 TAMC Nordic Heritage Nor-Am/Banknorth Eastern Cup Race, Presque
Isle, ME Freestyle sprints JOQ/J2Q NRL Race
1/10/04 Banknorth Eastern Cup, Rumford, ME 10k/5k FS Mass start JOQ/J2Q
1/25/04 Banknorth Eastern Cup in Jackson, NH 10K/10K/4K 5K J2 FS Mass Start,
JOQ/J2Q Mass start
2/8/04 Banknorth Eastern Cup at Notchview Reservation, MA 15K/10K/5K CL Mass
start, JOQ/J2Q
2/21/04 Banknorth Silver Fox Trot in Hanover, NH 10k/5k FS Interval start JOQ
2/22/04 Banknorth Eastern Cup at Vermont Academy, Saxton's River, VT 5k/5k
CL Mass start JOQ/J2Q
Scoring of Races
The NENSA FIS race scoring system will be used for the New England JOQ's and
J2Q's. Please note that J2's are scored separately from other skiers for J2Q
purposes even when they race the same distance as the older skiers. See
www.NENSA.net and the "Points" page for details about the NENSA, FIS and JOQ
points systems.
Use of FIS/USSA Nationals and Continental Cup Race Points
J1 and OJ skiers with NENSA points from at least one JOQ will be allowed to
use up to 3 FIS/USSA NRL race substitutions for JO qualifying purposes (2
for J2's.) This season, the Nationals at Rumford provide eligible FIS/USSA
competitions within the region. All substitutions must be brought to the
attention of the program director by Feb. 15th, 2004. Take note: When NRL
races are also NENSA JOQ races, only the NENSA points earned can count
toward JO qualifying! Eastern Cup sprints cannot be used as NRL substitutes
races
I. Team Selection Process
A. Naming Order
1. Skier's who finish in the top 20 on the final ranking list from the World
Junior Championship team trials automatically qualify for their division or
district teams, above the team quota. In additions, athletes who qualify for
the J1 Scandinavian trip based on results from World Junior Championship
team trials automatically qualify for their division or district teams,
above the team quota. The New England athletes meeting these criteria will
be the first named.
2. Juniors who finish in the top 20 on the final NCAA East list
automatically qualify for their division teams, above the team quota. The
New England athletes meeting this criterion will be the second named.
3. Up to 3 male J2, J1, or OJ and up to 3 female J2, J1, or OJ may be named
to the team as discretionary selections by the NENSA Athletic Development
Committee (ADC.) Discretionary selections are made between January 1 and
February 15, 2004, and will be named to the team and counted toward the team
quota.
4. Skiers who finish among the top five eligible J1/OJ juniors overall in
three J1/OJ qualifying races, with at least one of these races being from
each discipline (classic and freestyle) will be named to the team and
counted toward the team quota. Either a CL or a F/S sprint can be one of the
four races that count, but not both. You do not have to count either one.
Eastern Cup sprints cannot be used as NRL substitutes races.
5. Junior 2 skiers (J2's) may qualify through competing in the six
designated J2Q's. FIS or USSA points may be used as defined above. Each
racers best three scores will be averaged to place the skier on the final J2
ranking list. The top 6 boys and top 6 girls will be named to the New
England team. Either a CL or a FS sprint can be one of the three races that
count,but not both. You do not have to count either one. Eastern Cup sprints
cannot be used as NRL substitutes races
6. Junior 1 and Older Juniors. Junior 1 and Older Junior skiers will be
scored together at eight JOQ's. FIS or USSA points may be used as defined
above. Each racer's best four scores will be averaged to place the skier on
a final J1/OJ ranking list. If five, four, or three races are held, three
races will be used to produce the final J1/OJ ranking list. Either a CL or a
F/S sprint can be one of the four races that count, but not both. You do not
have to count either one. Eastern Cup sprints cannot be used as NRL
substitutes races.
B. Naming Process
The athletes qualifying from World Junior Trials will be named first. The
athletes qualifying from the NCAA East list will be named second. Using
procedure I.A.5 above, 6 J2 women and 6 J2 men will be named to the team.
Then counting the J1/OJ athletes who qualify by I.A.1, I.A.2, I.A.3, I.A.4,
and I.A.6 above, 6 J1 women and 6 J1 men will be named. Next, those athletes
qualifying by I.A.3 and I.A.4 and not already named, will be named. Finally,
the J1/OJ ranking list described in I.A.6 will be used to name skiers to the
team until the team quota is filled. (Note: A maximum of 12 of each age/sex
class may be named. - USSA rule.) 2 J1/OJ male and 2 J1/OJ female alternates
will be named in order from the ranking list
II. Selection to the Team
After the World Junior Championship team trials, NCAA qualifiers, and 21 men
and 21 women from B above have been named to the team, the athletes to
participate in the JO's will be selected according to the following
procedures.
A. J-2 Skiers
If any of the 6 named male and female J2 athletes decline their
nomination, replacements will be named from the J2 ranking list starting
with skier #7 until 6 skiers have been named to and accepted positions on
the New England team.
B. J1 and OJ Skiers
If no J2/J1/OJ athlete declines his or her team nomination, the team
selected will be the team named as above. If a counted J1/OJ athlete named
to the team declines his or her nomination, the balance of the team of 21
men and 21 women, excluding athletes eligible from I.A.1 and I.A.2 above,
will be selected from the alternates. A maximum of 12 athletes in an age/sex
J1/OJ category will attend JO's from New England, excluding World Junior
Championship team trials and NCAA athletes who may participate outside of
the USSA regional quota of 12 per class by sex.

2004 JO Team Roster

JO Registration for athletes (.pdf)

New England JOQ Standings (new 2/11/04)

Current NENSA Points List used for seeding all NENSA Eastern Cups (Feb 1. 2004 List): Men | Women (.pdf files)

JO Info Packet for Athletes and Parents

2004-2007 New England Junior Olympic Team Uniforms

JO Registration for athletes (.pdf)

Final Standings: J1/OJ Girls | J1/OJ Boys | J2 Girls | J2 Boys

Current NENSA Points List used for seeding all NENSA Eastern Cups (Feb 1. 2004 List): Men | Women (.pdf files)

JO Info Packet for Athletes and Parents

Update #1

2004 New England Junior Olympic Team
Information for athletes competing for a spot on the 2004
New England Junior Olympic Team and their parents

The 2004 U.S. Junior Olympic Championships will be held March 6-14, 2004 in Lake Placid, NY at the Verizon Sports Complex at Mt VanHovenberg. The Junior Olympic Championships bring together the best cross country skiers from all over the U.S. for a week’s worth of ski competitions.

There will be a sprint, a classic individual race(j2-5k, j1/oj women-10k, j1/oj men-15k), a freestyle individual race(j2-5k, j1/oj women-10k, j1/oj men-15k), and a team relay (j2-3x3k, j1/oj men/women 3x5k) during the week of competition.

The New England Team:
Qualifying for the NE team is done through the series of 8 NENSA Eastern Cup JOQ races(J1/OJ skiers) and 5 Eastern Cup J2Q’s (for J2’s). For complete details on qualification procedures, please see the NENSA website at www.nensa.net
The NE team will be announced at the final JOQ on February 22nd at Vermont Academy.

We will be traveling as a team to Lake Placid on Saturday March 6th, 2004, departing from a point(s) in NE to be determined and returning Sunday March 14th.
Approximate cost for this years’ trip, including food and lodging, ground transportation to Lake Placid from a designated point in NE, and back, transportation while in Lake Placid, race entry fees, the best race waxes, and coaching, will be about $900.00
Uniforms: New uniforms were designed this year through VOMAX – this design will be used for the next 5 seasons until the JO’s return to NE. New uniforms can be purchased as part of the trip for $170.00

2004 NE Junior Olympic Team Staff:
Jeff Hixon – Team leader
Matt Whitcomb – Head coach
Laura Creagan – Asst Team leader
Jon Arne Enevoldsen – Head wax coach
Pepa Miloucheva
Sverre Caldwell
Megan Smith
Jordan Goldwarg
Alexei Sotskov
Scottie Eliassen
Peter Phillips

The staff is very excited to be working with this trip and we are aiming to provide a great experience for all athletes going on the JO’s. Please feel free to see any of the staff at the eastern cup races, or email Jeff with any questions that you have. jeffreyhixon@hotmail.com.

JO Registration for athletes (.pdf)

New England JOQ Standings (new 2/11/04)

Current NENSA Points List used for seeding all NENSA Eastern Cups (Feb 1. 2004 List): Men | Women (.pdf files)

JO Info Packet for Athletes and Parents

Update #2

Information for athletes interested in going on the New England trip to the Junior Olympics in Lake Placid, NY

Qualifying for the New England team will conclude in 2 weeks at the Vermont Academy Eastern Cup race. The team will be named as soon after the race as possible – once results can be posted, points calculated and sorted, and the team selected. Remember, it is the athlete’s responsibility to alert Pat Cote (pat@nensa.net) of any NRL points that you would like to substitute in for JO qualifying. This needs to be done before Feb 15, 2004.

If it looks like you have a chance to qualify and will not be attending the race, you must contact Jeff prior to February 22nd if would like to attend or an alternate may be named in your place. If your name is on the current ranking list and you plan to not attend the JO’s please notify Jeff or Pat as soon as possible. At the team naming, athletes will need to fill out a registration form, submit a check for the trip and pick up an information packet. These materials will be available on the NENSA website by midweek prior to the races for downloading and printing to expedite the process on Sunday.

Please remember that you will need: a check for trip fees, a parent signature if you are under 18, your medical insurance information, and your USSA number if you have one. I would recommend that you print out the packets from the website and come with them already filled out. Trip costs: trip: $900.00, jacket: $70, race suit: $100.

Stonegrinding:
One very important aspect to having very fast skis at the JR nationals in NY is to have flat, fresh ski bases. In the past we have spent a lot of time and energy trying to do last minute repairs and fixes to athletes’ skis. This has either been unsuccessful, or a temporary fix at best while on a competition trip. It is highly recommended that you take a look at your ski bases and see what condition they are in. If they have been neglected for some time, have a lot of scrapes, or have burns from the many wax jobs you have done this season, you may want to get them stone ground before departing for Lake Placid. To this, we are very fortunate to have Zach Caldwell here in New England with us as he is one of this country’s leading experts on ski tuning and stone grinding. (Check out his website at www.engineeredtuning.net) Zach has agreed to make his grinding and flexing services available to us during the two weeks between the final qualifier and Lake Placid. Athletes who are interested in having their skis stone ground before going out to the JO’s will be able to drop skis off with Zach on February 22nd at VT Academy and he will return them to you in Lake Placid. He is offering stone grinding and classic ski flexing on his computerized flex tester.

Prices are as follows:
Complete stone grinding service including wax saturation in heat box: $40-50 depending on grind selection. Classic ski flex testing: $10.00
Make sure you bring wax remover for after the V.A. classic race as skis will need to be CLEAN to drop off with Zach!

If you have any questions on anything, feel free to email Jeff or Matt:
jeffreyhixon@hotmail.com mwhitcomb@burkemtnacademy.org
Additional information and current standings available on the NENSA website: www.nensa.net

JO Registration for athletes (.pdf)

Final Standings: J1/OJ Girls | J1/OJ Boys | J2 Girls | J2 Boys

Current NENSA Points List used for seeding all NENSA Eastern Cups (Feb 1. 2004 List): Men | Women (.pdf files)