College life, busy.

Okay, so I know that i kinda let this whole blog sit idle after the ski season, hell, even before the season ended. I still had my biggest race to go, and I never touched back on it. Well, at the Eastern High School Championships, I had my best NENSA results of the season, with a grand finale of a second place overall finish for the weekend (More info here).

(For a killer article that basically sums up my year, go here.)

Now, on to college.


Saint Michael's College has been pretty great so far, running Cross Country for the Knights and getting some training in. Running mileage has increased since Kennett, where we now run about 8 hours a week versus the 4-5 (this equates to around 30-40 miles)

Since the season has started, we have already had five races, in which I have been consistently been the number 3-4 runner on the team, with a new PR of 28:30 for an 8k race.

We have two more races this season, the Northeast-10 Conference Championships (this saturday), and the Division II NCAA Northeast Regional Qualifier on 11/10. Wish me luck!


I know it has been forever since i posted last, but I plan on posting at least once a week from here on out.

Very late end of season post!

Okay, so the last few weeks have been pretty busy. I've had Eastern Cups, Fun Races, Championship Races/Jumps, and school (okay, maybe not as much of the last one).

Quick Recap:

Geschmossel Classic at Bretton Woods
1/21/2013
7th Overall

NHNCA Classic Qualifier
1/26/2013
7th High School Class

TD Bank Eastern Cup at Trapp Family Lodge
2/02-03/2013
63rd 10k Skate
114th 10k Classic

NHNCA Skate Qualifier
2/10/2013
4th High School Class

NHIAA Men's Alpine Division II State Meet:
2/12/2013
60th GS
38th Slalom
Kennett: 1st

NHIAA Division II Nordic State Meet
2/13/13
1st Classic
1st Skate
2nd Divisional Skimeister
Team Champions

NHIAA Ski Jumping Championships
2/15/2013
T-3rd overall - 119 points
PR 33.5 meters (K38) - T-Longest of the night
1st State Skimeister
1st Nordic Combined

TD Bank Eastern Cup at Quarry Road
2/16-17/2013
25th Mass Start 15k Classic
17th 10k Skate

NHIAA Meet of Champions
2/25/2013
1st Classic 6k
2nd Skate 6k
Kennett: Swept the Classic Podium, 4 in the top 6. Two in top 6 for Skate.

Phew...

Details details...

The Geschmossel at Bretton Woods was a very cold day. I got a slow start but held on to the front of the second pack fairly well, culminating in a sprint finish with rival Joe Smith of Moultonborough.

Alpine State Meet: Cold, starting last. Not my kind of race. But I managed, and placed fairly well considering my lack of experience this season.

Nordic State Meet: See here.

Jumping State Meet: Was a great way to end a High School Career. As the last jumper of the night, I put up the longest and best styled jump of the night, en route to my best finish in a jumping competition: a three-way tie for third with 119 points. As a trio, we were still only one point out of the tie that was first place already, with two placing with 120 points.Local sportswriter Josh Spaulding (Salmon Press) put it best in the first sentence of his article that week: "Torin La Liberte saved his best for last."

Eastern Cup: Quarry Road is by far one of the hardest courses I have skied. Part could have been the Zero conditions, part could be the A-climb that made college kids drop out at the Colby Carnival earlier this season. Either way, I put up some of my best points races of the season, but they were not enough for me to make it to Fairbanks. I ended up less than 5 points away from making it, and am currently the first alternate for the team. As of now, I am headed to Presque Isle with Team New Hampshire for the Eastern High School Championships. It's go time.

2013 Division II Nordic Ski Championships

It was shades of last year.

For the second year in a row, Lebanon High School hosted the Division II state meet,and again it was held at Great Glen.


The morning classic race was a tough one to wax for. A "4k" race in around freezing conditions, the entire team ended up running on waxless skis: either zeroes or fish-scales. And it could've gone better. I won, but we ended up second after only placing three in the top-ten, down by 6 points to Hanover. We had some ground to make up.

Victory in the Skate Race

After a team recollection and shuffle, it was skate time. Best race we have ever had. I finished first, with a dominating 43 second lead, and the first across the line. After I had regathered myself, I had enough adrenaline to recognize the next Hanover skier coming and I started counting. "One, two, three..." Our next skier had to make it to me before I hit thirty, sneaking in at 23 seconds, seven ahead of his man. Repeat for the next racer, coming in only 11 seconds behind, 19 up. We had done it, our goal to beat every Hanover skier had been reached. After that, everyone came in ahead of their respective racer. Never before had I been so ecstatic during a race. People saw me sprinting up and down the stadium, screaming splits at my teammates. It was a great way to cap off my regular season. When results came out later that afternoon, I was jumping for joy. We had overcome our deficit and won the skate by 9 points. The rest of the team found out a few minutes later, but their reaction was great nonetheless:

For awards, Hannah and I took home top honors (again) in both events, and I took home second in the Skimeister competition by 0.6 points. It was a good fight, and both the victor and I knew it would be close.

State Champions again, feels good guys.

After the race, I made sure to express my gratitude towards my team, not just for the win, but for the fight at the end and for a great final season. Going off to college next year, I'm not sure if I will ever again experience a team as great as these guys. 

Thanks again guys, good luck next year.