Wolves take two gold, silver and bronze in CIS-CCUNC Relays
[March 5, 2006]

Lakehead XC OUA Champs
February 19, 2006]

Crooks qualifies for 2006 Winter Olympic Games
[December 20, 2005]

Kerrie Fabius and Sean Crooks qualify for Canadian World Cups
[December 8, 2005]

Butler earns way onto national team
[April 28, 2004]

Big Thunder partners with LU
[July 17, 2003]

Crooks notches best finish at World Juniors
[February 09, 2003]

Wolves Take Two Golds, Silver, and Bronze in CIS-CCUNC Relays
[March 5, 2006]

The Lakehead Thunderwolves took both golds in the men’s and women’s 3 x 3.5 km relay races at the CIS-CCUNC (Canadian Colleges and Universities National Championship) Nordic National Championships on Sunday at the Lappe Nordic Centre.  

Lakehead took first and second in the women’s race and first, third, and fifth in the men’s race.  On the women’s side the team of Rena Bode, Linnaea Kershaw, and Mallory Deyne took gold in a time of 32:59.5; 36.1 seconds ahead of Lakehead’s other team of Berit Dool, Emily Hayman, and Amanda Holdsworth.  The Laval squad of Alexia Jolicoeur, Julie Bisson, and Christine Bisson took bronze with a time of 34:11.1.  Laurentian was fourth, Carleton fifth, and Augustana College sixth.
 
On the men’s side; Lakehead’s team of Stephen Hart, Skeets Morel, and Jeff Cameron took gold in a time of 27:00.2.  Taking silver was the Carleton team of Chris Mamen, Edward McCarthy, and Gavin Hamilton in a time of 27:33.3.  Lakehead’s second team of Andrew Casey, Jesse Winter, and Phil Wood captured bronze with a time of 27:56.1.  Carleton was fourth, Lakehead’s C Team of Robb Martin, Doug Bolster, and Matthew Schoales were fifth, UBC was sixth, and Augustana College was seventh.
 
The strong results for Lakehead put them in good standing in the team points race early on in the championships.  CIS-CCUNC action continues Tuesday with the short distance classic races at the Lappe Nordic Centre.  
 
The CIS-CCUNC championships are being held as part of the overall Nordic Championships being run at the Lappe Nordic National Training and Development Nordic Centre just outside Thunder Bay and the sprints will be held inside the city of Thunder Bay on March 10th at the Canada Games Complex. TOP

Lakehead Thunderwolves Capture OUA Championships for Second Straight Year!
[February 19, 2006]

The Lakehead Thunderwolves men’s and women’s Nordic teams dominated their competition and successfully defended both their OUA men’s and women’s team championship titles at the OUA Nordic Championships hosted by Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario this weekend.

Final men’s team results showed Lakehead first, Carleton second, and Waterloo third with a massive 68 point gap between Lakehead and second place Carleton for the team championship. The Lakehead women were equally impressive placing ahead of Laurentian and Carleton with a huge 67 point gap between the Wolves and the second place Lady Vees.

Lakehead’s Steven Hart was named OUA Male MVP for the second year in a row after winning gold in both his individual races and adding a third gold in the team relay. Hart has not lost an OUA qualifier or championship race in the past two seasons. Lakehead had six men named as OUA All Stars; Hart, Skeets Morel, Jeff Cameron, Andrew Casey, Phil Wood and Jesse Winter. The women had five selected; Mallory Deyne, Rena Bode, Linnaea Kershaw, Emily Hayman, and Berit Dool.

On the weekend; the Wolves took 13 of the possible 16 medals available to them in the six races competed in; three individual gold out of four possible, four individual silver out of four possible, two individual bronze out of four possible, two team relay gold out of two possible, and two team relay silver out of two possible. Lakehead could not win the team relay bronze as each school is only allowed two teams in the relay races and both Lakehead’s men’s and women’s A teams took gold and B teams took silver.

In Sunday’s second day of competition; the Wolves crushed the opposition taking five of six possible medals and placing almost every team member in the Top 20. In the men’s 15 km free race; Stephen Hart took gold; Skeets Morel silver, Jeff Cameron bronze, Andrew Casey 4th, Phil Wood 6th, Jesse Winter 8th, Doug Bolster 12th, and Matt Schoales 17th. In the women’s 10 km free race; Mallory Deyne took silver, Rena Bode bronze, Berit Dool 4th, Linnaea Kershaw 5th, Amanda Holdsworth 19th, Ava Rudachyk 25th,

On Saturday; Lakehead won five of six individual medals given; took gold and silver in both relays, and placed many skiers in the Top 20 of all the races. In Saturday’s Women's 6 km classic; freshman Linnea Kershaw took gold, Rena Bode silver, Mallory Deyne was 4th, Emily Hayman 5th, Amanda Holdsworth 10th, Berit Dool 14th, and freshman Ava Rudachyk 15th. In Saturday’s Men's 12 km classic; Stephen Hart took gold; freshman Phil Wood silver, Skeets Morel bronze, Andrew Casey 4th, Jeff Cameron 5th, Jesse Winter 7th, Matt Schoales 14th, and Doug Bolster 22nd. Both the Lakehead A and B Relay teams took gold and silver for both men’s and women’s relay races as well on Sunday.

Now both teams prepare to defend their CIS-CCUNC national championship team titles at the Canadian Nordic Championships which will be held in Thunder Bay in just over two weeks time. TOP

Crooks off to Turin
By Emmanuel Moutsatsos
Dec 20, 2005

He would be too young for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, a little old for the 2010 Games, but he might have a shot at the 2006 Games in Italy.

That's what a 15-year-old Sean Crooks was thinking back in 1998 when the Nagano Olympics were taking place and the Thunder Bay native, who had started cross-country skiing competitively five years earlier, started to brainstorm.

"I was about 15 and I remember thinking how old I would be for each Olympics," said Crooks from his home in Canmore, Alb., which is where he now resides.

"So I was thinking, 'Okay I'll be 22 in 2006 so I should be going' and it's weird to think about that now," Crooks said.

Plan hatched; plan achieved.

Crooks, now 22, was notified Monday by Tom Holland, who is the National Ski Team Committee Chair, that he has indeed made the Olympic team and will be boarding a plane for Turin, Italy come next February.

"I found out just this afternoon," said Crooks, who began his skiing career with the local Big Thunder Nordic Club. "A few of my teammates and I were sitting around the phone and the call finally came.

"They were very vague about saying if they would come out with (the selections) in the next couple of days, and we were hoping it came faster, because we wanted to book our tickets for Christmas."

Merry Christmas then Mr. Crooks, who is coming off a strong performance at a World Cup cross-country two-week event in Canmore that ended on Sunday.

Crooks knew that Team Canada officials would be keeping tight tabs on their skiers, but it was on an event that wasn't going to be evaluated where he feels he made his biggest statement why he should be chosen.

"(Sunday's) race was a team sprint relay, which they said they weren't going to use for selection. (Phil Widmer of Banff, Alta.) and I actually performed really well. He had a fall and we still finished 13th and if you look at the times then you'd see that we would've placed much higher.

"And I think the coaches definitely looked at that," said Crooks, who along with Widmer, finished with a time of 16:56.5, which was only 34 seconds slower than the winning team from Norway.

And even though he's been planning and hoping for this for seven years, Crooks said it will take time for him to fully comprehend that he is an Olympian.

"It hasn't sunk in yet at all, because it's been a goal of mine for so long, and I think it will sink in only when I'm at the start line."

© Copyright by Chronicle Journal.com TOP

Thunder Bay well represented at World Cups
By David Trifunov
Dec 8, 2005

Tasha Betcherman can say, better than most, that she's worked hard for this opportunity.

The Thunder Bay cross-country skier will represent Canada this weekend at World Cup races in Vernon, B.C.

Because the World Cup has returned to this country for the first time in a decade, Canada is sending an extra large team.

Betcherman, along with Thunder Bay's Kerrie Fabius, qualified last weekend so is getting a shot as part of Canada's 14-woman expanded team. She's especially proud of her accomplishment considering she's not nationally funded.

"I'm completely outside the system," Betcherman said. "I'm taking care of my own transportation, accommodations, ski preparation, coaching and wax technicians. I have to pay for all of that myself. You definitely feel like you're coming at it at a little bit of a disadvantage when you seem them having all those extras."

Of course that doesn't mean she's feeling sorry for herself. Betcherman is fully aware of what this opportunity represents.

She met the international standard in both sprint and distances events. She's a long-distance specialist, so she's not sure if she'll race the shorter course.

"I'm pretty excited," she said. "It's a really good opportunity just to be able to race in your own country on trails that you are familiar with. We're just really looking forward to it."

Conditions in British Columbia are also cooperating to make these races successful. Temperatures on Wednesday were about 13 C and there was plenty of snow.

There are 23 countries entered and the atmosphere around Sovereign Lakes has started to reflect the excitement, Betcherman said.

"There's teams from all over the world," she said. "So we all train together on the course, you can see everybody. There's some pretty big names out there. It's definitely exciting."

Thunder Bay is also well represented. Along with Fabius and Betcherman, Chris Butler and Sean Crooks are in Vernon as part of the men's team.

Former National Team Development Centre-Thunder Bay athletes Chris Jeffries and Dan Roycroft (Betcherman's husband) are also competing. Former Lakehead University standout Karl Saidla is also there.

Eric Bailey and Lisa Patterson are acting as coaches.

Crooks fell in both his sprint and distances qualifiers last weekend, but he's already put that behind him. During a "Dash for the Cash" race on Tuesday night, he finished fifth. It was more of a fun, shorter event.

"All the World Cup guys were all involved," he said. "It wasn't a World Cup event, but it was basically all the same guys."

His first World Cup race is Sunday morning. Until then, the racers aren't extending themselves too much.

"We toned down the training a little bit," he said. "No long hours or anything."

© Copyright by Chronicle Journal.com TOP

Laakso, Butler earn way onto national team
By Michael Onesi - The Chronicle-Journal
April 28, 2004

Expect to hear a lot of members of the Canadian Cross-Country Ski Team talking about the Hoito and persians this upcoming season.

Thunder Bay’s Becky Laakso and Chris Butler are joining Lakeheader Sean Crooks on the national team for the 2004/05 season.

Also on the squad is Quebec native Chris Jefferies, who spent several years in Northwestern Ontario training with the National Team Development Centre based in Thunder Bay.

“I’m pretty happy. I wasn’t expecting it,” said Butler, a 17-year-old Hammarskjold High School student who won three races at the Canadian championships earlier this year.

National team head coach Dave Wood feels Laakso and Butler produced solid results and have the potential to do well in the future.

“We believe they are on track for good things down the road,” said Wood during a phone interview from Calgary, adding that Thunder Bay is well known as a very strong ski community.

The training begins almost immediately — Laakso and Butler are heading to the national team’s home in Canmore, Alta., to join Crooks and take part in training camps over the summer.

Butler, who will be part of the junior national team, will be back in the fall to attend high school while Laakso had a garage sale on the weekend to unload some belongings because she is moving out there for the year.

“I’ve been racing for 14 years now and for as long as I can remember (making the Canadian team) is what I’ve always wanted,” said the 25-year-old.

Laakso, a Sudbury native, moved to Thunder Bay two and half years ago and has juggled a full-time job at Balanced Foot Care with intense training.

“I wouldn’t have come here if the skiing wasn’t good. My goal was to continue ski racing and get better so I really couldn’t have picked a better place to move to. Thunder Bay is just incredible for supporting their skiers,” Laakso said.

The national team selection caps off a dream season for Laakso. Earlier this year, Team Canada officials selected her to go to Germany and compete in a World Cup race, skiing alongside world champions and Olympians. She finished 16th in a relay event with fellow Canadian Sara Renner.

“It was my best season so far for sure. I wasn’t expecting to make World Cup so it seemed like everything worked out perfectly,” she said. “I was more consistent throughout the season. I was a lot stronger at the beginning than I normally am. Usually I pick it up near the end. It seemed like at all the big races, I did well.”

She earned a silver medal in the senior women’s 10 kilometre freestyle event at the 2003 Canadian championships. TOP

LU cross-country squad skis into new era
July 17, 2003

Lakehead University is very proud to announce exciting new changes to its Nordic Ski Program. Lakehead has formed a unique three-way partnership called "Lakehead X-C". Lakehead's partners in the new venture are the National Team Development Centre (NTDC Thunder Bay) and local Thunder Bay Nordic ski club, Big Thunder Nordic.

Lakehead University has a long record of excellence in OUA, national, and international Nordic competition, including seven OUA titles. Recently, university nordic competition has become very balanced, with many schools developing top-notch programs. Lakehead X-C is a positive answer to bringing Lakehead to the top in OUA and CIS competition.

The goal of Lakehead X-C is to attract the highest calibre athletes to Lakehead University and Northwestern Ontario and to create a program that is capable of being the best in university sports in Canada. Lakehead’s student athletes will have access to the region’s world class facilities for cross country skiing.

Lakehead Athletic Director Tom Warden is very enthusiastic about the potential for this new partnership. "This partnership has been developed in the sprit of excellence and will assist young Nordic skiers, both in this community and from outside this region, in their pursuit of developing into elite athletes. Lakehead Athletics is continually exploring opportunities for partnerships to help creatively deliver high level Varsity programs to our student body. Our relationship with NTDC, a national training body, and Big Thunder Nordic is an example of that commitment."

The partnership will be run by management team representing each of the three organizations. The new Head Coach will report directly to the management team.

The partnership has considerable advantages for all three participating groups and will bring many benefits to Lakehead's Nordic program. Some of the benefits are Lakehead gaining a full-time Head Coach, developing a strong link with NTDC Thunder Bay which is part of the national Nordic Ski Program framework, having access to a “full-service” ski club structure including wax support and assistant coaches, and having access to pool of talented young local athletes who may choose Lakehead as their university of choice to attend.

NTDC Thunder Bay President Maddox said the partnership will raise the bar for Nordic skiing in Northwestern Ontario and make Lakehead a strong university program. "This partnership is a significant step forward toward building an even stronger Nordic Ski program in our community. With our international coaching support at the National Team Development Centre and the strong club athlete development in Thunder Bay, it is vital that Lakehead University supports a strong Nordic program. Lakehead should look to dominate the University competition and be in a position to attract even better talent who seek this depth of training and support being offered."

Lakehead X-C will also help in developing sponsorship possibilities with increased team size, profile, and results which, in turn, will also attract more comprehensive media coverage.

The new Head Coach of Lakehead X-C and Lakehead University's team will be Eric Bailey. Bailey will be responsible for athlete development, sponsorship, grant applications, and recruitment. Bailey is a native of Thunder Bay and will graduate this summer with a Bachelor's degree in Forestry. He competed in cross country skiing as a junior, and started coaching 7 years ago. Bailey got his Level 1 NCCP certification when he was 16 while he was still racing, and he is currently Level 3 Certified, and working on his Level 4. He was the head coach of the Lakehead Nordic ski team from 1999-2001.

Bailey said that Lakehead X-C is a positive step towards bringing Lakehead to the top in Nordic skiing and will develop and promote nordic skiing in Northwestern Ontario. "I am extremely excited about the new partnership here in Thunder Bay. The concept has been worked on for several years, and now the 3 partners have made it a reality. Lakehead University has always been at the forefront of the nordic skiing scene in Ontario and this development proves that they are deticated to providing a national caliber program that will attract elite student-athletes from across the country to the university and our community. The potential of this program is immense, as it secures a full-time coach for Leakehead University and Big Thunder Nordic Ski Club - something that only a few universities in Canada can offer."

Bailey has been the head coach for Big Thunder Nordic Ski Club for the past 3 years. He also has served as assistant and head coach for several Ontario Provincial Team trips. This past season as coach of Big Thunder Nordic Ski Club, his club ranked 7th in the Country at the National Championships. He is already working hard recruiting student-athletes for Lakehead University's upcoming Nordic season.

Bert Viljakainen, President of Big Thunder Nordic ski club, said Lakehead X-C will bring many benefits to his club, Lakehead University, and regional Nordic skiing. "This partnership provides a much more sustainable coaching platform for the Big Thunder Nordic Ski Club. Creating a full time coaching position to be shared with Lakehead University will help attract top level coaches, thereby benefiting not only the competitive athletes on both nordic ski teams but also those younger skiers that are just beginning to take up the sport more seriously. Ultimately this will help attract more young athletes to the sport as well as help keep them actively involved in cross country skiing when they get to university."

The Lakehead X-C partnership began operations on July 1st and its offices are located on the campus of Lakehead University. TOP

Crooks notches best finish at World Juniors
By Michael Onesi - The Chronicle-Journal
February 09, 2003

Thunder Bay’s Sean Crooks earned the best result ever by a Canadian in a World Junior Cross-Country Ski Championship sprint event, finishing in 11th place yesterday in Solleftea, Sweden.

“It’s pretty exciting,” said Crooks during an interview with The Chronicle-Journal from his hotel room in Sweden. “My goal was to be top 16 and then I wanted to see what I could do after that. Once you are in the (quarter-finals) heats, anything can happen. It’s kind of crazy in the sprints.”

The previous best performance by a Canuck in a world junior sprint was 12th by Chandra Crawford last year in Schonach, Germany.

Europeans generally dominate the world juniors and it’s rare to have a Canadian crack the top 20 in any event. Last year, Crooks turned heads when he was 18th in the sprints. Before that, the last time a Canadian male (other than Crooks) cracked the top 20 of a world cross-country ski event was nine years ago.

Cross-Country Canada media spokesperson Amanda Fortier didn’t have exact numbers but believed Crooks’ 11th-place showing would be in the top three of all-time best results by a Canadian male in any event at the world juniors.

“This is incredible,” Fortier said about Crook’s performance. “Sean is a great skier and he really showed it.”

In the qualifying time trails, the top 16 skiers moved on to the quarter-finals and Crooks finished 12th. In his quarter-final run, he needed to place in the top two of his four-person heat. He took the lead half way through the race but was nipped at the line and had to settle for third.

“I went against what my coach told me to do. The course was set up where if you are leading coming down the last hill, a lot of people were (drafting then they sling shot) by the leader. Halfway through, I took the lead and halfway on the final downhill, two guys came up beside me. Then it was a sprint to the finish and I guess I didn’t get my foot out there enough,” Crooks said.

Graham Nishikawa was the next best Canadian in the sprints at 33rd and Dave Nighbor placed 35th. Norway’s Johan Kjoelstad and Erik Bakkejord took the gold and silver.

The strong result makes up for Crooks’ poor result in the 10-kilometre classic race on Thursday when he finished 61st overall. It just wasn’t his day as a combination of cold weather, nerves and going out too hard caught up to him.

“On the second lap, I dropped back a little bit. My mind wasn’t in the race anymore. I was pretty tired and wobbly,” the 19-year-old said.

Crooks’s final race at the world juniors will be today’s relay event. TOP