LAKE PLACID, N.Y.- Temperatures as low as -6°F greeted the 56 skiers who competed in the second of a three-race Empire State Winter Games ski orienteering race series at Mt. Van Hoevenberg, in Lake Placid.
Less than 24 hours after racing on the Scott’s Cobble Nordic ski course in Lake Placid, athletes ages 12 to 82 gathered at Mt. Van Hoevenberg’s Nordic center to tackle an event where athletes navigate with just a compass and a map, looking for checkpoints throughout the course. The further away the skier is from the starting gate, the more points are earned. The skier with the fastest time and the most points wins gold.
Woodrow Connell won the men’s U20 event in a time of 37 minutes, 19 seconds. The 14-year-old finished more than three minutes ahead of silver medalist Étienne Jacques, 17, who crossed the finish line in 41.05, and more than 15 minutes in front of Andrei Ignatin, 15, who completed the race in 52.16.
Joshua Yeaton, 37, claimed the Men’s 21+ gold medal. He navigated his way through the course in 1:03:14.
Taras Kashchuk, 33, claimed the silver medal, in 1:14:03, and Adrian Owens, 56, grabbed the bronze medal. He stopped the clock in 1:18:14.
The series concludes tomorrow when the field moves over to the Dewey Mountain Recreational Center, in Saranac Lake, tomorrow.
For complete ski orienteering results click HERE.
For more information about the Empire State Winter Games, go to https://empirestatewintergames.com/.
Fans and athletes can also follow on Facebook, Instagram, and X, using @ESWGames and #ESWGames.
Photos of the 46th Annual Empire State Winter Games can be found HERE.