By Dan Yankus, Team OAM NOW Nordic Skier,
The first weekend of nordic ski racing kicked off on January 10 & 11, and Team OAM NOW/Athletic Mentors started off great, with 4 different teammates winning races. In both The Frosty Freestyle and the Krazy Klassic, Team OAM Now skiers took first place in both groups, with the women managing two spots on the podium for both races. Both days were raced on the Huron Meadow Metropark 2.5km man-made ski loop. It is, however, no ordinary man-made loop; it features a constructed hill and boasted some of the best grooming we may see this year.
The Frosty Freestyle 12km opened up the race season on Saturday with a 6 lap race and a cold windy morning to greet us. The men’s race started with a large group of 8 which, over the course of the first 5 laps, whittled down to 4. Alex Vanias created a gap in the head wind on the home stretch with 1 lap to go and, once he got that gap, he was able to maintain it for the win. Left behind and chasing was teammate Daniel Yankus, who finished a handful of seconds behind in 2nd, with the remains of the lead group right behind him. Mike Davis, on his first groomed trails of the season, came in 17th and Jon Morgan, who had a solid start came away in 11th. The woman’s race started with a lead group of 3 for the first half when Kaitlyn Patterson went in to full on race mode. She was rewarded with a great win to open the season. Rebecca Davis, also on groomed trails for the first time, rounded out the podium in 3rd. 
The Krazy Klassic 10km on Sunday was a 4 loop race and we were greeted by some mid 20s temperatures and a lot less wind. The men’s race started completely different from the day before as Daniel Yankus pushed the pace from the gun. He was rewarded with a lonely ski and a 50 second win. Behind, Alex Vanias placed 6th and Mike Davis 8th, in a very competitive race. The top of the field really looked great. Jon Morgan matched the day before’s result in 11th with a solid ski. In the women’s race, Rebecca Davis not only pushed the pace, but was on a mission to show off her paddling skills with a 3 minute win. Kaitlyn Patterson, in her first classic race since high school, finished 2nd. Full Summary below! 
Frosty Freestyle 1. Alex Vanias 2. Daniel Yankus 11. Jon Morgan 17. Mike Davis 1. Kaitlyn Patterson 3. Rebecca Davis Krazy Klassic 1. Daniel Yankus 6. Alex Vanias 8. Mike Davis 11. Jon Morgan 1. Rebecca Davis 2. Kaitlyn Patterson Congratulations to Team OAM Now for such a strong showing out of the gate!
