LAPPE, Ont. – Jordan Cascagnette had one goal as he arrived at this year’s OUA Nordic Championships – win his way to the top of the podium.
It took him every ounce of energy he had, but after five years trying, Cascagnette on Saturday realized his dream, edging Lakehead’s Noah Thompson by two-tenths of a second to capture top spot for the Nipissing Lakers A team in the classic relay race at Lappe Nordic Ski Centre.
“I knew it was going to come down to a sprint at the end there,” said Cascagnette, who took bronze in Friday’s 15-kilometre classic race.
“I was hoping I could just slingshot by at the end, but it didn’t quite work out that way. Noah and I were just back and forth, but I was able to come out on top.”
It’s been a long time coming, he added.
“It’s amazing. It’s my fifth year. I’ve been trying to get a gold personally at OUAs for five years and now to do it in the team event, because Lakehead and Carleton have been dominant for as long as I can remember,” said Cascagnette, whose three-man team, which include Alexander Maycock and Kayden Sim, crossed the finish line in 27:33.7.
“To be able to get Nipissing on the board with them feels really good.”
The solace for finishing second for Thompson is that Lakehead is in great shape to capture the men’s championship when the three-day event wraps up on Sunday. They're up nine points on Carleton and 11 on Nipissing.
Thompson, who just missed the podium on Friday, finishing fourth, called it a great race.
“It was super competitive,” said Thompson, who anchored an LU team that also included lead Noah Taylor and Gavin Shields, the silver medallist on Friday.
“I didn’t plan on leading in, it was hard with the draft. But (Jordan) played it perfectly and I tried to get out and get him caught in the wind, but he just out-muscled me in the finishing straight.”
Thompson’s pretty happy with where the Wolves are sitting heading into the final day of competition.
Lakehead placed six skiers in the top 15 on Friday, double the number of rival Carleton, who finished third and sixth in the relay.
Lakehead’s second entry, consisting of Geoffrey Way-Nee, Levi Wakentine and Colin Pendziwol, took fourth.
“I think Sunday suits our team super well. We’ve got a lot of light guys and in the snow it’s really going to play to our advantage. And I believe we’ll still be in the lead after today.”
Lakehead and Carleton have won the past 15 men’s championships, Lakehead collecting 10 trophies to Carleton’s five. But the Ravens have won two of the past three.
On the women’s side, the two-time defending champion Ravens have all but locked up top spot in 2018, their relay teams easily capturing the top two spots on Saturday.
Emily Jones anchored the winning Carleton squad, which also included Zoe Williams and Alyssa Stowe, finishing 52 seconds ahead of Carleton’s second-place team.
“Our strategy was to get out as far as we could in the front at the beginning and then have me bring it in. That’s what we did,” Jones said.
Lakehead’s team of Camille Hamm, Erika Milhell and Beth Fowler took third, 1:35 off the pace.
“We tried our best to hold on. I think all of us put in our best effort and just didn’t quite come together today," Fowler said.
Lakehead trails Carleton and Guelph in the standings.
