Topping last season won’t be easy for the National Training Development Centre Thunder Bay Nordic ski team.
Michael Somppi and Erin Tribe, bolstered by strong performances at the national trials held this past January in Thunder Bay, went to the world under-23 championships, while Kitchener’s Andy Shields earned a spot at the world juniors.
Somppi, elevated to the senior national men’s team at the end of last season, is looking for full-time status on the World Cup circuit.
Injuries shortened his training in the 2010 offseason, and because he’s healthy as winter rapidly approaches, he thinks he can perform even better this time around.
He’s injury free in 2011, fully recovered from the shin surgery that hampered his start to last season. Combined with the experience he got last year and his strong showing on the trails, he’s set even higher expectations for the upcoming season.
Thunder Bay born skier said anything less isn’t acceptable.
“I’m looking to podium regularly on the NorAm circuit in Canada, and I’m looking to qualify for Team Canada (we’re) sending over in February to race in a couple of European circuit races and a couple of World Cups,” said Somppi, 23.
Tribe, born in Thunder Bay, but trained in Barrie, Ont., said making the under-23 team last winter put a whole new perspective on her budding career.
“It kind of made me feel like I can do exactly what all these other top girls are doing and I can be in there and I can race fast with them and be their competition,” said Tribe, who finished 32nd at the 15-kilometre pursuit at the worlds, following a ninth-place finish at the under 23 trials held in Thunder Bay.
“The goal of making the national team doesn’t scare me quite as much and my development has been a pretty steady progress. I just feel like I’m in a really good mindset for it and I think that I’m getting stronger.”
For Shields, it’s a whole new ballgame.
A junior last year, he’s moved into senior men’s this year, and will face faster competition.
It’s a little bit scary, the 20-year-old said, but past performances indicate, at least in his own mind, that he belongs.
“That makes it a lot more easy, makes the transition quite a bit less scary. I’m really looking forward to the extra competition and being able to test myself against the best in the country,” said Shields, who won two of three races at the national trials before finishing 31st in a pair of competitions at the world juniors in Estonia.
“It’s always a progression from year to year. I always try to get better. So that does provide a little motivation, moving up another category, but it’s pretty much the same, just trying to increase my focus a little bit and trying to increase the level of training a little bit.
Like Somppi, a truly successful season will only be realized if he qualifies for the world under 23 championships and makes the senior national team.
Trying to provide that focus is coach Eric Bailey, who said last year’s results have generated more interest in the team – and more pressure.
“I think the athletes feel it now because we went from maybe being underdogs to the team that was making a lot of headlines last year,” Bailey said.
“The team, I think, is in the right head space to capitalize on the momentum of the program … and I think we’ve had our strongest summer ever.”
New faces this season include Sudbury’s Alannah MacLean, Sault Ste. Marie’s Jack Carlyle, Peneanguishene, Ont.’s Jordan Cascagnette and Oakville’s Nick Monette. Other returnees include Harry Seaton, Chris Hamilton, Dudley Coulter, Jimmy Gunka and Andrea Lee.
