Friday, March 13, 2026, Mt. Van Hoevenberg, Lake Placid, NY.
On a demanding 3 × 5 km course with 1,700 feet of climbing, the men’s 15 km freestyle mass start turned into something special for the CMU Cross Country Ski Team. After two tough days of racing, Wesley Sumner delivered a performance that will be remembered for a long time -- attacking from the start, breaking the race apart, and skiing alone into the finish to claim the national title.
Behind him, the rest of the team stepped up on the biggest stage. Freshman Griffin Gracey continued his rise with a strong 20th place finish, competing confidently against the top collegiate skiers in the country. Jack Lackman was right there in 21st, showing grit and consistency in a deep field. Griffin and Jack made the call to work together early, and it paid off. They pushed each other through all three laps, stayed connected, and finished side by side and stronger because of it.
For the first time all week, the snow finally came around. Cold temperatures and a fresh layer of a few inches of new snow mixed into the track made for ideal, fast, and consistent conditions.