BY GARY HAWKINS

Staff Writer

No matter what happens this week at the NCAA ski championships in Bozeman, Mont., this is a season of firsts for the Colby College men's Nordic team.

This is the first time in the school's history the Mules have sent a full complement of three skiers to the NCAAs. Wyatt Fereday, Silas Gill and Nick Kline will begin competition on Wednesday in a 10 kilometer freestyle race at Bohart Ranch in Bozeman. On Friday, they'll compete in a 20K classical race.

Also competing for Colby in Bozeman this week will be men's Alpine skiers Josh Kernan and Vincent Lebrun-Fortin while Dana Breakstone will compete for the women.

"I think we expected improvement from last year," Colby Nordic coach Tracey Cote said. "Our men's team was really deep."

Still, the goals were modest considering the competition.

"Instead of winning one race, they won four," Cote said.

Included in those four victories was the Middelbury Carnival, considered to be the Eastern championships. This year, the Mules have knocked off ski powers Dartmouth, Vermont and Middlebury.

"Everything, at least on the Nordic side, is historical," Cote said.

The Mules face a tough task this week, both with the course and the competition. They practiced Friday which should help them adjust to the altitude (over 5,000 feet). The course itself begins with a two kilometer climb.

The competition features a number of Div. I scholarship athletes as well as many international skiers.

"Most of the skiers from the West are foreign and they tend to be a bit older," Cote said. "A lot of them are already on national teams for their own countries."

Kline, a senior from Cape Elizabeth, placed 20th in the Classical race last season at the NCAAs. He and Fereday, a freshman from Boise, Idaho, were both recently named to the All-East second team.

"It's very rare you can get a freshman who not only can score but also qualify for the NCAAs," said Cote, who was named East Coach of the Year for the second straight year.

Gill is a junior from Jackson, N.H. and one of 12 skiers on the Nordic team.

"We had eight top skiers this year," Cote said. "Any one of them cold have qualified."

Among them was sophomore Sam Mathes, a Rome native and Messalonskee graduate who had several top 10 finishes and was second alternate to the NCAAs.

"He had a phenomenal season," Cote said.

Gary Hawkins -- 621-5638

ghawkins@centralmaine.com