Wes Burkit and Brooklynn Shumway win Garnet Hill Snowshoe Races to conclude the winter season

Brooklynn Shumway and Wesley Burkit pace the Paul Smith's College Snowshoe Team with winning performances in the Garnet Hill Lodge Snowshoe Races – North River, NY

Brooklynn Shumway and Wesley Burkit paced the women's and men's snowshoe teams in the 2.1-mile snowshoe race held at Garnet Hill Lodge in North River, NY on Saturday.  The course was intended to be a 5K (3.1 mile) race, but due to the athletes ~ almost the entire field ~ missing a course marking, the runners ended up running about a mile shorter than the intended route. 

The vast majority of this course was run through nearly unbroken trail through the deep snow, which made for very slow going, as the runners near the front broke the trail and packed the snow, but those outside of the leaders found the going quite challenging due to the overall depth of the snow, and the deep powder on either side of the unpacked snow path through the mixed forest near Garnet Hill Lodge.  

Shumway finished the race in 30:28, followed closely by teammate Olivia Bobbie in 30:41 for second place.  Haven Bradt placed 6^th for the women in 37:37 to round out the Bobcat women's runners. 

Welsey Burkit blasted out to the lead from the very start, and this was a strong move that paid dividends, especially once the course left the groomed trail system onto the deep single track that dominated most of this challenging course.  Wes finished the race in 22:32, followed closely by fellow teammate, Carson Wohlers in 24:08 to place second.  Will Fortin of Johnsburg placed third in 26:19.  PSC runners Banyan Love and Eliot Soderholm also finished with the same time of 26:19 as all three runners emerged from the singe track section and rather than battle for the third place spot, they conversed and finished the final race of the season together, and the official placing went to Fortin. 

For Burkit and Wohlers, this was a repeat of their top two finishes in the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival 2K race held under the lights at Dewey Mountain on February 3^rd.  They have proven their prowess at these middle distance races this season. 

Other men for Paul Smith's College and their respective placings as follows:  Cazimir Couble in 27:35 for sixth place, Aidan Minihan in 27:40 in 7^th, and Riley Shone finishing in 28:38 for 8^th place.  

For the graduating seniors, including Haven Bradt, Wesley Burkit, Carson Wohlers, and Riley Shone this would be their final snowshoe race of their collegiate career.  For these impending graduates, this is a bittersweet moment as their opportunity to compete in nationals and the world championships, representing the college was postponed until next December, far after their college graduation. 

Meanwhile, the runners have the events of the St. Lawrence Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K in Cornwall, Ontario on April 26^th to conclude their spring racing season.  Nearly the entire snowshoe team is preparing for the 13.1 mile half marathon, as this event and venue has proven to be quite popular among our collegiate athletes. 

2025 Garnet Hill Snowshoe Race - Paul Smith's College Student - Results

Finishers:  22 in the 2.1 mile event; including 7 women and 15 men.

Women's Winner: Brooklynn Shumway – 30:28. 

Men's Winner: Wesley Burkit – 22:32