One of the biggest pieces of Shelby Aseltine’s success puzzle fit better in the summer and fall than in the winter. It was a simple as making a choice, seemingly unrelated to the snow.

She chose cross country running over soccer.

“It allows you to focus your training more toward skiing,” Mt. Blue Nordic ski coach Jeff Meserve said. “All of the best skiers I’ve ever known foot-run too. It definitely made the difference in Shelby’s skiing this year.”

“I think that was a major part of how well I did this year (in skiing),” Aseltine said. “It really helped my aerobic capacity, and it was a major step up from playing soccer last year.”

OK, so Aseltine improved.

It was the level of her improvement – as a sophomore, no less – that turned heads.

Aseltine raced off with both individual Nordic skiing titles at this year’s Class A state skiing championships, besting the field by 23 seconds in the freestyle race, and by 40 seconds in the classical race.

“Everyone was on their ‘A’ game at the states, and I was expecting it to be a tight competition,” Aseltine said. “I’m skiing with the best athletes in the state, here. I did not expect to win, not at all. I’m not going to lie, though. It was pretty cool.”

For all of her success on the trails this season, Aseltine is the 2009 Sun Journal All-Region Girls’ Nordic Skier of the Year.

Part of her ability, Meserve said, comes naturally, thanks to something uncoachable.

“Physically, she’s pretty mature for her age,” Meserve said. “She’s the tallest girl I’ve ever worked with, and her feet are as big as mine. She has a lot of good physical attributes that contribute to her ability.”

That, and her innate desire to win.

“You have to be able to motivate yourself through all of it, too,” Aseltine said. “You have to be able to tell yourself, ‘OK, you have to go now, you have to do what you need to do to succeed.’ If you don’t do well, the rest of the skiers will catch up to you.”

“She really made a conscious effort this year to step it up,” Meserve said. “She really wanted to win them all, and she doesn’t like to get beat, which is good. That’s what drives her.”

Going forward, Meserve said, what Aseltine does, and how she pursues her skiing career, is entirely up to her.

“She’s a little different than a lot of the ski racers I’ve known,” Meserve said. “Many of the skiers she races against are focused on making the next step, and maybe one day making an Olympic team.”

Aseltine has her sights, at least for now, set on helping animals as a veterinarian.

“She still has a couple of years, so who knows what happens,” Meserve said. “But no matter where she does her undergrad down the line, and whatever she does, she’s definitely going to be near the top.”