UPDATE: April 27, 2009: Sleeping just three hours over the last four days, Tyler Fish ’96 and John Huston reached the North Pole on April 25, 2009, becoming the first Americans to ski unsupported to the pole.

The final days were an “absolute blur,” said Huston in the final blog. “We pushed our bodies and minds to the limits to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds…. We are exhausted…. We have a fantastic feeling of satisfaction — and of freedom from our powerful routine that propelled us to the North Pole.”

April 22, 2009: Fish ’96, Huston have just days to reach North Pole

Facing an April 25 deadline, Tyler Fish ’96 of Ely, Minn., and John Huston of Chicago are making a final dash to the North Pole.

Hoping to become the first Americans to ski unsupported — no food drops, no outside help — to the pole, the pair are less than 60 nautical miles away.

“We need to make it to the North Pole by [April 25] or we won’t make it,” Fish wrote in the expedition blog, part of the educational and fundraising outreach of the expedition.

“John and I…have been discussing, making plans and doing everything we have to do so we are ready for the final push, which we are now doing.”

• Follow Fish and Huston’s final dash to the North Pole.

Hampering their efforts is the steady drift, south and east, of the Arctic ice beneath their feet. They’ve also lost some time navigating the various “leads” of open water, and are feeling beat down by the harsh Arctic environment.

The April 25 deadline is more than self-imposed. Whether they reach the pole or not, Fish and Huston need to be on the last flight from Camp Borneo, a seasonal Russian station some 60 miles from the pole.

Facing the deadline, the pair have implemented a 27-hour schedule, traveling 17 hours each day and using the rest for sleeping and eating.

The trek began March 2 when the pair left Ellesmere Island and stepped onto the Arctic Ocean sea ice.

Athletic teams at Bates are on a brief hiatus for exams this week. Contests will resume on Jan. 3 with the women’s basketball team heading to Williamstown, Mass., for the Williams Tournament. But it’s been a tremendous first month of the winter sports season for the Bobcats, with several teams earning national recognition.

The women’s basketball team remains perfect through eight games this season, moving up to 16th in the D3hoops.com national poll on Tuesday. Olivia Zurek ’05 (Arlington, Mass.) scored her 1,000th career point in the team’s 61-37 win over the University of Southern Maine, ranked second nationally at the time.

The men’s basketball team has also gotten off to a hot start, posting a 9-1 record at the break. The Bobcats are the top-ranked team in Maine, and Brian Gerrity ’05 (Augusta, Maine) scored his 1000th career point in a win over Husson on Saturday.

Kelly Godsey ’06 (Parker, Colo.) opened the indoor track season with an impressive performance in the 20-lb. weight throw, breaking her own school record by three feet and one inch with an automatic national qualifying distance of 63-feet, 0.25-inches. Godsey posted a provisional qualifier in the shot put with a throw of 44-7.5. Scott Cooper ’05 (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) and Dustin Gauthier ’05 (Amherst, N.H) also hit provisional qualifiers in the 35-lb. weight throw to lead the men’s track and field team.

Both squash teams are ranked in the top 10 nationally after a solid start to the season. The women are ranked ninth and have a 5-1 record, sweeping four teams at the Wesleyan round robin by 9-0 scores. Gary Kan ’07 (Hong Kong) is ranked 44th as an individual to lead the men’s team, which is ranked 10th at 3-1.

Both swim teams have started the season 1-1, with two members of the women’s team hitting NCAA qualifiers. Kara Seaton ’05 (Wayne, Pa.) qualified for the 1-meter diving event with a score of 265.80, while Vanessa Williamson ’05 (Auburn, Maine) qualified provisionally for the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:08.26.

While the ski teams have been training for the last several weeks, the EISA schedule doesn’t begin until January. The Nordic team begins on Jan. 14 at the St. Michael’s Carnival, while the alpine season begins on Jan. 21 when Bates hosts a carnival at Sunday River and Black Mountain.

For the latest sports news, scores and updates, visit the Bates Athletics Web site.