Tradition, depth and talent could prove to be a big factor as Class A team’s challenge perennial state champion Mt. Blue for overall titles at Big Rock and The Heritage Center in Aroostook County, starting today.
The Mt. Blue girls have won 17 of the last 19 state titles, including the last six straight. The Cougar boys have won 10 of the last 11, including a string of four consecutive state championships.
“The Mt. Blue girls will be extremely difficult to beat,” Mt. Blue Alpine coach Mark Cyr said. “The boys have been gaining in their ability and confidence all year. The Mt. Blue boys should be a good bet.”
Skowhegan will not be vying for an overall title because it does not have a Nordic team, but should be in the hunt for the Alpine title.
The Mt. Blue Alpine team is led by Eliza Richard, Heather Farrington and Margot Heraud, a French exchange student, while Hannah Allen and Emily Ramsey led the Nordic team.
“The way this team has been coming together is largely because of the effort of the seniors on both the boys and girls teams,” Mt. Blue Nordic coach David Nordstrom said. “The girls will be strong favorites, while the boys are likely to be contenders in a more tightly contested race.”
Brody Hine and Dustin Staples should play significant roles for the Mt. Blue boys Nordic team, while Tim Andrews and North Kay are primed for success in Alpine.
Skowhegan’s finish will rest primarily on the shoulders on Konnor Theriault and Sebastien Dumont. Both skiers have shown the ability to finish in the top five, which would propel the Indians into title contention.
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The Yarmouth girls have won the last four Class B state title, while the boys have won four of the last five. The Clippers are heavy favorites again this season.
Falmouth, Maranacook and Mt. Abram will give chase, but will need quality performances to overtake a deep, consistence Yarmouth team.
“Both our boys and girls have their work cut out for them in states this year,” Maranacook Nordic coach Steve DeAngelis said. “Yarmouth boys and girls are both the best teams in the state regardless of class and, in addition, Class B is the deepest class in the state this year. Yarmouth, Falmouth, Caribou, and Mt. Abram all have strong girls teams, and Yarmouth, Falmouth, and Caribou all have excellent boys teams.”
The Class B Alpine races will be held at Greenwood and the Nordic competition at Black Mountain in Rumford.
Tyler DeAngelis leads the Maranacook boys Nordic boys team. The Black Bears, however, will need strong performances from Walker Thompson, Luke Wenzel and Sean Daigle to make a run at the Nordic title. Two underclassmen, Carson Mitchell and Cory McSweeney, could sneak inside some teams No. 4 or 5 skiers to help the cause.
Senior Kara Witherill will be a key factor for the girls team, which will need big races from Abby Mace, Adrian Huntington and Caroline Colan.
The Maranacook boys Alpine team is led by Sean Daigle.
“Our Maranacook boys, if they all stand up, should be in the mix for the team championship,” Black Bear Alpine coach Ronn Gifford said.
The Maranacook girls, meanwhile, will be led by Deanna Morris, who is skiing stronger after a midseason illness, according to Gifford.
The Mt. Abram boys and girls have top level talent but are not deep. Erin and Elise Luce are serious threats to land in the Alpine top three, while Sadie James will be near the front of the Nordic pack.
Patrick Banahan has come on strong this season for the Mt. Abram Alpine squad while Trent Rosenburg, Nick Carlton and Jay Chenard have the ability to finish in the top ten in boys Nordic competition.
Skiing as an independent Gary Kersbergen from MCI has been skiing well and could be in the running for a spot on the podium. Fellow independent Phillip Bergeron of Waterville will be a top ten threat in slalom and has been improving his GS results as well.
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Saddleback and the Rangeley Lakes Trail Center will host the Class C competition. Winthrop hopes to have top ten individual efforts in both Alpine and Nordic events.
Colby LaFlamme, Reiley Fitzgerald and JJ Jansen could contend for a spot on the podium in the boys Alpine competition, while Kristen Doughty and Olivia Tsouprake are hoping contend for the girls team.
“Colby has been very focused, he has excellent potential to be in the top 10 for states,” Winthrop Alpine coach Eric Guilmet said. “Reiley is an excellent skier and could be in the top 10, also. Both are incredible athletes.”
In girls Nordic, Winthrop’s Molly Lindsey, MaryClaire Blanchard and Rachel Ingram have been turning in excellent results recently. Aaron St. Pierre leads the Winthrop boys..
“I hope our girls can get a top five finish in the states,” Winthrop Nordic coach Jay Lindsey said. “Molly and MaryClair can make it to the top 10.”
Dylan Thombs could finish in the top 15 for Monmouth.
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Kents Hill put together another successful season in last week’s Maine Association of Independent Schools Athletic Directors championships, earning a spot in the New England Prep School Class A Championships at Pats Peak in New Hampshire.
In the MAISAD, the Kents Hill boys won the combined race, giant slalom and slalom, to beat Gould Academy and Hebron. The Kents Hill girls were second.
“Both teams had great seasons,” Kents Hill coach Steve Bell said. “I am very proud of what our skiers accomplished again this season.”
Top finishers for Kents Hill were: Ben Spencer first in GS and overall season series champion for the second straight year; Chris McKee was first in slalom and third in GS; Harry Dwyer was sixth in GS and fourth in slalom; Robert Patanuade eight in GS and sixth in slalom and Nick Richardson was 11th in GS and seventh in slalom.
Kents Hill’s top girls finishers were Abigail Bowie, who was first in the slalom and third in the giant slalom (she finished second in the league overall series) and Mariam Schactmen, who was sixth in the slalom and seventh in the giant slalom.
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