Complete results and photos at www.nensa.net
Battles Continue in the Sprints and Relay at the Banknorth Eastern High School Championships at Bolton Valley
March 19, 2005 (Bolton Valley, VT): The speed event of the Banknorth Eastern High School Championships took place Saturday morning at Bolton Valley, Vermont. The sprints are the shortest distance event in Nordic skiing, but by running standards they are more like the dreaded 800meters, requiring both speed AND endurance. Alice Nelson (Hanover, NH) and Ben Hickory (Morrisville, VT) have both, and their first place finishes brought home the bonus five points each for the New Hampshire and Vermont team. New Hampshire has been giving the Green Mountain boys and girls of Vermont a challenge this weekend, but overall Vermont had more skiers in the top to keep ahead in the push for the overall title. Vermont girls went 2,3,4,and 6 in the top 10, while New York placed three in the top 10 — Marlijne Cook (Saranac Lake, NY)-5th, Sophie McClelland (Keene Valley, NY)-7th and Stephanie Crocker (Poughkeepsie, NY)-9th. New Hampshire had Nelson and Liz Kantack (Jackson, NH)-10th, and Maine placed one in the top 10 — Hilary McNamee (Fort Kent, ME) in 8th.
On the boy’s side four more Vermonters stacked up just behind Hickory – Cameron MacKugler (Londonderry, VT)-2nd, Kevin Cutts (Putney, VT)-5th, Silas Gill (E.Burke, VT)-8th and Harry Poole (VT)-9th. It was the New Hampshire-ites in between — Alex Howe (Gilford, NH)-3rd, Dylan McGuffin (Northfield, NH)-4th, and Thomas Stark (Fitzwilliam, NH)-10th. Shane MacDowell (Peru, MA) continued to shine for Massachusetts with a 7th place finish.
The race course was reset Saturday afternoon and prepared for the 4×25.km mixed medley relay. Major points were on the line as Vermont battled to stay ahead of the surprising New Hampshire team. Going into the third leg of the relay, NH2 and NH7 were in the lead, followed by Vermont. But Vermont’s skaters pulled VT1 and VT6 into 2nd and 3rd place, and NH7 fell back to fourth. The next three places were within 14 seconds — ME3 stayed just two seconds ahead of NY5, and ME21 was only 12 seconds behind them.
Going into the final event tomorrow, the 7.5km classic, Vermont (11,177) has increased its lead over New Hampshire (10,481), Maine (9,876), and Massachusett (7,126) is holding off New York (4,386).
Over 200 of the best high school skiers in the East are at Bolton Valley this weekend, racing state against state for the overall title of Banknorth Eastern High School Nordic Champion. The teams are made up of skiers of all levels of dedication, motivation, and training, from Junior Olympic medalists, ski school racers, prep school skiers, ski club racers, New York skiers who travel to New England for the competition of the Banknorth Eastern Cup circuit, and best of all, the high school skiers, many of whom are on skis three months a year, and even that depends upon the snowfall. For everyone the Eastern High School’s are an end-of-the-season reward.