Complete results and photos at www.nensa.net
Banknorth Eastern High School Championships at Bolton Valley ~ Vermont Holds Slim Lead over NH and ME After First Event, a 5km Classic
March 18, 2005 (Bolton Valley, VT): 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. Teams from Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and New York are racing 25 of their best girls and 25 of their best boys, making this one of the biggest Nordic competitions of the season. And with New England Junior Olympic team back from winning the Alaska Cup at the JO’s, at altitude in Truckee, CA, the teams are full of fast athletes with fully saturated hemoglobin.
The schedule began with the 5km freestyle races Friday afternoon. The Vermont boys put 6 in the top 10 but the winner was Alex Howe, Gilford, NH and his Gunstock Nordic Team teammate, Dylan McGuffin, Northfield, NH, was third. Maine’s Nils Koons snuck into the top 10 with a 7th place.
In the women’s 5km classic it was Vermont’s Ida Sargent (Orleans, VT) who held off Vermont teammate Hannah Dreissigacker (Morrisville, VT) by 9 seconds, for a one-two VT punch. With Jennie Bender in 6th (Johnson, VT), the Vermont girls had three in the top 10. So did New Hampshire, who’s ace, Alice Nelson (Hanover, NH) in third, by one second, ahead of New York’s Sophie McClelland (Keene Valley, NY). Liz Kantack (Jackson, NH)-7th and Kathleeen Maynard (Jackson, NH) —10th completed the NH trio that will continue to challenge Vermont this weekend. Maine’s best finishers were Mandy Ivey (Oxford, ME), in 5th, and Elise Moody-Roberts (Cape Elizabeth, ME)-8th. The small but strong New York contingent is always bolstered by the McClelland sisters — Sophie’s 4th and Megan’s 9th.
Going into tomorrow’s races Vermont leads, 3,689. New Hampshire is second, 3,349. Maine is third, 3,248. And Massachusetts is 4th, 2,478. New York is fifth, 1,475.
The weekend continues Saturday with the Freestyle Sprints at 10am in the morning and the Mixed Gender, Mixed Technique Relay: classic boy-classic girl-freestyle boy-freestyle girl. But the deciding race will be Sunday mornings 5km classic race. Not only will the athletes be tired from racing three races in two days, they will have the added challenge of finding a kick wax for the winter-turning-to-summer conditions. Updated results at www.bart.chipco.com and results and photos at www.nensa.net.
Banknorth Eastern High School Championships
Boys’ 5km Freestyle
1. Alex Howe, Gilford, NH 15:17.2
2. Ben Hickory, Morrisville, VT 15.27.0
3. Dylan McGuffin, Northfield, NH 15:34.0
4. Kevin Cutts, Putney, VT, 15.34.7
5. Silas Gill, E.Burke, VT, 15:41.7
6. Cameron MacKugler, Londonderry, VT, 15:46.7
7. Nils Koons, Rome, ME, 15:55.9
8. Jesse Kosiba, VT, 16:08.5
9. Pavel Sotskov, Gilford, NH, 16:08.6
10. Harry Poole, VT, 16:09.8
Banknorth Eastern High School Championships
Girls’ 5km Freestyle
1. Ida Sargent, Orleans, VT 17:49.0
2. Hannah Dreissigacker, Morrisville, VT 17:58.5
3. Alice Nelson, Hanover, NH, 18:16.8
4. Sophie McClelland, Keene Valley, NY, 18:17.1
5. Mandy Ivey, Oxford, ME, 18:35.6
6. Jennie Bender, Johnson, VT, 18:37.8
7. Liz Kantack, Jackson, NH, 18:40.2
8. Elise Moody-Roberts, Cape Elizabeth, ME, 18:42.8
9. Megan McClelland, Keene Valley, NY, 18:50.2
10. Kathleen Maynard, Jackson, NH, 18:56.6
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Overall Points
Banknorth Eastern High School Championships
1. Vermont 3,689.
2. New Hampshire 3,349.
3. Maine 3,248.
4. Massachusetts 2,478.
5. New York 1,475.
