Vermont Wins Banknorth Eastern High School Championships;
New Hampshire Takes 2nd Place From Maine.
March 20, 2005 (Bolton Valley, VT): The results in the boys’ 7.5km classic race, the last race of the Banknorth Eastern High School Championships, read like a see-saw: NH, Vermont, NH, Vermont, Maine, VT, ME, VT, … But there was no question who was in charge. New Hampshire’s Alex Howe (Gilford), has been in command this weekend, winning by 13 seconds over Vermont’s Cameron MacKugler (Londonderry). Dylan McGuffin (Northfield) gave NH a 3rd place. The girls races have been back and forth between NH and VT, too. But this time it was Vermont’s Jennie Bender in first, 9 seconds ahead of (Hanover) NH’s Alice Nelson, and 14 seconds ahead of (Orleans) Vermont’s Ida Sargent. Super results by New York’s McClelland sisters, Megan’s 4th and Sophie’s 7th, and Massachusett’s Shane MacDowell (11th) and Zach Wetherell (22nd) kept the two low-snow states in the running.
Yesterday Vermont was ahead in the race for the Banknorth Eastern High School Championship title. Not surprising, given the current level of athletes in the Vermont high school, ski school, and club programs. The surprise is that the Maine athletes, bolstered by the Maine Winter Sport Center programs, and their middle school racing programs, are now being challenged by the New Hampshire athletes. This is due in large part to the Gunstock Nordic Association’s coaching and programs, but also to a growing interest and support for Nordic skiing in the northern high school programs, and southern ski clubs.
So, when over 200 of the best high school skiers in the East ascended to Bolton Valley this weekend to compete in four races in three days the competitions were fast and the talent was deep. In Sunday’s races, the final event of the weekend, Vermont boys won, NH’s guys were 2nd, and Maine was 3rd; the Maine gals won, the VT girls 2nd, and NH was 3rd. Massachusetts, whose high school racing programs often don’t include classic events, skied a consistent fourth, ahead of New York.The final, overall winner, and the team that brought home the L.L. Bean micro-fleece zip turtlenecks, was the home team, Vermont. New Hampshire did sneak ahead of Maine by 600 points, followed by Massachusetts and New York.
The top three athletes through all four events this weekend also received prizes donated by Rossignol.
Overall winners — Boys
1. Alex Howe, Gilford, NH
2. Ben Hickory, Morrisville, VT
3. Cameron MacKugler, Londonderry, VT
Overall winners — Girls
1. Ida Sargent, Orleans, VT
2. Alice Nelson, Hanover, NH
3. Jennie Bender, Johnson, VT
Banknorth Eastern High School Championships
Girls 7.5km Classic
1. Jennie Bender, Johnson, VT 27:55.8
2. Alice Nelson, Hanover, NH 28:04.8
3. Ida Sargent, Orleans, VT 28:09.6
4. Megan McClelland, Keene Valley, NY 28:43.0
5. Hannah Dreissigacker, Morrisville, VT 28:46.9
6. Elise Moody-Roberts, Cape Elizabeth, ME 29:05.2
7. Sophie McClelland, Keene Valley, NY 29:05.6
8. Ruth McGovern, Stowe, VT 29:11.2
9. Kathleen Maynard, Jackson, NH 29:12.6
10. Liz Kantack, Jackson, NH 29:15.0
Banknorth Eastern High School Championships
Boys 7.5km Classic
1. Alex Howe, Gilford, NH 23;19.6
2. Cameron MacKugler, Londonderry, VT 23:32.1
3. Dylan McGuffin, Northfield, NH 23:42.9
4. Ben Hickory, Morrisville, VT 23:57.8
5. Thomas Stark, Fitzwilliam, NH 24:07.3
6. Nils Koons, Sidney, ME 24:13.4
7. Chase Marston, VT 24:14.6
8. Timothy Whiton, Bethel, ME 24:26.8
9. Kevin Cutts, Putney, VT 24:27.9
10. Pavel Sotskov, Gilford, NH 24:34.4
Complete results at www.bart.chipco.com. Results and photos at www.nensa.net.
Overall Points
Banknorth Eastern High School Championships
1. Vermont 14,746
2. New Hampshire 13,983
3. Maine 13,383
4. Massachusetts 9,315
5. New York 5,745
Complete results available at www.NENSA.net
