Day 1 of the KVAC Alpine Championships took place
on Wednesday, February 6th at Black Mtn with the Giant Slalom competition. Colby Van Decker, an Oxford Hills junior, won the KVAC GS with a combined time of 1:41.96. Eli Yeaton of Mt. Blue was second with a combined time of 1:42.85 and Sam Smith, also of Mt. Blue was third, finishing with a combined time of 1:42.95. Rounding out the top six were Jake Mills of Oxford Hills (1:43.76), Maranacook's Robbie McKee (1:44.25), and Mills' Viking teammate and skiemeister competitor Tommy Bancroft (1:46.59).
On the girls side, Senior Ellie Pelletier of Mt. Blue won the KVAC Giant Slalom with a winning combined time of 1:50.23. Miranda Chadbourne of Edward Little was second with a combined time of 1:51.14. Anna Erb of Maranacook was third with a combined time of 1:52.27. Also having strong races were Mt. Blue's Jenna Hanrahan (1:52.58), Jorday Cummings of Edward Little (1:52.68), and Katie Ide of Maranacook (1:53.12).
The KVAC Alpine Championships conclude on Saturday with the slalom competition at Titcomb Mountain in Farmington.
Cameron Walters of Mt. Abram skied the 5k Classical
at Black Mountain of Maine in 15:55.5 to win the Mountain Valley Conference title on the first day of the MVC Championship. On a beautiful February 6th day in what resembled a warm up loop for the Roadrunners, Walters and his teammates captured the top 6 positions to dominate the rest of the MVC pack. 2nd place went to fellow Roadrunner Levi Bouchard, who completed the course in 15:58.8. Taking the final podium position was Dillon Wells with a time of 15:59.3. David Kidd (16:12.6), Brandon Hemingway (16:28.0), and Chandler Rollins (17:01.1) rounded out the top six.
Emily Kidd of Mt. Abram broke away from the pack in the Women's MVC 5k Classical Mass Start to win the MVC Championship on the John Roderick Trail System. The Roadrunner freshman completed the course in 20:04.0 to earn the top podium spot. Her teammate, senior Alice Cockerham took the silver medal, finishing in 20:19.0, while Leah Ruck of Orono came in third with a time of 20:53.6. Rounding out the top six were three Winthrop skiers, Sam Allen (21:20.9), Alexis Emery (22:56.1), and Maya Deming (22:57.8).
On a sunny Day 1 of the MVC Alpine Championships 
at Black Mountain skiers competed in the giant slalom. On the boys side, Maguire Anuszewski of Winthrop won the MVC GS with a winning combined time of 1:47.53. Gage Sampson of Spruce Mountain was second with a time of 1:55.13, and his teammate Jacob Paradis finished in third with a combined time of 1:56.34.
Rangeley High School joined the Mountain Valley Conference as an associate member for skiing and found immediate success in the girls race, Rangeley freshman Hannah McMillan won the MVC Giant Slalom title with a winning two-run combined time of 1:48.84. 
Julia Pomeroy, a skimeister competitor from Spruce Mountain, was second with a combined time of 1:54.12. Abbey Landry of Telstar was third with a combined time of 1:54.86. Other top finishers were Adria Plourde of Spruce Mountain (1:55.32), Alice Mackay of Mt. Abram (1:57.95), and Mountain Valley's Gabbie Gallant (2:00.14).
The MVC Alpine Championships conclude on Saturday, February 9th, with the slalom competition at Titcomb Mountain.
Roy Varney of Leavitt captured gold in the 2019
Sassi Memorial 5k Classical at Black Mountain of Maine on the afternoon of January 26th. The Hornet Skier won the largest high school ski race in the state with a time of 13:36.2. Despite the heavy rains two days prior to race day, the tracks were in excellent condition that held up well despite the large field of skiers in the Sassi and it's younger version, the Jr. Sassi, which was held in the morning. Taking the silver was Maranacook High School's Carter McPhedran, who crossed the finish line in 13:49.8. Carter's teammate Gabe Fine grabbed the final podium spot with a time of 13:54.8. Other strong finishers were Ethan Livingood of Falmouth, Sam Smith of Mt. Blue, and Dom Giampietro of Mt. Blue.
In the women's race, Freshman Emma Charles of Mt. Blue topped a field of 140 skiers with a winning time of 15:27.0. Right behind Charles was Emily Gerencer of St. Doms, who finished with a time of 15:30.3. Lily Horne of Freeport grabbed the bronze with a time of 16:28.5. Other notable finishers were Gould Academy's Lilo Bean, Portland Nordic's Grace Tumavicus, and Jaidyn Negley of the Leavitt Hornets.
Race Photos available at 
Eli Shifrin, skiing for Gould, scorced the 3k course on the historic
John Roderick ski trails in 9:21.4 to comfortably win the 2019 Jr Sassi Championship on January 26th. There was a dead heat for second place between Auburn's Ellis Slover and Portland's Daniel Niles, who each finished in 10:01.7 to share the second podium spot. Other top 6 finishers in the field of 67 were Benjamin Condit of Auburn, who with a time of 10:10.0, just missed medaling, and Zachary Ross and Beckett Cote, who both skied for Central Maine.
In the girls' race, Briget Reusch of Farmington Area Ski Team took the gold with a time of 10:40.6. The silver went Reusch's teammate Kamryn Joyce with a time of 10:52.1. Naomi MacGadney of Central Maine finished in 11:38.6 to earn the bronze. Moriah Reusch of FAST, Elise Creagan of York, and Annabelle Brooks of Portland rounded out the top six. Like the boys, 67 girls competed in the race.
View race photos at
The 2018 Maine U16 and Eastern High School Championship teams were selected based on qualifying races held at Black Mountain on March 3rd. In the High School race, Olivia Skillings, skiing for the Maine Coast Waldorf School in Freeport, passed Stephanie Nicols of Gould Academy in Bethel to capture 1st place in the Freestyle pursuit. Nicols, who had won the 5k Classical race earlier in the day, finished second. Coming in third was Lily Horne of Freeport High School.
In the High School Boys competition, Ben Alford, representing the Bethel Outing Club won the gold in the pursuit. Alford, who had also won the classical race, led wire to wire. He was followed by Max Bartley, who was skiing as a member of the Outdoor Sport Institute of Caribou. Finishing in third was Luke Bartol of Maranacook High School.
Audrey Heriz-Smith of Camden Hills High School won the KVAC women's giant slalom race at Black Mountain with a two-run combined time of 1:42.62. 
Jenna Hanrahan of Mt. Blue HS took second (1:46.99) with Hampen Academy's Brea Brown came in third. Rounding out the top 6 were Janiki Pakulski of Maranacook, Jordan Cummings of Edward Little and Maranacook's Katie Ide.
