Assuming that the winds die down and the roads remain clear, ideal conditions should prevail for this week’s KVAC and MVC skiing championships.
The meet will unfold on two days at two tri-county locations. Black Mountain of Maine hosts the giant slalom and classical races Wednesday in Rumford, with Titcomb Mountain taking over for the slalom and freestyle competitions Saturday in Farmington.
“KVACs are when it gets real,” Oxford Hills Nordic senior Julia Dillon said.
For most competitors, the conference meet is the final major lead-up to the state showcase later this month.
Cougars, Hornets hope to shine in KVAC
Dillon will be one of the favorites in both the KVAC freestyle and classical races.
Mt. Blue is the defending girls’ team champion. With 2014 individual star Sarah Wade having graduated, Julia Ramsey has stepped up as the Cougars’ leader. Kayla White and Meghan Charles are closely in tow.
Leavitt and Maranacook’s title hopes are all in the family. MacKenzie and Brooke Varney lead the Hornets, while Hannah and Abby Despres headline the Black Bears’ charge.
In the boys’ Nordic division, last year’s meet was a scramble between Mt. Blue, Leavitt and Maranacook in the team category, and the encore should be no different.
The Black Bears are possibly a slight favorite, with Ethan Harriman, Luca DeAngelis and Colby Watts showing the way. Leavitt’s lead trio of Harrison Knowlton, Jarod Farrar and Josh Therrien also is strong. Dan Lesko leads the Mt. Blue delegation, with Liam Welch and Nolan Rogers in hot pursuit all season.
Nate McNutt and Ben Andrews are the top competitors for Oxford Hills.
Defending giant slalom champions Mike Miller of Skowhegan and Evelyn Thompson of Hampden are back in the hunt, but they’ll find ample local competition in KVAC alpine.
Mt. Blue skiers Miles Pelletier, Kyle Farrington and Dylan Roberts could challenge, especially on their home hill at Titcomb. Nate Delmar and Sven Maurer of Maranacook and Chris Burns of Oxford Hills also have title hopes.
Maranacook is the defending boys’ alpine team champion, but in addition to a stern challenge from Mt. Blue, Edward Little has a deep and balanced team that could be a darkhorse. Maxx Bell and Tyler Lafean are top performers for the Red Eddies.
Top challengers to Thompson on the girls’ side are Brooke Lever of Edward Little, who was fourth and fifth in the two conference alpine races a year ago, and Annika Kahkonen of Oxford Hills, the 2014 GS runner-up.
Lever indicated that the KVAC meet is another step in her long-term plans.
“My ultimate goal this year is to make Easterns again,” she said, “because that was a blast, and hopefully top three at states.”
Erin Guilmet and Rachel Tooth are a one-two punch to watch for Maranacook. Other girls likely in contention: Miranda Murphy of Oxford Hills; Alesha Gregoire of Lewiston; Lydia Morin of Camden Hills; and Kaitlyn and Kierstin Leclerc of Leavitt.
Falcons flaunt numbers in MVC
Defending giant slalom champion Nick Newman and his Mountain Valley teammates are poised for a big meet. Andrew Arsenault, Nate Legere, Curtis Gauvin and defending skimeister champion Connor Woods anchor the Falcons’ alpine aspirations.
Jed Stevens of Mt. Abram is a threat to win one of the boys’ individual titles. Devan Pomeroy and Lucas Alley of Spruce Mountain, Charlie DeHaas of Winthrop and James Newkirk of Telstar also are expected to contend.
Individual talent headlines the girls’ alpine meet. Sarah Klein of Mountain Valley and Annie Guerette of Winthrop don’t have enough teammates to threaten for those titles, but they’re favorites to go one-two on their own.
Sam Ladd of St. Dom’s, Allison Acritelli and Destiny White of Spruce Mountain and Gabi Stone of Telstar all have well-founded hopes of cracking the top five.
Monmouth girls, led by Jordyn Mann, Shannon Buzzell, Carey Knowles and Hannah Kerrigan, should enjoy success as a pack in the Nordic battle. Top local individuals include Carla Boyle-Wight of Telstar, Megan Morrison of Dirigo and Reilly Romanoski of Mt. Abram.
Among the MVC boys’ cross country leaders: Mountain Valley’s Woods; Keenan Martin and Ben Buck of Dirigo; Liam Gallagher and Kellen True of Telstar; and Ethan Thombs of Monmouth.
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