Girls’ Alpine skiing: Lever lowers the boom

Brooke Lever knew she had lots to live up to.

After two second-place finishes in the states last year and two older siblings that succeed in alpine skiing, the Edward Little senior had high expectations.

“At the beginning, I was hoping to win a lot of races,” Lever said. “As a racer, it’s so unpredictable. You can’t really expect anything. My sister (Allarie), her senior year, she actually won every single race. I had a lot to live up to coming into my senior year. I just hoped to come in and at least better myself in my last season.”

Lever won the Class A slalom state championship and took second in the giant slalom to cap her skiing career in great fashion. It was focusing on herself and not the expectations that played a part in her success.

“There was only one place to go up and that’s where I wanted to go,” Lever said. “I tried my hardest. I worked really hard this season and obviously it paid off pretty well.”

One thing Lever said she did this year was not focus so much on the success of her siblings or what other racers were doing. She worried about her race and let the rest alone.

“I tried to focus on myself,” Lever said. “Even compared to competition, I never watched the people in front of me. I never tried to focus on other people until after the first run. I wanted to see where I stood. If I thought too much and looked at what other people were doing, it would just psych me out.”

After winning the slalom race in the KVAC’s and taking third in the giant slalom, she won the slalom in the state meet. She took second in the giant slalom.

“I never expected to win,” Lever said. “Coming into it, I knew I had really stiff competition. It’s what I always dreamed of. I know that sounds really cliche, but I never thought I’d win states and to have it be my senior year and my last high school race was incredible.”

Being a senior, there was a greater degree of focus this year, Lever said. What was a sport for fun and competition in past seasons, had a little more urgency this year.

“I was a little more dedicated,” Lever said. “In practice, I just focused a lot more. Last year, it was more fun and this year I just started to get more serious. I knew it was my last season. So I knew I had to take it seriously.”

kmills@sunjournal.com

Brooke Lever Edward Little Sr.

Caroline Burns Oxford Hills Soph.

Allison Acritelli Spruce Mountain Soph.

Keaton McEvoy Gray-New Gloucester Sr.

Julia Pomeroy Spruce Mountain Fr.

Becki Bryant Monmouth Sr.

Second Team

Kierstin Leclerc Leavitt Soph

Kaitlyn Leclerc Leavitt Sr.

Victoria Beliveau Edward Little Jr.

Jocelyn Stevens Mt. Abram Fr.

Emma Berube Mt. Abram Soph.

Samantha Herrick Edward Little Jr.

Honorable Mention

Alesha Gregoire, Lewiston Jr.; Rebecca Howard, Mt. Abram, Sr.; Rylee Handrahan, Mt. Abram Fr.; Denesha Begin, Mt. Abram, Fr.; Jenna Hanrahan, Mt. Blue, Fr; Ellie Pelletier, Mt. Blue, Fr.; Alecia Bolduc, Mountain Valley, Jr.; Madeline Timberlake, Spruce Mountain Soph.; Samantha Slovak, Spruce Mountain Sr.; Veronica Davis, Spruce Mountain Sr.; Paige Dutterer, Telstar Jr.; Koley True, Telstar, Fr.