DIRIGO COUGARS
Coach: Ann Speth
Class: C; Conference: MVC
Last year’s results: Boy: Second in MVC, tied for third at Class C state meet; Girls: Seventh in MVC.
Returning athletes and newcomers: Seniors — Damien Nadeau, Adrianna Belskis, Destiny Urdsick; Juniors — Jacob Gallant, Spencer Jacques, Blaine Wilkins, Francelia DePalma, Ella Couture, Logan Morris, Arianna Boulanger; Sophomores — Hunter Berry, Ginger Cross, John Conron; Freshman — Savannah Williams.
Season outlook: The Dirigo boys team returns most of its scorers from last season’s third-place state finish last season.
EDWARD LITTLE RED EDDIES
Coach: Eric Cobb (fourth year)
Class: A; Conference: KVAC
Returning athletes: Senior — Christian Hiscock; Juniors — Aiden Morrison, Harrison Bigos-Lowe, Deven Egge, Casey Burhoe, James Pawlina, Joshua Brobst, Lily Vincent, Cameron Langlois; Sophomores — Cooper Dunn, Simon Hall, Brandon Newton.
Key loss: Matt Syphers.
Promising newcomers: Payton Bell, Clara Lamontagne, Benjamin Condit.
Season outlook: Not only does Edward Little bring back a large group of boys ready to build off a successful season a year ago, but the Red Eddies also will have a girls team this winter. Cobb said that the three freshmen joining the team all skied well as eighth graders.
GRAY-NEW GLOUCESTER PATRIOTS
Coach: Jeff McEvoy (11th year)
Class: B; Conference: WMC
Returning athletes: William Maines, Michael Sweeny, Wyatt Fessler.
Key loss: Michael Sutherland.
Promising newcomer: Nick Shevchenko.
Season outlook: William Maines leads a small Patriots group into the 2019-20 season. Gray-New Gloucester only has four skiers, but with no seniors it looks to build for the next couple of seasons.
LEAVITT HORNETS
Coach: Dustin Williamson (17th year)
Class: A; Conference: KVAC
Last year’s results: Boys: Third in KVAC, fourth at state championship; Girls: Second in KVAC, third at state championship.
Returning athletes: Seniors — Alex Hawksley, Ava Petrin, Eli Lind, Everet Varney; Juniors — Morghan Dutil, Abigayle Lavoie, Jessica Lynch, Ellery Macgregor, Jaidyn Negley, Eli Bell, Zach Madison; Sophomores: Courtney Cabral, Ava Gagnon, Aleks Bachkovsky, Zack Lafontaine.
Key losses: Roy Varney, Tamra Benson, Marta Riva.
Promising newcomers: Sophomore — Ruby Haylock; Freshmen — Kenzie Cote, Ali Dening, Iris Petrin, Nathaniel Bell, Matthew Gortner, Aidan Lind, Kurtis Mousseau, Logan Ouellette, Elliott Shields.
Season outlook: The Hornets have four seniors returning and should be challengers in the KVAC and even the Class A meets on both the boys and girls sides. Leavitt will have to replace the success and leadership of the late Roy Varney, who was a state champion last season.
MARANACOOK BLACK BEARS
Coach: Steve DeAngelis (36th year)
Class: B; Conference: KVAC
Last year’s results: Boys: KVAC and Class B state champion; Girls: Third in KVAC, fourth at state championship.
Returning athletes: Seniors — Carter McPhedran, Will Colvin, Brady Stockwell, Ethan Watts, Campton Tinkham, Maura Taylor, Cambelle Nutting, Ashley Cray, Maggie Stokes; Juniors — Tom Poling, Sophie O’Clair, Evelyn St. Germain; Sophomores — Max Olmstead, Zach Berg, Sally Stokes, Jenna Badeau.
Key losses: Gabe Fein, Luke Bartol, Bryce Trefethen, Tate Mendall.
Promising newcomers: Ben Adams, Eric Nelson, Toby Olsen, Conner Easter, Lina Martinez-Nocito, Ruby Nelson, Rosemary Branagan, Sophie Marr, Mary Hatt, Kasey Mushlit, Kaitlynn Dunn.
Season outlook: The Maranacook boys team lost four of the top-11 finishers at the Class B state meet from a year ago, so there are big shoes to fill. DeAngelis is hoping young skiers help four state meet returners back to the top of Class B. Maura Taylor, who finished fifth at the Class B state meet a year ago, returns as part of a large girls team that seeks to compete with the best at the KVACs and states.
MT. ABRAM ROADRUNNERS
Coach: Buzz Bean (36th year)
Class: C; Conference: MVC
Returning athletes: Senior — Chandler Rollins; Junior — Dalton Thurlow; Sophomores — Cameron Walters, Alex Hemingway, Emily Kidd, Valentina Rowe, Alice McKay.
Key losses: Alice Cockerham, Dillon Wells, Levi Bouchard, Dylan Starbird.
Promising newcomers: Jeff Warnock, Brynna Zelie, Lily Day.
Season outlook: Mt. Abram returns a lot of younger skiers this season, including five sophomores. Bean is hoping his skiers will enter the Nordic season in good shape after many of them competed in cross country in the fall. Senior Chandler Rollins went to the Maine Nordic Ski Camp this summer and will be a leader for the Roadrunners. Sophomore Cameron Walters made the Maine U16 team last year and will also be a threat at MVCs and possibly the state meet. The girls team has three skiers, Alice McKay, Brynna Zelie and Lily Day, who will also compete in Alpine skiing this winter.
MT. BLUE COUGARS
Coach: Emmy Held (first year)
Class: A; Conference: KVAC
Last year’s results: Girls: First at KVAC, second at state championship; Boys: First at KVAC, second at state championship
Returning athletes: Evan Hornbach, Clayton McCarthy, Jackson Joyce, Josh Smith, Samuel Judkins, Colby Ranger, Kahryn Cullenberg, Molly Harmon, Daphne Giampietro, Erin Johnson, Emma Charles, Brynne Robbins, Abbie Cramer.
Key losses: Sam Smith, Michael Gurney, Dominic Giampietro, Jesse Dalton, Chelsea Seabold, Madeleine Guerrette, Gretchen Huish.
Promising newcomers: Isaiah Doscinski, Carson Zundel, Kamryn Joyce, Bridget Reusch, Moriah Reusch, Nellie Wotton, Delia Colello.
Season outlook: Emma Charles cemented her place as a top skier in the state after only one high school Nordic season, winning both the classical and freestyle state titles as a freshman in 2018-19. The girls return a big team and have enough depth to make a run at the A title. The Mt. Blue boys lost four skiers who helped contribute to the team’s runner-up finish at the Class A state meet. Underclassmen will need to help returning seniors Evan Hornbach and Clayton McCarthy to get the Cougars back to the top.
OXFORD HILLS VIKINGS
Coach: Chris Easton (39th year)
Class: A; Conference: KVAC
Last year’s results: Boys: Eighth at KVAC; Girls: Ninth at KVAC.
Key losses: Tom Bancroft, Nick Bancroft, Isaac Roy.
Returning athletes: Henry Swift, Grey Vanderwood, Hakon Teceno, Paul Rudman, Donovan Sanborn.
Season outlook: Tom and Nick Bancroft is are significant losses, but the Vikings return five skiers this season, so Easton is hoping the program can use this winter to grow.
SPRUCE MOUNTAIN PHOENIX
Coaches: Jay Lindsey (15th year), Kerry Brenner (second year)
Last year’s results: Boys: First at MVC, eighth at state championship; Girls: Third at MVC, eighth at state championship.
Returning athletes: Seniors — Gene Lindsey, Grace Goodwin; Juniors — Taylor Guay, Julia Grant.
Key losses: Joel Soper, Bryce Chavez, Jack Gilbert.
Promising newcomers: Abrahm Geisinger, Brian Daigle, Matt Pepe, Owen Schwab, Sam Perkins, Nate Tibbetts, Kylie Pepe, Morgan Timberlake, Jasmine Marks, Cheyanne Patterson.
Season outlook: The Phoenix have a young team this season with only one senior, Gene Lindsey. Some of Spruce’s skiers haven’t skied before this winter, but coach Jay Lindsey is hoping that the athletes’ work during cross country running season carries over. Lindsey hopes to be near the top of the MVC by the end of the year. Freshman Abrahm Geisinger projected to be a top skier for the Phoenix.
ST. DOM’S SAINTS
Coach: Dustin Williamson (17th year)
Class: C; Conference: WMC
Last year’s results: Boys: 11th at state championship (26th individual); Girls: 10th at state championship (second individual)
Returning athlete: Senior — Mark D’Alessandro
Key loss: Emily Gerencer.
Season outlook: Mark D’Alessandro is the only skier on the team, but practicing and competing alongside the Leavitt Hornets should help him improve on his 26th-place state finish a year ago.
WINTHROP RAMBLERS
Coach: Steve DeAngelis (36th year)
Class: C; Conference: MVC
Last year’s results: Girls: Second at MVC, sixth at state championship.
Returning athletes: Seniors — Sam Allen, Maya Deming, Alexis Emery; Sophomore — Muriel Lattin.
Key losses: None.
Promising newcomer: Phoebe Dow.
Season outlook: Winthrop returns all four skiers from last year’s MVC runner-up team and adds a promising freshman in Phoebe Dow. The team should improve this year and be a contender at the Class C meet.
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