Nordic Skiers Adjust to Conditions, Get Race in the Books
WINDSOR, Mass. -- Week One was slush fest.
Week Two, the ice bowl.
The intrepid cross country skiers of the Berkshire County Nordic Ski League took on Notchview Reservation for the second straight week on Saturday.
This time, they faced a challenge before the race itself: a half-mile trek through the woods over often icy terrain that challenged athletes (carrying skis and poles) and spectators alike.
The pre-race hike was necessary because organizers had to go deep into the reservation to find skiable terrain.
But the extra effort was worth it, as the league was able to get a second race in the books on a day when temperatures in the region were well into the 50s.
"I think it adds a little adrenaline," Mount Greylock's Jacqueline Wells said of the slippery sojourn. "I don't think that's a bad thing.
"And everyone else is going through the same process. ... It's definitely different, but every race is different, and you don't know what to expect."
Wells won the girls race in a time of 19 minutes, 34 seconds, edging Lenox's Mary Elliot by 13 seconds.
The Greylock girls finished with 15 points to lead the six-team girls field as Brandy Gill, Miriam Bakija, Annie Miller and Juliann Lawson finished in the top 10 for Mount Greylock.
Mount Greylock's boys also led the way in the team competition behind a second straight first-place finish by Col McDermott (16:59). He was "virtually" chased across the finish line by Hoosac Valley's Justin Levesque, who raced out of the second wave and nearly closed the stagger, finishing in 17:03.
Mount Greylock's boys placed four athletes in the top 10. Foster Savitsky, Ollie Swabey and Quinn McDermott were sixth, eighth and 10, respectively.
In addition to the "unique" starting area, the race also was contested on a different layout than the league usually sees.
"I would say about half of it was part of the course last week," Wells said. "Half of it was new. ... We'd seen the course a little bit from walking through, but we hand't skied it yet. But we knew where we were going, so it was good.
"The conditions were good. The finish/start area was a little dicey, but the rest was pretty good."
Boys team scores
1. Mount Greylock, 25 points; 2. Lenox, 33; 3. Hoosac Valley, 52; 4. Wahconah, 52; 5. Amherst, 92; 6. Berkshire School, 94.
Boys top 20
1. Col McDermott, MG, 16:59; 2. Justin Levesque, HV, 17:03; 3. JT Leger, Lenox, 17:12; 4. Colin Young, Lenox, 17:27; 5. Corben Craig, HV, 17:31; 6. Foster Savitsky, MG, 17:44; 7. Hayden Kendall, Wah, 18:00; 8. Jack Pudlo, Wah, 18:03; 8. Ollie Swabey, MG, 18:03; 11. Nor Young, Amherst, 18:21; 12. Ted Yee, Lenox, 18:22; 13. Owen Tucker-Smith, MG, 18:23; 14. Tomas Leger, Lenox, 18:24; 15. Emmett McDonnell, Berkshire School, 18:30; 16. Evan Norcross, HV, 18:39; 17. Cedric Lemaire, MG, 18:57; 18. Logan Newsome, Wah, 19:14; 19. Corban Miller, MG, 19:23; 20. Brennan Anderson, Wah, 19:56.
Girls team scores
1. Mount Greylock, 15 points; 2. Lenox, 26; 3. Mohawk Trail, 67; 4. Hoosac Valley, 78; 5. Wahconah, 82; 6. Amherst, 136.
Girls top 20
1. Jacqueline Wells, MG, 19:34; 2. Mary Elliot, Lenox, 19:47; 3. Brandi Gill, MG, 19:48; 4. Miriam Bakija, 19:50; 5. Erika Looman, Mohawk Trail, 20:01; 6. Aidan Burns, Lenox, 20:21; 7. Annie Miller, MG, 20:37; 8. Grace Elliot, Lenox, 20:42; 9. Juliann Lawson, MG, 20:47; 10. Ava Bachman, Lenox, 20:49; 11. Elizabeth Dupras, MG, 20:50; 12. Hollin Keyser-Parker, Northfield Mount Hermon, 20:56; 13. Lily McDermott, MG, 21:20; 14. Katazyna Wisnauckas, Mohawk, 21:31; 15. Amelia Murphy, MG, 21:36; 16. Julianne Harwood, Lenox, 22:05; 16. Sola Herndon-Schmidt, Lenox, 22:05; 16. Haley Crosier, Wahconah, 22:05; 19. Vienna Mahar, HV, 22:19; 20. Lillian Manley, Mohawk, 22:43.