Mount Greylock Boys, Girls Rack Up More Wins at Wahconah
DALTON, Mass. -- As the six-time defending state champions in cross country skiing, the Mount Greylock boys are long used to skiing with a target on their backs.
Once again, Saturday, the rest of the Berkshire County Nordic League was just a little off the mark as the Mounties finished first at Wahconah High School, where five Mount Greylock skiers finished in the top 10.
Ric Donati, who led the way with a third-place finish, said the team is well aware of the expectations built by past success but tries hard to keep the focus on the future.
“We definitely think about [the legacy], but every race we’re focusing, going and doing the best we can,” he said. “This week was nice because we had some fast kids from other schools to compete against. There were some last week, but this week it was a lot more competitive.
“We’re definitely looking to continue the winning legacy, but it’s really more about just doing the best we can. If we do that, [the winning] just comes with it.”
Northfield Mount Hermon’s Kent Yoshikawa was the big winner on the boys side, Saturday. Racing in the second wave alongside Donati, Yoshikawa covered the course in 16 minutes, 52 seconds.
Also in that second wave was Amherst’s Willy Wright, who was second in 16:59. Donati clocked a time of 17:04.
Mount Greylock’s Jakin MIller, Evan Arthur and Jacob Adams finished fifth through sixth with teammate Cameron Castonguay in 10th.
The Mounties also won the girls race with an impressive 1-2-3 finish from Brandi Gill, Niku Darafshi and Margo Smith.
Gill finished in 19:28 to become the second straight Mount Greylock girl to win out of the first wave.
The first non-Mountie in the skate race was Lenox’s Alice Huth, who placed fourth in 19:59.
Lenox’s girls finished second in the team standings behind Mount Greylock, which won with 12 points to the Millionaires’ 48.
Emma Polumbo rounded out the scoring for the Mounties with a sixth-place finish, and Sonia Glab placed in the top 10 for Mount Greylock, placing seventh.
The Mount Greylock boys collected 21 points to finish ahead of second place Amherst (43 points).
Donati said that -- scoreboard aside -- it was a different race on Saturday at the flat Wahconah High course after the league’s New Year’s Eve at Vermont’s Prospect Mountain last week.
“One of the big challenges earlier was we weren’t able to go on the course before racing,” Donati said, alluding to the thin snow cover in central Berkshire County. “A lot of it was kind of blind going into it. We were able to walk along the side, but that’s not really the same.
“This course is really flat -- almost like states last year [at the Weston Ski Track]. That played to some of our advantages, and for me, personally, it’s not what benefits me. That was definitely a big change from last week. There weren’t any big hills to get those breaks on.”
Next week, the league is scheduled to get its first look at the site of this year’s state championships when it skis at Notchview Reservation.
BOYS TEAM SCORES
1. Mount Greylock, 21 points
2. Amherst, 43
3. Northfield Mount Hermon, 52
4. Lenox, 54
5. Wahconah, 85
6. Taconic, 110
7. Hoosac Valley, 134
TOP 20 BOYS
1. Kent Yoshikawa (NMH), 16:52; 2. Willy Wright (A), 16:59; 3. Ric Donati (MG), 17:04; 4. Toby Weed (NMH), 17:18; 5. Jakin Miller (MG), 17:26; 6. Evan Arthur (MG), 17:27; 7. Jacob Adams (MG), 17:29; 7. Miles Marshall (L), 17:29; 9. Luke Sedor Protti (A), 17:30; 10. Cameron Castonguay (MG), 17:39; 11. Sam Pyser (W), 18:41; 12. Noah Shepardson (T), 18:42; 13. Noah Kalischer-Coggins (L), 19:08; 14. Ryan Dinger (A), 19:16; 14. Aidan Duncan (MG), 19:16; 16. Ethan Schoorlemer (MG), 19:20; 17. Herkus Rudzinskas (L), 19:22; 18. Gaelin Kingston (NMH), 19:26; 19. Harry Burn (L), 19:27; 19. Oron Cable (L), 19:27. … 28. Mitch Barnes (HV), 20:11.
GIRLS TEAM SCORES
1. Mount Greylock, 12 points
2. Lenox, 48
3. Northfield Mount Hermon, 59
4. Mohawk, 61
5. Hoosac Valley, 83
6. Amherst, 98
7. Wahconah, 108
8. Simsbury (Conn.), 166
9. Taconic, 181
GIRLS TOP 20
1. Brandi Gill (MG), 19:28; 2. Niku Darafshi (MG), 19:39; 3. Margo Smith (MG), 19:43; 4. Alice Huth (L), 19:58; 5. Clarissa Pollard (M), 19:59; 6. Emma Polumbo (MG), 20:00; 7. Sonia Glab (MG), 20:36; 8. Nevada Powers (NMH), 20:40; 9. Emma Jourdain (L), 21:02; 10. XXX (M), 21:05; 11. Helen Greenfield (MG), 21:32; 12. Gabby Orlando (W), 22:04; 13. Jamie Barthe (HV), 22:08; 14. Isabel Laubach (NMH), 22:11; 15. Hazel Scullin (MG), 22:13; 16. Marion Huth (L), 22:18; 17. Mia Gale (HV), 22:26; 18. Kendal Pittman (A), 22:56; 19; Eliza Mann (NMH), 23:02; 20. Josie Weil (NMH), 23:03; … 42. Mary Hayes (T), 27:24.