The Mt. Blue High School boys alpine ski team took the Class A slalom title and are in first place after the first day of the Class A championship at Mt. Abram in Greenwood.
At Big Rock in Presque Isle, the Maranacook boys alpine team took first place with an impressive showing in the slalom and giant slalom.
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Maranacook’s Nathan Delmar won the slalom with a run of 40.8 seconds. Due to high winds on Monday, the Class B and C alpine events were both run on Tuesday and limited to one run each.
“The one run format provides some additional pressure,” Maranacook alpine ski coach Ronn Gifford said. “You want to have a fast run, but you can’t go totally crazy because you have to finish.”
It was an almost windless day, Gifford said, and conditions on the course were quite good. Delmar’s winning slalom run was solid from top to bottom, Gifford said, including through a technical stretch at the bottom of the course that gave some skiers problems.
“He snaked through the final gate and maintained his speed,” Gifford said. “It was phenomenal.”
Sven Mauer finished in fifth place in both the slalom and giant slalom for Maranacook. Mauer’s slalom run was 44.06 seconds, while his GS time was 46.19.
At Mt. Abram, Class A skiers were able to get in two runs in the slalom on Tuesday, with the GS scheduled for Wednesday.
“The snow was grippy and hard, and you could do what you wanted to do,” Mt. Blue alpine ski coach Mark Cyr said.
Kyle Farrington led Mt. Blue with a second place finish with a two-run time of 1:16.39. Anthony Franchetti was 10th for the Cougars (1:22.51), while Mitchell Haines was 12th (1:23.51) and Miles Pelletier 16th (1:27.80).
“Our depth paid off,” Cyr said.
The Cougars have a 33 point lead over second place Greely heading into Wednesday’s giant slalom. Mt. Blue’s 42 points after the Nordic classical on Tuesday gives the Cougars 82 points, ahead of second place Leavitt (159).
“The past four or five years, we’ve really been focusing on the GS,” Cyr said. “We’re certainly a better GS team than in the past.”
Skowhegan’s Michael Miller placed ninth in the slalom with a time of 1:22.24.
Maranacook’s Erin Guilmet won the Class B girls slalom, and placed fourth in the GS.
“She managed it flawlessly,” Gifford said of Guilmet’s slalom run.
A day after winning the Class B Nordic classical championship, Maranacook’s Ethan Harriman placed second in the 5K freestyle with a time of 14 minutes, 29.5 seconds. Yarmouth’s John Lane won the event (14:20.2). Luca DeAngelis of Maranacook placed fifth (15:42.4). Forrest McCurdy of Merriconeag was the Class C winner (14:30.5).
Kaelyn Woods of Gray-New Gloucester was the girls freetyle winner, in 16:17.1, well ahead of second place Elizabeth Martin of Freeport (16:48.1). Abigail Despres of Maranacook was 11th (19:30.1). Fiona Ahearne of Merriconeag was the winner in the Class C freestyle (17:08.3). Monmouth’s Jordyn Mann placed 11th (:20.27.5).
In the Class A 5.4K Classical, Gabriel Mahoney of Falmouth placed first with a time of 14:48.5. Mt. Blue’s Daniel Lesko was third (16:03.1).
Falmouth’s London Bernier won the Class A girls classical with a time of 19:26.7. Julia Ramsey of Mt. Blue was third (19:55.5).
Falmouth is the overall Class A girls leader after one day with 62 points, followed by Edward Little (251).
With his 16th place in the slalom and 24th in the classical, Mt. Blue’s Pelletier leads the race for Class A Skimeister.
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