WOODFORD — The Middlebury Union High School girls’ Nordic ski team completed its run to second place in Division II on Wednesday with a strong showing in the classic races held at Prospect Mountain Nordic Ski Center in Woodford.
The Tiger girls finished with 118 points, trailing only Fairfax (75), and finishing well ahead of U-32 (146). Those three teams were also 1-2-3 after March 1’s freestyle racing in Craftsbury.
Sophomore Dominique Powers led MUHS on Wednesday by taking second place in the individual race 18:23.7, followed by classmate Britta Clark in sixth.
Coach Anders Meyer praised the effort of his entire girls’ team as well as Clark and Powers, both of whom were also in the top 10 on Monday. Clark and Powers were also named to represent Vermont at the Eastern High School Championships this coming weekend.
“We did have a great day and it was really exciting. Dominique and Britta both skied exceptionally well,” Meyer said.
Also scoring for MUHS in the individual race were sophomore Emma Ryan, who was 19th in 21:03 with her best finish of the season, and senior Maddie Kincaid, 22nd in 21:21.4.
The Tiger girls’ relay team of Clark, senior Eliza Carver, Kincaid and Powers also took second behind Fairfax in 29:34.7, with a strong final leg from Powers allowing them to edge U-32.
“It was a great feeling to have so much success,” Meyer said. “All of the kids were happy to see their teammates doing well, and the excitement of seeing Dominique finish the anchor leg of the relay, holding off U32 for second place, was almost unbearable.”
BOYS’ RESULTS
The Tiger boys’ took sixth out of 10 teams, and Otter Valley finished eighth in the two-day competition. 
Junior Will Earle led the Tigers in the individual race, taking 14th in 16:36.1. Right behind was OV sophomore Matt Dier in 15th (16:42.6) and MUHS sophomore Will Conlon in 16th (16:43.3).
Also scoring for MUHS were sophomores Addison Tate (35th in 18:32.1) and Stephen Peters-Collaer (36th in 18:34.5).
Also scoring for the OV boys were junior Adrian Brown (26th in 17:38.67) and sophomores Ryan Levandowski (53rd in 20:49.1) and Grant Robin (62nd in 22:53.9).
The MUHS relay team of Conlon, Earle, senior Charlie Mulcahy and Tate took seventh in 26:11.8.
The OV relay team of Dier, Brown, Levandowski and Robin took eighth in 27:23.6.
OTHER SKIERS
Also skiing well in the girls race were two local independents, Ellen Watkins of Vergennes and Alia Johnson of Mount Abraham. Watkins finished 16th in 20:44.7, and Johnson took 21st in 21:18.9.
Three OV girls also competed; as has been the case all winter they were one skier short of having enough athletes to score as a team. Sophomore Phoenix Kenney was 25th (21:26.3); junior Ella Eurolainen 34th (22:49.3); and freshman Louisa Jerome 40th (24:19.1.0),
Also competing in the girls’ individual race for MUHS were Carver (29th in 22:13.1), sophomore Hannah Krauss (37th in 24:01.1), and sophomore Haley Olson (39th in 24:16.5).
Also competing in the boys’ race for MUHS were Mulcahy (36th in 18:57.9), sophomore Austin Kincaid (44th in 19:27.5), freshman Mac Groves (48th in 19:34.2), and junior Kelsey McGlashan (19:55.5). Freshman Elyas O’Classen finished 65th for OV in 29.28.5.
Sports reporter Andy Kirkaldy is at [email protected].