STRAFFORD — Middlebury Union High School boys and girls combined for eight top-10 finishes at a six-team meet held on Saturday at the Strafford Nordic Center.
Team scores were not kept, but on a cold, windy day the Tiger boys dominated their 6-kilometer freestyle race by taking six top-10 finishes, including first-place by Sam Hodges.
Julia Rosenberg led the Tiger girls by taking second place behind winner Maria Magnan of BFA-St. Albans.
“There were lots of great performances,” said MUHS Coach Chas Lyons.
Otter Valley’s Isaac Roberts led his team’s boys by taking 12th, and Sophie Wood led the OV girls by finishing 22nd.
Next up for the Tigers, Otters and a handful of Mount Abraham independents are this Thursday’s first leg of the state championships, the freestyle individual and relay events in Craftsbury.
On March 3, Middlebury College’s Rikert Nordic Center will host the individual and team relay classic races.
On this past Saturday, the boys’ results were:
1. Sam Hodges, MUHS, 19:00.
3. David Dregallo, MUHS, 23:01.
4. Bob Avery, MUHS, 23:02.
6. Julian Schmitt, MUHS, 24:12.
7. Tobias Broucke,  MUHS, 24:26.
10. Henry Ganey, MUHS, 25:17.
12. Isaac Roberts, OVUHS, 27:26.
14. Matt Ferguson, MUHS, 28:37.
16. Andrew Jerome, OVUHS, 31:15.
18. D.J. Sandler, MUHS, 46:65.
The girls’ results were:
1. Maria Magnan, St. Albans, 26:51.
2. Julia Rosenberg, MUHS, 27:47.
7. Charlotte Keathley, MUHS, 29:34.
13. Ella Nagy-Benson, MUHS, 31:30.
16. Kate Oster, MUHS, 32:04.
17. Signi Livingstone-Peters, MUHS, 32:20.
22. Sophie Wood, OVUHS, 33:20.
25. Jonna Keith, OVUHS, 34:07.
27. Emma Cjika, OVUHS, 34:46.
29. Michelle Peterson, MUHS, 35:24.
31. Maria Wiles, MUHS, 37:51.
REGIONAL QUALIFIER
Meanwhile, several Addison County residents performed well at the J2/Eastern High School qualifier race at Craftsbury on Sunday.
Four MUHS students and another local resident qualified for the regional Nordic racing team. Tigers Nick Wilkerson, Sam Hodges and Cade Christner made the J2 boys’ team, and Amelia Ingersoll garnered a spot on the girls’ team.
Also qualifying for the girls’ team was Cornwall resident Sophie Hodges, who attends the Stratton Mountain School.
Full results from the race were not available at press time.