RIPTON — The Middlebury Union High School boys’ Nordic ski team on Monday remained undefeated this winter, this time outpacing an 11-team field including many Division I teams on the Tigers’ home course, Rikert Ski Touring Center in Ripton.
With Nick Wilkerson and Sam Hodges leading the way by finishing second and third, respectively, in the 6-kilometer classic-style race, the Tigers scored 26 points to outdistance Champlain Valley (48) in second place, Burr & Burton (61) in third, Stowe (91) in fourth, and Brattleboro (98) in fifth. Mount Anthony, Harwood, Colchester, St. Albans and North Country rounded out the field.
The Tiger boys have won all three of their races this month after a late start to the Nordic season due to uncooperative weather. Their earlier victories came at U-32 and Woodstock. The Tiger teams are scheduled to compete at events hosted by Mount Mansfield this Friday and by Burr & Burton on Jan. 29.
Burr & Burton’s Scott Mooney won Monday’s boys’ race, which consisted or four 1.5-kilometer loops, in a four-way duel. Mooney finished in 20:32, one second ahead of Wilkerson, two ahead of Hodges and three ahead of Harwood’s Noah Eckstein.
Also scoring for the Tigers on a chilly day that saw fresh snow were Thomas Hussey in 10th and Cade Christner in 11th.
The Tiger girls were fifth with 80 points out of nine scoring teams. MUHS was led by Isabel Rosenberg and Amelia Ingersoll in 12th and 13th, respectively.
Champlain Valley (38), Harwood (52), and Mount Anthony and BBA (59 apiece) stood atop the girls’ leaderboard. BBA’s Helena Bigelow won the girls’ race in 26:39, and St. Albans, Brattleboro, North Country and Colchester trailed the Tigers. Stowe lacked four skiers to score.
Tiger skiers finished first in both of the 3K JV races: Matt Ferguson won the boys’ race, and Caroline Kimble won the girls’ JV event.
“It was a great day overall,” said MUHS Coach Hayden Shea in an email.
The complete MUHS varsity boys’ results, with the top four scoring, were: 2. Wilkerson, 20:32; 3. Hodges, 20:33; 10. Hussey, 21:42; 11. Christner, 21:49; 23. Harlow Punderson, 23:27; 24. David Dregallo, 23:28; 30. Ross Crowne, 24:04; 34. Julian Schmitt, 24:26; 49. Tobias Broucke, 26:10.
The complete MUHS varsity girls’ results, with the top four scoring, were: 12: Rosenberg, 28:09; 13. Ingersoll, 28:11; 23. Katherine Koehler, 29:15; 38. Kate Oster, 31:20; 68. Signi Livingstone-Peters, 35:03.