RIPTON — The Middlebury Union High School Nordic teams hosted a Marble Valley League classic-style meet on Thursday that was moved to the Ripton’s Rikert Nordic Center due to lack of snow at the original host site.
The Tiger boys’ team placed fours skiers in the top 10, led by Sam Hodges in second place, and although their results did not count officially in an MVL meet, they performed well enough to win the event.
The Tiger girls, led by Katherine Koehler in 17th, would have finished fifth. Three Otter Valley skiers participated in the girls’ race, led by Emma Cijka in 36th. Mount Abraham independent Morgan Pratt was the top local female finisher, taking 14th in 18:16.
If snow permits, the Tigers have two more events scheduled on the road before the two-day state championship meet, which was originally scheduled at the Prospect area for Feb. 27 and Rikert on March 1.
Because of uncertainty about snow conditions at Prospect and due to Rikert’s snow-making capacity, MUHS Coach Hayden Shea confirmed last week that both legs of the state meet will now be held at Rikert, at 10:30 a.m. on March 1 and March 3.
In the boys’ race last week, Burr & Burton’s Scott Mooney cruised to the win in 12:04.
The Tiger finishers and their times were: 2. Hodges, 12:24; 3. Nick Wilkerson, 12:39; 7. Cade Christner, 13:33; 16. Julian Schmitt, 14:45; 19. David Dregallo, 15:25; 22. Tobias Broucke, 16:00; 31. Matthew Ferguson.
In the girls’ race last week, Rutland’s Dani Laird prevailed in 15:39.
The Tiger and Otter finishers and their times were: 17. Koehler, MUHS, 18:36; 18. Caroline Kimble, MUHS, 19:07; 19. Kate Oster, MUHS, 19:09; 33. Audrey Huston, MUHS, 21:10; 35. Signi Livingstone-Peters, MUHS, 21:20; 36. Cijka, OV, 21:44; 38. Sophie Wood, OV, 22:54; 41. Brittany Danforth, OV, 27:42.