RIPTON — The Middlebury Union High School Nordic teams tuned up for the Division II championship races by sweeping two classic-style events on Saturday, Feb. 16, on their home course, Middlebury College’s Rikert Nordic Center in Ripton.
The Tiger boys, with senior Sam Hodges leading a sweep of the top three places, coasted to a win over second-place BFA-St. Albans, 12-41, with Essex (65), St. Johnsbury (66), Burlington (111) and Champlain Valley rounding out the field.
The Tiger girls posted a tighter victory over BFA, 18-24. Led by winner Olivia Ferraro, the Comets took the top two places, but senior Isabel Rosenberg led three Tigers in the next three places as MUHS held off the challenge. Rounding out the smaller field of scoring teams were Essex (53) and CVU (83).
The two-leg state championship meet starts this Thursday with freestyle racing scheduled in Craftsbury, to be followed by classic style racing at Prospect Mountain on Monday, Feb. 26. Warm weather in the forecast could potentially shuffle the schedule, however.
The Tiger boys’ results at Rikert last week were:
1. Hodges, MUHS, 14:32; 2. Thomas Hussey, MUHS, 14:53; 3. Julian Schmitt, MUHS, 16:53; 6. Owen Palcsik, MUHS, 17:31; 7. Will Carpenter, MUHS, 17:32; 11. Gabe Cason, MUHS, 18:45.
The winner and Tiger girls’ results at Rikert last week were:
1. Ferraro, BFA, 23:14; 3. Isabel Rosenberg, MUHS, 24:14; 4. Caroline Kimble, MUHS, 24:15; 5. Katherine Koehler, MUHS, 25:21; 6. Audrey Huston, MUHS, 25:22; 8. Isabel Olson, MUHS, 26:07; 15. Maisie Newbury, MUHS, 27:04.