RIPTON — The Middlebury Union High School boys’ Nordic team opened its season by taking first among nine scoring teams at a Saturday meet at Rikert Nordic Center in Ripton, while the Tiger girls were fifth among 10 scoring teams. Both races were skate style.
A dozen schools in all sent skiers to a major early-season meet hosted by the Tiger teams, which have swept the Division II titles in each of the past two winters.
The four Tigers who scored for the boys’ team each played in the top 11: Elvis McIntosh in third, Owen Palcsik (pictured below) and Lucas Palcsik tied for sixth, and Will Carpenter in 11th.
MUHS scored 26 points, with Champlain Valley (55) in second, followed by BFA St. Albans (73), Mount Mansfield (78), Colchester (79), Lyndon (126), Harwood (143), Burlington (153) and Essex (162). St. Albans’ Brook Hodgeman won the race.
Malia Hodges topped the Tiger girls by taking fourth, and Mount Abraham independent Addy Harris finished ninth. Harwood’s Ava Thurston won the girls’ race.
MMU (35) took the team gold, followed by CVU (56), Harwood (79), Colchester (84), MUHS (94), Peoples Academy (101), BFA St. Albans (135), Burlington (173), and Lyndon and Essex (tied at 196). South Burlington competed in both races, but without the four skiers needed to post a team score.
The top 10 finishers and all the MUHS varsity starters’ places and times in the boys’ race were:
1.  Brook Hodgeman, BFA-St.A, 13:53.
2.  Jared Leonard, CVU, 14:08.
3.  Elvis McIntosh, MUHS, 14:09.
4.  Charles Martell, EHS, 14:21.
5.  Eli Smith, PA 14:27.
6.  Owen Palcsik, MUHS, 15:00.
6.  Luciah Smith-Miodownik, MMU, 15:00.
6.  Lucas Palcsik, MUHS, 15:00.
9.  Gage Hale, STJ, 15:01.
10.  Skyler Heininger, CVU, 15:08.
11.  Will Carpenter, MUHS, 15:12.
36.  Gabe Cason (pictured below), MUHS, 16:42.
44.  Fraser Milligan, MUHS, 17:19.
46.  Alex Bleich, MUHS, 17:30.
The top 10 finishers and all the MUHS varsity starters’ places and times in the varsity girls’ race were:
1.  Ava Thurston, HUHS, 14:23.
2.  Rose Clayton, MMU, 14:57.
3.  Emma Strack, CVU, 15:30.
4.  Malia Hodges, MUHS, 15:45.
5.  Maggie McGee, LUHS, 16:05.
6.  Hattie Barker, MMU, 16:27.
7.  Sofie Carlson, PA 16:32.
8.  Myla Jacobs, CHS, 16:33.
9.  Addy Harris, Independent, 16:47.
10.  Lily Porth, MMU, 16:48.
20.  Maddy Stowe, MUHS, 18:01.
33.  Audrey Huston, MUHS, 19:11.
37.  Catherine Schmitt, MUHS, 19:41.
42.  Maisie Newbury, MUHS, 20:21.
Malia Hodges, right, skates past spectators at the season opening race at Rikert Nordic Center in Ripton. Hodges led the MUHS girls’ team with a fourth-place finish.
Independent photos/John S. McCright
49.  Mary Nagy-Benson, MUHS, 20:57.
60.  Kate Wallace, MUHS, 21:21.
62.  Ailey Bosworth, MUHS, 21:30.