RIPTON — In a Saturday meet held at Rikert Outdoor Center that was blessed with snowfall the two previous days, the Division II Middlebury Union High School Nordic ski teams posted strong results: The Tiger girls skied to a big victory in a six-team field, and the boys settled for a second-place finish among nine scoring teams, six of which compete in D-I.

Both races were 5-kilometer classic-style events. The first four Tiger girls posted scoring finishes in the top eight, led by Ava Schneider’s first-place effort. MUHS earned 16 points, well ahead of second-place Mount Anthony at 42. Woodstock (52), St. Johnsbury (60), Mount Mansfield (69) and Brattleboro (89) rounded out the field.

Schneider’s time of 17:40 was more than 26 seconds better than that of second-place finisher Ava Krebs of St. Johnsbury (18:06.6). For scoring purposes (skiers whose schools do not field full teams of four do not have their places counted), Tigers Mary Harrington, Beth McIntosh and Lia Harrington finished third, fourth and eighth, respectively.

MARY HARRINGTON WAS the second Tiger across the finish line in Saturday’s girls’ 5K at Rikert Outdoor Center, helping her team claim a victory.
Independent photo/Steve James

One Mount Abraham girl skied as an independent: June Yates-Rusch finished 14th overall in 21:08.

On the boys’ side, Mount Anthony won with 19 points, with MUHS edging out Mount Mansfield for second place, 38-39. Woodstock (87) and St. J (90) rounded out the top five. 

Mount Anthony’s Luke Rizio won the boys’ race in 14:50.7, exactly 10 seconds ahead of Tiger Eliot Schneider in second. The other MUHS boys’ scorers and their scoring positions were Baxter Harrington in eight, Matias Citarella in 10th, and Haakon Olsen in 18th. 

SENIOR LIA ROBINSON became the fourth Tiger to post a top-10 finish in the girls’ classic 5K at Rikert Outdoor Center on Saturday.
Independent photo/Steve James

Two Mount Abraham independents cracked the overall top 20: Lorenzo Atocha was ninth in 15:47.9, and Abel Atocha took 19th in 17:36.3.

Two Otter Valley boys also competed: Luke Calvin was 59th in 20:55.4, and Dillon Ladd was 79th in 24:42.

The Tiger girls who skied in Saturday’s 5K varsity race and their times and overall finishes were: 1. A. Schneider, 17:40; 4. M. Harrington, 18:14.5; 5. B. McIntosh, 18:18.2; 9. L. Robinson, 20:10.7; 21. Naomi Brightman, 22:07; 24. Lila Cook Yoder, 23:38.2; 29. Ari Graham-Gurland, 24:04.1; 37. Dahlia Harrison-Irwin, 25:07.7; 40. Stella Andrews, 25.15.5.

The Tiger boys who competed in Saturday’s 5K varsity race and their times and overall finishes were: 2. E. Schneider, 15:00.7; 8. B. Harrington, 15:47.4; 11. M. Citarella, 16:86; 20. H. Olsen, 17:36.5; 21. Ben Seaton, 17:46.9; 25. Trey Bosworth, 18:11.5; 26. Matthew Berg, 18:12.4; 32. Aaron Carr-Perlow, 18:44.2; 35. Baker Nelson, 18:56.8.

AVA SCHNEIDER’S VICTORY in Saturday’s classic 5K race at Rikert Outdoor Center helped the Tiger girls win the event. It was her second straight individual triumph.
Independent photo/Steve James

WOODSTOCK HOSTS

Separately, on Jan. 12, the Tiger girls’ Nordic team won a meet hosted by Woodstock, while the Tiger boys skiers took third at the same event. 

Individual Tiger skiers won both races over shorter distances than this past Saturday: Sophomore Ava Schneider prevailed in the girls’ competition, and senior Eliot Schneider won the boys’ race. 

MIDDLEBURY UNION HIGH School senior Eliot Schneider finished second in a 5K classic race at Rikert Outdoor Center on Saturday. His effort helped the Tiger boys’ Nordic ski team finish second among nine teams.
Independent photo/Steve James

Mount Abe independents also competed, with Abel Atocha’s fourth-place effort in the boys’ race their best result. OV boys also raced, with Luke Calvin’s 35th-place finish the Otters’ best placement. 

The scores in the girls’ race among teams with enough racers to qualify were MUHS, 21; Woodstock, 39; and Brattleboro, 47. Mary Harrington and Robinson also cracked the top 10 for the Tigers.

Woodstock won the six-team boys’ competition with 23 points, followed by Mount Anthony, 36; MUHS, 47; Brattleboro, 57; Burr & Burton, 123; and OV, 166. After Schneider’s winning result, the best Tiger boys’ efforts came from Haakon Olsen and Trey Bosworth in 13th and 14th, respectively.

TIGER SKIER MATIAS Citarella cracked the top 10 for the Tiger boys in a classic 5K race held on Saturday at Rikert Outdoor Center, helping his team to a second-place result.
Independent photo/Steve James

The MUHS and independent skiers in the girls’ race and their times and overall finishes were:

1. A. Schneider, 4:13; 3. M. Harrington,  4:19; 7. L. Robinson, 4:35; 9. J. Yates-Rusch (Mt. Abe), 4:38; 10. N. Brightman, 4:42; 11. L. Cook Yoder, 4:43; 18. A. Graham-Gurland, 5:12; 19. D. Harrison-Irwin, 5:13; 27. S. Andrews, 5:39.

MUHS JUNIOR BAXTER Harrington was the second Tiger finisher in Saturday’s classic 5K at Rikert Outdoor Center as the Middlebury boys’ team took second in a strong nine-team field.
Independent photo/Steve James

The MUHS, Mount Abe, and OV skiers in the boys’ race and their times and overall finishes were;

1. E. Schneider, MUHS, 3:32; 4. A. Atocha, Mt. Abe; 3:48; 13. H. Olsen, MUHS, 4:01; 14. T. Bosworth, MUHS, 4:03; 21. M. Citarella, MUHS, 4:08; 26. Jonah Howell, Mt. Abe, 4:12; 27. B. Nelson, MUHS, 4:12; 28. A. Carr-Perlow, MUHS, 4:16; 35. L Calvin, OV, 4:28; 38. Baker LaRock, OV, 4:31; D. Ladd, OV, 4:57; and Elisha Bagley, OV, 5:11.