Nordic State Meet, Part II (written by Fred Griffin)

Vermont's method of doing State Meet is exhausting but a true test of skiing. Athletes ski four races in two disciplines in two days. At Mountain Top, near Rutland, our kids found the day emotionally draining as well. Both our boys and girls teams got off to shaky starts in the morning's individual races, but rallied fiercely to hold on to the spots they had fought to earn at Craftsbury. On the girl's side, we started the day in fourth place after an adjustment to the scores from Craftsbury's races; Middlebury Union High School had been incorrectly designated as a Division I school. Our girls were led by Sophmore Julia Snyder, who put together her best skating race of the year to take 33rd overall, and 11th in Division II. Maddie Hayes and Ali Minor, our second and third, struggled mightily with the course, the cold, and themselves, but held on with respectable showings. Sophomore Margaret Fitzgerald completed our scoring with the solid effort we needed. At the end of the race, Woodstock had closed in on us from behind. In the relay, the same four girls pulled together and refused to give ground. This young team, with no seniors, finished fourth in Division II, and we are very proud of them.

Our men's team finished their improbable season on a high note. I can't validate this, but I suspect we were the only one of the 24 schools competing that had two first-year skiers in their starting four. Cross-country skiing is considered by many to be the most technical sport in the world, and requires not only athleticism but a wide range of technical skills. It is remarkable to see junior Eli Phillips and senior Andrew Barden come so far, so fast. Today, Eli took charge of the boy's scoring in the aftermath of Eric Newbury's fall and equipment issues, finishing an impressive 26th overall and 8th in Division II. Eric recovered from his mishaps to take our second spot. Ethan Farmer skied a strong race in our third scoring position. Andrew Barden fought his way into our fourth scoring spot. Our overall result did not match up with our Craftsbury performance or our own expectations. In the relay, these same four boys rallied magnificently, taking third place in Division 2, and 8th overall in the state.

It was heartening to see both these teams struggle and then rebound. In our combined team, there was only one senior in our top twelve. While we were not unhappy with the skier's showing, we feel the best is yet to come.
And thank you to the parents who brought food and cheered on the athletes.