ConVal’s Nordic ski team hits the slopes and flats of the Dublin School Nordic Center on Saturday for a multi-team 3.6K classic meet against over 200 of New Hampshire’s best skiers.
The Cougars weathered a wintry mist of rain to play host to Lebanon, Bow, Hanover, Souhegan and Derryfield in Dublin, the Nordic center serving as the perfect location for ConVal’s annual home meet, thanks to the center’s snowmaking capacity.
“Individual starts made for an exciting morning,” said ConVal head coach Scott McGovern, “as racers were on the course the entire time, with much cheering from the sidelines.”
The Dublin course suited ConVal sophomore skier Jaimini Viles quite well; Viles lives minutes from the course and skis it regularly, he said, which gives him a literal edge over the competition thanks to his knowledge of the course.
The keys? “Taking all the corners really wide,” Viles said, “because lots of people push all the snow right on the outside, kicking really hard up all the hills and using the hills for speed, tucking.”
Viles, who’s been at the front of the pack for ConVal all winter long, had another great race Saturday, finishing ninth in the boys’ A race in 12:01 and scoring 93 points for his team.
The ConVal boys finished sixth overall, with defending champions Hanover in first place after taking the top four individual spots, led by Noah Phipps, who placed first in 10:51.
Also finishing for the ConVal boys:
■Jackson Burnham, 35th (14:45)
■Philip Pope, 39th (15:14)
■Avery Pope, 42nd (15:52)
The girls’ A race belonged to the Upper Valley teams, as Lebanon (first place) and Hanover (second) took ten of the top 12 finishes. ConVal’s Allison Bull continued her strong season, leading the Cougars with a ninth-place finish of her own in 14:47.
Cami Hendrixson powered her way to a 17th-place finish (16:01), working through the tough, icy climb to the dogleg turn that claimed more than its share of racers as the going got slick.
Eva Calcutt was the final ConVal finisher in the A race, taking 29th in 18:10.
In the girls’ B race, Abby Hendrixson was ConVal’s best, finishing 19th in 19:28.
Also finishing for the ConVal girls:
■Gwen Inglis, 25th (20:07)
■Grace Phillips, 59th (28:38)
■Isabel Badrawy, 60th (28:38)
ConVal’s Lewis Carlton led the Cougar boys in the B race, finishing 22nd in 18:59. Also finishing the B race:
■Logan Burnham, 26th (20:20)
■Riley Momonee, 28th (22:26)
■Sam Rousseau, 29th (23:40)
The day also featured a pair of middle school races, though ConVal did not have any entrants at that level, as well as mixed relay sprint format races consisting of two boys and two girls from each school.
It was the largest meet ConVal has hosted in quite some time, McGovern said.
Viles has his sights set on making the U16 all-star team, which consists of the top 24 skiers at the state meet, which will take place on March 10 right back at the Dublin course. But aside from any individual goals, it’s the team camaraderie, food and friendship in the warming yurt and the heartpounding exhilaration and exercise of Nordic skiing that keep Viles and his ConVal teammates satisfied no matter what position they finish.
“I love the aerobic aspect,” Viles said. “You work really hard and you’re breathing really hard and it feels really good, and it feels great to come after a ski and relax.”
ConVal returns to action Saturday at Gunstock for the first Coaches’ Series race of the winter.