Skiers from Bromfield’s rookie-heavy Alpine ski teams raced better than ever last week in the giant slalom. Both girls and boys competed against Acton-Boxborough at the Nashoba Valley Ski Area, with the boys claiming a 461-431 win and the girls taking a 476-431 loss.
The two teams, composed of athletes from both Bromfield and North Middlesex Regional High School, hit the mountain for their first race of the season on Jan. 14.
Senior Dylan Winchell races in the slalom competition. (Courtesy photo)
The varsity girls team may have had less experience than usual, given three of the six were first-timers, but their performances showed no lack of grit.
Led by sophomore captain Imogen Slavin—whose time of 23.54 seconds earned her eighth place overall—the team had only two returning athletes: Slavin and junior Ashley Regan.
Freshman Maddie Rausch and seventh-graders Libby Bassage and Audrey Slavin were all competing in their first high school ski race. The girls took 14th, 15th, and 18th place, respectively. Regan rounded out the team’s score with a 19th-place finish and a personal best of 26.84.
The boys team had a tremendous day, with every returning athlete claiming a personal best and freshman Rowan McCarthy placing 17th in his first high school race.
Sophomore Noah Bagley led the team with a first-place finish and a personal best time of 21.91. He was followed by senior co-captain Dylan Winchell in fifth, freshman Oscar Pride in ninth, and senior co-captain Gavin Maddalone in 12th. McCarthy clocked 24.22 and Eric Bragg crossed the finish line in 24.95 for 21st place, closing out the team’s finishes.
“Our kids did well, especially given we are a pretty young team,” said Bromfield Coach Ray McCarthy. “We had a lot of kids who are new to the team who are competing in their first varsity ski race and were successful enough to help earn varsity points. … It’s a very good start to our season and hopefully we can keep things going.”
Since Alpine skiers race one-by-one, McCarthy said coronavirus precautions do not make much of an impact on how the sport is run. This year, skiers are masked and spaced apart. Instead of alternating starts between opposing teams, each team raced during a different time slot, sending their athletes down the course one after the other before ceding the course to the next team.
Each team is allowed six varsity athletes; there is no junior varsity competition due to the pandemic.
The Mass Bay West Ski League, Alpha Division, in which Bromfield competes, is a bit smaller this year, with Lowell and Belmont opting out of competition. Bromfield will face off against the remaining teams from Chelmsford, Groton-Dunstable, Newton South, and Westford Academy in later meets, but there will be no MIAA State Championship.
The teams are scheduled to compete Jan. 21 against Newton South High School, at the Nashoba Valley Ski Area.
