February is championship race time for Maine high school skiers and after a lean season, snow is finally plentiful and conditions are perfect. 

In Boothbay, snow has been so abundant that school has been canceled four times in the last two weeks, putting the Nordic team ski team in the odd position of perfect ski conditions but no practice. The Seahawks have also missed some recent meets, as winter storms have prohibited travel.

“This is by far the best skiing we have had around the school ever,” Coach Nick Scott reports. “Five years ago we had an equally great winter, although the snow was spread out a little more. But at the time we didn't have our trail wide enough to ski, and we didn't have the trail behind the tennis courts.”

“Admittedly, it has been really hard to keep up with the grooming though. Interestingly enough, even though we've had all of this snow, we have been a little light on practice time due to all of the snow days.”

The Mountain Valley Conference ski championships were held last week over two days.  Luckily, in a very stormy week, competition fell on two days blessed with perfect conditions and no storms. 

On Wednesday, Feb. 4, the Seahawks traveled to Black Mountain in Rumford to compete in the MVC classic race and on Saturday, Feb. 7, they raced in the freestyle event at Titcomb Mountain in Farmington.

“We had a great two days at the MVC Championships,” Scott wrote in an email. “Overall the team did really well. Day one (the classic race) we placed third, but only one point away from Telstar. We also placed third on Saturday during the skate race, and to no surprise finished third overall.”

Scoring for BRHS were Kyler Carty, Zach Vise and Joey Paolillo in both events, Liam Conlin in the classic race and David Machon in the skate race. Both Carty and Paolillo skied well enough to make the MVC All-Conference Team.

“To make the All-Conference team in Nordic you need to place among the top six. Until this year, the only two Seahawk skiers to ever accomplish the feat were Sophia Thayer and Robert Campbell,” Scott said. “This year, Kyler Carty placed fourth in the classic race and sixth in the skate race, while Joey Paolillo placed sixth in the classic race.” 

“Individually, Zach Vise also turned in two really great races, placing 10th in the classic race and eighth in the skate race.”

The Maine High School ski season comes to its dramatic close next week in Presque Isle, when the Seahawks will join teams across the state for the Nordic and Alpine state championship races.