For a little coastal town with intermittent snow at best and no early skier development program, the Boothbay Region High School Nordic team continues to impress.

At the Mountain Valley Conference Nordic races last weekend, the Boothbay boys team placed third and seniors Robert Campbell and Sophia Thayer finished well enough to make the All-Conference Team.

Unlike cross country, where two All-Conference teams and 14 runners of both gender are honored, Coach Nick Scott explained that making the All Conference Nordic teams is significantly more difficult.

“The All Conference teams are simply the top six finishers in each race (classic and freestyle),” Scott wrote in an email. “It is really hard to make the All Conference team, because unlike in cross country, there is no second team. Often times the kids who are fast skiers are fast in both techniques so the teams end up being very identical. Last year was the only other year that we have had anyone make the All Conference team from Boothbay.”

Campbell, with his fourth place finish in both freestyle (17:37) and classic (19:43), is the first BRHS skier to ever make both teams. “Robert's two fourth place finishes are the best ever by a Boothbay skier. He is the only Boothbay skier to ever get all conference honors in the classic technique,” Scott wrote.

Thayer finished sixth in freestyle (21:22) to make the All-Conference freestyle team and with a seventh place finish in the classic race (24:34), missed the classic All-Conference team by mere seconds. Campbell and Thayer both earned All Conference honors last year in the skate race, Campbell with a fifth place finish, and Thayer with a third.

The championship races, both MVCs and state finals next week, consist of one freestyle and one classic race. A skier’s overall finish place is based on his or her combined two-race score, and team scores are derived by combining the top four skier’s overall score. So proficiency in both techniques is essential to scoring well in Nordic.

The BRHS boys team is deep, with 11 competitors donning skis last weekend. Boothbay placed third overall with 130 points, behind title winner Mt. Abram, 50 points, and Dirigo with 60 points.

Joining Campbell in scoring for Boothbay were senior Benn Scully, who placed 13th overall, with a 19:58 freestyle and 21:18 classic race, Zach Vise, 24th overall, 21:33 freestyle and 22:42 classic and Kyler Carty, 26th overall, 19:57 freestyle and 24:34 classic.  

In Boothbay, fast runners work hard to become fast skiers and to catch up with competitors who have been ski racing for many years. Scully, like his teammates Campbell and Thayer, is one of those outstanding runners turned skiers and he is also ending his high school Nordic career with a great season.

“Benn Scully had a great classic race,” Scott wrote. “His 13th place finish is bested only by Robert (Campbell), Chase Brown with a 10th place, Tom Brown with a 12th place, and Wyatt Anthony with a 13th place in conference competition. So he is in pretty good company.”

If the names Chase Brown, Tom Brown and Wyatt Anthony aren’t familiar, then the reader might find it interesting that these other athletes, like Campbell and Scully, also won the state cross country championship title for BRHS.

The girls, short-handed throughout the season, did not fare as well.  Since the Boothbay girls Nordic team has only three team members, they were awarded one “ghost skier” for scoring purposes. Unfortunately, the ghost skier finishes last. The girls, hampered by the team’s ghost skier, placed 8th out of 8 with 211 points. Monmouth girls won the MVC title with 61 points, followed by Winthrop, 110 and Telstar, 101.

In addition to Thayer, Maya Schwehm skied for a 34th overall finish place, with a 31:18 freestyle race and a 32:20 classic race and Angela Machon placed 38th with a 30:01 freestyle and 34:13 classic race.

Coach Emily Higgins said she was pleased with everyone’s performance at MVCs and the team is now gearing up for the state championship races.

“Overall, it was a great MVC championship and I am extremely proud of our finish,” Higgins said. “The kids gave their all both days and cheered each other on whenever possible.”

The two-day Class C state championship Nordic meet will be held at Black Mountain in Rumford beginning on February 19.