Olivia Cannon (Dover-Sherborn) on her way to becoming the state champion.

By: Luke Costley and Josh Harrington

The girls’ race kicked off the competition at this morning’s Massachusetts State Championships, as skiers from thirteen different schools took to the course at Prospect Mountain in Woodford, Vermont. The girls worked hard throughout the 7.2-kilometer race, pushing themselves over a series of Prospect’s longest hills and down the subsequently challenging descents. The freshly fallen snow, a novelty in this mild winter, was another factor, as it could be squirrelly in spots, and powdery in others. But paying little mind to the difficult conditions, the girls put forth tremendous efforts across the board; their fierce competition set the tone for the rest of the day’s races.

Mohawk's Brenna Keogh led the girls race from start to finish. Photo: Tamara Hitchcock.

CHARLEMONT, Massachusetts – Once again the Berkshire League was blessed during this snowless winter by the generous support of alpine mountain Berkshire East, who continues to help keep the season going.  This fourth league race, third at Berkshire East, was hosted by the Mount Greylock team who devised a challenging mass start race complete with a chevron start used to create a uneventful embarkment.  Once on course the veterans displayed their skills for four laps, while the newcomers contested for three.

2012 Massachusetts J2 Team

2012 Massachusetts EHS Team

Mount Greylock's Josh Harrington (1st place).

CHARLEMONT, Massachusetts – The high school cross country skiers of Western Massachusetts once again took to the alpine trails of Berkshire East last night for their third league race of this weather challenged ski season.  The three-lap course utilized the bunny slope and the bottoms of the main trails around the base lodge with conditions which challenged even the most seasoned veterans.  By the end of the evening, as the lycra clad athletes emerged from the darkness to cross the finish line it was for the second straight week Mohawk’s Brenna Keogh and Mount Greylock’s Josh Harrington who showed that they were coming into top form at the right time of year.

Weston's Zoe Snow strides her way to fourth place in the girls' race. Photo: Tamara Hitchcock.

GRAFTON, Vermont – Last year at the Eastern High School Championships in Rumford, Maine Massachusetts climbed over Maine and New Hampshire to finish second as a team on the trails of Black Mountain.  Now Vermont, the longstanding top dog, stands as the final rung to get to the top of the northeast high school ski ladder.

Massachusetts skiers and coaches seem willing to do whatever necessary to get there and as Bill Murray’s character, Carl Spackler, proclaimed in the 1980 comedy ‘Caddyshack’, sometimes you have to prepare like your enemy in order to beat them.

“I have to laugh, because I’ve outsmarted even myself. My enemy, my foe, is [Vermont]. In order to conquer [Vermont], I have to learn to think like [Vermont]. And, whenever possible, to look like [Vermont]. I’ve gotta get inside [Vermont's] pelt and crawl around for a few days.”

Julia Kern (Waltham) leads Corey Stock (Lin-Sud) during the MA EHS/J2 qualifier at Weston Ski Track yesterday. Kern won the race in a time of 18:11. Photo: Tamara Hitchcock.

The first qualification race for Massachusetts’ Eastern High School Championship and New England J2 Invite teams took place on the Weston Ski Track yesterday. This freestyle race was the first of two races that high school skiers compete in to be selected to each of these two state teams. When the manmade snowflakes from the blowing snow guns finally settled to the ground it was Eli Hoenig (Lincoln-Sudbury) and Julia Kern (Waltham) who blazed to victory.

Brenna Keogh (M) and Kat Chenail (MG) lead the first wave out on the course.

WINDSOR, Massachusetts – With cold temperatures and fresh snow falling the second race of the season got underway today at Notchview Reservation this morning.  While Mount Greylock continued to roll as a team there were some welcome new faces at the top of the results sheets.

Mackenzie Hitchcock (MG) 1st place.

CHARLEMONT, Massachusetts – As darkness set in on Berkshire East this Monday evening the flow of exiting alpine skiers fit the norm.  What did not though, was the over two-hundred high school skiers from Western Massachusetts who took their place.  With their skinny skis and non-metal edges it was time for the 2012 nordic ski season to finally get started.

'And they're off' at the 2011 Ski for Scholarship: Mathias J. Bartels Nordic Ski Race.

The Mathias Race

By: Evan Dethier

Saturday’s brutal winds and blowing snow gave way to perfect sunny skies for Sunday’s 4^th annual Mathias Jessup Bartels Memorial Race. Mount Greylock Regional High School’s trails once again retained enough snow for this late-season race, and double classic tracks were groomed on the entire 3.1km course. A large turn-out boasting racers from several Berkshire County high schools made for a competitive field, and spirits were high with ideal conditions and the positive energy coming from Mark Santella’s color commentary.