Currier, Sherwood solid in weekend skiing events

Competing recently in Fairbanks, Alaska at the 2003 Junior Olympics, Russ Currier of Stockholm, who trains with Maine Winter Sports Center, turned in top-10 performances in three of his four races in the J2 Boys’ division.

Currier’s best finish was in the 3-kilometer relay event, in which he teamed with fellow New England skiers Cameron MacKugler and Ian Black from Vermont’s Stratton Mountain School. The trio finished second to an Alaskan team when Daichi Ito of Anchorage out-sprinted Currier over the last 25 meters of the anchor leg.

In the 5K freestyle event, Currier bested 50 other J2 skiers to finish in seventh place with a time of 14 minutes, 2.7 seconds, less than a minute behind race winner Simi Hamilton of Aspen, Colo.

Currier also finished 10th in the 5K classic race in a time of 15:55.4 and 16th in the 1K sprint (2:23.7).

Currier’s top-10 performances placed him on the United States Ski Association’s All-American team for 2003. The USSA is the governing body that oversees the U.S. Ski Team, Junior Olympics, and National Championship events.

Fort Kent’s Blake Sherwood, who trains with Currier at MWSC, also achieved skiing success this weekend while competing at the Eastern High School Championships at the Sugarloaf/USA Ski Touring Center in Carrabassett Valley.

Sherwood finished fourth in the boys 5K classic race (16:03) and seventh in the 1.2K sprint (3:20). Each year, the Eastern High School Championships bring together the fastest high school skiers from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and New York.

On the horizon for Currier and Sherwood, and most of their MWSC teammates, is the Nordic Heritage Spring Series on March 20-25 in Presque Isle. Competitors will vie for $16,800 in prize money to be awarded over the course of the eight-race event, which may include U.S. Olympians, past and present U.S. Ski Team members, and some of the top college and high school skiers in the East.

The Spring Series will provide an opportunity for spectators to cheer on MWSC favorites, such as newly crowned national champion Kelsy Bouchard of Fort Kent, Anna Sprague of Stockholm, Lanny Barnes, Dave Chamberlain, Dave Stewart, Jason Lemieux, Tim Burke, Walt Shepard, and a host of local, up-and-coming athletes.

Mark Shea can be reached via email at shea@cariboumaine.org.