Maine’s high school skiing community will gather in the state’s western mountains next week for the annual state championship meets in Classes A, B, and C.

Class C competition will begin Monday, with alpine competition at the Sunday River Ski Resort in Newry and cross country events at Black Mountain in Rumford. Giant slalom and cross country freestyle races are scheduled for Monday, with slalom competition Tuesday, and cross country classical races Wednesday.

The state Class A meet will be held Tuesday through Thursday, with alpine races at Mt. Abram in Locke Mills and the nordic events at Black Mountain. Alpine events are slated for Tuesday and Wednesday, with cross country events set for Wednesday and Thursday.

Class B events are scheduled for Thursday through Saturday at Sunday River and Black Mountain, with alpine events on Thursday and Friday and cross country races Thursday and Saturday.

Defending boys team champions are Mt. Blue of Farmington in Class A, Greely of Cumberland Center in Class B, and Freeport in Class C. Mt. Blue, which recently won the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference title, is the four-time defending Class A champ.

Madawaska is the reigning Class C girls team champion, while Leavitt of Turner Center (Class A) and Yarmouth (Class B) are the other defending champions.

The Madawaska girls have won four consecutive Class C titles, and have won 10 outright championships and one co-championship since Class C competition was reinstated in 1990. The Owls are coming off a recent victory in the Aroostook County Ski Championships.

The Madawaska boys are just one year removed from a state title, having claimed its Class C crown in 2002.

Fort Kent won this year’s Aroostook County championship, with Central Aroostook of Mars Hill second and Madawaska third.

Among other area teams participating are the John Bapst of Bangor boys and girls squads, which this week won Penobscot Valley Conference championships. The Crusaders’ boys team won for the third straight year, while the girls won for the second straight season.