September 20, 2024
SKIING

Maine team earns skiing title Fort Kent’s Bouchard fourth in cross country championships

BOLTON VALLEY, Vt. – The team from Maine has claimed the championship in the Volvo New England J2 Cross Country Ski Championships held March 9-11 at the Bolton Valley Resort.

The Maine contingent scored 11,806.5 points to edge host Vermont, which scored 11,308.5. Massachusetts (8,255), New Hampshire (6.948) and New York (715.5) rounded out the top five teams. The event included 163 competitors.

Maine’s girls squad led the way, outscoring Vermont 4,627-3,940, while the relay squads also came out on top in the team scoring to help pave the way to victory.

Joanna Kinsman of Fryeburg claimed the girls individual title, scoring 311 points in the three cross country disciplines: freestyle, classical and sprint. Kinsman won the classic and spring races and finished second in the freestyle.

Megan Dumais of Turner was third with 301 points, while Kelsey Bouchard of Fort Kent was fourth (289), Kira Becckel of Turner seventh (273) and Kailie Dunn of Yarmouth tied for eighth (265). Christina Perron of North Yarmouth wound up 11th (261) and Katie Craig of Cumberland placed tied for 12th (259).

In the 5K classic, Kinsman finished first in 17 minutes, 55.25 seconds. Dumais was 1.57 seconds behind in second place. Bouchard took fourth, Becckel was seventh, Vanessa Fercshetian of Turner was ninth and Perron was 10th.

Kinsman also won the 1K sprint in 2:04.04, edging Dumais by only .45 seconds. Bouchard wound up sixth, Becckel was 12th and Dun took 13th place.

Kinsman, Dumais and Bouchard went 2-3-4 in the 5K freestyle, while Dunn finished sixth.

Seven Mainers finished among the top 13 in the boys competition led by Ted Upton of Cape Elizabeth, who placed third with 295 points behind winner Ryan Kerrigan of Vermont (303) and runner-up Marc Vanderhoof (302), also of Vermont.

Upton won the sprint race and was second in the classical event. Ben True of Cumberland (291) and Farmington’s Matt Dunlap (287) wound up fourth and fifth, respectively. Fred Bailey of Bethel (8th, 273), Wes Hines of Farmington (9th, 270) and Ian McPherran of Farmington (13th, 259) also performed well.

In the 1K sprint, Upton nipped Vanderhoof by only .18 seconds, winning in 1:47.64. True and Dunlap came in fifth and sixth, respectively, while Maine’s Nick Kline of Cape Elizabeth finished tied for seventh. Hines wound up 12th and McPherran was 14th.

In the 5K classic, Upton finished second behind Kerrigan (15:36.64) and True was third. Maine’s Fred Bailey crossed the line in frouth, while Dunlap, McPherran and Hines wound up in the Nos. 10-12 positions.

Vanderhoof won the 5K freestyle in 14:35.11, with Dunlap finishing second, True fifth, Bailey eighth, Hines ninth, Upton 12th and Kline 14th.

In the 3K mixed medley relay, the Maine team of Bailey, Dumais, True and Kinsman claimed first place. The squad of Upton, Becckel, Dunlap and Bouchard finished third.


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