Bomber boys ski to third at states

Lake Placid’s Leila Fey competes in a Nordic race at Mount Van Hoevenberg in December. Fey was the top local girls finisher in Monday’s individual state race. (News photo — Parker O’Brien)

SARANAC LAKE — The Saranac Lake girls and the Lake Placid boys Nordic ski team proved that they can hang with the state’s best skiers.

Following two days of racing at the North Creek Ski Bowl on Monday and Tuesday, the Red Storm girls finished second overall as a team, trailing behind only Saratoga, which had recorded 22 points, to Saranac Lake’s 36. Pittsford-Sutherland was third overall with 40 points.

Meanwhile, the Blue Bombers boys squad finished third overall with 44 points as Queensbury was first with 16, followed by Honeyoye-Falls Lima in second with 33.

The Saranac Lake girls solid result, was due in part to their effort in Tuesday’s 7.5-kilometer team relay, as the Red Storm duo of Cadence Kennedy, Pepper Laxson and Tyler Burth combined for second overall in 25 minutes, 16.5 seconds.

Saratoga’s team of Sophia Murray, Anna Yarsevich and Emma Murray won the state title in 24:45.3. Pittsford Sutherland’s team of Reid Smith, Mallory Howe and Marianne Spyra was third in 25:49.5.

The Section VII-A team, which was made up of all Lake Placid skiers — Holly Erenstone, Leila Fey and Maya Garrison — placed fourth in 25:58.0. Section VII’s B team of Amelia Evans, Kaylee Holmes and Lila Zobel placed 11th out of 16 teams in 29:09.1.

On the boys side, Lake Placid’s Trey Mariano, Colin Francis and Aidan Fay teamed up for fifth place in the team relay event, finishing in 22:12.3. The Section VII-A team of Alex Evans, alongside Liam and Mason Stoddard finished sixth in 22:25.0. Section VII-B team of Keaton Daley, Ebin Meissner and Emmett VanBuskirk was 10th in 23:07.5.

The Section 2-A team of Forrest Slingerland, Landon Kinal and Nathaniel Burke won the boys relay event in 20:49.3. Queensbury’s team of Josh Jenkins, Liam Davidson and Patrick Cirillo was second in 21:45.2 and Honeyoye-Falls Lima’s team of Drew Larsen, Linden Bellizzi and Sawyer Ferraro was third in 21:51.0.

On Monday, the Blue Bombers’ Fay led the area boys skiers in the 7.5K Classic Individual race by placing ninth overall in the field of 48, with a time of 27:20.8. Francis was the next Lake Placid finisher, placing 12th in 27:31.1, while teammate, Mariano, was 27th in 29:16.3.

Glens Falls’ Slingerland (25:00.7) won the individual state title, followed by Honeyoye-Falls Lima’s Drew Larsen (25:46.1) in second and Guilderland’s Kinal (26:11.0) in third.

Mason Stoddard was Saranac Lake’s top boys skier, placing 22nd in 28:58.3. The Red Storm were rounded out by Daley (29:15.2) in 25th, Alex Evans (29:22.7) in 29th, Meissner (29:30.4) in 30th, Liam Stoddard (29:34.8) in 32nd and VanBuskirk (30:38.9) in 36th.

Lake Placid’s Fey was the top local girls individual finisher, earning fifth overall in 30:58.8, while Saranac Lake’s Burth was 10th in 32:04.3.

The Blue Bombers’ Garrison (32:04.5) finished right after Burth in 11th place, as the Red Storm’s Holmes (32:10.1) was 12th and Laxson (32:19.1) was 14th,

Adirondack’s Cora Hinsdill (28:22.5) took home the girls state title for the second year in a row. Honeyoye-Falls Lima’s Jenna Lawrence (29:33.2) was second and Shenendehowa’s Raquelle Linda (29:52.8) was third.

Holly Erenstone (34:23.6) was the last Blue Bomber skier to finish, earning 28th. Saranac Lake was rounded out by Kennedy (32:44.4) in 17th, Amelia Evans (37:19.1) in 36th and Kelsi Burth (40:37.1) in 40th out of 48 skiers.

Francis and Garrison took home the Section VII state sportsmanship honors.

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Alpine

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The NYSPHSAA also held the Alpine ski championships at Gore Mountain on Monday and Tuesday, as Saranac Lake’s Zoe Carpenter led the way, finishing inside the top-20 in both the girls giant slalom and slalom races.

On Tuesday, Carpenter posted her best result, placing seventh overall in the Slalom event in a two-run time of 1:29.84.

Teammates Kiley Kretser (1:41.05) was 32nd, Kara Kretser (1:42.01) was 35th and Kramer (1:48.89) was 48th. The Red Storm’s Ida Schwartzberg was disqualified after her first run. Anika Mian, the lone skier to represent Lake Placid on the Alpine side, placed 55th in 2:03.70.

Shaker’s Ava Bachata won the state title in a two-run time of 1:23.44, followed by Monticello’s Alexis Heins (1:27.12) in second and Glens Falls’ Muirienn Talbot (1:27.21) was third.

In the girls giant slalom on Monday, Carpenter was the top local finisher once again, placing 20th in a two-run time of 2:07.70, as Schwartberg followed behind in 22nd with a time of 2:08.31.

South Glens Falls’ Shayla Byrne (1:57.06) won the giant slalom state title, followed by Shaker’s Ava Bachta (1:59.30) in second and North Rose-Wolcott’s Vivian Bishop (2:01.18) was third.

The Red Storm were rounded out by Kiley Kretser (2:14.80) in 44th, Kara Kretser (2:17.35) in 50th and Lily Kramer (2:25.26) in 54th. Mian was 61st in a two-run time of 2:37.77.

On the boys side, Saranac Lake’s Gus Earl was the area’s top finisher in Tuesday’s slalom, placing 17th in a two-run time of 1:28.05. The Red Storm’s Leland Carpenter had a solid finish, earning 26th in 1:29.74, whille teammates Colden Robinson was 37th in 1:35.65 and Ian Munson was 49th in 1:46.80.

In the giant slalom, Leland Carpenter placed 23rd with a two-run time of 2:03.95, followed by Ian Munson (2:25.78) in 54th and Robinson (2:27.08) in 55th. Earl did not finish his second run.

Saranac Lake’s Zoe Carpenter led the area in the state championships with solid finishes in both events, proving the strength of local skiers in both Nordic and Alpine disciplines.