CHARLEMONT – It has been an uphill battle for the Westfield High School girls’ ski team ever since claiming the North Division title some six seasons ago.
Finally, on Thursday night, the Bombers reclaimed the top spot in Western Mass with a strong showing in their season opener.
Westfield finished first on the slopes at Berkshire East in the first Pioneer Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference race of the 2016 season. The Bombers recorded a winning team time of 122.1, clipping the second-place Longmeadow Lancers (122.72).
Westfield even surpassed South Division winner Frontier (126.38).
Westfield’s Grace O’Connor races downhill on the ski slopes. (Westfield News File Photo)
“It was bittersweet and reminiscent of years gone by,” Westfield coach Monique Piotte said. “We’re back.”
Westfield sophomore Grace O’Connor set the tone for her team, finishing as the overall runner-up on the Giant Slalom with a time of 27.95. Rebecca Stephens (4th overall, 28.7), Lauren O’Connor (16th, 31.42), and Natalie Mitchell (34th, 34.03) helped fuel the Bombers’ gold-medal run.
Agawam’s Jillian Scherpa won the race in 27.75.
“It was awesome,” coach Piotte said. “We know Agawam lost a core of strong-seeded racers, Longmeadow is always a strong contender, and you can’t rule out Minnechaug … We’ve had the racers. We just didn’t have the depth for first place (until now).”
YOUNG STAR ON THE RISE: St. Mary seventh grader Chloe Lussier opened the season with a remarkable finish in a field of 105 skiers. Lussier finished 11th overall and fifth in the South Division.
“(Chloe) turned a bunch of heads,” St. Mary coach Andy Lussier said. “Even with a minor mistake, she held together a smooth run with some good fundamental skiing that put her amongst the top seed finishers.”
“We are pretty certain that this seventh grader will make it hard for some seniors’ season goal of making to the state meet in February.”
LOCAL NOTES: Southwick’s Margaret Drohen produced solid results in her team’s inaugural run. Drohen finished the race in 31.39, good for 15th overall. Gateway’s Allison Garriepy was 22nd (31.98). Garriepy’s teammate, Gators’ Shannon Burke placed 30th (32.9).
BOYS’ RESULTS
Westfield senior Neil Sheehan posted a sixth-place finish in Thursday’s slalom race with a time of 31.19, and the Bombers claimed third out of seven North Division teams.
It was also one of their best finishes in nearly six years.
Jakob Stephens (25th overall, 37.02), Stephen Cole (36th, 43.52), and Liam Phair (38th, 44.49) contributed to the overall team time.
Piotte, who also serves as the boys’ head ski coach, said an even greater lack of depth for the boys has kept her team from challenging for the division title.
“We’ve always missed out on realignment,” the Bombers’ coach said. “We stayed in the North Division and endured all these years.”
While the roster of male student-athletes appears to be trending upward at Westfield High, dramatic results may not occur overnight, she added.
“Will we be the number one?” Piotte said. “I don’t expect that. Longmeadow is a powerhouse with depth, and Mohawk might as well just birth their children on the hill – they’re strong.”
HOT START FOR SAINTS: Four St. Mary skiers claimed top 10 finishes in the South Division (and top 30 overall) on the slalom to finish just one tick behind division winner East Longmeadow.
Matthew Masciadrelli led St. Mary with a bronze-worthy finish in the South Division (13th overall), followed by teammates Hayden Lussier (5th South, 22nd overall), Nate Bonini (7th South, 26th overall), and Jack Mascadrelli (8th South, 27th overall).
“With the difference of only about one second between East Longmeadow and St. Mary’s,” coach Lussier said, “things were very close and should make for a great season long battle in the South Division.
LOCAL NOTES: Gateway’s Johnny Rooney also managed a top 30 overall finish. Rooney was 23rd overall (36.48). Southwick’s Cameron Brockbank placed 46th (45.88).
