Chisholm Ski Club Has a Full Slate this Winter
“It’s only a little club . . . but we do big things.” - Chummy Broomhall (1919-2017)
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It's going to be a busy 2023-24 winter at Black Mountain of Maine as Black Mountain and the Chisholm Ski Club will be hosting a full slate of events. The first in a series of the always popular Snowmobile Hill Climbs is scheduled to kick off the seasson on December 16th. The new year will feature several alpine events in January, including a Maine Alpine Racing Association U14, a Maine Junior Ski League race, High School races and the University of Maine Farmington races. We will also host several Nordic events that month, including the annual Jr. Sassi 3km Classical and Sassi Memorial 5km Classical on January 27th. Another Nordic event that month is the Maine Team Qualifier 2.5km Freestyle. Other events in January include a second Snowmobile Hill Climb and a Fat Tire Bike Race.
As we move into February, we will host another MJSL alpine race and the Mountain Valley Conference Championship alpine and Nordic races and the Kennebec Valley Athletic Association Championship Nordic Freestyle race. In mid February we will be the host of the Maine Principals Association Class B Alpine State Championships. February will also be the month for the grueling Last Man Standing Uphill Race as well as the MARA U14 Qualifier GS. Closing out the season in March we will have the Women's Day on the 17th with our final schedule event at this time being the Tom Kendall Ski Meister Race on March 14th. |
The Maine Event a Success
The Chisholm Ski Club, Black Mountain of Maine and NENSA successfully hosted the 2023 Maine Event Cross Country Cross (XCX), despite unfavorable weather conditions. Undaunted by cool temperatures and a persistant drizzle, 52 competitors braved the conditions for a fun-filled roller skiing event consisting of hills, ramps, and a slalom course. The skiers especially enjoyed the three levels of the Black Mountain parking lot.
The races consisted of a timed loop followed by head-to-head elimination heats until a champion was crowned. In the Men's Open Dvision, Lewiston's Ellis Slover, skiing for Gould Academy defeated teammate Lucas Barstow to claim the championship. Tabor Greenberg of Vermont's Green Mountain Valley School finished 3rd. 
In the Junior Men's Division, Henri Mccourt of Mt. Blue High School defeated Simon Goldstein, a Pittsford, NY native skiing for Colby College to take the crown. Third place went to Waterville's Andy Defor of Colby College.
The Women's Open Division, Bowdoin College skier, Emma Crum took 1st place with a final's heat victory over teammate Jori Grialou. Gould Academy's Nyla Scott took the final podium position.
The Junior Women's Division championship went to Nora Mccourt of Mt. Blue High School. She bested Bates College skier Izzy Glackin. Third place finisher was Mallory Raymond of Gould Academy.
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Wynn Leads FAST to Nordic Combined Championship
Damian Wynn, skiing for the Farmington Area Ski Team, 
won the final race of the 2023 Maine Junior Ski League Championships, finishing the 3k Nordic freestyle race in 9:22.2. Second place went to Quarry Road Ski Club's Owen Beale-Tate, who completed the race in 9:45.8. Skating across the finish line in third was Oxford Hills' Asher Roy, who had a time of 9:52.5.
Wynn's teammate Nick Demarco was fourth at 10:43.2. Also finishing in the top 10 were Daniel Fullerton of Agamenticus (10:48.8), Kaeden Swan of Dirigo (10:58.2), Elliot Gerald of Quarry Road (11:09.8), Telstar's Reece Pierce (11:09.9), and Wyatt Jessen (11:13.2) and Quinn Hoeft (11:16.9), both skiing for FAST.
With that strong performance, FAST captured the MJSL Nordic Combined Championship as well as the Alpine and Nordic Overall Championship.
Oxford Hills was awarded the Greg Waite Memorial Award for outstanding sportsmanship.
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Telstar’s Smiths Excel in MJSL Freestyle Championship
Telstar’s Lillian Smith and Tess Smith were the top two finishers
in the 2023 Maine Junior Ski League Nordic Freestyle at Black Mountain. Lillian won the gold on Day 2 of the Championships, striding across the finish line with a time of 10:43.7. Tess took the silver with a time of 11:48.8, while the bronze was captured by Acacia Hartley of Camden Hills, who had a time of 11:52.3.
Andrea Gunter of Quarry Road Ski Club in Waterville missed the podium by 1/10 of a second with a finish of 11:52.4. Rounding out the top 10 were Nell McAllister of Agamenticus (12:06.8), Zaya Irving of Quarry Road (12:17.4), Scout Simpson of the Farmington Area Ski Team (12:23.5), teammate Nora Lindsay (12:50.9) and Oxford Hills skier Ellie Winslow (13:031).
The superior depth and strong skating of the Quarry Road team vaulted them to the Nordic Combined Championship, with Telstar coming in second with FAST taking third.
A strong Camden Hills alpine team and solid Nordic team captured the overall combined league championship.
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Riley Wins Boys GS and Auburn wins Alpine Combined Title
Tristan Riley of Maranacook won the gold in the 2023 
Maine Junior Ski League Championships at Black Mountain. Riley had times of 35.67 and 36.94 for a combined 2-run time of 1:13.61 to edge out Dylan Cobb of St. Doms. Cobb of St. Doms won the silver with runs of 37.16 and 36.53 for a combined time of 1:13.69. The final podium position was won by Sawyer Shanaman, who led a strong Auburn team with runs of 37l59 and 37l32 (1:14.91).
Also finishing in the top 10 was Garrett Beaucage of St. Doms (1:14.93), Luke Holman of Sugarloaf Area Ski Team (1:15.02), Eben Laliberte of Rangeley (1:17.03), Tanner Melanson of Auburn (1:17.08), Silas Wills of Telstar (1:18.14), Thomas Leblanc of Auburn (1:18.34), and Wyeth Ball of Chisholm Alpine Racing Team (1:19.39).
With the strong showing and a good scoring race by Peyton Langlois, the Auburn team captured the Boys Alpine Combined Championship, with St. Doms coming in second and Maranacook taking third.
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Nelson Wins MJSL Girls Giant Slalom
Ashley Nelson had runs of 37.55 and 37.89 for the combined score of 115.44 
to capture the gold in the girls giant slalom in the Maine Junior Ski League Championships. St. Doms’ Hailey Lebreque captured the silver with times of 38.25 and 37.91 for a 1:16.16 total. Kendal Duchart of Telstar won the bronze with times of 38.86 and 38.41 (1:16.62), just edging out Eloise Porter of St. Doms for the final medal spot (1:16.70).
Also finishing in the top 10 were Emerson Dunlap of Maranacook (1:17.76), Addison Libby of Mountain Valley (1:18.33), Amelia Lincoln (1:20.34) and Amelia Mills of Camden Hills (1:20.92).
St. Doms, led by Lebreque, Porter, Lilly Bonney and Olivia Tassinari, won the Girls Alpine Combined Team Championship,
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Ouellette and McCourt KVAC Freestyle Champions
Logan Ouellette of Leavitt High School captured the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference 5k Freestyle Championship at Black Mountain. 
Ouellette skated across the finish line in 12:37.2 to win the crown in the mass start race. Mt. Blue’s Henri McCourt took second place with a time of 12:41.6. Taking 3rd place was Edward Little freshman Orrin Slover with a time of 13:02.6. Rounding out the top 10 were Wyatt Stevenson of Maranacook (13:17.7), Grayson Hoeft of Mt. Blue (13:30.7), Silas Bartol of Maranacook (13:34.7), Elias Bartlett of Mt. Blue (13:38.2), Luke Doscinski of Mt. Blue (13:47.7), Jacom Dening of Leavitt (14:15.3), and Gabe Durazo of Leavitt (14:20.5).
In the girls race, Mt. Blue’s Nora McCourt became the 2023 5k Freestyle Champion, crossing the finish line in 14:48.0. Second place went to her teammate Bridget Reusch, who completed the race in 14:59.9. Taking 3rd place was Brunswick’s Maeve Woodruff with a time of 15:24.5. Other top 10 finishers were Moriah Reusch of Mt. Blue (15:24.8), Maya Kellett of Mt. Blue (15:25.30, Natalie McCarthy (16:04.7), Kat Garcia of Edward Little (16:15.7), Olympia Farrell of Maranacook (16:23.0), Elsa Bergdahl of Maranacook (16:40.4), and Delia Colello of Mt. Blue (16:55.8).
Both the Mt. Blue boys and Mt. Blue girls lead the team standings after Day 1. The Nordic Championships continue on Saturday with the Classical 5k at Titcomb Mountain in Farmington.
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