While the best racers in the state will make the trip to Berkshire East Mountain Resort in Charlemont on Wednesday for the MIAA Alpine Ski Championships, the local/host school is looking to hang a banner for the second year in a row. 

The Mohawk Trail girls alpine team won their first state championship last year at Wachusett Mountain. With nearly the same team back and getting to race on the mountain they train at all season long, the Warriors should be in contention to make it back-to-back championships on Wednesday. 

If Mohawk Trail races the way it did during the PVIAC Individual Championships two weeks ago, it’ll have a great shot of repeating. Addie Loomis — who won every PVIAC race during the regular season — took first individually at the meet while Emmy Sisum finished in second and Sofia Slocik-Gritzner placed third for a podium sweep.

Mae Hoff and Naomi Den Ouden joined them in the top 10 while Ohia Delhert, Caroline Makosiej and Brooke Koshinsky all finished in the top 20 for the Warriors. 

Mohawk Trail will need another big day to capture a state title. Last year Loomis and Sisum both earned top 10 finishes while since departed Ellie Pinkham (who skis at Northfield Mount Hermon) earned 20th to help lead the Warriors to the title. 

“We’ll work for that and try for that,” Sisum said after the PVIAC Championships two weeks ago. “Thankfully it’s here at Berkshire East, our home mountain. We’re excited.”

Don’t be surprised if the Mohawk Trail boys make a run at the state title as well, as the Warriors were strong throughout the season at Berkshire East. 

Weston Den Ouden has been the Warriors’ top racer throughout the season, capping the PVIAC season off with a second place finish at Individuals.

Gage Patenaude, Wyatt Sisum and Phineas Tuttman joined Den Ouden in the top 10, while Grayson Bishop, Oliver Johnson and Alex Schreiber had top 20 finishes at the PVIAC Championships, closing out a season in which Mohawk Trail took home the PVIAC North League title. 

With the way the Warriors have been racing all season, they’ll be looking to add their own hardware on Wednesday. 

“It’s really cool to see the team succeed like that,” Den Ouden said. “We train hard and we put a lot of work in. It’s nice to see the results come here.”

The first runs are set to get going at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, as the meet was postponed a day from its original Tuesday slot due to weather. Den Ouden will be the 16th boy overall and first Warrior down the mountain while Loomis will be the fourth one down on the girls’ side.

Teams need at least three racers to compete in the team title chase. The best three slalom and giant slalom times are counted for every school, and added together to determine the final standings. The 10 male and 10 female competitors with the fastest times in each discipline will receive individual awards.

]]>