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Murphy, Caruso compete at EHSC

GILFORD – Nick Murphy and Anthony Caruso, seniors at Souhegan High School, represented New Hampshire from March 12-14 at the Eastern High School Nordic Championships at Gunstock in Gilford.

In addition to New Hampshire, the championships included teams from Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Vermont, and featured the top 24 high school boy and girl Nordic skiers from each state.

Each team competed in a 5k Skate race, a 1.2k Skate sprint race, a 4x21⁄2k mixed medley race and a 71⁄2k Classic race over the three-day event. Team results are based on all results for the boys and girls over the entire weekend. Vermont won the event with 15,136 points, followed by Maine (12,645), Massachusetts (12,187) and New Hampshire (12,010). Competing without a full roster, New York placed fifth (7,663).

In the 5k skate race on Friday, Murphy took 23rd in 17 minutes, 6 seconds. On Saturday he began the day with his best individual race of the weekend, grabbing 10th in the 1.2k Skate sprint (3:20.4) and finished the day by skiing the skate leg of the Sabers’ fifth-place finish in the mixed relay in the afternoon. In his last race of the weekend on Sunday, the 71⁄2k mass start Classic race, Murphy finished 20th (26:35). His overall finish for the weekend was 15th place.

Competing in his first Eastern Championships, Caruso skied well all weekend. In the 5k Skate race, he finished 90th (19:08). On Saturday, he had a strong effort in the Skate sprint, to take 83rd (3:49.7). In the mixed relay, Caruso skied the Classic leg to help his team finish 42nd. On Sunday, despite the severe weather, Caruso had his best individual race of the weekend, taking 81st (29:28) in the 71⁄2k mass start Classic race. He placed 78th overall for the championships.

Humphreys named to NH State Team Ski Team

GILFORD – Crotched Mountain Junior Race Team member Ashley Humphreys of Lyndeborough was named to the J5 New Hampshire State Ski Team (ages 9-10) by placing in the top 10 at the Buddy Werner League State Championships ski race held at Gunstock Mountain Resort last weekend.

In the slalom event on Saturday, Humphreys let her skies run close to the gates and executed clean, smooth lines to come in fifth place on her first run and sixth on her second run to clinch sixth overall. On Sunday, with high winds and pelting sleet and rainy conditions she placed 16th overall in the J5 Girls giant slalom race. After calculating the best two finishes for the meet Humphreys placed ninth overall for the two-day event, earning a spot on the New Hampshire State Team. Humphreys wore bib No. 11, her lucky number.

With over 360 young racers ages 9-12 competing for teams from across the state the competition was very competitive. The Crotched Mountain Junior Race Team sent 13 athletes to the state championships.

Sunday’s weather conditions consisted of torrential rain, sleet and high winds that closed the lift that serviced the race courses so the athletes and their coaches had to hike to the start of the course which made for some rather challenging racing conditions but all in all the soggy racers kept a positive attitude and gave it their best effort.

Amherst 11-year-old Anna Farrow had a successful meet, placing 21st in the J4 Girls (ages 11-12) race by earning 14th in the slalom and 23rd in the giant slalom while fellow 11-year-old teammate Rhiannon Allison of Mont Vernon also skied well. Allison placed 37th overall after a strong 24th place finish in the slalom. Alana Barretto, also 11 from Amherst, placed 79th and Maura Rapposelli, 11 from Peterborough, placed 87th.

In the J5 Boys race Eli Tamok (10 from Francestown) had an impressive meet to earn 14th place in the slalom and 16th in the giant slalom for 20th place overall. Luke Martin (10 from Hollis) came in 54th after a strong 38th place finish in the GS, Bryce Laurendeau (10 from Bedford) placed 73rd and Aidan Alusic-Bingham (9 from Antrim) placed 90th.

Finishing up the J5 Girls competition was Nashua 10-year-old Erika Wentz in 71st.

Local J4 Boys competing for Crotched Mountain Junior Race Team are R.J. Humphreys (11 from Lyndeborough), who had two impressive slalom runs on Saturday for 50th place and 76th overall after the GS runs. Cameron Robertson (12 from Mont Vernon) came in 104th and Collin Titus (12 from Mont Vernon) placed 105th.