{"id":12140,"date":"2024-03-07T00:56:58","date_gmt":"2024-03-07T00:56:58","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","slug":"Concord-boys-win-D-I-Nordic-title-girls-finish-2nd-Watt-and-Lesser-win-individual-championships-54301637\/","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/?p=12140","title":{"rendered":"Nordic skiing: Concord boys win D-I\u00a0championship, girls finish 2nd;\u00a0Watt, Lesser and Clarner\u00a0earn individual crowns"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Concord\u2019s\u00a0Tyler
Concord\u2019s\u00a0Tyler Watt competes in the freestyle race at the NHIAA Division I Nordic skiing championships at Oak Hill in Hanover on Wednesday. Watt won the freestyle race and finished second in the classic to lead the Concord boys\u2019 team to back-to-back titles.\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"Concord\u2019s
Concord\u2019s Sebastian Christie competes in the freestyle race at the NHIAA Division I Nordic skiing championships at Oak Hill in Hanover on Wednesday. Christie finished eighth in the freestyle race and finished seventh in the classic to help lead the Concord boys’ team to back-to-back titles.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"Hopkinton\u2019s
Hopkinton\u2019s Matt Clarner competes in the freestyle race at the NHIAA Division II Nordic skiing championships at Oak Hill in Hanover on Wednesday. Clarner won the freestyle title and took third in the classic.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"Concord\u2019s\u00a0Frances
Concord\u2019s\u00a0Frances Lesser competes in the freestyle race at the NHIAA Division I Nordic skiing championships at Oak Hill in Hanover on Wednesday. Lesser finished third in the freestyle and won the classic race to lead Concord girls’ team to second place in D-I.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"Concord\u2019s
Concord\u2019s Chloe Gudas competes in the freestyle race at the NHIAA Division I Nordic skiing championships at Oak Hill in Hanover on Wednesday. Gudas finished ninth in the freestyle and fourth in the classic to lead Concord girls’ team to second place in D-I.\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"Hopkinton\u2019s
Hopkinton\u2019s Elizabeth Trafton competes in the freestyle race at the NHIAA Division II Nordic skiing championships at Oak Hill in Hanover on Wednesday. Trafton finished 11th in the freestyle and seventh in the classic.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>

This year\u2019s winter conditions posed far greater challenges than usual to the state\u2019s high school Nordic ski teams, so much so that even having a championship wasn\u2019t a given. But meet organizers pulled a rabbit out of a hat and Concord High made the most of the opportunity.<\/p>\n

Senior Tyler Watt won the freestyle and finished second in the classic race to lead the Concord boys to back-to-back Division I championships, and junior Frances Lesser won the classic race and finished third in freestyle to lead the Tide girls to the D-I runner-up plaque.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The D-II championships were also contested at Oak Hill in Hanover on Wednesday, with Hopkinton senior Matt Clarner leading area competitors with an individual championship in the boys\u2019 freestyle and a bronze in the classic race.<\/p>\n

As has been the case for the majority of the Nordic ski schedule this season, the original plan for the championship races was altered. Divisions I and II were originally meant to be held on two separate days at the Great Glen Trails in Jackson, but a lack of snow and warm temperatures forced both meets to be held on the same day.<\/p>\n

Even as Concord head coach Erin Waters drove to Hanover, with the temperature in the 50s and rain falling from the sky for the second straight day, skiing seemed improbable.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was magical to be able to ski. The amount of legwork our organizers did to make this happen was insane,\u201d Waters said. \u201cWe\u2019re up here and there\u2019s no snow anywhere. It\u2019s raining, it\u2019s been raining. Oak Hill was a phenomenal host. We were thinking it could\u2019ve been changed drastically, or even canceled. The conditions, while pretty mashed potatoey and sloppy, there was full coverage (of snow on the trails).\u201d<\/p>\n

Sporting short sleeves under their racing bibs and skiing on snowy trails surrounded entirely by bare ground, the D-I boys were the first on the 1.87K loop for the morning classic race, with Keene\u2019s Sully Sturtz crossing the line in 10 minutes, 43.9 seconds to win the 3.8K classic, ahead of Watt\u2019s time of 11:01.5.<\/p>\n

Concord used its depth to its advantage, with sophomores Dean Ayotte (sixth, 11:50), Sebastian Christie (seventh, 12:53) and Will Corbett (11th, 13:39) scoring well in the classic to give the Tide an early lead.<\/p>\n

Watt won the afternoon freestyle in 10:21, 20 seconds ahead of Sturtz, with Ayotte (seventh, 12:04), Christie (eighth, 12:21) and Corbett (11th, 12:49) also scoring in that race, to give Concord a two-race total of 755 points.<\/p>\n

Keene (723), Winnacunnet (700), Souhegan (689), Kennett (670), Bedford (670), ConVal (193) and Manchester Central (150) rounded out the D-I boys\u2019 scores.<\/p>\n

The skiers took off from the starting line in 15 second intervals in a staggered start, and the order from the afternoon skate made it so Watt\u2019s teammates could use him as a guide and a pacer, of sorts, on the course.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis morning he didn\u2019t feel 100% (in the morning classic race), but he absolutely crushed the freestyle,\u201d Waters said.<\/p>\n

Last year\u2019s D-I champion in both the classic and freestyle, and this year\u2019s NH Coaches Series champion in both the classic and freestyle, Watt is arguably the best Nordic skier in the state. He\u2019s competed on a regional and national level, and will once again compete in this year\u2019s Junior Nationals in Lake Placid, N.Y., but he has always made Concord High skiing a priority.<\/p>\n

\u201cTyler really has been a phenomenal skier, teammate and captain,\u201d Waters said. \u201cThis felt like a culmination of all that. He\u2019s done things on a larger stage out of state, but he cares a lot about high school skiing, he cares a lot about this team and gives it his all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seniors Casey Ames and Connor Anderson also represented the Tide in the freestyle, and junior Connor Crotty and senior Lucky Doperalski skied for Concord in the classic.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a pretty deep team on that side,\u201d Waters said. \u201cIt\u2019s amazing to have athletes in just their second year skiing reach that level.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Concord girls finished second behind Keene, 774-757, and were competitive with the Blackbirds in both races, highlighted by Lesser\u2019s victory in the morning classic race.<\/p>\n

Bedford (708), Winnacunnet (695), Souhegan (659), Kennett (647), Manchester Memorial (158) and Central (152) rounded out the girls\u2019 standings.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Lesser) found a whole new gear today,\u201d Waters said. \u201cWe\u2019ve been waiting for it to come out all season and it came out today. The conditions today served her well. She\u2019s super strong and has a ton of endurance. The hills and mushy conditions served her well. Just watching her ski without seeing the results, it felt like she had won.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lesser\u2019s time of 13:54.5 bested runner-up Ella Hoy of Keene by 51 seconds.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Senior Chloe Gudas had a breakout day in the classic, finishing fourth in 15:01, with junior Phoebe Dater-Roberts (10th, 17:22) and sophomore Bella Komorek (13th, 17:32) scoring for the Tide.<\/p>\n

Winnacunnet\u2019s Skyla Mace won the freestyle in 12:57.3, but Lesser took home third in 14:25. Komorek, freshman Mahalie Burdette and Gudas went 7-8-9 in 15:21, 15:38 and 15:56, respectively.<\/p>\n

Waters also credited Gudas for her significant contributions, both on and off the course.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s a captain, she really helped create the culture of this team,\u201d Waters said. \u201cHer results have jumped like crazy this year. She put in a ton of work, got a lot stronger, and the results show that. For her to be in (fourth) position is incredible for her. She\u2019s become a completely different skier.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dater-Roberts (freestyle), junior Lila Doherty (freestyle and classic) and Burdette (classic) also skied well and provided additional depth to Concord\u2019s lineup.<\/p>\n

Wednesday\u2019s results were a testament to the Tide\u2019s dedication and flexibility despite the challenging logistics of the season. The team only skied at Beaver Meadow, its typical practice location, five times, and made the lengthy trips to Holderness and\/or Proctor Academy multiple times a week.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019d be easy to be frustrated with the conditions, but they\u2019ve toughed it out, like every Nordic had to,\u201d Waters said. \u201cThey did a great job keeping it together, having fun, and pushing themselves. It\u2019s been a great group to coach.\u201d<\/p>\n

Division II<\/h2>\n

Clarner won the eighth and final race of the day at Oak Hill, capturing the D-II skate crown in 10:03.3.<\/p>\n

\u201cClarner has had a breakout year and has really put in the work,\u201d Hopkinton head coach Rob Rothe said. \u201cSeeing him on the podium for both races today really put the icing on the cake.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gilford repeated as the boys\u2019 team champion with 752 points and Plymouth did the same in the girls\u2019 side of the standings with 779.<\/p>\n

Fall Mountain (733), Hanover (702), Plymouth (680), Hopkinton (654) and Kearsarge (627) were second through sixth for the boys\u2019 teams, with Bow (549) finishing ninth.<\/p>\n

Lebanon (710), Hanover (704) and Hopkinton (688) completed the top four girls\u2019 teams, with Kearsarge (461) and Bow (442) coming in ninth and 10th, respectively.<\/p>\n

Fall Mountain\u2019s David Northcott won the boys\u2019 classic in 10:26.7, Plymouth\u2019s Addi Englund (11:29.7) won the girls\u2019 freestyle and teammate Ella Ronci (12:27.7) won the classic.<\/p>\n

Clarner (10:40) finished third in the classic with Joseph O\u2019Rourke (18th classic, 24th freestyle), Harrison Wilson (26th classic, 31st freestyle) and Cameron Bassett (34th freestyle, 36th classic) also scoring for the Hawks.<\/p>\n

Elias Baer (fifth classic, eighth freestyle), Andrew Blagden (20th classic, 26th freestyle), Nethaniel Stepp (35th freestyle, 38th classic) and Andrew Brahan (39th classic, 39th freestyle) scored for Kearsarge.<\/p>\n

Eli Wilkening (13th classic, 20th freestyle), Aiden Ciminesi (33rd classic, 36th freestyle), Jack Kohl (51st classic, 54th freestyle) and Gabe Abberton (61st freestyle, 63rd classic) scored for Bow.<\/p>\n

On the girls\u2019 side, Elizabeth Trafton (seventh classic, 11th freestyle), Florence Dapice (12th classic, 23rd freestyle), Evelyn Hopper (16th classic), Amelia Walsh (18th classic, 19th freestyle) and\u00a0 Lia Chapin (21st freestyle) were the scoring skiers for Hopkinton.<\/p>\n

The Hawks were the division runner-up last year, but given the amount of turnover on the roster, Rothe was pleased with a fourth-place performance from the squad.<\/p>\n

\u201cA top five in this division is a great result, especially after we graduated four of our top six from last year,\u201d Rothe said. \u201cElizabeth Trafton has led the team all season, both in points and as a leader who has been instrumental to inspire and motivate the girls team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ava Valle (23rd classic, 25th freestyle), Ainsley Frenkiewich (33rd freestyle, 34th classic) and Katherine Blagden (22nd freestyle, 37th classic) scored for Kearsarge.<\/p>\n

Ashe McKeen (44th classic, 46th freestyle), Makaylie Laws (45th freestyle, 47th classic), Vera Virta (50th freestyle, 51st classic) and Molly McCarthy (52nd classic) scored for Bow.<\/p>\n

Skimeister<\/h2>\n

The completion of the Nordic championships also meant the completion of the skimeister competition, which combines the scores of athletes who compete in both Alpine and Nordic skiing.<\/p>\n

Harrison Wilson and Lia Chapin topped the boys\u2019 and girls\u2019 standings, respectively with their performances in both sports. Hopkinton swept the top of the podium in last year\u2019s skimeister as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can be a lot to juggle for these kids,\u201d Rothe said. \u201cHopkinton has been strong in this competition, and both Harrison and Lia continued this streak.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This year\u2019s winter conditions posed far greater challenges than usual to the state\u2019s high school Nordic ski teams, so much so that even having a championship wasn\u2019t a given. But meet organizers pulled a rabbit out of a hat and Concord High made the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":135,"featured_media":12141,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_newspack_byline_active":true,"_newspack_byline":"by [Author id=135]Dan Attorri[\/Author] Monitor staff","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,508],"tags":[60,91,24,426,189,203,244,257,505],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[551],"class_list":["post-12140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-high-school-youth","category-top-headlines-cm","tag-bow-high-school","tag-concord-high-school","tag-facebook","tag-high-school","tag-hopkinton-nh","tag-kearsarge-regional-high-school","tag-nhiaa","tag-nordic-skiing","tag-paywall","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/43091878-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12140","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/135"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12140"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12140\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12142,"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12140\/revisions\/12142"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12140"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12140"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12140"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fnewspack_spnsrs_tax&post=12140"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcoauthors&post=12140"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}