The 2025 MIAA Nordic Ski Championship meet is fast approaching and the Amherst boys and girls teams are gearing up for their final race of the winter.

Coached by Nat Woodruff and Carl Cignoni, the Hurricanes have had successful seasons on both sides. The boys team has seen steady improvement from its roster of primarily underclassmen, while the girls have a solid senior class that has carried them all year long.

Led by Addie Mager, Elizabeth Sawicki, and freshman Ella Workman, the Amherst girls feel they can challenge for the state title given the strength of their pack.

“We have a very strong team,” Woodruff said. “The girls in particular, I would say have been kind of building for years now. We came in second in the state last year to Mount Greylock by five points, which is not much when you consider how many points there are. It was 70-75 and the next-place team was 108.”

Similar to cross country running, teams strive to accumulate the fewest amount of points possible. During Nordic skiing, a team’s top four skiers accrue points based on what place they finish in and whichever team has the lowest cumulative score wins.

What makes the Hurricanes so potent on the girls’ side is how bunched up their finishers come in. Along with Mager, Sawicki and Workman are Zoey Candito, River Wolaver and Isla Cusick, and the six often finish right around each other, which helps keep their team score low.

“We have a lot of depth on the girls team and we’re really looking forward to the state championships,” Cignoni said.

During the 7-kilometer varsity race at the state meet, teams can submit up to eight skiers. Since Amherst has a strong core of six skiers, it’ll be in a great position to avenge its runner-up finish from a season ago.

Mount Greylock will be among the favorites once again this year, while Mohawk Trail, which features skiers from Hampshire Regional as part of its co-op, will likely be in the mix for the title as well.

“We beat Mount Greylock this year, but they’ve also beaten us once too, but if we’re all healthy, which we are right now, I think we can put up a good showing,” Woodruff said. 

The Hurricanes boys team heads into the state meet looking to improve upon their 11th-place finish from 2024.

Calvin Miller and Ian Burns have paced the Amherst boys while Otis Fairey and Hunter Pete – both eighth-graders— have supplemented its team scoring.

“[Miller] and [Burns] have been on the team since eighth-grade, I think [Burns] since seventh-grade, so they’re old veterans and they have two years left,” Cignoni said. “We have a lot of younger skiers so the future looks even better.”

Amherst will take part in a relay race this weekend as one last tuneup before the state meet next week.

The state championships are set for Tuesday, Feb. 11 at Prospect Mountain in Woodford, Vermont. The boys race is scheduled for 11 a.m., while the girls race is planned to start at 12:15 p.m.

THE WILLISTON WAGON – Nobody seems to be able to stop the Williston Northampton girls hockey team right now. Since falling to the Northwood School, 4-3, on Dec. 14, the Wildcats are undefeated.

A scoreless tie to Dexter Southfield Prep on Jan. 22 has been the only non-win for Williston in the 15 games following its lone loss of the season.

At 15-1-1, the Wildcats are the No.1-ranked team in New England Girls Prep Hockey per myhockeyrankings.com out of 52 programs.

It’s not as if Williston has had a soft schedule either. It has beaten No. 3 Nobles & Greenough, No. 6 Cushing Academy and No. 7 Buckingham Browne & Nichols – all via shutout – earlier this year.

Circle Feb. 22 on your calendars because that’ll be the first and only regular season meeting between the Wildcats and No. 2 Loomis Chaffee. Williston will host the 17-1-0 Pelicans at Lossone Rink at 4:30 p.m.

PVIAC TRACK MEET POSTPONED – The PVIAC Championship track meet, which was supposed to take place this Sunday, Feb. 9, at Smith College has been postponed due to expected inclement weather.

No makeup date had been announced as of Thursday night.