After rain Tuesday postponed the start of the PVIAC alpine ski season, the Hampshire County contingent finally got a chance to take to the slopes for the winter’s opening competition at Berkshire East Mountain Resort in Charlemont on Thursday.

Leading the charge for the locals was Northampton’s Keller Mahoney, who posted the top finish of any Hampshire County skier. Keller crossed with a fourth-place finish on the boys side, traversing the slalom course with a time of 48.33 seconds.

PVCICS’ Teddy Scott was next in the boys race, finishing sixth overall with a time of 49.98 seconds. Hampshire’s Billy Warren also cracked the top 10, finishing in 51.79 seconds.

Westfield’s Owen Freeman was the boys winner in 41.22 seconds, over three full seconds ahead of runner-up Keegan Sears of Pope Francis (44.71).

Behind Scott, the Dragons had two more skiers place inside the top 15 overall. Clayton English (52.10) and James Scott (52.27) went back-to-back in 14th and 15th place, respectively.

Hampshire’s Isaac Stith crossed in 13th place (51.96), and teammate Chad Hockenberry was 19th overall (55.89).

Northampton’s Henry Fallon took 25th (1:00.14) and Amherst’s Alex Cain was 27th (1:00.51).

Mohawk Trail dominates girls race

Another season, another first place finish on the mountain for Mohawk Trail’s Addie Loomis. 

Loomis completed the giant slalom course in a time of 31.76 seconds, the best overall finish on the day. 

Loomis wasn’t the only Warrior with a stellar day on the slopes. Seven Mohawk Trail girls earned top 20 finishes, and five were inside the top 10. Emmy Sisum was second (32.76), Sofiya Slocik-Gritzner took sixth (34.16), Lydie Pinkham finished eighth (34.77) and Mae Hoff crossed in ninth (34.91).

Hampshire’s Ella Cleary paced the Hampshire County contingent with a 10th place finish (35.35), just ahead of PVCICS’ Sarah Fardal (11th, 35.68) and Hampshire’s Hazel Scully-Henry (12th, 36.07).

Camilla Hatch was the top finisher for Northampton, as she crossed in 15th (36.76). Hampshire’s Dana Warren skied into the top 20 via an 18th-place showing (37.45).

Other top 30 finishers included Northampton’s Simone Pagar (23rd, 38.60), Giselle Ohm (26th, 39.97) and Crystal Eichwald-Hoopes (29th, 41.12), and Amherst’s Anne Haugsjaahabink – who was the Hurricanes’ top finisher in 30th overall (41.13).

The second meet of the season is scheduled for Tuesday back at Berkshire East.