It didn’t look promising that western Massachusetts received no snow prior to the new year, but that changed over the weekend. With the PVIAC alpine ski season set to kick off on Tuesday afternoon, there could not have been a more perfect time for the first winter snowfall. While only a couple feet accumulated in certain towns, and Berkshire East in Charlemont – where Tuesday’s meet takes place – saw about seven inches, it’s still better than the forecast from late 2023.
Hampshire County has four teams competing this winter, as Amherst, Hampshire, PVCICS, and Northampton will take to the slopes with high hopes, hoping to be competitive among their western Mass. counterparts.
The Hurricanes have 45 skiers on their roster this season, and are joined by a plethora of newcomers under the direction of Rick Howes and Gloria Davis – both in their second seasons coaching Amherst. Simon Leutz also joined the coaching staff this year, so there will be plenty of assistance for the large team.
Both the boys and girls both lost their top skiers from last year’s squad, but, according to Howes, the ‘Canes have plenty of talent in house to step up and fill those two holes. The top candidates to do so are Alex Cain on the boys side and Anne Haugsjaahabink on the girls side.
Milo Osborne, Maeve Hogan, and Thea Binzen are all returners who are expected to compete at a high level for the girls, with newcomers Maya Phillips and Annika Redington also sure to help out.
Aside from Cain, the boys have their own batch of talent as well. Rocco Moschella, Gabe Roka Gould, Mihir Shenoy, and Alex Franz are to be leaned on as the team’s top skiers. Howes expects Myles Redington to also potentially emerge as a go-to competitor as the season unfolds.
For the first time in six years, Edward Przybyla won’t be skiing for Hampshire Regional. Hampshire leaned on Przybyla since he was in seventh grade, but that’s no longer on option after he graduated last spring. The Raiders also two other top skiers in Dawson Kelly and Evan Novak.
However, the boys are still in good position to have a successful campaign. Senior Jon Dunn is set to lead a young, but hungry Hampshire group down the slopes this season. Dunn competed in the MIAA Alpine Championships as a sophomore and junior, and looks to get back to the big stage again in his final run as a high schooler. Freshmen Isaac Stith and Billy Warren had terrific years as eighth graders, and are back again this season also hoping to build off their appearances at the state championships.
On the girls side, it’ll be new faces paving the way and leading the charge. Hannah Burke and Tayla Gilman were the only two Raiders skiers to qualify for the MIAA Alpine Championships last year, and both have since graduated. Dana Warren and Ella Cleary have had success over their years at Hampshire, and they’ll be tasked with being the elders in terms of experience for the young roster.
The Dragons are a rare case of a team having every single athlete back on their roster from a year ago, and PVCICS certainly has an abundance of talent.
That all starts with Sarah Fardal, who finished in the top 45 in both the slalom and giant slalom at the MIAA Alpine Championships last year. Considering there weren’t any seniors on the team in 2023, those who returned are a year older, stronger, and smarter, which bodes well for the Dragons against their competition. Fardal should have a monster season.
For PVCICS’ boys team, James Scott, Teddy Scott, and senior captain Clayton English have their eyes set on the state championships once again. Those three qualified for the big tournament last season, and are eager to make it back in 2024.
Northampton fields only two seniors across its boys and girls teams in 2024, and both of them come on the girls side.
This sets up for a young boys team that may have its growing pains, but there is a boatload of talent on Mark Krodel’s squad – starting with Keller Mahoney. The junior qualified for the giant slalom at the MIAA Alpine Championships last season after qualifying for both the slalom and giant slalom as a freshman. Classmate Henry Fallon is expected to take a big leap as well now with more experience under his belt.
Krodel kept it simple with his overall season expectations for the boys, saying he’s simply looking to see individual improvements as the year progresses. As for the girls team, Krodel believes they have what it takes to be a solid race team this year. That starts with sophomore Giselle Ohm, junior Simone Pagar, and senior Maisie Tuck.
All three athletes competed in the MIAA Alpine Championships last year, and Ohm and Tuck earned captain nods from Krodel in the offseason. Leaning on these three talents, the Northampton girls – who also have plenty of other capable skiers – could be in for a triumphant winter season.
