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Tuesday will be our last “official” BKL day. It is supposed to rain on Wednesday and Thursday, and it is going to be in the 50’s next week. We are not sure the Range snow is going to hold for next week. We will hold bonus practices if we can ski next week and all are welcome! Check the blog next week for updates.

Tuesday:

At the Range, skate technique. Games, skiing, party at the end to mark the season!  Parents encouraged to bring snacks.

Thursday:

No Training- 90% chance of rain

BKL Festival Photos & Report

Link to photos.  (Thanks! Dave Priganc)

Results click here.

Report:  Thanks!  (Damian Bolduc.  Thanks!)

The Mansfield BKL squad trekked over to Great Glen, NH for the “White Mountain Magic” Bill Koch Festival.  And magic it was!!  The area was fortunate to receive 7 inches of snow on Tuesday that was preserved well for the festival.  Great Glen had gone to great lengths to make this year’s event a wonderful success and Mother Nature’s touch really topped things off.  They were able to open more terrain as well as breathe a little easier with the addition.

Events got underway with the Annual Parade of Athletes.  There were 470 Fairies and Wizards led by a Snow Coach.  Quickly upon the completion of the parade the Mansfield Wax team got underway applying the day’s wax.  Classic Sprints were the main event of day one. The snow was a little tricky with powder mixed in with transformed and man-made snow, however cool temps and solid tracks made for fast skis.  Mansfield Nordic set the tone right out of the gate sweeping gold in the 1-2 division!  Outstanding performances  from Cole Shullenberger, Kate Carlson, Tessa Diller, Pippa Diller and Ryley Morigeau were cheered from excited teammates in the initial races of the day.

Mansfield continued building momentum in the 3-4 division filling out the medal collection with a Silver and Bronze to go with the Golds!  On the Boys side Niko Cuneo, Brady Morigeau, Taylor Carlson and Carl Priganc gave the deep field someone to chase holding their own against deep squads from Craftsbury, Eastern MA, Putney and Frost.  Julia Thurston, Virginia Cobb, Finley Barker and Mia Diller got things done on the girls’ side.  Skiing gracefully with smiles, the energy that poured out of this field and was very contagious to all in attendance.

5-6 Mansfield Boys Gavin Schaaf and Jordan Shullenberger kept the podium streak going as the racing got a little more contentious.  Ava Thurston, Esther Cuneo and Hattie Barker showed the depth of the club with a Gold and Silver among them.  The future is bright with the spirit and sportsmanship of these young athletes beam as they compete.

Aidan Burt and Matthew Lelito had their work cut out for them skiing with the son of the festivals namesake.  They did well taking on skiers not only from other clubs, but also those from private schools who began infiltrating the ranks at this level.  Aidan proved he will be a big contender next year, as only 8th graders finished ahead of him. The girls side Camille Bolduc, Quincy Massey-Bierman, Ali Priganc, Stella Duncan, Magdalena Lelito, and Sammie Nolan teamed up with the other clubs to shut the private schools out of the top ten.  They took Silver and Bronze while doing it too!

Day One opened the weekend with some great performances and results, but it is not just about racing.  Many participants enjoyed the tubing hill (just so you know each tubing run required a hill bound dragging a tube so no groans next preseason), fairy house trail and a Ski-O scavenger hunt that actually featured a few scavengers!  There were cabins to ski to and fun trails such as Grumpy Grades, Thumper and Hairball to ski. And of course face painting was a big hit for many.

Skiers went back to their bases with much to celebrate, some attending the pasta dinner and all getting some much deserved rest. Day 2 would be filled with more excitement, fun and great racing.

Day two was the Distance Freestyle Event.  Cole, Kate, Pippa, Ryley and Tessa picked up where they left off with great skiing, but the Gold Sweep was answered by skiers from New Hampshire and New York.  It is good to share the wealth especially at an event like this.  A Silver was celebrated among them.

In the 3-4 division, athletes faced stiffer competition. Brady, Niko, Taylor and Carl returned in good form switching things up a little, and all placing in the top 20.  The girls Julia, Virginia, Finley and Mia held their own.  With the conditions of the year it was apparent that one technique prevailed much more over the other around the Northeast.

After the younger divisions wrapped up there was the 8th Grade Graduation.  It was a special celebration to recognize the hard work these athletes have put in over through the years.  A certificate/diploma was awarded to each one as well as a choco-pop signifying their growth from their first races to where they will stand in the near future.

As with Saturday, the 5-6 division is where you start to see major changes in the competitive drive.  Gavin and Jordan faced stiff competition. There was a little change on the podium with Craftsbury Cormac Leahy capturing the Bronze.  Ava, Esther and Hattie returned to defend their Gold and Silver in the 5-6 girls.  The 5-6 participants again showed some great skiing in what were the most challenging conditions of the day as the warmth started making the snow a little sticky.

As the 5-6 races wrapped up clouds moved in with a brisk wind that cooled things down just enough to ice up the snow that was getting a little sticky.  The girls race was a real nail biter with the top ten skiing within seconds of each other.  Camille, Quincy, Ali, Stella, Sammie and Magda all looked great on their skis and observers knew it would be close.  Gold and Silver would be awarded to Mansfield skiers in this division.  Aidan and Matthew skied very strong for the boys, but it was Will Koch (SMS) who stole the show searching for nothing but speed on the course.  His final kick was simply jaw dropping.

Day two featured many activities as well.  A few of the highlights were the Radar Speed Trap where skiers top speeds were measured with a radar gun and speeding tickets were issued.  One young Mansfield skier looked like he might break the sound barrier with the enthusiasm he had for this challenge!  Another was a spontaneous singing of Happy Birthday to Quincy as the announcer spilled the beans about her special day during the podium ceremony!

During the entire festival, the club enjoyed an amazing spread led and organized by Vicki Priganc and contributed to by all the parents.  We definitely had some amazing food to keep us fueled throughout both days.

The hosts at Great Glen really pulled out all the stops on making this weekend magical.  While many of us were chasing snow and fretting about where we would ski next, they prepared and worked incredibly hard to make sure we would all have a celebration of skiing to remember.  It was a beautiful weekend, and could not have been a better way to highlight the season!  As we transition to spring it will certainly be a silver lining on skiing in 2016 as the BKL Festival should be!

COMING UP: March 10: BKL Party and Awards, Last official practice. After this, we will have “bonus” practices for as long as the snow holds out at the Range. 

Unfortunately, the rain has forced the cancellation of the skiing loops at the Range as they try to preserve snow. There will be no BKL practice tomorrow, 2/25. The BKL Festival is still reporting that they are a GO thanks to snowmaking and effective snow dances! Keep up with the latest news on the Festival by visiting the NENSA website frequently!

For MNC-specific information visit Rosemary’s Virtual Team Meeting page