The Bow boys’ Alpine ski team was missing one of its top racers for Thursday’s giant slalom race at Crotched Mountain. And another one of Bow’s fastest skiers had a DNF on his first run, but the Falcons rose above the challenges and finished first in the five-team Division II meet.
“Caleb Stonecipher really stepped up,” Bow coach Mike Sampo said. “He finished 11th and that’s what really allowed us to win as a team.”
The Falcons wound up with 381 points to finish ahead of Souhegan (371.5), ConVal (364), Hollis Brookline (344) and Portsmouth.
While the team win is nice, what’s more important at this time of year is form, and Sampo liked how his skiers looked.
Sophomore Eli Gadbois was Bow’s top finisher, taking third overall with a combined time of 1:04.26 (32.07 second on the first run, 32.19 on the second). Souhegan’s Andrew Taylor was first overall in 1:03.67 and ConVal’s Noah Krason took second in 1:04.10.
“Eli also stepped up today,” Sampo said, “this was the first time he’s ever beaten Connor.”
That would be Bow junior Connor Wachsmuth, who was fourth overall at 1:04.50. He finished just ahead of his younger brother, freshman Patrick Wachsmuth, who was fifth with a 1:05.40.
“The Wachsmuth boys keep battling between themselves,” Sampo said. “Connor beat Patrick today, but Patrick beat Connor in our last time out.”
After having the DNF in his first run, Bow’s Aden Lipsy clocked a 33.41, which was the sixth best time during the second run.
In the girls’ race, ConVal had three skiers finish in the top four, including first-place Molly Dishong (1:06.04) and second-place Rosie Crooker (1:07.25), and needed all of their points to beat out second Souhegan in the team standings, 385-381. Portsmouth was third with 366 followed by Bow (339) and Hollis Brookline (253).
Megan Lavigne (15th, 1:18.32), Carolyn Johnson (18th, 1:22.34), Sarah Lavigne (21st, 1:24.23) and Meredith Ryan (23rd, 1:25.56) were the top finishers for the Falcons.
Merrimack Valley 51, Laconia 31
Key players: Merrimack Valley – Mackenzie McDonald (15 points, 11 rebounds), Alyssa Woodman (11 points), Hayley Kenney (7 points), Aislinn McDonald (six points)
Highlights: The Pride built a 12-8 lead in the first quarter, and then held the Sachems to four points over the next eight minutes to take a 24-12 advantage into halftime. MV pushed it all the way to 33-19 by the end of the third quarter to take complete control.
Coach’s quote: “Good road win for us against a tough Laconia team. We did a lot of good things but still some areas we need to clean up. We have a tough stretch coming up next week and it will give us a good idea of who we are as a team. ” – MV’s Bob McNutt
Records: Merrimack Valley 2-1; Laconia 2-2
Spaulding 54, Bishop Brady 50
Key players: Spaulding – Mary Paradis (27 points) Bishop Brady – Marissa Payne (19 points), Halle Laramie (17 points)
Coach’s quote: “It was an off night. Applause to Spaulding on a well-played game. We look forward to bouncing back next week and continuing to grow as a team.” – Bishop Brady’s Annie Mattarazzo
Records: Spaulding 3-0; Bishop Brady 2-2
Sanborn 65, John Stark 55
Key players: John Stark – Christian Barr (29 points, 10 rebounds, 5 steals), Kayden Easter (11 points 11 rebounds), Jayden Sheppard (7 points 3 steals); Sanborn – Dylan Khalil (28 points)
Highlights: Sanborn took control by outscoring the Generals 18-9 in the third quarter, and finished the night with a perfect mark from the free throw line, 15-for-15.
Coach’s quote: “I feel like we left a lot of points on the table tonight with missed layups and free throws but, I thought Sanborn did a nice job with their man pressure to make that happen.” – John Stark’s Mike Smith
Records: Sanborn 1-1; John Stark
0-2