The Concord High Nordic skiers weren’t thinking too much about Tuesday’s state championship. Coming off of the pandemic and a fourth-place finish for the girls and a sixth-place finish for the boys in Division I last year, technique and team culture was a larger focus.

But all of that effort and dedication paid off in a larger way than expected, with the Crimson Tide boys claiming the Division I Nordic skiing championship at the Great Glen Trails, while the Tide girls finished second.

Junior Tyler Watt claimed both the boys’ freestyle and classic individual titles.

“We’re really excited,” Concord coach Erin Waters said. “It’s been a long season, and we haven’t necessarily been focused on the results or states. Really just getting out on snow and focusing on technique. Seeing the results that come with their hard work is really exciting.”

The Concord boys had a three-point lead over Keene after the morning classic race and extended it in the freestyle.

The Tide ended the day with 749 points, with Keene (739), Kennett (683), Winnacunnet (671), Souhegan (664), Bedford (663), Kingswood (598), ConVal (362) and Manchester Central (141) rounding out the team totals.

Watt clocked a time of 12 minutes, 28.3 seconds in the 5K classic race, 1:10 ahead of Keene’s Sully Sturtz, and finished the 5K freestyle in 10:58.6, nearly a full minute ahead of runner-up Eric Fulton of Souhegan.

“Tyler’s a fantastic skier; he’s a great leader for our team,” Waters said. “He’s heading back to Junior Nationals; I think he is the only Concord skier ever to go.”

Freshman Dean Ayotte had a huge classic race, finishing third in 13:55.6. He was also sixth in the freestyle.

Freshmen Sebastian Christie (ninth freestyle) and Will Corbett (15th freestyle; 17th classic) and senior captains Elliott Pollard (11th classic; 13th freestyle) and Jacob Gurtner (18th classic) also skied well for the Concord boys.

Nicholas Hewey (24th classic) and Jackson Duffy (26th freestyle) were the Tide’s other competitors on the boys’ side.

“We have some real up-and-coming skiers who had standout races that really turned the tide for the team results,” Waters said.

The same was true for girls. Keene won the girls’ team title, and Kennett’s Carli Krebs had victories in both the classic (15:23) and freestyle (13:04), but Concord used its depth to its advantage.

Keene (764) had a comfortable margin of victory over Concord (738), Kennett (736), Winnacunnet (691), Bedford (668), Souhegan (627), Manchester Memorial (438), ConVal (171) and Manchester Central (155).

Sophomore Frances Lesser finished fifth in the freestyle and sixth in the classic to lead the Tide in both races. Freshmen Bella Komorek (seventh freestyle) and Chloe Gudas (eighth classic; 15th freestyle), seniors captains Alexis Christie (13th freestyle) and Gracie McHugh (12th classic; 14th freestyle) and sophomore Phoebe Dater-Roberts (11th classic) all provided scoring efforts.

In the freestyle, Christie, McHugh and Gudas were separated by just 2 seconds.

“On the girls’ side, we didn’t have any skiers in the top three, but they all placed together really tight,” Waters said. “That’s what made the difference. (Lesser) has been incredibly consistent. Phoebe also has been very consistent. That consistency is the backbone of the team.”

Senior Rosie Curry (19th freestyle), and Lila Doherty (18th classic) and Clara McHugh (23rd classic) also put up solid races.

Waters skied for the Crimson Tide Nordic team from 2012-15, during a stretch when Concord boys’ and girls’ teams swept all the team titles from 2009-20.

The pandemic, plus the realignment and consolidation of NHIAA Nordic teams from four divisions to two, impacted Concord’s ability to be competitive, but that is turning around.

“Working through the pandemic years was really hard,” Waters said. “It had a huge effect on our team culture. We weren’t able to do team camp and get out on snow the way we used to when I was in high school.”

This year, Concord Nordic was able to return to more of its previous traditions – a four-day camp in Craftsbury, Vt., team dinners and bonfires. The four-day camp is especially important. For new skiers, or those with little technical training, that is essentially where they learn how to ski.

Waters credited the senior captains and leaders for fostering that team culture.

“They’re all excited to be at practice,” Waters said. “(The captains) have finally been able to create the team that they’ve wanted to (in the pandemic years).”

Seniors Gurtner, Pollard, McHugh and Christie all served as captains, while fellow senior Curry also displayed excellent leadership.

“We’ve got some good skiers coming up,” Waters said. “The seniors have done a great job setting the tone for the team and passing down that culture to the next generation of teams.”

]]>