Results Throughout The Year
Youth Comes Through For BFA Alpine Team: Jeffersonville-BFA-St.Albans was without several top skiers, but got some strong performances from a group of young or new skiers in a giant slalom competition at Smugglers Notch on Monday.
The boys were missing veterans James Kelly (out with a broken thumb) and Yuri Hudak (sick), but got an outstanding race from returning racer Adam Bouchard. The senior skied as a freshaman bud did not compete in the next two seasons, and his return to the team this winter provided a 15th place finish to lead the bobwhites. "He trains really hard, which is great," coach Steve Wunsch said. "Many of the kids in the top 15 are kids who have been racing on the weekend circuit since they were 8 or 9 years old. Coming back as a senior, Adam is filling our second slot consistently".
Warren Rixon was two spots back in 17th, while Chris Gero took 23rd and Kit Southwick 25th for BFA. Also racing for teh boys were sophomore Nick Borovich, who was 34th and David Gagne, who bounced back from trouble on the first of two runs to take 44th in the large field of racers. Wunsch said Rixon shows signs of carrying on the famiy racing tradition, after his grandfather and his father- Saint Michael's College racer Roger Rixon. "Warren is an unbelievable skier. He can race. He's a freshman with a great future." Southwick's fourth-best effort for the team was his first time scoring in a varsity race. "Kit's starting to ski better, getting more familiar wiht what it takes to ski on a GS course," Wunsch said.
With co-captain Danielle Landry remaining at school rather than miss a full day of classes, and the other captain, Sadie Bushey, falling on both runs, the BFA girls needed some help from less experienced skiers and got just that.
First year racer Carly Bushey came across in 19th to lead the Comets, "Carly had an unbelievable day," Wunsch said "She was in the top 20 in a field of 70. For a first year racer that's unbelievable. Carly will be one of the District team girls. She's very coachable and delivering some great results." Sophmore Kelsie Lovelette was next for BFA in 27th and first-year racer Calypso Martin was 32nd, her best finish. "Kelsie trains hard," Wunsch said. Carolyn Chilton(36th) and freshman Amanda Bouchard(43rd) rounded out the BFA effort, as the girls placed seventh of the nine teams even without points from their top two skiers. "The girls success Monday came from first- and second year racers," Wunsch said, adding praise for Smugglers Notch in getting the challenging course ready for racing from the top. "Great winter conditions," he said. "Coverage was good, the snow was good. It was the first time these girls have raced on a hill that steep, and they did great."
Wunsch said the recent weather finally has Hard'ack ready for local on-slope training for the team, which was to start yesterday.
Bushey skis to first victory; Landry (twice), Kelly fourth: JEFFERSONVILLE-- Sadie Bushey broke through the slushy giant slalom course at Smugglers Notch on Friday, earning her first Alpine skiing victory, and Danielle Landry recorded dual fourth-place finishes to lead the BFA-St.Albans girls to second place. Landry was fourth in the GS bye a scant of 13 hundredths of a second, but was more than three seconds ahead of Mt.Mansfield's Kate Wigg to duplicate that result in the slalom. Bushey has a little margin for error on a GS course that while hardly in ideal racing condition, was the only ski-able section of the hill. Conditions have frustratd Nordic and Alpine ski teams across the state, with Friday's event just the second race of the season. On one of the few areas on the northern slope at SMugglers, Bushey came across in 38.67 seconds less thanthree tnths in front of MMU's Whitney Davis. "I've never won a race in my life the senior co-captain (with Danielle Landry) said. "This is the first one I've won." Bushey said the conditions were challenging to all 50 skiers in the GS, but good enough for a competitive race. "It wasn't bad. The dirt came through a lot, so it was really hard to ski on because you dont want to wreck the bottom of your skis."
Junior James Kelly was BFA's top racer on both boys events, taking fourth in the GS and 12th in slalom, despite straddling a gate near the finish of his second slalom run. The Bobwhite boys took third overall, while Mt.Mansfield swept both team competitions with ease. Sara Rose and Carly Bushey earned top -20 finishes for the girls in GS, and Carolyn Chilton, Bushey, and Kelsie Lovelette did the same in slalom. Fore the boys, freshman Warren Rixon and Adam Bouchard crcked the top 20 in GS, and Rixon, Harvey, Gero, and Southwick had top-20 slalom finishes.
Kelly's dual top-10's lead BFA in Carnival races: JEFFERSONVILLE--James Kelly charged back from a tough first run in Saturday's slalom at the Essex Winter Carnival race at Smugglers Notch, giving him back-to-back top-10 finishes in the giant slalom and slalom. BFA also got top-10 efforts in the slalom from co-captains Danielle Landry, who was eighth, and Sadie Bushey, who took ninth, in her first race back after missing several events due to illness. BFA coach Steve Wunsch said Landry was determinded to bounce back after taking 27th in Friday's GS. "She was not happy with her finish in GS," Wunsch Said. "Saturday Danielle had as outstanding day, finished eighth in a very strong field. Her time was very close to the top girls." Junior Carly Bushey was injured during a Carnival race and was expected to undergo tests this week to determine the extent of her injuries, but could be lost for the season Wunsch said.
Kelly had BFA'S best results in both events, taking seventh in Friday's GS. But the junior didn't make it easy on himself in the slalom, having to hike back up onto the course in the first run to sit 20th after one trip through the course. But Kelly responded to the challenge, turning in the second-fastest second run--just seventh-hundredths of a second behind winner Hardy Merrill of Lyndon--to climb all the way to 10th. "James Kelly showed everyone he can do the same as Hardy Merrill, who won both runs," Wunsch said. Warren Rixon, Keith Harvey and Doren Hughes finished close together for BFA's scoring, taking 38th, 39th, and 40th, respectively in the slalom. Yuri Hudak, Nick Borovich and Kit southwick also competed Saturday for BFA. Wunsch praised Hughes' strong finish to the carnival and said he was happy to see Borovich get a result. "Doren's second run was second fastest for teh team which was shocking. Nick's had difficulty finishing races; this was the first one he's fnished both runs." In the giant slalom, BFA again had Kelly out fron t and a pack of teammates farther back, losing No.2 skier Adam Bouchard to a fall on the second run. Senior Trevor Merchant was 33rd, Rixon 34th and Kyle Pillsbury 41st. Two spots farther back was Harvey, as BFA finished eighth of the 11 teams competing. Wunsch said Kelly, Bouchard and Rixon will be on the district teams, with a half dozen other skiers competing for the remaining three slots in each discipline.
For the girls, Sadie Bushey's return gave BFA a strong presence in the slalom as she and Landry finished in the top 10. Kelsey Lovelette (28th), and Carolyn Chilton (30th) were next for BFA, followed by Calypso Martin (40th), while Sara Rose went off course. "Sara has been skiing very well along with Kelsey and Calypso" Wunsch said. "Kelsey had a great weekend." Martin was the second-fastest and Lovelette thrid for the Comets in the GS on Friday, taking 31st and 32nd to help make up for the absence of Bushey, who was held out until Saturday's races to further her recovery. "Calypso Martin had a banner day," Wunsch said of his first year racer. "She surprised even herself, and has a great future." Chilton followed in 45th, with Amanda Bouchard 49th and Rose 55th in the field of 78. In the combined standings, including both events for both genders, BFA finished a respectable sixth out of 12 teams. "These schools include some of the best Northern Vermont higschool skiers," Wunsch said.
Landry's GS charge leads BFA in districts: Jeffersonville-BFA-St. Albans co captain Danielle Landry started her day at the District Alpine Championships with an oustanding giant slalom run, but BFA ran into trouble in hte slalom competition at Smugglers Notch. Landry raced to seventh place in the GS in 45.06 seconds, just more than two seconds behind winner Katie Cutting of Rice, and earned a berth in the district championships. On a tough slalom course that claimed three of the six BFA skiers, first year racer Calypso Martin led the team witha 47th place effort in the field of more than 90 competitors. Sara Rose was three seconds back in 53rd and Carolyn Chilton claimed 56th, but they were the only finishers for the Comets. In the Morning's GS, Martin had BFA's second bes performance as she came across in 54th, with Carolyn Chilton 63rd and Amanda Bouchard 67th to complete the team scoring. Bushey, who missed a key chunk of the season due to illness and only recently returned to competition was 75th.
BFA duo shines in ski finals: "Landry, Kelly race to 11th in championships" James Kelly and Danielle Landry closed out Vermonts high school Alpine Skiing season this week with strong performances in the state championships, each BFA-St.Albans racer earning an 11th place finish in a state championship race. At Pico Ski Resort on Wednesday, Kelly was among the leaders on two of his three runs. Kelly was 11th in the GS, then bettered that by posting the 10th fastest time in the first of two slaloms before going off course on his second trip and finishing farther back. Landry took 11th place in a field of 76 of the state's top highschool Alpine racers in slalom Monday at Burke Mountain with two consistent runs. Landry finished the firs with an 11th fastest time 49.03 seconds and the second with the 10th fastest time, 52.48. Mt. Mansfield's Erin Wry edged rival Margot Benedict of Burr & Burton on both trips down the hill, posting the best time in the first by six tenths of a second and in the second by two tenths. Landry was also in the top half in the morning's GS as she finished 31st in 100.2 less than half a second in fron of two competitors.
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