The Portland Press Herald / The Maine Sunday Telegram

Yarmouth sweeps state Alpine titles

By Glenn Jordan gjordan@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

RANGELEY - As he crossed a line of blue dye at the bottom of Gray Ghost, Yarmouth senior Reed Wommack pumped his gloved fists and skidded to a stop in the snow.

He didn't need to hear his time or do any quick math from his first slalom run to his second.

The Class B slalom state championship was his.

''Usually I'm coming through the finish line hanging my head,'' he said, ''but I knew that time, that was the best I could have done.''

Led by Wommack's individual victory, the Clippers placed four skiers among the top 10 Wednesday at Saddleback Mountain to sweep the Class B Alpine skiing state title and regain the overall lead from Falmouth heading into today's concluding Nordic classical race at Rangeley Lakes Trail Center.

''If we want to beat them in the overall, we needed to put up some good numbers (Wednesday),'' Wommack said of Yarmouth's Western Maine Conference rivals, who led by four points entering Wednesday's slalom. ''That's why we skied the top (portion of the course) a little more conservatively.''

Through three of the four events, Yarmouth holds a 100-111 lead over Falmouth's boys, with Caribou third at 271 followed by Mountain Valley (281), Cape Elizabeth (285), Maranacook (291) and four other schools.

The Clippers won the Alpine title -- slalom and giant slalom -- with 50 points to Falmouth's 76. Mountain Valley was third at 129 and Cape Elizabeth fourth at 190.

Earlier Wednesday, Yarmouth's girls removed any doubt from the overall title chase by winning the Alpine title and building a commanding 101-202 lead over second-place Caribou, with Mt. Abram third at 204 and Falmouth fourth at 215.

Mt. Abram senior Emily Luce added the slalom title to the giant slalom crown she won Tuesday, with Rebekah Kallgren of Maine Central Institute second and Mt. Abram sophomore Erin Luce third.

After Tuesday's sunshine, Wednesday's cold and clouds made conditions more challenging. Luce was prepared.

''There were some icy spots on the course,'' she said, ''so if you're not used to ice, it could be difficult. But I ski at Sugarloaf (in a weekend training program), where there's always ice.''

Yarmouth won the team slalom title despite placing only one skier, sophomore Claudia Lockwood, among the top 10. Lockwood was fourth, followed by teammates Becca Bell (11th), Natalie Aiken (13th) and Taylor Hornney (14th).

''When you're team skiing, it doesn't do you any good to win the race and not have anyone with you,'' said Yarmouth Alpine Coach Bob Grout. ''So our mantra is, try to get four in the top 10.''

Yarmouth's girls put four in the top nine in Tuesday's giant slalom, but Aiken took a spill early in her first slalom run Wednesday, when Gray Ghost lived up to its name by shrouding the early gates in a pearly cloud. She righted herself, hiked back up the course, navigated the missed gate, continued her run and still placed 13th overall.

''That gave me the opportunity to go all-out the second run,'' said Aiken. ''We have enough solid skiers so it wasn't detrimental.''

Yarmouth freshman Matt Highland made a memorable impression this week. Not only did he match his 10th-place giant slalom finish in Wednesday's slalom, he did so among the final eight of 61 skiers in both runs, meaning the ruts were deeper and more challenging.

Drew Grout, another Yarmouth freshman, placed ninth Wednesday and senior Adam Sampson was sixth to back up Wommack's victory. None, however, matched the Highland dome, which, with a baseball cap or helmet, looked like any other teenager in need of a trim: hair spilling out over the forehead and near the ears.

With lid removed, however, Highland revealed the perfectly shaved top of his head.

''That,'' said Yarmouth Principal Ted Hall at an awards ceremony, ''wins the gold medal for haircuts.''