GIRLS’ ALPINE

1. Falmouth: Four of the top five skiers return from a squad that placed fourth in Class A: Seniors Lucy Holland and Alexa Dargie, junior Ella Holland and sophomore Alexandra Dowling. To that group add junior Emma Wagner, sophomore Sophie Dillon and freshman Patty Riley, all with experience in weekend programs, giving Falmouth both depth and talent.

2. Greely: Defending champ Edward Little of Auburn and Mt. Blue of Farmington remain the teams to beat in Class A, but the Rangers figure to improve their fifth-place finish last February. Junior Liz Hanson and Sophie Gustafson and exchange student Klara Halaskova (from the Czech Republic) lead the charge.

3. Yarmouth: The Clippers look to move up from fourth in Class B behind a team that includes three returning scorers, all of whom posted Top 15 finishes in the state meet last year. Senior Tasha Powers, junior Eleanor Donahue and sophomore Hannah Moore are joined by Samantha Beaudoin and two other promising freshmen.

GIRLS’ NORDIC

1. Yarmouth: The two-time defending Class B state champ returns a strong nucleus of seniors Sadie Cowles and Jane Fulton and juniors Maddie Marston and Natalie Teare, all of whom posted Top 10 individual finishes. Junior Anna Thornton was Top 15. Six freshmen have joined the ranks, pushing an already deep roster beyond 20.

2. Portland: After winning Class A as a co-op team along with Deering and Cheverus, the Bulldogs will continue under the Portland Nordic umbrella but each school will compete on its own. Seniors Lucy Medd and Elizabeth Thomas lead the deepest of the city teams, with experienced sophomores Meribel Collin, Anna Viola and Georgia Littell joined by six promising freshmen.

3. Waynflete: The Flyers return their top four skiers from the team that finished second to Ashland in Class C. Senior Clara Sandberg, junior Kaitlyn Bliss and sophomore Julia Werner each posted a Top 10 finish. Senior Emily Wagg was Top 25. Cape Elizabeth, lacking in numbers to field a full team, is sending two skiers to compete as individuals.

BOYS’ ALPINE

1. Falmouth: The Falmouth/Waynflete co-op team is on track for a fourth straight Class A state title. Senior Nick Shapiro returns after missing last year’s state meet. A.J. Noyes, Ben Keller and Ben Adey lead a strong and experienced junior group and sophomore Andrew Christie completes the best top five in the state.

2. Cape Elizabeth: The two-time defending champion in Class B, Cape Elizabeth returns a small but talented group headed by senior Killian Lathrop and sophomore Tiernan Lathrop. If sophomore Eoin Murphy and freshmen Ben Altenburg and Jack Carignan progress, the Capers could be in the hunt for another title.

3. Marshwood: The Hawks return four of their top five skiers from a squad that placed fourth in Class A. Junior Sean Maguire won both slalom and giant slalom individual titles. Classmate Jack Flynn, senior Brennan Shiverick and sophomore Zach Glidden provide depth and experience. Junior Jack Lusenhop is back from a knee injury.

BOYS’ NORDIC

1. Falmouth: Coming off a Class A state championship, Falmouth must find a way to replace its top two skiers, most notably classical and freestyle runner-up Nate Livingood to Gould Academy. The good news is that seniors Joe Dye and Ben Rooks and juniors Vance Boyd, Marcus Goodbody and Charlie Geci all have state meet experience.

2. Freeport: The Falcons are defending Western Maine Conference champions and were runners-up in Class B. Four of the top seven skiers return: seniors Tom Robinson, Caleb Hunter and Noah Hight and sophomore Samuel Robinson. An influx of five freshmen adds depth and enthusiasm.

3. Portland: The one-year experiment of combining Cheverus, Deering and Portland into one Nordic team resulted in a third-place finish in Class A. The three squads are on their own this winter, although still training together. Portland boasts a roster of 11, deepest of the three, with senior Liam Niles and sophomores Ben Horrisberger, Tobias MacCachran, Luc Dietlin and George Theall leading the way.

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