WILMINGTON — The top U16 alpine ski racers from across the state spent the weekend at Whiteface for NYSSRA’s U16 State Championship series. Boys and girls competed in Super G, Giant Slalom and Slalom races from Feb. 28 to March 2. Athletes qualified for this series based on their results in the Sportspage U16 Cup throughout the year, bringing together the top athletes from the eastern and western regions of the state.

The results in this series will determine the placement and qualification for regional level championship series for the U16 Eastern Championships and U16 Finals, both of which will take place in New Hampshire.

Racing began on Feb. 28 with the Super G race as athletes started the series with one run. In the girls race, athletes attacked the course running from 1900 road to Draper’s Drop with the first racer, Georgie Larkin setting a pace of 55.54 seconds. She was then followed by Molly Cook, who bested that time in 54.13. Third out of the gate was Maika Beudoin who had a blistering run of 51.72 which would stand up against the next 63 racers to be the fastest time of the day.

Beudoin, of the New York Ski Educational Foundation and Northwood School in Lake Placid, was the overall winner. She was followed by NYSEF’s Cook, and NYSEF/Northwood’s Isabella Cummings. Just off the podium was NYSEF Winter Term’s Klaudie Berry in fourth place, followed by NYSEF/Northwood’s Riley Ward in fifth.

The remainder of the top 10 spots were taken by Madeleine “Poppy” Hamilton (NYSEF Winter Term) in sixth, Lilah Temes (Labrador) in seventh, Larkin (NYSEF/Northwood) in eighth, Lucia Mastroianni (Windham) in ninth and Emily Ruscio (West Mountain Racing) in 10th.

In the boys race on Feb. 28, the fastest time of the day were put forward by NYSEF/Northwood’s Hudson Marshall. He set the pace by posting a winning time of 49.46. NYSEF/Northwood’s William Carou Jones placed second in 51.05 and NYSEF Winter Term’s Asa Schwartzberg was third in 51.26.

Windham’s Rory Cullmann finished in fourth in 51.51 and Carson Cheney, an independent racer from Johnstown took fifth place.

The next five spots were claimed by Luke Wardlaw (NYSEF/Northwood) in sixth, Emmett Fox (NYSEF/Northwood) in seventh, Charles Bodnar (Windham) in eighth, Landon Porterfield (West Mountain Racing) in ninth, and Wesley Fuller (West Mountain Racing) in 10th.

In the women’s Giant Slalom on March 1, there was a tight competition for podium spots and after two runs, less than .8 of a second separated the top three finishers. Berry took the top spot followed by Beaudoin in second and Ward in third.

NYSEF Winter Term’s Nora Petrocci and Poppy Hamilton took fourth and fifth place, respectively. The top 10 was rounded out by Eleanor Boutelle (NYSEF/Northwood) in sixth, Lucia Mastroianni (Windham) in seventh, Joslyn Hughes (Windham) in eighth, Braelyn Vonbergen (Greek Peak) in ninth and Cummings in 10th.

The men’s GS witnessed another strong performance from Marshall, who posted a winning time of 1:51.75 over two runs to win by a margin of 1.5 seconds. Cullmann finished second and West Mountain Racing’s Wesley Fuller took third. To round out the top five Porterfield and Caelan Byrne from West Mountain’s Racing program finished fourth and fifth respectively. Places 6-10 were taken by Wardlaw in sixth, NYSEF Winter Term’s Dashiell Hamilton in seventh, NYSEF Winter Term’s George Desantis in eighth, NYSEF/Northwood’s Charlie Fox in ninth, and Bodnar in 10th.

Racing concluded with the men’s and women’s Slalom on March 2. Berry took the top spot with two clean runs giving her an almost 3 second margin of victory over Poppy Hamilton, who finished second and Boutelle, who took third.

Larkin captured fourth place, followed by Beudoin in fifth. The next five spots were taken by Charlotte Wilson (Labrodor) in sixth, Catalina Fonseca (NYSEF Belleayre) in seventh, Mastroianni in eighth, Georgia Schmit (NYSEF Belleayre) in ninth and Petrocci in 10th.

On the boy’s side, Porterfield took the top spot with two strong runs, edging out Wardlaw by 2.8 seconds. Schwartzberg captured third.

Independent racer Carson Cheney from Johnstown, took fourth with Byrne capturing fifth. The remainder of the top 10 featured Emmett Fox in sixth, Nathan McClintic (Greek Peak) in seventh, Charlie Fox in eighth, Francesco Del Poeta (NYSEF Gore) in ninth and Boyd Schaefer (NYSEF Winter Term) in 10th.

The championship teams were named at the conclusion of the races, as the top racers will move on to U16 Eastern Championships at Mittersill in New Hampshire from March 15 to 19. The men’s team featured athletes from NYSEF Winter Term and NYSEF/Northwood taking four spots, while Cullmann and Cheney rounded out the team.

On the women’s side NYSEF Winter Term and NYSEF/Northwood athletes took all of the spots to represent New York State at Eastern Championship.

The Eastern Finals series will take place at Attitash March 20 to 23 this year. Again on the men’s side NYSEF Winter Term, NYSEF/Northwood and NYSEF Gore athletes captured six of the eight quota spots. Bodnar and McClintic rounded out the boys representing New York.

The women’s team will be represented by athletes from NYSEF Winter term and NYSEF Belleayre, West Mountain, Greek Peak and Labrador.

Below are the athletes that were named to the U16 Eastern and U16 Final’s Teams:

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U16 Eastern men’s team

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Hudson Marshall (NYSEF/Northwood), Landon Porterfield (West Mountain), Rory Cullmann (Windham), Luke Wardlaw (NYSEF/Northwood), William Carou Jones (NYSEF/Northwood), Asa Schwartzberg (NYSEF Winter Term), Wesley Fuller (West Mountain), Carson Cheney (Independent) and Caelan Byrne (West Mountain).

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U16 Eastern Championship women’s team

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Klaudie Berry (NYSEF Winter Term), Maika Beaudoin (NYSEF/Northwood), Madeleine Hamilton (NYSEF Winter Term), Molly Cook (NYSEF/Northwood), Riley Ward (NYSEF/Northwood), Eleanor Boutelle (NYSEF/Northwood) Isabella Cummings (NYSEF/Northwood) and Georgie Larkin (NYSEF/Northwood).

Eastern Finals men’s team

Emmett Fox (NYSEF/Northwood), Dashiell Hamilton (NYSEF Winter Term), Nathan McClintic (Greek Peak), Charlie Fox (NYSEF/Northwood), Charles Bodnar (Windham), George Desantis (NYSEF Winter Term), Francesco Del Poeta (NYSEF Gore) and Boyd Schaefer (NYSEF Winter Term).

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Eastern Finals women’s team

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Nora Petrocci (NYSEF Winter Term), Catalina Fonseca (NYSEF Belleayre), Lilah Temes (Labrador), Braelyn Vonbergen (Greek Peak), Georgia Schmit (NYSEF Belleayre), Emily Ruscio (West Mountain) and Ellie Smith (West Mountain).