NYSEF Whiteface athletes Oliver Murray, left, and Mia Mezzetti smile after winning their respective U14 William A. Hovey Memorial Ski Race competitions on Sunday at Whiteface Mountain. (Provided photo — NYSEF)

WILMINGTON — The 63rd William A. Hovey Memorial Ski Race, hosted by New York Ski Educational Foundation, was held on Sunday at Whiteface Mountain, as a field of 242 racers competed in demanding conditions that would sternly test them.

The challenging conditions tested the top U14 athletes to put two consistent runs together. Due to the conditions, the U12 race was shortened to one run this year. With families cheering around the finish area, racing started at 9:15 a.m. and continued through the day. The final racer crossed the finish at 3:30 p.m.

The U14 racers were prepared for the challenge as two local athletes wound up on top of the girls and boys podiums.

In the girls race, Mia Mezzetti put two strong runs together to capture this year’s title. Mezzetti’s time of 1 minute, 36.38 seconds put her 2 seconds ahead of Windham’s Analena Liskovic, who placed second. NYSEF Whiteface’s Katerina Berry finished in third, while Windham Mountain’s Zoe Liskovic was fourth and NYSEF Belleayre’s Isabel Ebbing was fifth.

Oliver Murray used great tactics on the boys side, which included strong technical skiing to capture this year’s race over a competitive boys’ field. Murray’s two-run time of 1:31.19 gave him a strong advantage over NYSEF Whiteface’s Mason Cummings, who finished second.

The final podium spot went to Holiday Valley’s Jackson Cowell. The top five was completed with another Holiday Valley’s Zachary Dembinski and NYSEF Gore’s Kristopher Schaefer.

In the girls U12 division, Juliana Dembinski from Holiday Valley was the fastest racer of the day, with a time of 53.55 seconds. Dembinski was followed by Johnsie Hedgpeth from West Mountain in second place and Britton Stallmeyer from Windham in third place. The top five was rounded out by Nina Fuller, representing West Mountain in fourth place and Sevan Kuyumijan from NYSEF Gore, earning fifth.

The U12 boys race was captured by Theo Meunier of NYSEF Whiteface with a time of 53.49. Meunier narrowly edged out Grey Zsamba of West Mountain by one hundredth of a second. Landon Majka of West took the final podium spot for the day with a time of 53.66. The top five was rounded out by Stratton Winter Program athlete Stratton Koop in fourth, and NYSEF Gore’s Desmond Currie ended up in fifth.

Since 1963, the Hovey Memorial Ski Race has been a staple for youth ski racers in New York State. A look at the winners over the years provides a glimpse not only into the history of ski racing in New York State but also nationally. Numerous Olympians, members of the U.S. Ski Team and Division I athletes have won the Hovey over the years. The prestige drew athletes from across New York State and a few from Vermont to compete this year.

NYSEF staff thanked Tracey Hovey, William’s daughter, for her support of the race and the organization is grateful to carry on the Hovey Legacy at Whiteface.