Tucker Barber was a good Nordic skier for Class A powerhouse Mt. Blue as a sophomore last year. This year, he went from good to great.
Barber finished 12th and 13th, respectively, in the classical and skate races at the 2015 Class A state championships. After a summer of consistent training Barber, a junior, charged to the front of the pack. He won the Class A title in the 5K classical race, and finished second to Portland’s Brad Ravenelle in the 5K skate.
“It was a pretty breakout season I guess,” Barber said. “Just looking at the old results from last year, and seeing not even in the Top 10 for a lot of races, it’s kind of weird to think about.”
And to top it all off for Barber, the Cougars won another team state championship, adding to their long legacy.
Barber said he wasn’t disappointed in finishing runner-up to Ravenelle, the competitor he beat for the classical title. He said second place was still satisfying, especially after coming out of nowhere to earn a spot on the podium.
“Ultimately he was able to take that hard work (over the summer) and turn it into great races,” Mt. Blue coach Claire Polfus said of Barber, who she called an “important leader” for the team.
Barber said he remembers as a middle schooler seeing all the Mt. Blue high school skiers and wanting to be like them. He said joining the long list of great Cougars skiers is “really quite nice.”
“This season was particularly fun because we had such a deep and talented team and Tucker was always out front for everyone to chase,” Polfus said.
wkramlich@sunjournal.com
Tucker Barber Mt. Blue Jr.
Jarod Farrar Leavitt Sr.
Liam Welch Mt. Blue Sr.
Keenan Martin Dirigo Sr.
Kellen True Telstar Jr.
Nathaniel McNutt Oxford Hills Jr.
Second team
Carter Veilleux Leavitt Sr.
Thomas Wing Mt. Blue Sr.
Benjamin Buck Dirigo Sr.
Nolan Rogers Mt. Blue Jr.
Noah Lind Leavitt Jr.
Cameron Bancroft Oxford Hills So.
Honorable mention
Benjamin Rogers, Gray-NG, Sr.; Vernon Romanski, Mt. Abram, Jr.; Ethan Thombs, Monmouth, So. Ezekiel Robinson, Mt. Blue, So.
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