RUMFORD — Yarmouth’s Eli Anderson was jubilant when he finished his second run in an upright position during the Class B boys’ Alpine skiing state championships at Black Mountain on a frigid Wednesday afternoon.

Anderson (16th, 1:35.87) knew a wipeout would hurt his team, which finished in second place with 752 points in slalom competition. Giant slalom continues at Black Mountain on Thursday.

“Both runs were really fun,” Anderson said. “I was just happy to be standing up.”

But Cape Elizabeth’s Lathrop brothers also stood up and all placed in the top 10. Killian Lathrop (1:24.55) took first place, followed by siblings Devon Lathrop (fourth, 1:27.31) and Tiernan Lathrop (fifth, 1:28.58), putting the Capers on top with 781 points.

Yarmouth coach Gavin Glider knew by the end of the day that his Clippers were pretty close to winning the slalom event with Thomas Morris (1:28.85) placing sixth and Asher Lockwood (1:31.53) taking ninth.

“The boys did great,” Yarmouth assistant coach Peter Glass said. “They really skied within themselves. They held it together. We had a good team game plan and it looks like everything came to fruition.

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Marancook’s Robbie McKee finished third with a combined time of 1:26.39.

“My first run was a lot better. It was just a wild ride,” McKee said. “The course is fast … you have to be on top of it. It was awesome and tomorrow we are on for the GS.”

Spruce Mountain’s Gabe Sampson copped a 10th-place finish with a time of 1:32.57.

“The boys had their ups and downs as well,” Spruce Mountain coach Bill Acritelli said. “It was just that kind of day. People were blowing up left and right. That’s ski racing — you have your good days and your bad days.”

Some skiers took took a spill on the course that was fast and sometimes unforgiving.

Winthrop’s Maguire Anaszewski, who finished 31st with a time of 1:47.32, had a rough second run.

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“Not my best race. Not exactly what I was looking for,” he said. “The first run went pretty well.”

Fort Kent’s Bryce Madore (32nd, 1:47.67)  said, “We really didn’t have a very good day today. We had unfortunate luck, but we are in good spirits. Hopefully we will do better tomorrow.”

Mountain Valley’s Cam Gallant finished 17th with a combined time of 1:35.96. He added that his second run was,  “not as good as the first run, but it wasn’t terrible.”

Mountain Valley coach Karen Wilson, who was coaching for her injured husband, said the boys’ team had a fine outing.

“We only had four boys ski today, so they all needed to stand up and finish, and they all did that and we are proud of them,” Wilson said.

GIRLS’ COMPETITION

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Fort Kent and Marancook were tied for fist in slalom racing, with 743 points a piece. Yarmouth (717), Telstar (716) and Spruce Mountain (714) rounded out the top five.

“Again, all of them, they just pulled together, when one goes down and one bobbles, the next one knows they need to pull in the reins a little bit and they did that,” Fort Kent coach Leslie Marquis said. “They ski as a team, not as individuals.”

Fort Kent’s Riley Sibley (fourth, 1:37.92) and Lyndsay Ouellette (eighth, 1:41.30) turned in top-10 performances.

“I was just really focused on my team and I had to stay up for our team, and I was just focused on making it to the bottom,” Sibley said. “I think my first run was better, but I am happy with everything. I am excited for our team.”

Telstar’s Abigal Landry (1:34.68) took second, followed by Spruce Mountain’s Julia Pomeroy (1:37.11). Mountain Valley’s Madison Papianou earned a ninth-place finish at 1:41.77. Yarmouth’s Eleanor Donahue (sixth, 1:41.26) also appeared in the top 10.

“The morning was really nice. it was really sunny, but the afternoon, it was kind of ruddy,” Donahue said. “It was sunnier and I think I was less tired.”

“The girls were great, too. We have a small girls’ team this year so without a lot of depth, they had to stand up and manage themselves and ski within themselves,” Glass said. “They all had a fantastic day, too, so it has been a good series of events for us today.”


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