DIRIGO COUGARS
Coach: David Buck (fifth year)
Conference: MVC; Class: C
Returning athletes: Seniors — Meghan Spaulding, John Lane; Sophomore — Daryl Curtis.
Key losses: Bryan Beaucage, Robert Surprenant, Abbey Theriault, Savannah Williams.
Promising newcomers: Junior — Sylvia Hodsdon; Sophomore — Jo Shua; Freshmen — Marley Berry, Tomlin Suttles, Kaeden Swan.
Season outlook: The Cougars are slowly rebuilding participation levels in the program, since they are a small school fielding multiple winter sports. Buck said it has been difficult to fill a roster, but his hope is to carry a full girls team and a full boys team this season for the first time in five years. He also is looking to build skills among new skiers to raise the overall competitiveness. The Cougars have a great collective attitude and willingness to learn, and Buck said some of the individual skiers may surprise people this winter.

EDWARD LITTLE RED EDDIES
Coach: Dustin Williamson (second year)
Conference: KVAC; Class: A
Last year’s results: Girls: Ninth at states. Boys: Eighth at states.
Returning athletes: Senior — Katherine Garcia; Juniors — Nora Condit, Owen Winslow.
Key loss: Owen Vincent.
Promising newcomers: Sophomores — Marin Heath, Katie Morgan.
Season outlook: With four girls this season — after having only one in 2022-23 — the Red Eddies will have a better team score this year. Katherine Garcia is returning after a great junior year and Nora Condit is back after surgery. The Red Eddies, who are training with Leavitt, also have two young but experienced skiers, Marin Heath and Katie Morgan, and Williamson said he expects some awesome results from them. He also said he expects Owen Winslow to contribute.

GRAY-NEW GLOUCESTER PATRIOTS
Coach: Stephanie Dolan (second year)
Conference: WMC; Class: B
Last year’s results: No team results, but strong individual finishes.
Returning athletes: Senior — Caitlin Sweeney (captain).
Key loss: Michael Maines.
Season outlook: Gray-New Gloucester middle school’s Nordic program has been revived by great coaches, which Dolan said will fuel the growing high school program. Caitlin Sweeney will be the captain of a mostly freshmen roster. Dolan said she is hopeful the program will grow and develop with the continued partnership with Libby Hill Trails and the renewed interest and commitment at the middle school level.

LEAVITT HORNETS
Coach: Dustin Williamson (21st year); assistant: Natasha Varney
Conference: KVAC; Class: B
Last year’s results: Girls: second at states. Boys: third at states.
Returning athletes: Seniors — Alexis Barkman, Vanya Bezhenar, Gabe Durazo, Abby Marston, Reid Sibley, Dominick Toscano; Juniors — Charlotte Brooke, Amaya Bubier, Annabelle Chabot, Alex Corey, Jacob Dening, Jade Haylock, Hunter Milliken, Heather Mosseau, Ashley Roy, Tyler Welch; Sophomores — Serhii Bezhenar, Dalila Dube, Sage Dunn, Hunter Lemieux, Haley Marstom, Damon Rucci, Jett Worcester.
Key losses: Nathaniel Bell, Ali Dening, Coburn Getty, Matthew Gortner, Adam Howe, Hélène Larue, Aidan Lind, Hannah Milliken, Kurtis Mousseau, Logan Ouellette, Iris Petrin, Elliott Shields, Maja Zdanowska.
Promising newcomers: Seniors — Lucas Castro, Wyatt Clark, Darien Wells; Juniors — Ryan Gatti, Rogan Garrity, Luke Mosher, Molly Sealy; Sophomores — Emma Albert, Liam McKee, Jacobi Sutton; Freshmen — Kiera Bean, Elizabeth Buckley, Acadia Cloutier, Eris Cloutier, Will Higgins, Zachary Libby, Tyler Roy, Trent Sibley, Angelo Toscano, Addyson Turmel.
Season outlook: This season’s team is the biggest roster Williamson has had in his 21 years of coaching. He said that with large numbers comes a lot of talent and a special mix of experience. This year’s team is poised and pumped for great success and for a lot of fun this season, and the Hornets are already working hard, working together and are excited for the season.

MOUNTAIN VALLEY FALCONS
Coach: Dylan Cayer (fourth year)
Conference: MVC; Class: C
Returning athletes: Seniors — David Packard, Aidan Granados; Junior — Joey Packard; Sophomore — Whyatt Perham.
Key loss: Brooke Buotte.
Promising newcomers: Freshman — Khalil Hamdi.
Season outlook: The Falcons are looking forward to another packed racing season and are hoping for early snow. Cayer said there is a wide range of age and skill levels on the team, which is both a strength and a weakness. He also said the team is cohesive and has high hopes. The Falcons are aiming for a podium finish at the MVC championships this season after narrowly missing out last year, while also actively looking for new skiers to continue to build the program.

MT. ABRAM ROADRUNNERS
Coach: Lucas Milliken (second year)
Conference: MVC; Class: C
Last year’s results: Boys: Third at states.
Returning athletes: Senior — Carter Butterfield; Juniors — Evan Bilodeau, Aspen Mitchell, Olivia Tozier.
Key losses: Jeffrey Warnock, Lyle Hering, Damien Thurlow.
Promising newcomers: Seniors — Mitch Coffren, Jordan Futrell, Carissa Kingsbury, Madison Robb; Junior — Deanna Phillips; Sophomores — Brooke Atwood, Michael Atwood, Caleb Barker, Charlie Davenport, Thomsroy Gusler, Naea Macki.
Season outlook: The team has doubled in size since last season, and now has a full girls team in addition to the full boys team. Milliken said the Roadrunners have twin goals for the season: to have a lot of fun and to do their best in races.

MT. BLUE COUGARS
Coach: Emmy Held (fifth year)
Conference: KVAC; Class: A
Last year’s results: Boys and girls KVAC and Class A state champions.
Returning athletes: Seniors — Natalie McCarthy, Lucinda Carrol, Gracie Ross; Juniors — Nora McCourt, Henri McCourt, Grayson Hoeft, Eli Hoeft, Elias Bartless, Maya Kellet, Addie Colello; Sophomores — Daniela Cundick, Molly Patterson, Elizabeth Strickland, Luke Doscinski, Nicholas Bell.
Key losses: Bridget Reusch, Moriah Reusch, Carson Zundel, Delia Colello.
Promising newcomers: Senior — Ben Daku; Freshmen — Damian Wynn, Nick Drmarco, Eli Young, Abby Dorr.
Season outlook: This year’s team is slightly smaller in numbers but includes more grade levels. Held said the Cougars are a highly motivated and hardworking group, and she is excited to already have had days on snow, and the whole team is hungry for competition.

OXFORD HILLS VIKINGS
Coach: Alyssa Andrews (first year as head, sixth year overall); assistant: John Melhus (first year)
Conference: KVAC; Class: A
Last season’s results: Boys: fourth at KVACs, seventh at states. Girls: fifth at KVACs, seventh at states.
Returning athletes: Seniors —Cam Sherbinski, Cody Roy, Gabe DosReis, Meredith Harthorne; Juniors — Dean Rudman, Noah Damon-Travers, Emily Sanborn; Sophomores — Riley Woodworth, Carson Holme, Ronan Brown, Blake True, Mackenzie Van Nest.
Promising newcomers: Senior — Willow Adler; Juniors — Lucas Hutchinson, Adelaide Harthorne, Lidia Melanson; Sophomores — Johnathan Tilton, Cedar Worster; Freshmen — Asher Roy, Liz Wilkins, Stella Edson, Fern Carter-Hill.
Season outlook: The Vikings are a growing program with several new skiers this year. With no graduates from last year’s team, Andrews said Oxford Hills is looking to build off of last winter’s successes and continuing to build a solid team. The Vikings have a full boys and girls team this year, and even though they are young, Andrews thinks they will be competitive.

SPRUCE MOUNTAIN PHOENIX
Coach: Kerry Brenner (fourth year), Ben Geissinger (fourth year)
Conference: MVC; Class: B
Last year’s results: Sixth at MVCs, sixth at states.
Returning athletes: Juniors — Hannah Perkins, Skylar Condon, Avery Ryder; Sophomore — Samuel Geissinger.
Key losses: Matt Pepe, Owen Schwab, Daniel Wilson.
Promising newcomer: Sophomore — Gavin Provencher.
Season outlook: The Phoenix are struggling to recruit new athletes, but the few that they do have this winter are enthusiastic. Brenner said the team hopes to stay injury-free and obtain new personal records as the season progresses.

TELSTAR REBELS
Coach: Kristen Powell (third year)
Conference: MVC; Class: C
Returning athletes: Juniors — Ella Akers, Kayan DeGruttola, Katie Devaney, Gabrielle Thompson.
Promising newcomers: Freshmen — Davon DeGruttola, Reece Pierce, Sophia Percival.
Season outlook: The Rebels are looking forward to an earlier start to their “on snow” season than they have had in previous years. Powell said Telstar is excited to have three incoming freshmen join the team this season.

WINTHROP RAMBLERS
Coach: Ed Van Tassel (first year); assistant Kelly Stratton
Conference: MVC; Class: C
Last year’s results: Girls: Fifth in Class C; Boys: 11th in Class C
Returning athlete: Boys: Junior — Joseph Szakas
Promising newcomers: Boys: Freshmen — Sam St. Germain, Gianni Haefele, Reece Dubreuil.
Season outlook: After training with Maranacook the past eight winters, the Ramblers will have their own squad this season. “It is great to have the Nordic program housed back at Winthrop High School. It is a program that has a great tradition,” said Ed Van Tassel, who also coached the program from 2002-08. Van Tassel said this year’s group is eager to help rebuild the program and add to its legacy. “They are ready to work hard and have fun,” Van Tassel said.

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