On a treacherous, icy Northfield Mount Hermon course, the Andover Girls Nordic relay team of Berol Dewdney ’09 and Captain Sara Ho ’08 cruised to a 40-second win. In Saturday’s dual meet, both Andover and NMH fielded two two-person relay teams. Each skier completed one 3K loop of classic skiing, launching their teammate into the same loop. Berol Dewdney ’09 commented, “The relay team race is a great opportunity to work directly with a teammate. Usually we are just skiing on our own, but in the relay we have additional motivation.” After the previous week of warm and rainy weather, the NMH course was in miserable condition. Overnight, the wet course froze over, creating a slick skiing surface. Competitors on both teams struggled to handle the icy turns throughout the race. However, the Andover girls team excelled in the relay format. Dewdney and Captain Ho won the race with the time of 31:47. Dewdney launched the team into an early lead, completing the first 3K loop ahead of the nearest competitor by 12 seconds. NMH worked hard to close the gap and succeeded briefly, but Captain Ho eventually crossed the finish line with a 40 second lead. Brenna Liponis ’10 and Louisa Chafee ’09 raced vigorously to record a strong fourth place finish. The Andover girls concluded the race against NMH with a tie. In the second race, the Andover boys couldn’t keep up with the experienced NMH team. However, Dave Holliday ’08 and Mike Discenza ’09 recorded a third place finish, following two strong NMH teams. In his first official classic race, Discenza competed remarkably well alongside Holliday. “This race was tough, considering the conditions, but we remained strong against the NMH team. I was impressed with the teamwork that developed in this particular relay race,” said Holliday after the race. Matt Sternberg ’08 and Nathaniel Miller ’08 added a solid 5th place finish. Overall the boys lost, three to eight, in the final team score. The Andover Nordic team hopes to build off the NMH relays, as it prepares for the NEPSAC Championship on Wednesday. The results of this race will solidify Andover’s final standing in the competitive NEPSAC League. Currently, the Andover Girls team stands in third, while the Andover Boys are placed seventh. “We are heading into this race with optimism. Wherever we end up, we have had a great season and enjoyed the considerable amount of snow we received,” said Captain Ho. The team anticipates a promising outcome next week and continues to train hard in the final weeks of the winter season. The team will compete in Interschols on Thursday, February 21 at Proctor Academy in an event that is sure to be a valid test of Andover’s talent level in comparison to the rest of the schools.
