CHARLEMONT — Frontier Regional School’s Coriann Delaney negotiated soft snow conditions to finish in the top five across the board at the PVIAC Individual Alpine Ski Championships Tuesday at Berkshire East Ski Resort.
The Red Hawks’ freshman took fourth in the slalom in 38.09 seconds and fifth in the giant slalom in 30.39 seconds. Those two runs gave her a combined time of 1 minute, 8.48 seconds, good for fourth overall.
“The GS course was a bit rough because it was all rutty from the boys. Slalom was really soft,” Delaney said. “I liked the slalom better because I did better. I like slalom better overall. It’s always been a strength of mine.”
Minnechaug Regional High School’s Grace Crochiere won the combined title in 1:06.67 and the GS championship in 29.26. Westfield’s Rebecca Stephens was the slalom champion in 36.66.
Fellow Red Hawks Anna Zera and Alina Smiarowski joined Delaney in the top 20.
Zera finished the combined in 15th at 1:15.14. She was 11th in the GS (32.07) and 21st in the slalom (43.07), while Smiarowski took 17th overall (1:16.48), finishing 19th in the GS (33.34) and 22nd in the slalom (43.14).
“For them coming off a couple weeks of hard-packed, hard-ice skiing, it’s just a different skiing style,” Frontier assistant coach Jake Conroy said. “Some of my girls flourished today. It just shows how adaptable they are for skiers at such a young age.”
Smiarowski and Delaney are freshman, Zera a junior. They all helped Frontier claim the Pioneer South team title last season, a championship that will in all likelihood transfer to Mohawk on Thursday after the final race of the regular season.
Tuesday’s first run (GS for boys and slalom for girls) was used as Race 6 of the PVIAC regular-season schedule because of how many races have been rescheduled this year.
“Something would have to go really wrong (for us to not win league),” Mohawk coach Brandon Boucias said.
Mohawk continued its strong showing in the girls’ individual races. The Warriors placed three racers in the top 10 of the combined standings, led by Ashley LaCross in sixth at 1:09.89. She finished 10th in the slalom (39.90) and third in the GS (29.99).
Taylor Loomis was ninth in the combined (1:12:15) after finishing 11th in the slalom (39.93) and 14th in the GS (32.22). Erin Laffond took 10th in the combined (1:12.79). She was 16th in the slalom (41.56) and eighth in the GS (31.23).
“A lot of what we do is a supportive competitive environment,” Boucias said. “My philosophy with the girls is, ‘If you beat your best friend, you make her faster.’”
Mohawk’s boys’ team didn’t have as good of a day.
Dan White took 21st in the combined (1:13.91) after finishing 11th in the GS (30.44) and 30th in the slalom (43.47).
“The snow wasn’t that good today,” White said.
Bennett Boucias, Mohawk’s other likely state-bound boy, didn’t finish the giant slalom after missing a gate on the way down.
“Fourth gate up I hit some of the snowy stuff and slipped out,” he said. “Second run I didn’t do too well, either.”
They plan to refocus for Thursday’s league finale, then turn their attention to States.
“You know you can get it in the next one,” Bennett Boucias said.
Ben Martino was Frontier’s best finisher on the boys’ side. He took 51st in the combined (1:22.7) after finishing 66th in the GS (35.29) and 47th in the slalom (47.41).