Highs school alpine skiing makes its return to Berkshire East Mountain Resort in Charlemont on Jan. 6 in PVIAC Race No. 1.
The Mohawk Trail Regional ski teams both won North league championships last season. The Mohawk girls team has won three of the last four state championships.
For the boys, a young roster could mean a rebuilding year while the girls should remain near the top of the North league standings and in contention for a state championship.
The dominant force that is Addie Loomis enters her senior season for the Warriors. In PVIAC competition, nobody in Western Mass. has come close to Loomis. She hasn’t lost a PVIAC race since eighth grade.
“Of course Addie is going to be skiing strong,” Mohawk coach Brandon Boucias said.
Loomis won all seven PVIAC meets last year and during the individual championship had the top time in the slalom race at 43.66 seconds. She also had the fastest time in the giant slalom race of 32.30 seconds. Her combined time of 1:15.96 was the fastest of the entire competition.
Outside of Loomis, the Warriors lost some of their top skiers. But there are athletes returning who are more than capable of filling the top spots behind Loomis.
Brooke Koshinsky is one of those athletes. Koshinsky placed seventh at the PVIAC individuals last season. Grace Sisum grabbed a ninth-place finish at individuals last season for Mohawk. Jaylynn Peters will look to improve this season after finishing 19th at individuals last season.
Between Koshinsky, Sisum and Peters there should be a strong and healthy competition behind Loomis. Sisum is only an eighth grader but is a Berkshire East veteran.
“They are all hopefully going to be battling it out this year,” Boucias said. “That’s only going to make us better if they are competing with each other hard.”
Unlike previous seasons, the Warriors do not have much depth.
“As every year we want to do well,” Boucias said. “I am hoping we are the number one seed in Western Mass. We’ll see at states. In a couple of the other years where we won state championships, I was doubtful or at least reserved at the beginning of the year. We have a lot of potential.
The Mohawk boys team has nine skiers on the roster this season. Some talent from last year’s team did not return, leaving the Warriors with a very young roster this season.
Brothers Ben Zarotny (sophomore) and Liam Zarotny (eighth grader) are the most experienced skiers on the Mohawk roster.
Both brothers placed in the top 10 last season at the PVIAC individual meet. Ben Zarotny came in eighth with a combined run of 1:21.60 while Liam Zarotny settled for 10th with a combined run of 1:24.30.
“We have a super young team,” Boucias said.
After the Zarotny brothers, the Warriors have a host of freshmen and middle schoolers. Oliver Ferris, a freshman, is the only other high schooler on the roster outside of Ben Zarotny.
“It’s definitely an improving year,” Boucias said. “We have enough high-end skiers to at least make a run for the North. I normally expect to put together a good effort to get somewhat close to league. But it’s a young team. It could go one way, or it could go the other. We could have some standouts. They are all young and athletic.”
The PVIAC Individuals championship is set for Feb. 10.