PVIAC Individuals: Addie Loomis sweeps for Mohawk Trail girls ski team (Video)

CHARLEMONT — Addie Loomis achieved perfection for the Mohawk Trail Regional girls ski team on Tuesday. Loomis finished first in the Slalom and Giant Slalom at the PVIAC Individuals at Berkshire East Mountain Resort, capping a decorated Western Mass. career with the Warriors.

During her entire high school career, she’s never lost at Berkshire East. She’s avoided mistakes by pushing the boundaries during practice and not when she’s clocked during an official race. At practice, however, it’s not always perfect.

“I’ve gotten very good at knowing my limit and knowing right where my edge is from falling and just going as fast as I can,” Loomis said. “I do most of that in training. I try to bring it into the race. On the weekends, I fall. I’ve crashed on weekends. Not all the time but it does happen to me. For these races I really know what that line is.”

Loomis placed first overall with a combined time of 1:10.76 The day started with the GS, where Loomis placed first overall (30.84). Lenox’s Mackenzie Valenzuela (31.79) was second for the Millionaires.

“It was good,” Loomis said. “GS for high school races, they are kind of hard for me to tell what’s a good run and a bad run. You leave the gate and you feel immediately like you are in the finish.”

In the Slalom, Loomis finished first (39.92) by a wide margin. Valenzuela was second (45.00) for the Millionaires.

“My slalom felt good,” Loomis said. “The course was a difficult set. I just really feel like I attacked it the best I could while also maintaining the line that I should have. I didn’t have many mistakes. I am really proud.”

Next up is state competition, which was originally planned to to be at Wachusett Mountain Ski Area. The event is now on home snow back at Berkshire East.

“I was very happy about it,” Loomis said. “Very excited. It’s the home mountain. Don’t have to drive as far. That’s always a plus. Also I think this hill is a good place to have state championships. It makes states a lot more exciting to look forward to.”

Grace Sisum was the next Mohawk finisher with a combined time of 1:20.81. Brooke Koshinsky finished 11th with a combined time of 1:21.62. Mohawk won its ninth straight North League championship during the regular season. Sisum and Koshinsky were consistently finishing high in the regular season individual standings.

“We are all friends,” Koshinsky said. “It’s never about who’s going to be at the top it’s about how we are going to do as a team. It doesn’t really matter about our placement. We just do our best. We all cheer each other on.”

Emmerson Russell was 15th (1:27.62) while Jaylynn Peters was 16th (1:27.76) for the Warriors. Rounding out Mohawk’s roster was Teagan Hale (1:41.76), Libby Amstein (1:42.92), Charlotte Bishop (1:43.82) and Alaina Toothaker (2:00.38). While everybody is friendly, there is healthy competition.

“You work hard to develop competition within our own team,” Mohawk coach Brandon Boucias said. “People challenge each other. We have once set of girls who race hard against each other. But then they congratulate each other. They spend time making sure they are faster…that’s the sort of stuff I like.”

The Mohawk boys team, fresh off their sixth straight North League championship, had plenty of strong runs. Gunner Triggs was sixth with a combined time of (1:14.65).

“We have a lot of good coaches,” Triggs said. “Most of our team skis on the weekend too. We have a lot of people who ski a lot. The coaches really help us out.”

Triggs was seventh (42.81) in the Slalom. Ryan Kashton of Longmeadow was first for the Lancers (38.73). Kashton also won (31.30) the GS for Longmeadow. Triggs had a nice run in the GS, placing third overall (31.84) There was room for improvement in the Slalom for Triggs.

“I could have worked on keeping my upper body straight,” Triggs said. “Not moving it as much. Just moving my legs more. I was kind of all over the place. In the GS I went really well. The course was nice. I had some good coaching and that helped me know what to do.”

Liam Zarotny placed eighth overall with a combined time of 1:16.88. Ben Zarotny was ninth for the Warriors (1:17.50). Oliver Ferris was finished 32nd (1:31.03). Gus Foote was 24th (1:28.99). Xerxes Law was 38th (1:34.04).

“As a team we bonded really well,” Ben Zarotny said. “We just able to ski fast and hard. Especially in in the training. That helped a lot.”

Going into the season, the boys team could have faced a rebuilding season with a very young roster. Instead, the young roster shined.

“It’s the culture of Mohawk skiing,” Boucias said. “It’s super in depth. It connects the coaches and the students a lot. We train so much with them. You get to talk and pick their brains. We do tons of dry land workouts. Off the snow we perfect our form. All that stuff builds up.”

Rounding out the Mohawk roster was Eli Bzomowski (1:39.87) and Carl Jernstrom (1:43.37).