CHARLEMONT — The PVIAC alpine skiing season opened at Berkshire East Mountain Resort last week. Area skiers dealt with firm snow conditions and fairly mild temperatures at around 35 degrees as everyone clicked in to begin competition.
Northampton’s Simone Pagar competes in the giant slalom at Berkshire East on Tuesday night. PAUL FRANZ / Staff Photo 
Mohawk’s Liam Zaronty competes in the slalom at Berkshire East on Tuesday night. PAUL FRANZ / Staff Photo 
Hampshire’s Billy Warren placed second in the slalom at Berkshire East on Tuesday night. PAUL FRANZ / Staff Photo 
Amelia Morse of Amherts Regional competes in the giant slalom at PVIAC race No. 1 at Berkshire East, Tuesday in Charlemont. 
Hampshire’s Hazel Scully-Henry placed fifth in the giant slalom at Berkshire East on Tuesday night. PAUL FRANZ / Staff Photo 
Northampton’s Jonah Abel-Waisman competes in the slalom at Berkshire East on Tuesday night. PAUL FRANZ / Staff Photo 
Hampshire’s Isaac Stith competes in the slalom at Berkshire East on Tuesday night. PAUL FRANZ / Staff Photo 
Mohawk’s Grace Sisum competes in the giant slalom at Berkshire East on Tuesday night. PAUL FRANZ / Staff Photo
Amelia Morse beat all but one competitor in the girls giant slalom, taking second place with a time of 32.73 seconds. Hampshire’s Billy Warren led the local contingent in the boys slalom race, also finishing in second, in 46.70 seconds. Warren’s teammate, Isaac Stith, snagged a top-five finish as well, taking fourth place in 49.38 seconds.
Addie Loomis raced to a first place finish (31.95) for Mohawk Trail Regional in the giant slalom. Teammate Grace Sisum put together an excellent run for the Warriors, finishing eighth (36.19). Brooke Koshinsky grabbed 13th (37.50) for Mohawk.
“It felt really good,” Loomis said. “The course ran great. It was fun. The conditions were firm. Exactly what you want for a GS race.”
Team scores were not immediately available. Mohawk had five athletes in the top 20.
“I don’t even know how good we are this year,” Mohawk coach Brandon Boucias said. “But I say that every year. But every year it seems to come around. They all said good things at the top. The girls will get more time and get faster.”
Hampshire Regional’s Hazel Scully-Henry took fifth (35.28) for the Raiders. Greta Lepore of Northampton placed 10th (36.62) for the Blue Devils.
Maya Phillips took 12th (37.29) for the Hurricanes. Jaylynn Peters of Mohawk took 16th (38.48) while teammate Emerson Russell placed 18th (39.01). Maddie Soares of Hampshire grabbed 20th (39.41). Simone Pagar (39.63) was 21st for the Blue Devils.
Running just the slalom, Gunnar Triggs of Mohawk placed third overall (48.45).
Kashton Ryan of Longmeadow was the overall top finisher (45.66). Ben Zarotny and Liam Zarotny finished fifth (49.87) and sixth (51.06) respectively for Mohawk.
Jonah Abel-Waisman took 13th (57.27) for Northampton. Xerxes Law was 15th for Mohawk (59.15). Rounding out the top 20 were Finn Zaklandovic of Amherst (16th, 59.91), Elliot Scully-Henry of Hampshire (17th, 1:00.43) and Cade Cefalo of Hampshire (20th, 1:01.76).
Nordic Skiing
A last minute MIAA Nordic Race took place Jan. 6 at Notchview Reservation in Windsor. Athletes braved a five-kilometer course.
Augustus Niswonger was the top finisher for Mohawk at 15 minutes, 53 seconds. Luke Picard placed 19th (17:19.0) for the Warriors. Aymeric Loucka placed 22nd for Mohawk (17:39.0).
Calvin Miller took first overall (14:46) for Amherst. It was only the second time in program history that someone from Amherst took first at a Berkshire league race.
Boys teams scores were as follows: Mount Greylock, 22; 2. Amherst, 32; 3. Wahconah, 36; 4. Mohawk Trail, 72; 5. Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter, 84.
Stephen Sims was the top finisher for the Dragons in ninth (15:51.0).
Charlotte Niswonger placed second overall (19:03) for the Warriors. Mohawk finished in second place with 41 points. Amherst was third with 52 points.
Mount Greylock took first with 14 points. Ella Workman was seventh (20:25) for the Hurricanes.