Wayland Nordic Ski Team Off to a Strong Start

The girls’ Nordic ski team turned a few heads at the opening meet of the Mass Bay West League season on Tuesday at the Weston Ski Track. The Warriors, led by team co-captain Hannah Brigham, finished third, beating Concord-Carlisle, Westford, Nashoba and Winchester.

Brigham, a junior, got off to a good start finishing sixth and scoring 95 points for the team. Sophomore Elizabeth Karpacz added 87 points with a 14th place finish. 

Skiing in her first race, sophomore Phoebe Morss was close behind Karpacz, finishing 18th and scoring 83 points for the Warriors. Morss, a standout runner in cross-country and track, decided to join the Nordic team this year. Her strength and endurance provided an obvious benefit, as Morss had a great race for a novice skier.

Junior Rebecca Harris was next for Wayland, crossing the line in 22nd place. Harris added 79 points to the Warrior total.

Rounding out the scoring for Wayland was Alice D’Orlando, a junior, who was just two spots behind Harris. Her 24th place finish scored 77 points, bringing the total team score for the Warriors up to 421.

Also skiing for Wayland was Julia Lavenson (34th), Maddie Conroy (37th), Kira Palmer (48th), Hannah Osborne (55th), Grace Perkins (57th), Olivia Lucier (58th) and Julia Chinman (60th). 

The Wayland boys were led by freshman Eli Bucher, who, skiing in his first Nordic race, finished in 32nd place. Junior James Longnecker followed close behind Bucher in 39th. Sophomore Jacob Rudelson was next for the Warriors, finishing 46th.

Wayland coach Chris Li said he was impressed with the team’s performance.

“This was a great start to the season for our team," he said. "Our veterans showed a marked improvement from last year and our new athletes put in solid performances."

Editor's Note: Olivia Lucier's name has been corrected from the original article.