A whistling wind snaps through the air and rips the peaceful snowflakes from their tree-bound state. The afternoon sun shines bright, as a slicing glare cuts across the snow-covered mountain. It is a brisk Wednesday in New Hampshire, and the Belmont Hill Nordic team closes the margin between Proctor academy for the Lakes Region Championship. A slew of crunching ice fills the atmosphere as a cacophony of dark blue and green shapes emerge in a distant clearance amongst the trees. Belmont Hill leads with a strong pack of four skiers, displacing Proctor’s final scoring man. With the end in sight, the boys dig deeper, accelerating further away from their rival, sealing their fate.
On February 19, the Belmont Hill Nordic team journeyed to Andover, New Hampshire for the Lakes Region Championship. Throughout the winter, the team battled the Proctor squad, alternating each race between placing first and second. Having completed four Lakes Region races going into Wednesday, Belmont Hill and Proctor stood tied at six points for the league title: the winner of the Championship would conquer the league. The Belmont Hill squad knew the numerous disadvantages they faced – their opponent’s home field advantage, long bus rides, and, perhaps greatest of all, a significantly less profound skiing training facility – but prioritized outworking the other teams. While the northern ski schools practice everyday on their own mountains, the BH boys are confined to the Weston ski track: usually man-made snow due to the warmer temperatures. Despite this, the team made the best of their circumstances, pushing themselves to their physical and mental limits each day. The team’s determined mindset proved vital in capturing the Lakes Region title, with a final score of twenty-three: beating Proctor by seven points, and the third place team, Dublin, by over sixty. Five Belmont Hill skiers placed in the top ten for the league’s overall standings, and six placed in the top eleven during the championship.
The Nordic team seeks to continue their achievements at New Englands (NEPSAC) on March 1. Last year, the team placed third and they hope that this year, they will improve upon that, building off of their already successful season. Jack Kastner ’25 commented on the upcoming race: “We’ve had a great season so far and I couldn’t be happier with how much progression we’ve seen from top to bottom. We definitely have our work cut out for us at the New England Championships next week, but I know everybody on the team is going to leave it all out there and I can’t wait to see how it plays out.”
The team’s success materialized due to a culmination of factors, such as the team’s determined mindset, but it would not have been able to do so without the leadership of the team’s captains Will Walton ’25 and Jack Kastner ’25 and support of the seniors, captain parents, and coaches. The senior leadership lent for a tightly-bonded team culture and shaped the team’s grind mindset. The captain’s parents brought immense support as well, organizing snacks for each race, arranging post-race meals, and sorting logistical factors essential in maintaining the team’s needs. Most importantly, the team’s success would not have been possible without the coaching staff. Mr. DeCaprio, Dr. Calloway, Mr. Weiter, Mr. Kirby, and Mr. Harvey brought the team to life. Orchestrating the team’s training trip to Craftsbury, Vermont, pushing the team to their limits, and waxing each athlete’s skis only graze the tip of the work the coaches do behind the scenes for the Belmont Hill squad. The team is truly grateful to have such a wonderful coaching staff, willingly to aid in any problems in or outside of Nordic related agendas, and putting up with the team’s somewhat frequent shenanigans. Thank you seniors, captain parents, and coaches!
The Panel congratulates the Nordic team on their victory up north, and wishes the team good luck for their final race of the season on March 1. As Dr. Calloway says, “GO BELMONT!”