TA News

Thetford Academy’s Alpine Ski Team, led by coaches Amy Huyffer and Paul Dixon, finished out the season with the boys competing in the state championships for the fourth year in a row. The slalom race was held on Monday, March 15, at Cochran’s Ski Resort and the giant slalom on Wednesday at Smuggler’s Notch.

The competing TA boys (Knute Linehan, Jack Hastings, Ben Acker, Logan Wurtz, Harley Ransom, and Tucker Gaffney) raced hard on a tough course Monday at Cochran’s, with temps in the single digits and “firm” snow conditions. Riley Burkins, a four-year varsity veteran, injured his shoulder in the last practice before states and was unable to compete with the team. TA’s skiers finished 13th out of 14th, with Jack Hastings leading the team’s scoring and placing 40th out of 67 of the best alpine skiers in the state. On Wednesday, the team finished out the season with a glorious and fun day at Smuggler’s Notch.

All in all, it was another fun season of practice and competition for the middle and high school alpine ski teams. It was their first time with a hybrid training schedule that alternated between Pico Mountain and Storrs Hill in Lebanon, NH. “It was great to do all-mountain training on a big hill with a high-speed lift and get the runs through gates in at Storrs,” shared Coach Amy Huyffer.

TA’s skiers, as always, worked hard and skied hard. Congratulations to all of TA’s alpine skiers, who include (in addition to the varsity boys named above): Liam Patterson, Maya Dixon, Mavis Downey, Daniel Mann, Bianca Pulaski, and Addy Holzer. Shout out to our graduating seniors Riley Burkins and Jack Hastings, who have been an integral part of the team over their high school careers; and to Knute Linehan, who joined the team when the indoor track season was canceled, skiing for the first time after 10 years of snowboarding.