By Tyler Maheu, Staff Sportswriter
Another Nordic Skiing state title is coming home to Woodstock, but this time, it’s the girls team that reigns victorious as Vermont Division II State Champions.
The title is the Wasps girls’ first since 2015, and comes after back-to-back crowns for the boys in 2024 and 2025. “We watched the boys win the last two years while we kept getting close,” said senior skier Maya Sluka. Head coach Nick Mahood called the 11-year gap between titles a “championship drought” before noting that watching the boys win was motivating. “Our seniors watched the boys win twice, which can be powerful,” he said. “It made them really driven to make sure we won.”
The state championship event covered two days, Feb. 17 and 24, at Rikert Outdoor Center (freestyle) and Craftsbury Outdoor Center (classic), respectively. Each day consisted of an individual race in the morning, followed by team relays in the afternoon.
On day one, Woodstock saw four of their skiers finish in the top 10 as individuals, with senior Prescilla Richardson finishing second, freshman Kasia Sluka in third, freshman Isla Segal in fourth, and Aven Westbrook taking home tenth. The Wasps then dominated the relay portion of the day, taking home first and a commanding 27 to 63 point lead on the next-closest competitor. “We had a large point gap after day one,” said senior Schuyler Hagge, who commented that on day one, the team was missing three skiers due to illness or injury. “We have a deep team with so many who can go out and get strong finishes.”
The following week, Woodstock returned to the snow for day two of the competition in Craftsbury, this time in the classic event. The skiers felt ready, thanks to a combination of experience and training. “Training is crucial,” said Segal. “We worked on intervals and distance, working together as a team.” Richardson spoke about what she thinks distinguishes her team from the field. “We have an old and young team, a combo that sets us apart from the rest.”
With the title well in their reach, day two was about keeping consistent results. The team brought home third (Richardson), fifth (Sluka), and ninth (Segal) place finishes in individual competition, before pacing the field to win the relay again. This was enough to score 57 points for the Wasps, with Montpelier far in their rearview mirror in second place with 117.
“It felt so good to win and so amazing to see how the team pulled it together,” said Richardson. “It shows how far we have come,” said Hagge. “It was our turn to carry on the Woodstock legacy. It’s very satisfying.”
The win carried extra significance for sisters Kasia and Maya Sluka. The two began Nordic skiing at the same time, when the eldest sister Maya was in middle school, and Kasia was still in elementary. “It means so much to win with my sister and best friends,” said Maya Sluka. “We started skiing at the same time, so we got to learn together,” said her sister. “I’m happy we won, it was a big goal for the seniors. This feels like a family.”
For Richardson, the win is a culmination of a dream that started at a young age. “I’ve been doing this since kindergarten,” she said. “I found a great group, and fell in love with the sport.”
“They were a really good, strong team of athletes who were supportive of each other,” said Mahood, who Richardson deemed a “wax wizard” for his ability to wax the team’s skis. “Had someone said five years ago, when this group was in eighth grade, that this team would win a state championship, I’m not sure I’d have believed them,” he joked. “It just shows the focus, love, and drive that has grown in them these past five years.”
The girls team will graduate three seniors, but will return a strong contingent of four freshmen for their attempt at a repeat in 2027. “We will still have four freshmen, so if we can get our third and fourth best skiers a little closer to our first and second, we have a chance,” he said. “It’ll be harder, and we will have to work harder, but we can be in a good spot come next year.”
