Madison Digrigoli Leads County's Skiers at State Meet
PRINCETON, Mass. -- There were no gold medals but plenty of smiles for the Berkshire County team at Tuesday’s State Alpine Championships.
One year after missing out on the season-ending competition, the best high school skiers in the county got to see how they measure up against the best in the state at Wachusett Mountain.
The local contingent collected two top 10 finishes and two more top 20 appearances, all the while cheering on one another in slalom and giant slalom competitions.
“I’m so thankful for the way everyone supports each other,” said first-year Lenox racer Madison Digrigoli. “It was such a fun experience. Especially Molly Knight, our senior, she’s such a big part of our success, and I strive to be like her.”
Digrigoli had the county’s top individual finish on Tuesday, placing fifth in the morning’s slalom run with a time of 47.86 seconds, less than two seconds behind slalom gold medalist Haley Kutzer of Westwood (45.97).
“I had a really great mindset going into this, and I think that was the key to my success,” Digrigoli said. “Honestly, I think mindset is half the battle.
“I actually haven’t been [to Wachusett] in years, but I do really enjoy it. … I was excited going into [the slalom]. I think the pitch, and they set a really nice course for the hill they had.”
Knight (50.38) placed 18th in the slalom. Digrigoli followed up her fifth-place showing in the morning with a county-best 12th-place finish in the giant slalom, clocking in at 47.66 seconds.
Berkshire County League champion Monument Mountain was led by Paige Lussier, who placed 38th in the slalom and 58th in the GS.
The league champion Leonx boys got a eighth-place finish by Max Digrigoli on Tuesday. He hit the finish line in 48.24 seconds in the slalom after placing 32nd in the GS in the morning.
Monument Mountain’s Kitson Stover placed 24th in the slalom.
Although Berkshire County did not bring home a team trophy on Tuesday, Western Massachusetts did. Mohawk Trail’s girls, who race in the Pioneer Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference North, won the girls team title behind Addie Loomis, who was seventh in the slalom and eighth in the GS, and Emily Sissum, who was third in the GS.
.jpg)
Boys Slalom
Top 10
1. Baxter Jennings, Marblehead, 44.96 seconds; 2. Tim Haarmann, St. John’s Prep, 45.31; 3. Declan Varnerin, Nashoba, 47.48; 4. Sam Wolf, Boston College High, 47.55; 5. Noah Bagley, Bromfield, 47.62; 6. Luke Gold, Brookline, 47.82; 7. Charlie Pingree, Marblehead, 48.02; 8. Max Digrigoli, Lenox, 48.24; 9. Weston Den Ouden, 48.31; 10. Henry Coote, St. John’s Prep, 48.34.
Local Finishers
24. Kitson Stover, Monument Mountain, 51:64; 35. Rocco Piretti, Lenox, 52.94; 51. Mitchell Scalise, Wahconah, 54.44; 52. Oliver Kirby, Lenox, 54.48; 78. Keeghan Scott, Taconic, 57.69; 84. Donald Tanner, Taconic, 58.86; 89. Bronly Boyd, Monument Mountain, 59.07; 104. Charlie Heimann, Pittsfield, 1:03.62; 114. Noah Kirby, Lenox, 1:24.58.
Boys Giant Slalom
Top 10
1. Adam Payne, Haverhill, 47.22 seconds; 2. Baxter Jennings, Marblehead, 47.39; 3. Declan Sears, Pope Francis, 48.03; 4. Edward Przybuyla, Hampshire, 48.12; 5. Sam Wolf, Boston College High, 48.13; 6. Rocco Masciarelli, St. John’s Prep, 48.17; 7. Evan Fisichelli, St. John’s Prep, 48.24; 8. Luke Ward, Lincoln-Sudbury, 48.34; 9. Erik Fish, Nashoba, 48.44; 10. Nicholas Valcour, Westford Academy, 48.44.
Local Finishers
32. Max Digrigoli, Lenox, 49.36; 61. Charlie Heimann, Pittsfield, 50.21; 77. Kitson Stover, Monument Mountain, 50.80; 97. Noah Kirby, Lenox, 51.88; 107. Keehgan Scott, Taconic, 52.27; 112. Donald Tanner, Taconic, 52.36; 113. Bronly Boyd, Monument Mountain, 52.62; 115. Oliver Kirby, Lenox, 52.77; 130. Mitchell Scalise, Wahconah, 53.42; 137. Rocco Piretti, Lenox, 54.50.
Girls Slalom
Top 10
1. Haley Kutzer, Westwood, 45.97; 2. Kailah Greenberg, Acton-Boxborough, 46.55; 3. Ella Varnerin, Nashoba, 47.13; 4. Charlotte Hill, Masconomet, 47.74; 5. Madison Digrigoli, Lenox, 47.86; 6. Grace Chandler, Newburyport, 48.03; 7. Addie Loomis, Mohawk Trail, 48.19; 7. Eleanor Lubin, Wachusett, 48.19; 9. Emilia Agostinelli, Ashland, 48.22; 10. Charlie Easton, Winchester, 48.29.
Local Finishers
18. Molly Knight, Lenox, 50.38; 38. Paige Lussier, Monument Mountain, 53.77; 45. Emma Soule, Monument Mountain, 54.46; 62. Gabriella Hall, Lenox, 56.03; 100. Loghan Strzepa, Monument Mountain, 1:02.69; 106. Lena Ungewitter, Pittsfield, 1:04.15; 116. Olivia Ruggiero, Monument Mountain, 1:09.42.
Girls Giant Slalom
Top 10
1. Charlotte HiIl, Masconomet, 46.61 seconds; 2. Cate Honos, Marblehead, 46.81; 3. Emily Sissum, Mohawk Trail, 46.84; 4. Taylor Riley, Nashoba, 47.00; 5. Kailah Greenberg, Acton-Boxborough, 47.03; 6. Ellie Mahoney, Northampton, 47.11; 7. Zoe Zilinski, Ashland, 47.14; 8. Addie Loomis, Mohawk Trail, 47.15; 9. Grace Chandler, Newburyport, 47.40; 10. Eleanor Lubin, Wachusett, 47.53.
Local Finishers
12. Madison Digrigoli, Lenox, 47.66; 58. Paige Lussier, Monument Mountain, 50.12; 75. Molly Knight, Lenox, 51.13; 84. Abbey Boyd, Monument Mountain, 51.60; 85. Gabriella Hall, Lenox, 51.67; 104. Loghan Strzepa, Monument Mountain, 53.23; 114. Lena Ungewitter, Pittsfield, 54.07; 127. Olivia Ruggiero, Monument Mountain, 55.42.