Alpine skiing: Webster Schroeder's Blake Preston wins overall state championship

Blake Preston admits he didn’t see it coming, which isn’t a surprise considering the speed skiers like him tend to experience.

So you’ll forgive the Webster Schroeder junior for needing some time to process that fact that yes, he is a champion. A New York state champion.

“Not at all,” he said when asked if he expected to be the overall champ after Tuesday’s award ceremony at the foot of Bristol Mountain. “I’m just more tired than anything. That was an exhausting course.”

More:HF-L boys win second straight Nordic skiing state championship

Joining Preston as champion are the Pittsford boys, who outpaced the rest of the state field to win the team championship.

As for Preston, he’ll take this title in stride. He said he was surprised at how well he was able to ski considering the course conditions on Tuesday. Monday night’s snowfall was ideal, until it started to rain.

That created a course that claimed more than few skiers with falls and dropped poles. But Preston’s race experience told him to forget all that and just focus on the race. But still … that’s easy to say.

And yet Preston got it done. He finished third overall in the giant slalom with a time of 2:15.31 behind winner Cole Evans of Ballston Spa and Hudson Montgomery of Queensbury. But combined with Monday’s effort (see below), the championship plaque belonged to Preston.

“It feels pretty good but it hasn’t sunk in yet,” he said. “It’s pretty amazing.”

Amazing is a word that applies to the Pittsford boys as well. Especially after finishing second in the team standings at the Section V championships two weeks ago.

Coach Brandon Mauks admits his team didn’t have the best of days for sectionals, but he admires the resolve his boys showed at the state championships.

“That’s just the way it goes sometimes,” he said. “But I knew we had a good chance going into states with how these kids ski and how fast they are.”

It started Monday when Nate MacPherson finished fifth and Jack Gerew was ninth in the slalom. That put Pittsford in a delicate spot for Tuesday’s giant slalom.

Of course, they wanted fast runs. But more importantly, they wanted complete runs.

“I told the kids we just needed to ski well, not ski awesome,” said Mauks. “It takes a lot of patience and these kids do a great job of handling it.”

MacPherson finished 16th in the GS (2:24.41) and Wyatt Kelley was 29th (2:28.50), which was enough to secure the team championship.

McQuaid freshman Hudson Proia finished sixth in the GS in 2:17, just missing his goal of finishing in the top five. But the Spencerport resident said overall, he’s happy with his performance.

“It was a super long course,” he said. “But I’m just a freshman so hopefully I’ll have my shot.”

Victor senior Johnny Haggerty was 12th (2:21.95) in the GS and hopes to ski for the club team at Penn State next season while studying computer science.

“The conditions this morning weren’t as good as yesterday,” he said. “It was a little bumpy and it threw me around a little bit. But it was fun, a good experience.”

Section V girls: Giant slalom

For the girls giant slalom, Fairport senior Emily Cain finished 12th (2:26.72) despite losing her pole on the second run. The same thing happened during the second run of Monday’s slalom, but she’s at peace with the way her high school skiing career came to an end.

“It wasn’t my best but I’m still pretty happy,” said Cain, who isn’t sure of her college plans but hopes to ski club wherever she attends. “(Losing the pole) threw me off-balance and that kind of put me back, but it could have been worse. At least I finished.”

Canandaigua Academy junior Rose Heagney had a similar experience but like Cain, took it in stride. Heagney took a DNF on the second runs both Monday and Tuesday.

For both, she popped a ski and on Tuesday, it was hard snow that gave her skis some chatter.

“I went to transition on the next turn and my ski wasn’t on my foot,” she said. "It was 5 feet in front of me."

Disappointed, yes. But this is her fourth year at states and at least this year didn’t end like last year where a crash left her with a concussion and some bruising.

“At least I’m healthy and not hurt this year,” she said. “It happens. It’s ski racing but I have more ski racing to do in my future.”

Boys alpine team scores (final)

Pittsford 85, Saratoga 77, Horace Greeley 74, Williamsville 68, Camden 62, Saranac Lake 55, Warwick 52, Windham 9.

Boys alpine section scores

Section V 710, Section II 691, Section I 537, Section III 446, Section VI 333, Section IX 310, Section VII 137, Section IV 131.

Girls alpine team scores (final)

Shenendehowa 89, Cornwall 79, Pittsford 73, Horace Greeley 65, Windham 64, Saranac Lake 60, Ellicottville 38, Holland Patent 0.

Girls alpine section scores

Section II 704, Section V 628, Section I 595, Section IX 474, Section IV 370, Section VI 204, Section III 181, Section VII 164.

Section V girls giant slalom finishers

6. Vivian Bishop (North Rose-Wolcott) 2:23.10, 7. Sofia Maimone (Fairport) 2:23.76, 12. Emily Cain (Fairport) 2:26.72, 16. Madison Welch (Pittsford) 2:29.42, 17. Amalia Ireland (Victor) 2:29.56, 25. Lila Warner (Victor) 2:32.62, 31. Maureen Stuckey (Arkport) 2:39.21, 46. Rose Heagney (Canandaigua) DNF, 50. Jaimie Kenney (Pittsford) DNF, 62. Sydney Harff (Pittsford) DNF.

Section V boys giant slalom finishers

3. Blake Preston (Webster Schroeder) 2:15.31, 5. Nick Steurrys (Williamson) 2:16.62, 6. Hudson Proia (McQuaid) 2:17.58, 12. Johnny Haggerty (Victor) 2:21.95, 14. Ryan Cain (Fairport) 2:23.21, 16. Nate MacPherson (Pittsford) 2:24.41, 29. Wyatt Kelley (Pittsford) 2:28.50, 35. Max McEnerney (Livonia) 2:33.47, 47. Ronan Turkovich (McQuaid) DNF, 60. Jack Gerew (Pittsford) DNF

Monday's alpine: Schroeder's Preston wins slalom title

Blake Preston remembers last year’s state alpine championships, although the memories are not all fond.

But Day 1 of the 2023 state event is already helping to purge those memories.

Winning the state slalom championship on Monday at Bristol Mountain is a big help, and the Webster Schroeder junior is here for every bit of it.

“I feel very emotional,” said Preston. “Everyone I’ve ever skied with, especially my parents … I don’t really know what to think right now.”

Last year, Preston posted a DNF (did not finish) in the slalom and finished 21st in the giant slalom. On Monday, his runs of 44.92 and 46.96 gave him a combined time of 1:31.88, more than a full second faster than the 1:33.00  of Colin Cotter (Broadalbin-Perth of Section II).

It helped that Monday’s course was on a mountain he’s familiar with, along with snow conditions that were vastly superior to the course at the Section V championships just two weeks ago. So while the physical factors played into Preston's favor, it was the mental intangibles that helped push him past the field.

“I’ve had a couple good weeks of training,” said Preston. “My high school and club coaches told me to just stay calm. That’s when I ski best.”

The journey to that calm is different for everyone and for Preston, it called for him separate himself.

“Listen to some music, step away from everyone for a bit,” he said. “And I think it helped knowing the course and the different terrain changes … I just tried to not think of it too much. I try and stay as far away from it as I can because when I think of it, it messes me up.”

Ronan Turkovich, a McQuaid sophomore who lives in Canandaigua, finished fourth overall (1:33.76) and was one of five Section V skiers to finish in the top 10. He was a big fan of Monday’s course, helped by the weekend chill that conditioned the snow.

And after clocking his first run in 45.74, he just wanted to be sure he finished his second (48.02).

“I was a little more reserved since I did well on my first run,” he said. “I didn’t want to go out.”

Nordic:Pittsford Sutherland girls, HF-L boys in line for state skiing titles

Section V girls alpine results

Sydney Harff of Pittsford was the top Section V finisher (fourth place) in 1:38.82 and Vivian Bishop of North Rose-Wolcott finished eighth. The freshman finished 25th in last year’s state championships and echoed the sentiment of how excellent Monday’s snow was.

“It was a lot better,” she said. “The course really held up all day.”

Alexis Heins of Monticello-Section IX is the slalom champ (1:36.97), edging Ava Bachta of Shaker-II, who finished in 1:37.36.

Back at it on Tuesday

Skiers return to Bristol Mountain on Tuesday for the giant slalom races, starting at 10 a.m. The second run begins at 1 p.m. and overall champions will be decided.

Section V finishers

Boys slalom

1. Blake Preston (Webster Schroeder) 1:31.88; 4. Ronan Turkovich (McQuaid) 1:33.76; 5. Nate McPherson (Pittsford) 1:35.94; 6. Hudson Proia (McQuaid) 1:36.26; 8. Ryan Cain (Fairport) 1:36.99; 9. Jack Gerew (Pittsford) 1:38.46; 13. Johnny Haggerty (Victor) 1:40.58; 23. Max McEnerney (Livonia) 1:42.96; 43. Joe Kelsch (Williamson) 2:02.97; 55. Joe Kelley (Pittsford) DNF; 61. Nick Steurrys (Williamson) DNF

Girls slalom

4. Sydney Harff (Pittsford) 1:38.82; 8. Vivian Bishop (North Rose-Wolcott) 1:41.07; 14. Sofia Maimone (Fairport) 1:44.22; 15. Emily Cain (Fairport) 1:44.36; 19. Madison Welch (Pittsford) 1:45.08; 21. Jaimie Kenney (Pittsford) 1:45.60); 26. Lila Warner (Victor) 1:48.78; 39. Maureen Stuckey (Arkport) 1:57.96; 54. Rose Heagney (Canandaigua) DNF; 64. Amalia Ireland (Victor) DNF;

This article originally appeared on MPNnow: Skiing: Webster Schroeder's Blake Preston wins overall state championship