Forshey coasts to section Nordic title

PHOTOGRAPHER: Bill Rice

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Ashley Forshey would rather not share, at least not on snow.

A year ago, the Scotia-Glenville High School senior settled for a tie at the Section II Nordic Championships.

On Wednesday, she made sure that didn’t happen again, skiing away from the field and winning by a minute and a half at the Nick Stoner Golf course.

First place in the boys’ race went to Shenendehowa junior Austin Huneck, and Queensbury won both team titles.

Forshey was the first to start the 7.5K girls’ race, which consisted of 21⁄2 laps on a mostly flat course with a few gentle hills.

She started fast and never looked back, increasing her lead from start to finish. The win gave Forshey an undefeated Section II season, including five invitationals.

Lake George junior Emma Underwood, runner-up in those five races, was second in this one, too, but she wasn’t sure of that at the finish.

“She goes out like a cannon, and I knew she was far ahead,” Underwood said while catching her breath. As the race progressed, coaches along the course had told Underwood that she was neck-and-neck with Queensbury skiers Tyra Wynn and Gabby Lebihon in a battle for second place. Near the finish, Lebihon took a tumble to drop out of that scramble, and Underwood out-skied Wynn by two seconds at the end. Even with the spill, Lebihon finished fourth.

Forshey said an inch of new snow on the ground made the race a little tougher as she started catching slower racers on the loops.

“It made it hard to get by because you had to get off the track to pass and get into the softer snow,” she said.

Forshey also likes courses with more ups and downs.

“I did well on the hills, but not the flats,” she said.

Wynn and Lebihon led Queensbury to a nine-point victory over Scotia-Glenville. Also scoring for the Spartans was Megan Kellog, who finished fifth.

Also scoring for Scotia-Glenville were Becca Kraines, eighth, and Gabbi Rodbell, 12th.

Shenendehowa was third in team scoring, with Sarah and Amy Duclos 10th and 11th, respectively, and Rachel Andoni 16th.

DUEL ON SNOW

While the girls’ race saw a battle for second, the boys’ event quickly developed into an exciting duel for first.

Huneck and Saratoga Springs’ Brian Halligan were first and second to start in that order, and they knocked heads during all three laps of the boys’ 10k race. Halligan made up the 15-second start difference quickly and almost caught Huneck, but he fell on the first downhill.

“I was able to get up and catch up, so we worked together after that, taking turns in front,” Halligan said. “Then on the second lap, my contact lens fell out, and that made it hard to see the ruts, so I kept losing my balance.”

“I was about four seconds ahead near the end, and I knew he was putting on a surge,” Huneck said, “but he fell coming up the last hill, so I was able to win.”

This was Huneck’s first outright win in Section II, although he tied for first with Mike Mulshine of Queensbury in one invitational. His winning championship time was 26:36, and Halligan was 20 seconds back in 26:56.

Mulshine led Queensbury to the team championship by finishing third in 27:15. Also scoring for Queensbury were Zach Vanderzee, tie for sixth, and Ben Anderson, ninth.

Saratoga Springs was the runner-up team, with Seth Mares taking fifth and Alex Howk placing 14th.

Third place went to Mayfield, with Dave Krutz fourth, Tom McClellan eighth and Mitch Akowicz 20th.

GIRLS

Team scores

Queensbury 12, Scotia-Glenville 21, Shenendehowa 37, Mayfield 40, Lake George 49, Guilderland 58, Johnstown 88, Johnsburg 123, Glens Falls 126, Canajoharie 139.

Individuals

Ashley Forshey (S-G) 21:48, Emma Underwood (LG) 22:37, Tyra Wynn (Q) 22:39, Gabby Lebihon (Q) 22:50, Megan Kellogg (Q) 22:54, Sarah Montgomery (May) 24:00, Caroline DeCunzo (Q) 24:01, Becca Kraines (S-G) 24:05, Lidija Nikollaj (May) 24:18, Sarah Duclos (Shen) 24:26.

BOYS

Team scores

Queensbury 18, Saratoga Springs 21, Mayfield 32, Lake George 40, Guilderland 43, Scotia-Glenville 53, Shenendehowa 66, Johnsburg 74, Johnstown 90, Glens Falls 154.

Individuals

Austin Huneck (Shen) 26:36, Brian Halligan (Sar) 26:56, Mike Mulshine (Q) 27:15, Dave Krutz (May) 29:29, Seth Mares (Sar) 29:31, Matt Forshey (S-G) and Zach Vanderzee (Q) 29:33 (tie), Tom McClellan (May) 29:51, Ben Anderson (Q) 29:53, Jackson Donnelly (LG) 30:06.