Lots of sun and reasonable temperatures for a November morning in Vermont greeted runners on Thanksgiving for the Red Clover Rover's annual Turkey Trot on Upper Dummerston Road in Brattleboro.
There were 198 runners at the starting line for the 3-mile race, which was won by Peyton Joslyn, 16, of Swanzey, New Hampshire. A sophomore at Monadnock Regional High School, he was the top male finisher for the second straight year in 16 minutes, 42 seconds.
Nico Conathan-Leach, 16, of Guilford was the runner-up in 17:26. Jace Joslyn, 18, of Swanzey was third in 17:36.
Sarah Lange, 32, of Brattleboro was the top female runner for the second straight year. She was fifth overall in 17:46. Stephanie Jordan, 25, of Florence, Massachusetts was the second woman across the finish line and 10th overall in 19:07, while Eve Pomazi, 25, of Brattleboro was third (12th overall) in 19:28.
In keeping with the spirit of the day, proceeds from the race were once again donated to Groundworks Collaborative and the Vermont Foodbank. For a full list of finishers, visit www.redcloverrovers.com/results.shtml.
Field hockey standouts get together in Manchester
• Vermont's top field hockey players gathered at Burr & Burton's Taylor Field in Manchester on Nov. 19 for a pair of games that offered one more chance to showcase talent and have some fun.
Bellows Falls and Brattleboro players were featured in the Senior Game as Brattleboro sent Alex Gregory, Erika Favreau, Emma Gragen, Sadie Mills, and Mallory Newton, while Ava LaRoss and Eryn Ross represented BF.
Playing for the Orange team, Gragen and LaRoss each had a goal and an assist in a 2-2 tie against the Blue team, which was coached by BF's Bethany Coursen and featured Gregory and Favreau.
The Rising Stars games featured sophomores and juniors including BF's Emma Bazin, Hadley Gleim, Nola Sciacca, and Izzy Stoodley, and Brattleboro's Leah Lane, Emily LaClair, and Elina Young.
Bazin, Gleim, and Lane played on the Blue team, which defeated the Yellow squad with Stoodley and LaClair, 2-0.
In the second game, the Orange team with Sciacca and Young played their Yellow counterparts to a 1-1 tie.
North All-Stars win football classic
• The 22nd annual North-South All-Star Football Classic was played at Norwich University's Sabine Field on Nov. 18, and the North squad won for the second straight year, 33-29.
Bellows Falls and Brattleboro players helped the South keep this game a nail-biter until the very end. Brattleboro linebacker Jackson Emery blocked a North punt and dove on the ball in the end zone for a touchdown in the first quarter and Bellows Falls running back Walker James caught a 20-yard pass from Burr & Burton quarterback Jack McCoy just before halftime.
Also playing for the South team was Brattleboro running back Noah Perusse, while Bellows Falls was also represented by running back Jesse Darrell, quarterback/tight end Cole Moore, and guard Jaxon Clark.
All-State football teams selected
• Brattleboro tight end Jackson Emery, offensive lineman Jett Emery, defensive lineman Sam Madow, and defensive back Jack Cady were all named to the Division I All-State first-team as the Vermont Football Coaches Association announced their selections on Nov. 17.
Selected to the Division I second team were Brattleboro running back Noah Perusse and offensive lineman Justin Packard. Both Emerys were second team selections as defensive linemen, along with defensive lineman Evan Velez, inside linebacker Justin Packard,
In Division II, Bellows Falls offensive lineman Will Hallock, running back/kick returner Walker James and fullback Remy Lacroix, and quarterback/tight end Cole Moore were all first-team selections.
Moore was also a first-team selection on the defensive line, while teammates Darrell and James are first-teamers at defensive back. Defensive back Jaxon Clark and linebacker Jackson Lovell both earned honorable mention.
Skiers face sticker shock this season
• The 2023-24 ski season began last week in Windham County with Mount Snow and Stratton both opening with a handful of trails for the early bird skiers and snowboarders. Magic Mountain in Londonderry plans to open on Dec. 16.
However, the days of hopping in the car on the spur of the moment after a big snowstorm and heading out for an affordable day of skiing or riding seem to be over. A recent report from Babette Stolk at VTDigger found that there are very few places where you get a lift ticket at a Vermont resort for less than $90. Some have doubled their walk-up prices in the past decade.
Why? The resorts want you to buy a season pass instead, which is a better deal if you do a lot of skiing and riding. If you are an occasional snowsport , you're going pay a lot more for a spontaneous day on the slopes.
At our three big local ski resorts, a day pass costs $144 at Okemo, $150 at Stratton, and $154 at Mount Snow. The most expensive day pass in Vermont is at Stowe, which will set you back $219. By comparison, an Epic season pass is $719 at Okemo and $969 at Mount Snow, while an Ikon season pass at Stratton is $1,309.
There is also a push to get skiers and riders to buy tickets in advance online, rather than walking up to the ticket window when you arrive at the resort. Also, more ski areas are limiting the number of lift tickets they sell each day to keep the slopes from getting too crowded.
• However, there are options if you don't want to spend a lot to have a good day on the slopes. Magic Mountain's adult day passes are $89 online, $99 at the mountain, with a $10 discount for youths under 17, seniors over 70, and military, police, and fire personnel. Magic also offers a great deal for Vermonters on season passes - $534 for adults 30 and up, $454 for young adults 18-29, $254 for youths 6-17, and $424 for seniors over 70 as well as for military, police, fire, EMS, nurses, and teachers.
• There's also the alternative to the Epic and Icon passes, the Indy Pass (indyskipass.com). For $399 ($199 for kids) for the basic pass, you get limited access to 35 downhill and cross-country ski areas in New England and upstate New York, including Magic Mountain and nearby Berkshire East in Charlemont, Massachusetts.
• If you want to go downhill, and don't mind going uphill under your own power, there's the Uphill New England pass. Uphill New England (www.uphillnewengland.org) is a nonprofit that works with ski areas to provide a single purchase pass and mobile app, as well as a streamlined set of liability waivers, for uphill skiers. For $215 ($135 for students and National Ski Patrol members), you get access to 12 New England ski areas, including Berkshire East and Bromley Mountain in Peru, Vermont.
• Then there is the ultimate day of inexpensive skiing and riding, the $5 lift ticket at the Brattleboro Ski Hill at Living Memorial Park. A 12-ticket punch card is $50, an individual season pass is $75 and a family pass is $200. More information can be found at www.brattski.org.
One reason why the lift tickets are still just $5 is because the Brattleboro Ski Hill is 100% volunteer run, including snowmaking and grooming. If you'd like to learn more about volunteering, schedule a training, or make a donation to keep the resource available for everyone, email them at [email protected].
• Also the Brattleboro Ski Hill will again be pairing with Mount Snow to provide instructional lessons for beginner skiers and snowboarders ages 7-14 years old.
The lessons will occur every Thursday for six consecutive weeks except for the week of February winter school vacation break. The sign ups will be done online only, and will open up in early December. Keep an eye on www.brattski.org for more details.
Jingle Bell Jog takes place Dec. 2
• The Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce presents the eighth annual Jingle Bell Jog on Saturday, Dec. 2. This 5K run starts at 9:30 a.m. at the Heart Rose Club on Green Street (the former Shiners Hall) and winds its way through the streets of Brattleboro.
The event is a fundraiser for the Chamber's "Skills for Success" scholarship fund which provides assistance to students who will be pursuing a technical, trade or other non-traditional post-secondary education.
Costumes are encouraged but not required. Come dressed as an elf, a Grinch, Santa, or any holiday-inspired character - or just come as you are. Awards will be give for the fastest runners, best costume, and most money raised. Hot cocoa will be served.
The entry fee is $20, $50 for a team of four or more, and free for runners under age 17. Register by noon on Nov. 30 at www.runreg.com/jingle-bell-jog-2023%20. For more information, email [email protected] or call 802-254-4565.
Senior bowling roundup
• Week 12 of the fall/winter season of the Brattleboro Senior Bowling League at Brattleboro Bowl on Nov. 21 (a couple of days early due to Thanksgiving) saw Four Seasons (40-20) have their third straight 4-1 week to hold onto first place. High Rollers (35-25) had a 0-5 week to fall into a second place tie with Hairiers and Skippers (both also 35-25), followed by No Splits (34-26), Stepping Stones (32-28), Dumblebor (31-29), Four Pins (29-31), and PEWJ (21-39).
Pamela Greenblott had the women's high handicap game (266) and series (649), while Peter Deyo had the men's high handicap game (282) and series (731). Stepping Stones had the high team handicap game (895), while High Rollers had the high handicap series (2,535).
Robert Rigby had the men's high scratch series (634) with games of 226, 216, and 192, while Deyo had a 625 series with games of 226 and 216 and Warren Corriveau Sr. had a 574 series with games of 209 and 189. Milt Sherman had a 542 series, Duane Schillemat had a 530 series with a 190 game, and Wayne Randall had a 512 game.
Greenblott had the women's high scratch series (475), while Shirley Aiken had the high scratch game (175). Nancy Dalzell had games of 169 and 164, and Diane Cook had a 159 game.
Randolph T. Holhut, deputy editor of this newspaper, has written this column since 2010 and has covered sports in Windham County since the 1980s. Readers can send him sports information at [email protected].
This Sports column by Randolph T. Holhut was written for The Commons.