The Pomperaug of Southbury-Newtown co-op ski racing teams concluded a successful season on the slopes. The girls’ and boys’ teams competed in five races at Mount Southington as part of the Connecticut Interscholastic Racing League. This year’s squad welcomed back a number of returning racers, along with some newcomers with ski racing experience, to the sport.

Freshmen Peyton Merrifield and Landon Spiller, both from Newtown, made an instant impact in elevating the team. Both skiers earned Team Connecticut honors and competed in the New England Championships in New Hampshire March 6-8.

“Peyton and Landon were such great additions to our team,” Coach Mike Murphy said. “In addition to holding their own in the Giant Slalom against older racers from across the state week after week, they both proved to be among the best slalom racers in the state based on their performance in the Team Connecticut Shootout Race.”

Merrifield earned All State recognition, and she placed first overall in the team’s second race of the season. Captains Taylor LeRow and Abby Cahill posted fast times for the girls’ squad each race, helping the team earn victories over Southington, Greenwich Academy, Danbury, Joel Barlow, and Guilford. Gianna Mascaro and Allie Pogodzienski were bright spots for the team as first-year skiers, and they were followed closely by returners Madison Greco and Stella Wasley, along with newcomers Cece Wasley, Sadie Singlak, and Avery Bowen.

On the boys’ team, Spiller earned All State Honorable Mention in addition to garnering Team Connecticut accolades. Tommy O’Connor and Carter Alesevich scored for the team each race, and freshman Will Doersch skied like a veteran rather than a rookie, Murphy said. Ari Campbell, Trace Hunter, and Alex Santos turned in consistently solid finishes, helping the team to defeat Danbury, Southington, St Luke’s, and Amity this season. The team also benefited from finishes by newcomers Chase Extance, Luca Bandak, and George Messier.

“I like how this relatively young team is shaping up to compete even stronger over the next few seasons,” Murphy said. “We focus on building relationships, growth, and successes as we get to compete in a sport that we love to participate in. I’m hoping our individual and team achievements this year will help us turn out even more good skiers next season as we work to build our team in number and strength.”