The Belmont High School ski team reached a milestone this winter: For the first time in program history, it qualified as an official team at the state championships. To be considered a team, at least three male or female athletes need to qualify.
The Belmont girls reached that mark, finishing 18 of 21 teams at the competition, held at Wachusett Mountain.
Belmont High School ski racers Sarina McCarthy (freshman), Rhys Harteveldt (junior), Lola Henn (junior), Colin Markos (sophomore), and Sophie Huang-Galaznik (sophomore) competed in the MIAA Alpine Skiing State Championships on Feb. 25, racing against nearly 150 of the top high school skiers in Massachusetts. This appearance came during the program’s 30th anniversary season, making the milestone even more meaningful.
“I’ve been teaching skiing since I was a teen, and I’ve been coaching the BHS Alpine Racing team for the past three seasons,” head coach Brian McCarthy said. “This is the first year in history that Belmont has had a ‘team’ of either gender.”
At states, racers compete in both slalom and giant slalom, with the fastest total time winning.
“The athletes were very proud but honestly nervous,” McCarthy said when asked about how the athletes felt going into the event. “The event can be very daunting. But they’ll hold this with them for the rest of their lives.”
Belmont’s success this season extended beyond one race, The boys finished 36-12, earning them second place in their division, and the girls finished 30-18, putting them fourth overall. The team introduced December dryland training focused on strength and conditioning, similar to track workouts, to build a stronger base before stepping on snow.
McCarthy said he customizes his training plans around the athletes on the roster and spends hours organizing practices, reviewing video, and preparing drills.
“There is a ton of effort that I put in to organize the season,” he said.
Many racers enter the program with little to no experience. Captains Harteveldt and Henn take on added responsibility, helping with gear maintenance and mentoring younger teammates.
“We look after each other,” McCarthy said. “There’s a real sense of leadership present in the squad. We’re very tightly knit.”
Built largely on volunteers, the program also benefited from stronger collaboration with nearby towns this winter, reflecting the tight-knit alpine community.
“We need time to focus on skiing together and building chemistry,” McCarthy said. “They all want to do more. The participation is great.”
For a program that just made history, Belmont skiing is trending upward, with the five athletes who made the state championship all planning to return next year, with promising eight graders expected to join the program.
