Julia Ramsey can’t remember a time when Nordic skiing wasn’t a part of her life. When she was an infant, Ramsey was in the baby carrier while her mom hit the trails.

“I’ve been on skis pretty much since I could walk,” Ramsey, a sophomore at Mt. Blue High School, said.

Last month, Ramsey’s successful Nordic skiing season ended with a pair of top 10 finishes at the state championship meets. For her efforts, Ramsey is the Morning Sentinel Girls Nordic Skier of the Year.

On Feb. 17, Ramsey placed third in the Class A classical championship at Starks Hill in Fryeburg, with a time of 19 minutes, 55.5 seconds on the 5.4 kilometer course. The next day, Ramsey placed fifth in the freestyle championship race, with a time of 17:51.4.

Ramsey won both events at the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference championships in early February.

“As a sophomore, she’s quite accomplished at a young age,” Mt. Blue Nordic ski coach Buzz Davis said. “When it comes to big races, she can get it done. She’s just a natural skier.”

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Davis said Ramsey’s best race of the season was in the KVAC freestyle championship. An impressive sprint at the end earned Ramsey her win. The sprint gave Ramsey a four second win over Maranacook’s Abby Despres.

“She pulled off a great race,” Davis said.

Ramsey agreed with her coach’s assessment. An illness at the start of the season lingered, and when it came time for the conference meet, Ramsey was finally starting to feel better.

“I needed that to feel good about the season,” Ramsey said. “I was sprinting pretty hard.”

Although she enjoys competitive skiing, Ramsey has always looked at the sport as a way to stay relaxed.

“Skiing has always been a stress reliever for me,” Ramsey said. “With racing, there’s still a competitive aspect to it.”

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In mid-March, Ramsey competed in the New England Nordic Ski Association championships at Fort Kent. She also competed in the Eastern High School Nordic Championships at Black Mountain in Rumford, March 20-22.

Ramsey, who also has played cello since she was in fourth grade, sees some places she can improve her skiing.

“I need to work on my skate technique,” Ramsey said. “I think that can be better.”

Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242

tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM


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