Dylan Thombs had a modest goal at the beginning of the season. The Monmouth Academy Nordic skier simply wanted to lower his times.

“Dylan spent a lot of time during the offseason training through running, roller skiing, and weight lifting,” Monmouth Nordic coach Chris Bryant said. “Last year, Dylan was noticeably stronger as a classic 
skier than a freestyle skier, but this year, he had his best results in the freestyle races.”

Thombs did indeed lower his times, finishing second at the Mountain Valley Conference championships in the freestyle and fourth in the classical to earn first-team all-conference honors. At the Class C state championship meet he finished 11th in the freestyle and 10th in classical racing against many of the top skiers in the state regardless of class.

For his outstanding season, Thombs has been named the Kennebec Journal Boys Nordic Skier of the Year. Winthrop’s Aaron St. Pierre was also considered.

“Dylan thrives on the competition in the large races, and although we hate having to compete against the powerful private schools that race in Class C — at states, private school skiers took 12 of the top 15 places in the classic race and 13 of the top 15 in the freestyle race,” Bryant said. “Dylan personally likes any opportunity he has to ski against the best skiers in the state.”

Added Thombs: “It was definitely a strong season for me, I made a lot of improvement. I was really happy with my times.”

A good example of Thombs improvement came in the freestyle at the conference championships. Last season, Thombs finished in 18 minutes, 28 seconds to finish fourth. This winter, on the same Black Mountain course, he cut his time by 5:05, finishing in 13:23.

“My goals were nearly all focused on my times,” Thombs said. “During the MVCs, I really felt like it was the best race all season.”

Added Bryant: “Dylan put in a lot of hard work this year and it really paid off. He is fun to coach because he is so enthusiastic about skiing. He always has a positive attitude going into races and always gives it his all and perseveres in tough conditions.”

Thombs time dropped again at the Class C state championship, where he finished 11th in the freestyle with a time of 12:49.

“I worked hard and gave it my best effort,” he said. “I feel I am constantly learning and want to have a better season next winter.”