Yarmouth junior Logan MacLeod is the Varsity Maine Girls Skier of the Year after winning Class B slalom and giant slalom titles. Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald

Logan MacLeod is known at Yarmouth High for her skiing style — one that includes high turns, flowy lines and fast movements.

It’s a style that earned her Class B state titles in slalom and giant slalom at Saddleback Mountain.

“I like to be good at what I do, so I think that’s what really motivates me to be good,” MacLeod said. “With other people, when I have competition, it really motivates me and it makes me want to do better.”

MacLeod, a junior, finished each race at the state meet nearly two seconds ahead of the runner-up. She also won the slalom title at the Western Maine Conference championships. Her postseason success makes her the 2024-25 Varsity Maine Girls Skier of the Year.

“I was just really happy that I ended up finishing both (races),” MacLeod said. “Coming into states, that was what I was most scared about, (not) finishing my run. When I came down the first day and finished GS, I was like, that’s such a weight lifted off my shoulders. When I finished slalom, it was just an even bigger relief.”

MacLeod has been skiing since she was young, encouraged by her mother, Shelby MacLeod. Logan said she remembers choosing between hockey and skiing when she was 7, and has raced competitively since. She fondly remembers growing up at Sugarloaf Mountain and skiing as often and for as long as she could.

“I lived at Sugarloaf. It’s my favorite mountain,” MacLeod said. “I’ve been there for my whole life. I try to get out on the slopes as much as I can, because I think just being able to have fun outside of competing and skiing is really important.”

She has only skied with Yarmouth for two seasons, after spending three years alongside her brother, Charlie MacLeod, at Carrabassett Valley Academy, located at the base of Sugarloaf. She remained at CVA through the coronavirus pandemic because of the ability to keep racing.

“I never really saw myself going to CVA when I was younger, but I think it was a turn that I took, and it’s obviously been very beneficial for me,” MacLeod said. “It just developed my skills immensely, and I think that’s what’s helped me coming into high school. It isn’t as much of a competition as it was at CVA. I think that carefree, not stressful environment, has made my results better, honestly, because I’m not thinking about it too much.”

One of the things she learned from racing at Carrabassett Valley Academy that keeps her mentally sharp is to not focus less on times and more on sticking with a rhythm. With rhythm comes speed and proper turns, and MacLeod said the calmness that comes with predictability allows her to get a feel for the course during a race.

Yarmouth Alpine coach Sean Lynch said he expected strong results from MacLeod, who emerged from the shadow of former Clippers standout Brooke Boone, last winter’s Varsity Maine Skier of the Year.

“Logan was on the heels of Brooke (Boone), and I believe Logan was the only girl in the entire season last year who beat her on one run,” Lynch said. “I think this year, she was able to apply maybe more of her skiing skills. Logan’s much more of a finesse skier, and just skis a beautiful line —  it almost looks effortless when she skis.”

Lynch said that despite MacLeod’s skill, she struggled with her confidence early in the season, which resulted in a couple of DNFs.

“I was really happy to have (Brooke) as a teammate, but then coming into this year without her, I was a little bit nervous,” MacLeod said. “I was like, I have to fill her shoes that she left behind, which are some pretty big ones.”

She soon gained confidence and stepped into a leadership role. Lynch said that one of MacLeod’s strengths is the ability to train with newer skiers. Often, higher performing Alpine skiers aren’t good teachers, but MacLeod has become a role model for the younger Clippers.

“I’m really proud of how I finished this season,” MacLeod said. “I think me and my team had a great season, and it was one where I got to connect with my team a lot, which I loved.”