By Ryan O’connor

 With the largest squad in school history, totally 35 athletes, the Bow Alpine ski team is flourishing.

Both the boys and the girls teams have finished in the top four in each of their six events this season.

And each won the most recent meet, on Friday, Jan. 18, against Oyster River and Bishop Brady.

In fact, the boys took the maximum number of points at the meet, earning the top four times to emerge victorious for the fourth time this year, 384 to Brady’s 379 and Oyster River’s 371.

Standout Ian Hanson won the giant slalom with a two-run total of 52.43 seconds, beating his closest competitor, teammate Jake Hughes, by nearly three seconds.

Hughes took second with a time of 55.40 seconds, followed by Cali Hatem at 56.25 and Emile Hatem at 57.21.

For the girls, Krystal Cummings placed second in 57.94 seconds, Jordan Bibeau came in fourth in 1 minute, 0.14 seconds, Kelly Lynch finished sixth with a time of 1:02.47, and Kaylee Smith took eighth in 1:04.59.

While Poole was ecstatic about the Falcons’ most recent performance, he said he was disappointed that rivals Kearsarge and Gilford missed the meet due to Friday’s snowstorm.

Still, he is thankful to have such talented teams, no matter the competition.

“It is mainly based on having enough kids that grew up racing in their younger years that have had the chance to develop all the skills to be great racers,” said Poole. “Every now and then you get lucky and get a kid that grew up skiing casually, and they get to high school and learn to race through the gates. But that’s more the rarity.”

Cummings is an example.

“She’s just been one of those special athletes,” said the coach of his female star, who has finished no lower than third place all season.

“She grew up skiing with her family at Stowe (Mountain in Vermont), and somehow picked competitive skiing right up.”

For the boys, Hanson, a senior, has placed first or second in each meet and is as close to a guarantee for the Meet of Champions and Team New Hampshire as you’re going to find, said Poole.

Nipping at his heels is Hughes, a sophomore who gets better each race. He also has an excellent chance of representing the Granite State at the Eastern Finals in March.

Both squads, said Poole, are in prime position to win next month at the division championships.

While the boys and their three seniors push for their first title, the girls, including five seniors, compete for their third crown in four years.

“This being my fourth season coaching at Bow, this is the first class I’ve had since they were all freshmen,” said Poole. “It’s bee