MONTICELLO — On a frigid Thursday afternoon atop Holiday Mountain Ski Resort, at an elevation of 1,550 feet, the air was biting and the energy unmistakable as skiers gathered at the start gate for an OCIAA meet last week. Teammates shouted encouragement, skis scraped against packed snow, and anticipation hung thick in the cold as the first racer prepared to launch down the 400-foot vertical drop.

When the racing concluded, Monticello’s skiers had firmly stamped their dominance on the day.

On the boys’ side, Samuel Rein of Monticello delivered a standout performance, carving his way to a first-place finish with a winning time of 32.00 seconds. Tri-Valley’s Santino Haffner followed in second at 34.28, while Liberty’s Hudson Danzillo rounded out the top three with a time of 35.33.

The Monticello girls were equally impressive. Madelyn Cavello claimed first place with a strong run of 35.85 seconds. Fallsburg’s Madeline Pantel finished second in 38.48, and Monticello’s Annabella Caycho secured third with a time of 39.06.

In the team standings, the Monticello boys earned first place with a combined time of 2:25.68. Sullivan West finished second at 2:35.62, while Kingston placed third with a total time of 2:54.07.

On the girls’ side, Monticello was the only team to meet the requirements for a team score and claimed first place with a combined time of 5:59.47.

The OCIAA season continues this week with more alpine skiing scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, at Holiday Mountain, both races set to begin at 4:45 p.m.

Complete results from Thursday’s race can be found at scdemocratonline.com.