Relyea completes three-peat
In the fond words of one of her teammates, Madison Relyea was not a “womb skier” born with natural talent. But she’s dominated the Section II Nordic scene for years, won a state championship and ended her high school career by winning every race she was in. Relyea finished it off with a first-place finish at sectionals.
That she has had such consistent success is a testament not only to her hard work and willingness to train, said Mayfield coach Ryan Bornt, but also a mysterious trait Relyea has.
“I’m not sure what quality causes it, but she never has really bad days or good days. Every race, no matter how she feels physically or emotionally, she just puts the gas down and goes hard,” he said.
Like every athlete, Relyea trained through the offseason uncertain if she would have a season at all, but she kept at it.
“This year, I knew it was my last year and I wanted to enjoy it as much as I can and get as fit as possible,” she said.
Although she tried to enjoy the season, she missed the chance to compete in the state meet and at Junior Nationals.
In addition to the state title, which she won last season, Relyea is a three-time Section II champion and finished 53rd in the 2019 Junior Nationals competition held in Alaska.
Relyea’s next step is running cross country for the University of Connecticut.
First team
A Katrin Schreiner, Jr., Hadley-luzerne: Schreiner was
breathing down Relyea’s neck the whole season, consistently finishing second, often by less than a minute. She couldn’t top Relyea at sectionals, where Schreiner came in second, but finished more than a minute before Delaney Lafountaine in third.
A Fianna Halloran, So., Mayfield: Earned a third straight first-team spot after coming in fourth at sectionals, just more than a minute behind teammate Delaney Lafontaine. Fourth place was her most frequent slot this season.
A Delaney Lafontaine, Sr., Mayfield: Improved from last year’s fifth-place finish at sectionals to come in third. She consistently recorded top-five performances throughout the season as part of a strong Mayfield squad.
A Madison Relyea, Sr., Mayfield: Like the Chicago Bulls, Relyea has mastered the “threepeat”: Athlete of the Year and Section II champion. She continued to dominate this season, winning every race she skied.
Second team
A Iris Wiedmann, So., Shenendehowa
A Avery Bayse, Jr., Johnsburg
A Julia Keshmira, Jr., Queensbury
A Lorraina Guay, Jr. Queensbury
Coach of the Year
A Andrew Cleney, Shenendehowa: Last season, only Iris Wiedmann competed for the Plainsmen at sectionals. Cleney turned the team around and helped it regularly place in the top three, including a third-place finish at sectionals.