MHSEF - Latest Team News

Holiday Update 2011

December 21, 2011 10:44 PM | Anonymous

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Mt. Hood Race Team concluded the first month of winter training with another good weekend at Skibowl. While the amount of snow coverage has been limited, the snow surface has been fantastic for early season skiing! Mt. Hood Academy Juniors were away at races this weekend before the holidays. Many racers competed in the Russ Read Memorial GS at Mt. Bachelor, and our FIS athletes raced in this year's first NW Cup Slalom races at Mission Ridge. Now, it's time for a training break, and time to enjoy the holidays with family and friends.

Next week’s holiday camp is a very busy and important time. The primary focus is a training progression for all age groups; the final preparation before the busy racing season. There are also several activities and meetings planned for the holiday. Please see below for information.

MHRT Training Camp – Dec 27^th

Mt. Hood Race Team Mitey Mites will begin their 4-day Holiday Camp on Tuesday, December 27^th. Training will begin each day at 9:00am, scheduled for Multorpor. Look for another training update on the 26^th for more specific training details and any change to the schedule or location.

MHA Training Camp – Dec 27^th

Mt. Hood Academy Juniors will also begin their 5-day Holiday Camp on Tuesday, the 27^th, with training scheduled for Multorpor beginning at 9:00am each day. Training details and any change in the schedule or location will be sent out on the 26^th.

Learn to Race Holiday Camp – Dec 28^th

The 3-Day LTR Holiday Camp begins on Wednesday, Dec 28^th and continues for three consecutive days. On-line registration will remain open through Friday, Dec 23^rd. Families should meet the coaches the first morning at 9:30am at the Multorpor Lodge for a brief orientation meeting. Spread the word to any young skier who may enjoy ski racing!

MHRT Parents Meeting – Dec 28^th

After training on Wednesday the 28^th, parents, coaches and board members will meet in the Multorpor Lodge for our annual Holiday Camp parents meeting. This is a great opportunity to ask questions, share your experiences with other racing families, and learn more about the team and upcoming events. Plan to meet at 2:45 in the Multorpor restaurant on the 2^nd floor of the lodge.

Ski-A-Thon – Dec 29^th

MHSEF’s 3^rd Annual Ski-A-Thon is part of this year’s Holiday Camp. The event will be held at Multorpor on Thursday, December 29^th, from 9:00am to 11:30am. The Ski-A-Thon is an important fund-raising event for our team and we hope everyone can participate. It is also a lot of fun! Racers will lap on Green Chair and ski several courses and other skiing challenges. There will be music, snacks, event t-shirts and really cool prizes!

Waxing/Tuning Clinic – Dec 30^th

MHSEF will host a ski tuning and waxing clinic for MHRT Mitey Mite parents and racers on Friday the 30^th. The clinic will cover important basic details necessary to prep skis prior to race-day, as well as final attention to skis at the race start. Selection of race waxes will also be discussed. Be sure to bring a note pad and your questions to the clinic. Meet at the Academy house at 3:00pm on the 30^th.

MHSEF Team Race – Dec 31^st

The annual MHSEF Team Race is scheduled for Saturday, December 31^st. Racers will be grouped in teams, mixing ages and gender. Older racers will act as team captains and help coach younger teammates during inspection and at the start. Costumes are permitted! The event will be a 2-run Giant Slalom on Mt. Hood Lane. Registration / team selection will be at 8:00am in the Multorpor Lodge. Inspection will start at 9:00am, and the race will begin around 10:00am. The entire event should end by lunch-time with the presentation of team awards.

Meadows WinterStart SL – Postponed

The USSA Slalom race scheduled for Dec 31^st and Jan 1^st at Mt. Hood Meadows has been postponed due to lack of snow. Hopefully, the event will be re-scheduled at a later date this season. MHA Juniors may now participate in the Team Race on the 31^st. MHA athletes should check with their coaches regarding any other plans.

Look for a final training update email on the 26^th with final plans for holiday training. Be sure to make a holiday wish for winter snow to fall soon!

Happy Holidays!!

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Potluck and other news

October 18, 2011 9:36 PM | Anonymous

Hello Racing Families,

Here is a quick update and reminder of upcoming events –

MHSEF Fall Meeting and Team Potluck

Sunday, October 23^rd, at the Mt. Hood Lions Club, in Welches

Doors will open at 2:30pm to set up equipment for the Ski Swap. Please arrive with your equipment to swap by 3:00pm. Please be sure your ski swap equipment is labeled with your name and price. All transactions are handled directly between buyer and seller.

Program information will be presented around 4:00pm. The potluck dinner will be ready at 5:00pm, followed by meetings with your coaches.

Important change: Skibowl will not be available at the Fall Meeting in Welches to process season passes. However, the ticket office at Skibowl West will be open from 9:00am to 5:00pm on Sunday if you would like to pick up your passes anytime before the meeting.

Dryland on Sunday the 23^rd

Dryland this Sunday will be in conjunction with the Fall Meeting. Meet the coaches at the Welches Middle School soccer field behind the Lions Club at 1:00pm. Be sure to check the weather and dress appropriately, and bring a change of clothes if necessary. If the weather is really wet we will move under the school’s breezeway. Dryland will finish around 2:30pm.

Team Registration

If you have not yet registered your racer for the team, please plan to register at Sunday’s Fall Meeting. It is important that we know early who will be participating this season on the team, allowing the coaches to better prepare for early season training. If you cannot attend the Fall Meeting please register on-line at www.mthoodacademy.com, or drop your registration in the mail.

MHA Work Party

Junior parents, it’s time to get the Academy House ready for the coming winter! There are several small projects where we could use your help. (Mitey Mite parents are welcome!) Here’s the plan…

Saturday, Oct 22^nd, anytime after 9:00am

Sunday, Oct 23^rd anytime after 9:00am (same day as the potluck)

Helpers can work as long as they are able; come for a few hours or for the whole day, whatever works best for you. We have some painting and light repairs, the snow wall to install on the back porch, some beds to move, etc. If you can bring some small tools - hammer, wrenches, screwdrivers – that would be great. On Sunday we will wrap up around noon to give everyone time to move to the Fall Meeting.

If you are available either day please RSVP to Bill, bgunesch@centurytel.net, so we are best prepared.

Winter is almost here! Let’s get together this weekend.

Bill

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October update

October 07, 2011 10:25 AM | Anonymous

Hi Racing Families,

"White" rain drops fell today in Government Camp. Can you believe it? The seasons have turned, and they turned fast! Here is an update for early October.

PNSA Officials Clinic will be held in Portland this Sunday, the 9th. We are looking for more parents to become certified alpine officials, especially from the Mitey Mite group of parents. Certified officials are necessary for our team to host events, and these home court events are important to our young athletes. Also, the clinic is a great way to learn more about the sport, enhancing your enjoyment of your child's skiing activity.

As a thank you for your support with this important effort, MHSEF will reimburse the clinic registration fee to any parents who become certified, and will also reimburse new certified officials for their USSA officials license the first year. Whether you intend to become a certified official, or just hope to learn more about alpine racing, check out this clinic. Please go to www.pnsa.org for registration and more information.

Team Dryland is moving back to Sandy for the next two weeks. There are some complications at Mt. Hood Community College so we are going to use the Sandy High School track and field. If coming from Portland, turn left (north) on Bluff Road, go past the high school and look for the field and parking lot on your left. We will meet in front of the stadium. If the weather is wet we will jog over to the Mt. Hood Athletic Club and use the gym. Dryland will begin at 12:00noon.

Dryland on Oct 23rd will be conducted in Welches, along with our team's Fall Meeting and Potluck. Meet at the Welches Middle School field behind the Lions Club in Welches at 1:00pm. See Fall Team Meeting for more information on the Fall Meeting and Potluck.

USSA Athlete memberships are due! October 15th is the deadline to renew your USSA membership without paying the $25 late fee. All MHA juniors need to renew before the 15th. Do not wait until the 15th since the USSA membership department will be swamped and your membership may not be processed. Go to www.ussa.org to renew or apply for a membership. Click on "Membership Tools" to register on-line. Be sure to provide medical insurance information, check the liability release, and new this year, be sure to check the concussion release. All are important for your membership to be processed on time. New USSA members and Mitey Mites are not obligated to renew by the deadline, but please do not wait.

Welcome Chris Grebisz as the new president of MHSEF. At its September meeting, the board of directors of Mt. Hood Ski Education Foundation elected Chris as president of the organization. Chris’ children, Isaac (J3) and Abby (J5) are active members of the race team, and his wife, Michele, is a very involved volunteer and has been the race administrator of our alpine events for many years. Chris brings new energy and new ideas to the organization, and the directors are excited to have him at the helm.

Out-going president, Malcolm Ash, has led the organization for the past five years, and has helped promote some of our team’s most successful seasons. During this time, Malcolm has also been Chief of Race for our alpine events and has help recruit and develop key race personnel who continue to host outstanding events for our team, including the 2010 Buddy Werner Championships, and the annual Oregon 4-Way Championships and Junior Olympic Qualifiers. Malcolm will continue to participate on the board as V.P., and continue to lead our events as Chief of Race. We thank him for all his service.

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Fall Update

October 02, 2011 4:11 PM | Anonymous

Hi everyone,

Here is an update for September -

Team Dryland continues on Sunday for the MHA Juniors. We had a great turnout last week for the introduction to strength training. Hopefully, most of you had the opportunity to incorporate some of the strength lifts into your school conditioning and sports programs. We will continue with another session of strength training this Sunday. Meet again at the Mt. Hood Athletic Club in Sandy at 12:30pm.

Mt. Hood Race Team J4/J5 Mitey Mites will begin Dryland this Sunday the 25^th. We will perform exercises and drills appropriate for young athletes, and play some field games. For this week, meet the coaches outside the Mt. Hood Athletic Club in Sandy by 12:30pm. We will move over to the Sandy High School track for most of our session. Be sure to wear workout clothes and running shoes, and bring a water bottle. Watch the weather and dress accordingly.

Dryland will continue on Sundays through October for Mitey Mites and Juniors. Beginning on October 2^nd all remaining dryland sessions will be at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham. We will meet each time at 12:00 noon at the college football stadium.

Equipment Night at Hillcrest Ski and Sport in Gresham is scheduled for next Thursday, September 29^th beginning at 5:00pm. Come meet the reps from most of the ski racing companies. Many of the coaches will also be on hand to help you and answer your questions. This is a good opportunity to purchase race equipment at greatly reduced prices.

The Mt Hood Alpine Racing Center in Parkdale will be holding its annual Equipment Day, 9:00am to 5:0pm, Saturday October 8^th. Company representatives from Head, Atomic, Blizzard, Tecnica, and Volkl will be on hand to assist with sizing and fitting of equipment. As always, the Alpine Racing Center will offer race pricing throughout the season. But for the best selection, earlier is always better. Also, all remaining 2010-2011 Shred helmets and goggles will be 50% -70% off suggested retail!

Be sure to check the website, www.mthoodacademy.com, if you missed the September newsletter. Also, check the website regularly for the latest team information and updates on team activities.

See you at dryland!

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Fall Newsletter

September 12, 2011 10:36 PM | Anonymous

Hi Ski Racing Families,

Summer vacation is over, the kids have returned to school, and we are enjoying the warmest week of the summer season. While the weather is great for bar-b-ques, picnics and summer outings, it’s strange to think about winter and ski racing! But the snowy season will be here before we know it and there are upcoming activities to help you prepare. Here is a quick list; more information will be available in the next couple weeks.

Fusion Passes, the ski passes for unlimited skiing at Skibowl and Timberline, are now on sale. Unless you earned an Elite Pass (Juniors can check at www.pnsa.org), this is the best deal for our racers and their families. Go to www.mthoodfusionpass.com to learn more and to order your passes. Be sure to order your by November 7^th before the price goes up, by almost $200!

2012 Team Information and registration for Mt. Hood Race Team and Mt. Hood Academy will be emailed to families and available on-line by early October. Be sure to register early so the coaches know who to expect for this coming season. Also, be sure to log on to www.mthoodacademy.com and update your family profile so you are receiving all the latest news and team updates.

Team Dryland will begin on Sunday, September 18^th for MHA Juniors (all J3s and older). We know many of you are involved in Fall sports, (and that’s great!) but we still want to see you at dryland. On the 18^th, meet at the Mt. Hood Athletic Club in Sandy by 12:30pm. Athletes will participate in a specialized “strength training for ski racing” session with Karen McCadam (who some of you know from CSRT); Karen is an experienced strength & conditioning coach. The session should be done around 2:30. The following Sunday, September 25^th, we are finalizing plans with a different guest for another session at Mt. Hood Athletic Club. (The total fee for these two sessions is $30.) Please RSVP if you plan to attend so we can properly plan with the athletic club.

Team dryland for J4/J5 Mitey Mites will begin the following Sunday, September 25th. This first dryland for MM’s will be at the Sandy High School track, so that we can coordinate with the session for Juniors. After that (beginning Oct 2), all regular dryland sessions for Mitey Mites and Juniors will meet at 12 noon each Sunday at Mt. Hood Community College’s football field. Please watch your email and the website; if any changes need to be made they will be announced in those formats. We’ll also make announcements at the prior week’s dryland.

Boot Fit Night at Hillcrest Ski and Sport will be Wednesday, September 21^st, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. Remember, your boots are the most important item of equipment you own, and they need to flex and fit properly. This session is for those racers who already have their boots for this coming season and need to have them checked for fit and adjustment. This is generally not necessary for young racers under 10 years. Important: you will not be able to purchase or order new equipment on this night, but you will be able to have new boots adjusted at the Equipment Night. See below...

Racer Equipment Night, Thursday, September 29, at Hillcrest Ski and Sport in Gresham: Company representatives from the major suppliers of competition equipment will be on hand to discuss product, size equipment and place orders at the best possible prices for our young athletes. Check out equipment from Atomic, Rossignol, Tecnica, Blizzard, Dynastar, Lange, Marker, Volkl, Nordica and Fischer, for both Junior and Mitey Mite racers. Come join your coaches at Hillcrest, between 5:00 and 9:00pm, to get answers to your equipment needs.

The PNSA Officials Clinic is scheduled for October 9^th in Portland. This clinic is a great opportunity for parents interested in learning more about ski racing, or getting more involved in their child’s sport. Our team always needs more parents certified as officials, and we encourage you to become a certified official, however, you are welcome to attend the clinic solely for your own education and sport knowledge. Go to www.pnsa.org to learn more about the clinic.

MHSEF Team Meeting and Potluck: Our Fall team meeting and potluck is scheduled for Sunday, October 23^rd. Please put this date on your calendar. This is an important meeting to learn about season plans, training and racing calendars, and to meet with the coaches. The team meeting also includes an equipment swap where outgrown equipment can be passed on to younger racers. The event begins at 3:00pm. Location and more details will be available early in October via email and at www.mthoodacademy.com.

That’s all for now! Enjoy the great weather. It sounds like September will be a warm, dry month.

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Last Weekend for Mitey Mites...

March 17, 2011 5:13 PM | Anonymous

Hi MHRT Families,

On Saturday MHRT is hosting the final Mitey Mite race of the season. The Spring Festival includes a 1-run Kombi in the morning, and a 2-run Dual GS in the afternoon. The Kombi will include tighter GS and SL sections all in one course, so the coaches recommend SL skis. Older racers will also want GS skis for the afternoon dual.

The races will take place on Dog Leg and Lower Bowl, with access from the Lower Bowl chair. Registration and check-in will be in the Outback Lodge (Skibowl West) beginning at 7:30am. Lifts open at 8:00am. Racers should look for the coaches at the start of the Kombi by 8:30am.

Many of our families are away this week on vacation, and we are missing several of our key race-day volunteers. Please offer to help if you are at the event. There are several times when you can volunteer; Friday night, race morning, and during the event. If you can provide some help at any time please contact Patty Lodmell. Anyone available Friday night should meet Bill at the Academy around 7:00pm. Race worker tickets and thank-you vouchers will be available at Registration; however, there will be no worker lunches. Please bring a sack lunch.

The Mitey Mite Spring Festival concludes the regular season for Mt. Hood Race Team. To those of you away this weekend we wish you a wonderful spring, and we’ll see you soon. And to those racing on Saturday we wish you good luck! Be sure to mark your calendar for the annual Awards Party, April 23^rd, and the May Day during the weekend of the 30^th. More info to follow.

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2011 Buddy Werner Championship Results

March 17, 2011 5:08 PM | Anonymous

Congratulations to the Mt. Hood Race Team for their performance at the 2011 Buddy Werner Championships!

Team Overall Results
Boys team - 2nd Place
Girls team - 9th Place
Combined - 7th Place

Top Individual Overall Results
Nathan Gunesch 2nd Place
Luke Musgrave 7th Place
Oriana Galasso 7th Place
Ashley Lodmel 10th Place

all results

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2011 Buddy Werner Championship Team

February 28, 2011 10:52 PM | Anonymous

Today's blustery Slalom race at Mt. Hood Meadows was the final event for this year's Buddy Werner team selection. The wind was brutal much of the time and the temperature was very cold, yet our young racers continued to push out of the start gate, and everyone one of them tried their best to ski fast! We are proud of all MHRT athletes!

Congratulations to the seven boys and seven girls who will represent Mt. Hood Race Team at the 2011 Buddy Werner Championship!

Boys Team: Cooper Lawhead, Jay Raitt, Luke Greenslade, Luke Musgrave, Nathan Gunesch, Wesley Georgiev and Zach Simmons.

Girls Team: Abby Grebisz, Anabela Splitstoser, Ashley Lodmell, Cailin Gahan, Graeson Fish, Oriana Galasso and Teagan Estell.

In two weeks this group of athletes will be competing in Slalom and Giant Slalom races as part of the BWC. This year's event will be hosted at Stevens Pass, WA. Good luck to all our BWC competitors!

And good luck to all MHRT racers as we move into the final month of the racing season!

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Ski-A-Thon 1/29/2011

January 15, 2011 9:35 PM | Anonymous

It’s time to get ready for the Ski-A-Thon Challenge, and start collecting pledges from family, friends and neighbors. We have some really cool prizes this year like iPods, gift cards and ski racing swag! FIS racers who are away that weekend can still collect pledges and have a substitute ski your laps (like mom or dad). Don’t worry; we won’t make them run courses!

Please see the attached info sheet and pledge sheet.

MHSEF Skiathon Challenge.pdf

Ski-A-Thon Challenge Sheet.pdf

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Holiday Week Information

December 22, 2010 9:01 PM | Anonymous

The final week before the holidays has come to an end, and our athletes and coaches have been very busy with training, travel and racing. The first month of winter kicked off a very exciting and successful start to the racing season, and the great snow conditions promise many good skiing and racing weeks ahead! It's cold on the mountain and more snow is in the forecast for the holidays!

Mt. Hood Race Team's training began with the J4/J5 Thanksgiving camp. We were fortunate to have great snow and already skiing at Mt. Hood Skibowl. We have had great participation during the early weeks, and there are many young racers in our Learn to Race program that should be joining the team. Even though some wet weather came to the mountain in mid-December, the kids have been enthusiastic and the training has been very good.

The J4/J5 early season camp in Canada was canceled due to a late opening at the Apex Mountain Resort. However, Rich, Bill and the athletes conducted a mini camp on Mt. Hood and enjoyed all the new snow and winter weather at Timberline. The camp was a great jump-start to the season!

Mt. Hood Academy / HEAT athletes and coaches have had a great start to the season. Fifteen athletes joined Roger and Jim for a successful early season training camp at Panorama, BC. After the camp, two athletes, Kirsten and Mac, stayed in Canada to compete at Lake Louise in NorAm speed events. It was rough, wild and fast, and they did a great job!

Many other MHA/HEAT athletes have also been competing. Austin, Danny and Max raced at Jackson Hole in 4 days of FIS racing. And Keree, Kirsten, Ali and Haley, along with Austin and Mac have returned to Canada for FIS SL and GS races. Many more MHA/HEAT athletes competed this weekend in the first PNSA event of the season, racing GS at Mt. Bachelor. There were many great results and several podiums, including Kyla Miller's win both days! Congratulations to all our Junior athletes and good luck at upcoming events!!

Finally, it is very exciting to report that Mt. Hood Academy successfully hosted a re- accreditation visit from the Northwest Accreditation Commission. The visiting team of school administrators was "very impressed with the quality of education" and the "creative balance of academics and athletics". Last week, the NWAC granted Mt. Hood Academy "full" academic accreditation! The re-accreditation process involved a year of self-study and evaluation. Congratulations to Mary and her teachers for a fantastic job!
The early season success of our students, athletes and our programs is very exciting.

Here is an update of the events and activities coming up during the holiday season.

Dec 20 – 26: No training - holiday break
The weather remains cold and snowy on the mountain. Have a great time skiing with family and friends during the holidays.

Dec 27 – 30: J4/5 MHRT Camp Holiday Camp
The Mitey Mites will train four days beginning Monday the 27th. The camp will focus on GS fundamentals and gate training. Training will begin each day at 9:00am, meeting outside the Multorpor Lodge. Be sure to check this website for any updates, or call the message phone after 6:00pm on Sunday; 503-272-0109.

MHRT J6 holiday camp will run for three days, Monday the 27th through the 29th. Meet the coaches each day at 9:00am outside the Multorpor Lodge.

Dec 27 – 29: The Learn to Race Holiday Camp
The Holiday camp will run Monday the 27th through the 29th. On Monday, please meet the coaches inside the Multorpor Lodge at 9:30am for a brief meeting. Be sure to have your lift ticket, be dressed to ski and ready to go out on the slopes. The following two days participants will meet their groups outside the lodge at 9:30am.

Dec 27 – 31: MHA/HEAT Holiday Camp
All Juniors will be training Monday through Friday after Christmas. The camp meeting
time is different than weekend training. Meet coaches at the Multorpor Lodge at 8:45am each morning, ready to ski. Look for additional updates via email, on the web site, or call the message phone for training plans.

Dec 28: MHRT Tuning Clinic
On Tuesday the 28th, MHRT will host a tuning clinic for Mt. Hood Race Team parents.
Meet at the Academy House at 3:00pm after training. The clinic should last about one hour. Experienced parents are encouraged to attend and share their expertise!

Dec 29: MHRT Annual Parents Meeting
After skiing on Wednesday (2:30pm), all Mt. Hood Race Team parents are encouraged to
gather upstairs in the Multorpor Lodge for a question and answer session with the coaches. This is a great time for new racing families to learn more about the sport and our team’s philosophy, and to ask questions of coaches and experienced parents.

Dec 30: Holiday Team Dinner
Everyone is invited to our Holiday Team Dinner, Thursday evening beginning at 5:00pm.
Dasa and Slava will again treat us to their Eastern European buffet of Schnitzel and Gulash. And the kids will enjoy a buffet of pizza and burgers. The food is excellent and the evening is a great time to meet other race team families and socialize with friends old and new. Our holiday hostess, Peggy O’Leary, has again offered to collect RSVPs and to coordinate with Dasa. Please email Peggy by the 28th to let her know your family will attend. The adult buffet is $15.00 and the child buffet is $7.50, including appropriate drinks.

Dec 31: MHSEF Holiday Team Race
Teams comprised of racers from across all the age groups will be competing on Friday
the 31st in our annual Holiday Team Race. This is a practice race and a fun race for all. Every team will be made up of Junior racers and Mitey Mite racers, with the Junior racers acting as team captains. Registration is at 8:30am in the Multorpor Lodge. The race will be a Giant Slalom on Mt. Hood Lane.

Jan 1 & 2: Happy New Year!
There will be no official training for MHRT on the weekend of New Year. MHA athletes
may train on Sunday, the 2nd, depending on conditions. The coaches will notify you during camp. Enjoy a fun and safe New Year celebration!

Upcoming races
MHA/Heat Juniors
NWC FIS GS/SG at Schweitzer; Jan 2 - 4
Winterstart SL at Meadows; Jan 8 & 9
Be sure to check the team's website and the PNSA website, www.pnsa.org, for event
information. The coaches will be providing travel and registration information during camp.

Thank you everyone for a wonderful start to the season! The MHSEF coaches and staff wish all a safe and joyous holiday season. Enjoy time with family and friends.

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