Alpine skiers take third at Mt. Bachelor

The Sisters High School alpine ski team posted their best results of the season in the Summit Carnival slalom ski races on Mt. Bachelor on January 28.

The Sisters boys team took third place, led by junior racer Dillon Witt and sophomore Kyle Wattenburg. The Bend and Summit teams took first and second with Sisters beating the teams from Redmond, Mt. View and Lakeview. The Sisters team continues to show a promising return to the competitive levels in the Central Oregon league, posting its best team races in two years.

The racers enjoyed sunny skies, calm weather and excellent snow conditions, racing two runs on the slalom course on Ed's Garden. In a field of 40 racers, Dillon Witt achieved a personal-best ninth-place finish at 1:45:39 followed by Kyle Wattenburg in 12th place at 1:47:48; freshman racers Yasha Saldi, 21st place at 2:08:64; and Wayde Pratt, 27th place at 2:22:44. The racers on the Sisters girls team, Meghan Connolly and Laurel Earhart, also recorded their best races of the season.

The Sisters alpine team competes in the Central Oregon league of the Oregon School Ski Association (OSSA). While the Sisters boys and girls team has grown to eight racers, they still compete against larger and more experienced teams from Bend and Summit, each fielding teams between 20-30 members.

This was the third race of the season for the alpine ski team. On January 7, the team raced in a giant slalom race followed by a slalom race on January 14. Witt and Wattenburg led the Sisters boys team in the early season races, competing closely with Redmond to hold third place in the league standings. Both of the early season races were held on the I-5 run due to marginal snow conditions.

"The Sisters team has many young racers, but they have competed well and continue to improve each week," said Coach Greg Ausman. "The camaraderie of the team is great. From our experienced racers to those in their second year of skiing, they really encourage and support each other and have a lot of fun."

The ski club receives tremendous support toward equipment and lift tickets, thanks to a very supportive community and ski industry. Middle school and high school students interested in the alpine race team can contact Greg Ausman, race director at Hoodoo. The ski team has a giant slalom race this Saturday at Mt. Bachelor as they work toward the OSSA championship races in early March.