Outlaws skiers medal at State

Outlaws skiers braved the wind and rain for their final races of the season at the Oregon School Ski Association 2016 State Championships at Mt. Bachelor last weekend. Giant Slalom was on Friday, Slalom on Saturday.

Typically the courses are set to challenge the racers skills, and are more demanding than the season races. The Giant Slalom race consisted of the entire length of the Cliffhanger run. Senior Betsy Ausman skied very aggressively on both runs, placing her 11th in the state finals. Senior Cammi Benson had a close call on her second run, but made an impressive recovery and managed to place 17th.

"Both girls worked hard this year on becoming the best racers they could be," said Coach Greg Ausman. "Their improvement was very visible and I could not be more proud."

Saturday was the grueling Slalom race for the Outlaws. The length was almost as long as a GS course, and consisted of 64 gates. Many racers did not complete the course. Cammi Benson placed 12th, and Betsy Ausman placed 13th in the seniors' final high school race.

"This was by far the longest slalom course of the year," said Coach Kelly Davis-Martin, who watched from the finish arena. "The last 10 gates were the most difficult, but both girls skied strong through the finish line. I could tell they were exhausted."

The capstone awards for the season are the overall season placings. Cammi Benson brought home the ninth-place medal in the Giant Slalom, and Betsy Ausman captured the 10th-place medal in Slalom.

State qualifiers Holland Hartman, Sam Lewis, Lachlan Wood and John Banks also competed in Friday and Saturday's races, helping bring both the men's and women's teams to a seventh-place finish out of 13 teams from across the

state.

This weekend was Coach Greg Ausman's final race as a coach for the Sisters High School Alpine Team.

"I am so grateful I had the opportunity to be coached by Greg for the past four years. His leadership and sportsmanship made a huge difference in my life," said senior Cammi Benson.

Coach Ausman is leaving a 30-year coaching legacy behind him as he passes off the reins to Coach Kelly Davis-Martin for next year's alpine ski teams.