Outlaws alpine skiers face rough conditions

The Alpine ski team participated in a slalom race on the I-5 run at Mt. Bachelor on Saturday, January 27. Conditions were more wintry than the skiers have seen this season; snow fell heavily at times, and skiers also had to deal with strong winds.

Evan Palmer was the Outlaws' top performer. Palmer skied two very consistent runs, and finished 17th in the combined, and scored 25 points for the team.

After strangling a gate on his first run, George Chladek recorded a 14th-place finish on his second run and scored 18 points for the team. Kincaid Smeltzer finished in the top 30 and scored two team points.

Ian Cash (freshman) skied his first high school race.

Coach Gabe Chladek said, "Ian did a great job pushing himself. He crashed out on his first run, but recorded a respectable finish on his second run."

John Banks was disqualified for a missed gate on his first run, but came back and finished his second run in 55th place.

The combined finish order is as follows: Evan Palmer (17th), Kincaid Smeltzer (24th), George Chladek (47th), Christopher Lundgren (49th), and Corbin Johnson (61st).

On the girls' side, Skylar Wilkins finished 36th in the combined, which Chladek stated was a very respectable finish for a freshman with her experience.

"If Skylar continues with the steady improvement she has been showing, she'll start scoring points for the girls in the future," said Chladek.

Holland Hartman finished 35th on her first run, but didn't ski in the second run.

Chladek said, "Some of our racers struggled with fogging goggles, and deeper ruts than we have been racing on in the past."

The Outlaws will head to Mt. Bachelor on Saturday, February 3, for another Slalom race.