SHS ski team fields record numbers

This year’s Sisters High School ski team will field the largest number of racers in Outlaw history. Twenty-seven racers are out for the sport; 14 girls and 13 boys. Head Coach Gabe Chladek and Assistant Coach Rima Givot are excited about the upcoming season as they start their fifth year as the ski team coaches.

Sisters ski teams will compete in the newly revitalized Emerald League of the Oregon Interscholastic Ski Racing Association this season. The league is made up of schools from Eugene, Albany, Corvallis, Philomath, Redmond, Prineville, and Sisters. The number of students participating in high school ski racing has grown in the past few years and necessitated the reformation of the league.

The fastest six racers from each gender will comprise the varsity teams for each race. Points are awarded based on finish order and contribute to a team score, as well as individually. Points accumulate throughout the season to determine league champions and which teams/individuals will go on to the state championships.

Several strong, experienced skiers return to the girls team, including seniors Hollie Lewis, Piper Adelt, Sasha Stolasz; junior Annie Cohen; and sophomores Araiya Grummer, Charlotte Seymour, and Presley Adelt. The boys team also return veteran skiers including juniors Bella Chladek, Corbin Fredland, Brody Dewey, and sophomore Ryan Goff.

Many new racers have joined the team and will bring depth and talent to the squad. New additions include six freshmen girls; Ella Eby, Tallis Grummer, Kiara Martin, Ava Riehle, Mae Roth, and Lauren Sitz. The boys team will add junior Gus Patton, and freshmen John Berg, Emerson Backus, Keegan Kroytz, Stepan Myagkov, Cooper Merrill, Kellen Petke, Spencer Tisdel, and Jack Turpen.

“We have a lot of racers on the girls and boys side with a history of club and high school racing,” said Chladek. “This is bringing a high level of technical proficiency to the team. This combined with a lot of passion for the sport from the individual athletes is coming together to make a strong team.”

Both the boys and girls teams field a lot of previous race and skiing experience and should be very competitive this season. Chladek is expecting many of the racers to cycle through varsity and junior varsity positions this year. This year’s Sisters team is stacked with talented skiers and Chladek expects both the girls and boys teams will go on to the state championships.

Dry land training began early in November and as soon as there’s snow on the mountain, the ski team will train two days a week on the hill. The race season will begin after winter break and will end with the state championships the first week of March.

The race schedule will be available on the Sisters High School Athletic Calendar once race dates are finalized, which is estimated to be in about one week. High school ski racing is a volunteer-run effort and the league is looking for extra volunteers to help as race officials and gatekeepers. If anyone is interested in volunteering, contact Chladek at

[email protected]

Chladek said, “With the size of the team and the depth of talent in this year’s racers, I’m really excited to see how far this team can go. However, our highest priority as coaches is to see the team develop a strong sense of community and have a fun season skiing

together.”