Outlaw skiers compete in state championships

The Outlaws Alpine Ski Team raced in the Oregon High School State Championships held at the Hoodoo Ski area Wednesday through Thursday, March 1-3. Despite a lot of new soft snow, which can be problematic for ski racing, the event came off as a big success.

Coach Gabe Chladek told The Nugget that throughout the entire event he heard nothing but positive comments and thank-yous from the teams that traveled from out of town. Wednesday was set aside for teams to train and warm up while the race-course crew set up the venue for the following two days of racing.

On Thursday the boys team, including Bela Chladek, Corbin Fredland, Styopa Myagkov, Brody Duey, Gus Patton, and Spencer Tisdel, raced in a slalom event. The Outlaws got off to a rough start with Chladek and Fredland both missing gates and disqualifying on their first runs. However, the team score was saved on that run by teammates Myagkov, Duey, and Patton all bringing in qualifying times.

Chladek took second place on run two of the slalom run in the afternoon, and teammates Fredland and Myagkov also brought in good times to boost the score for the day. The Outlaws came in 10th out of 21.

The following day, the boys raced in the giant slalom (GS) where they fared a bit better. Chladek, Fredland, and Myagkov placed well on both runs and were supported by their teammates Duey, Patton, and Tisdel for a third-place spot on the podium in the GS event.

Coach Chladek told The Nugget that although the team had some technical issues with the rough snow conditions everyone on the team pushed themselves for the best outcome and the teamwork resulted in a pretty good finish for the Outlaws.

Chladek said, “When I reflect on the entire season what strikes me the most was the camaraderie, sense of community and cooperation that this team exhibited this year. Two of our seniors, Fredland and Chladek, are considering continuing on with ski racing in college and FIS (Federation International Ski) and experience at a state meet like this adds to their perspective going into their next stage of ski racing.”

On the girls side, racers included Tallis Grummer, Presley Adelt, Ella Eby, Charlotte Seymour, Becca Clausen and Ava Riehle. The team competed in the giant slalom on Thursday and the slalom on Friday against over 100 of Oregon’s top alpine ski racers.

Thursday’s conditions were less than ideal, but the hard work of the Lady Outlaws skiers paid off as they finished strong on Red Valley’s GS course. Grummer held the 11th spot after the first run and finished 23rd overall after her arm caught a gate and slowed her down on the second run. Clausen finished 27th, and Eby took 38th. The trio’s combined times resulted in a fourth-place team finish, less than five seconds behind Jesuit, who took third. Other individual results were: Seymour (53rd place), and Riehle (64th).

Friday’s weather and conditions improved for the girls slalom race. Adelt completed two consistent and clean runs to lead the Lady Outlaws with a 21st-place finish. Eby placed 34th, and Seymour came in at 43rd. Grummer and Clausen both ran into difficulties on the second run and were unable to finish. Times for Adelt, Grummer, Eby, and Seymour gave the girls a sixth-place team finish in the slalom.

Two Outlaw racers, Eby (26th) and Seymour (37th), placed in the girls individual combined, finishing both runs in the slalom and giant slalom races. The depth of the Lady Outlaws’ finishes across both disciplines resulted in a fourth-place finish for the girls combined team standings, once again just behind Jesuit, who took third.

Girls coach Natalie Grummer said, “Our girls team continues to improve, and I am confident the depth of experience and grit these girls bring to competition will only be strengthened by the solid performances we saw at this year’s state meet.

“We are looking ahead to next year as we have a growing bench of very talented athletes with more years to ski race,” added Grummer. “I see great things in the future as they are incredibly supportive of one another and push themselves to reach higher levels. I expect we will continue to develop several top contenders at both the Emerald League and state competitions. Five of our six girls have qualified for the State Championship races each year they have been on the team, and all five will be back in 2024!”

Coach Chladek expressed thanks to all the parents and volunteers who helped put on every race and helped to make the Outlaws’ season a success. He added a special thank-you to Hoodoo Ski Area for supporting the Emerald League and the State Championships this year.