The Alpine Skiing team competed in the conference race Wednesday at Buck Hill against Academy of Holy Angels, Blake, Breck, DeLaSalle, Minnehaha Academy, Westonka, Mounds Park Academy, and Providence Academy. Both the boys and girls teams found success, placing third overall.

Alpine skiing is a unique sport, as it allows two races to happen simultaneously: one course for girls and another for boys. Set up side by side, the courses enable spectators to watch both races at the same time, a feature unique to alpine skiing. Racers are scored based on the time it takes to reach the bottom of the hill, typically ranging from 20 seconds to two minutes. Each skier completes two runs, and their times are added together to determine their final score.

The team begins warming up about an hour before the race. Thirty minutes before the start, they “slip” the course, skiing through it to familiarize themselves with the layout. Sophomore Juliette Smith shared her pre-race routine. “I like to stretch and take a few runs,” Smith said, explaining how this helps her prepare mentally and physically for her race.

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Audrey Jansen

CHEER. Seniors Mia Collins and Alba Markowitz Mulet cheer on their teammates after they race.

Captain Mia Collins outlined race day preparation. “First, we go to the chalet and get all of our stuff on. Then we go outside and do a slip run to inspect the course. We usually come back inside for a bit before heading out for the two runs,” Collins said. Skiers’ two runs provide a chance for redemption if mistakes are made in the first.

Points earned by a skier correlate directly with their individual placement: first place earns 99 points, second earns 98, and so on.

Senior Caden Burns dominated the boys competition with times of 19.73 and 19.81 seconds, securing first place and 99 points for the team. His brother, Liam Burns, followed closely with times of 20.93 and 20.76 seconds, earning second place and 98 points.

On the girls side, eighth-grader Sophia Wenberg placed second overall with times of 22.75 and 23.41 seconds, contributing 98 points to the team. Ninth-grader Sophia Ferrer also delivered a strong performance, placing ninth overall with times of 24.49 and 24.41 seconds, adding 91 points to the girls total.

The girls team scored 481 points, earning third place overall, while the boys team scored 470 points, and also finished third.

Alpine’s next meet is Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 4 p.m. Come out and support the alpine athletes!