This past weekend, Ashland High School Grizzlies appeared on the slopes of Mt. Hood. The state skiing qualifiers were Alexandra Frol, Maya Terry-Shindelman, Megan Ganim, Maddy Chaves, Madelyn Getzoff, Leah Wessler and Alek Bishop. There were 110 girls participating and a total of 120 boys. The athletes ventured onto the fresh snow which had accumulated to about 8 inches over Friday night. The slopes continued to receive a light sprinkling of snow throughout the Giant Slalom race. The second day there was fresh snow and the slopes were groomed. Since the sun came out early, the softened snow caused huge ruts to appear by the 50th racer. The girls first Slalom course was set up by Gary King, the AHS head ski coach. The skiers had been training hard all season for this moment to come, and when the weather did not cooperate at Mount Ashland, dry land training got the athletes in shape.
Maddy Chaves unfortunately disqualified in the slalom because she straddled a gate but she would have gotten 8th place and in the GS she snuck in with a time of 02:00.69, placing herself seventh. Megan Ganim fell in the GS and got 54th place with a time of 02:27.94, fortunately in the Slalom course she snatched 10th place with a time of 01:43.84. Alex Frol, running as an alternate, was greeted with a cheering crowd as she flew through the finish line with a time of 02:43.50 in the Slalom. In the GS she placed 72th. Finally, the only Ashland boy, senior Alek Bishop, competed with ferocity against all of his opponents in the Slalom and pulled through, placing 11th with a time of 01:35.08.
Coach King was content with the season results and the effort that all of the skiers put out this season. “Not once did I ever see one of my athletes give up, they kept going strong until the end,” stated Gary King, the outstanding Ashland ski coach. Overall it was a successful competition and the Grizzlies returned home with heads held high.
Giant Slalom (GS) :
Maya Terry-Shindelman- 45th 02:20.67
Madelyn Getzoff- 59th 02:32.83
Leah Wessler (Alternate)- 02:43.50
Slalom (SL):
Madelyn Getzoff- 43th 02:05.31
Maya Terry-Shindelman- 49th 02:09.90
Leah Wessler- 70th 02:29.31
