The Pinedale High School

alpine ski team hit the slopes for its second

competition of the season on Jan. 18 and 19

at the Hogadon Basin Ski Area on Casper

Mountain. Skiers raced down a slalom course

twice on both Friday and Saturday. The times

for the two daily runs were combined to determine

the final place for each skier.

Despite variable weather conditions on the

mountain, Head Coach Rose Robertson was

pleased with the team’s results.

“Friday was calm and sunny at Casper’s

Hogadon Mountain,” she said. “Leading the

team was (junior) Megan Anspach, finishing

in 13th place for girls’ varsity and (junior)

Mitchell Pape who also finished 13th for

boys’ varsity. The team battled tough conditions

Saturday with upward of 40 mph wind

gusts. (Junior) Ryan Goodrich finished 11th

with Pape in 13th place for boys’ varsity in

the Giant Slalom. All racers finished both

days and are looking forward to the home

meet on Feb. 1 and 2.”

On Friday, Anspach placed 13th overall

in the girls’ varsity event with a combined

time of 1 minute, 57.97 seconds. Sophomore

Beam Pattanapitarn came in 25th place in

girls’ varsity with a total time of 2:38.23. Junior

Angelina Vitanza finished 26th overall

at 2:43.07.

Senior Hannah LaBuda placed 28th overall

with a total time of 2:45.89. Freshman Allison

Gregory rounded out the girls’ varsity competition

in 28th place overall with a total time

of 2:52.82.

Pape led the Sublette County pack in the

boys’ varsity event on Friday. He placed 13th

overall with a combined time of 1:56.14. Goodrich

placed 15th overall at 2:00.10. Junior

Jack Rellstab placed 16th with a total time of

2:01.18.

Nordic ski team competes

on Utah's Olympic course

PINEDALE  – Seven athletes on the

Pinedale Nordic ski team competed at the

junior national qualifiers at the Soldier

Hollow Course near Heber City, Utah.

Soldier Hollow was used to host crosscountry

ski events during the 2002 Salt

Lake City Winter Olympics. More than

600 of the best athletes from all over the

western United States participated in the

qualifiers.

On Friday, athletes competed in a series

of sprints to determine their starting place

in Saturday’s 4-kilometer, 5-kilometer

and demanding 10-kilometer classic races.

Nearly a hundred skiers lined up on the

starting line for Saturday’s races in what

Holly Thayne photo

Junior Stephen Essington makes his

way around the course at the Soldier

Hollow junior national qualifiers near

Heber City, Utah.

Sophomore Gavin Hornberger placed 18th

at 2:05.53. Sophomore Troy Later finished in

26th place at 2:56.40.

Sophomore Michael Vitanza competed in

the boys’ junior varsity race on Friday, finishing

in 17th at 2:37.07.

On Saturday, Anspach placed 20th overall

in the girls’ varsity race with a combined

time of 1:23.96. Pattanapitarn placed 26th at

1:33.91 and Angelina Vitanza finished 27th

in 1:35.88.

Gregory placed 28th at 1:36.60, while

LaBuda placed 29th at 1:43.10.

Goodrich moved up to 11th place overall in

the boys’ varsity race on Saturday with a total

time of 1:14.46. Pape placed 13th at 1:15.80.

Hornberger came in 19th place in 1:21.19.

Later finished in 20th place at 1:23.30.

Rellstab finished Saturday’s race in 22nd

place with a time of 1:25.82. Sophomore

Trent Lopez completed Saturday’s junior varsity

race in 15th place in 1:31.90. Michael

Vitanza placed 17th overall at 1:42.30.

The Wrangler alpine ski team will host a

home meet on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 1

and Feb. 2. The races are scheduled to start at

White Pine Ski Area at 10 a.m. n