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