A Sweet Valentine's Day
Varsity Ski Teams Win Final Conference Race With Stacked Times!
State Championships Here We Come!
Achieving victory in ski team races hinges on producing four closely grouped individual finish times; when these times are consecutively ranked within the top ten, success is virtually assured. Bravo Spartans. Keep pushing and shining bright! 🔥👏
Our Spartan racers experienced their most successful season in over two decades. From our very first race, both the boys' and girls' varsity ski teams have consistently earned podium finishes. In a thrilling conclusion to our conference league races last Friday night, both varsity ski teams achieved first-place victories. This was the first race this season that both ski teams won on the same night, creating a memorable occasion. This success not only highlights our hard work but also sets the stage for an exciting competition at the 2025 NJ State Championships at Mountain Creek over two days, featuring ten of the state's top high school racing teams in the slalom and giant slalom events. At the race, we honored our five senior athletes Captain George Flint, Captain Devon Dobbs, Brynne Cashion, Ava Dyrsten, and Aubrey Zimmermann for being a part of our ski team for four wonderful years. Thank You Seniors!
Over the past few years, our league has expanded to 28 high school teams, increasing the competition for podium finishes. This year, our boys' ski team excelled and concluded the regular season ranked 2nd in the state with a 92.7% win percentage, boasting 38 wins and 3 losses, while the girls' team also shined and ranked 3rd with a 90.9% win percentage, achieving 30 wins and 3 losses.
The boys' varsity ski team secured victory with a team time of 6:15.21, finishing 10.6 seconds ahead of second-place Delbarton and 34.17 seconds faster than Wayne Hills. A special commendation goes to our four outstanding athletes who have consistently contributed to the team time in every race this season, marking a historic achievement. Congratulations to Junior Ryan Grycuk, Freshman Finn Kowalski, Junior Pat Fitzsimmons, and Senior & Captain George Flint for their outstanding contributions, as the boys finished in second through fifth places, respectively. The boys team picked up 6 wins for the race.
Our girls' varsity ski team achieved an impressive first-place finish as well, with a team time of 6:50.00, an impressive 33.21 seconds ahead of second-place team Morristown Beard and 56.82 seconds ahead of third-place Northern Valley Demarest. Sparta's strong performance was a result of back-to-back racer times from team Captain Devon Dobbs, Sunny Young, Aubrey Zimmermann and Maddie Gambino, finishing third through sixth respectively. The girls team picked up 4 wins for the race.
2025 NJISRA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS:
With our strong performances throughout the season, both varsity ski teams are feeling confident and ready to take on the challenges ahead. We are determined to give it our all and aim for a spot on the podium at the upcoming NJISRA state Championships at Mountain Creek on Sun Feb 23 and Mon Feb 24th.
The nine high school race teams with the highest winning percentages in the league at the end of the regular season qualify to compete at the State Championships, while the tenth team will be determined by the winner of the Petro Championship Race this Friday, Feb. 21st. If any classification—large public, small public, or non-public—lacks representation, an additional team will be included, selected from the top finisher in the Petro Championship from that specific group.
Here are the nine teams that have qualified to compete at the 2025 State Championships:
Boys Varsity: Don Bosco, Sparta, Ridge, Delbarton, Pingry, Tenafly, Wayne Hills, Pope John and Blair Academy
Girls Varsity: Ridgewood, Blair, Sparta, Ridge, Morristown Beard, Bernards, Vernon, Tenafly and Pope John
JV STATE CHAMPIONSHIP:
Cheer on the Sparta JV Ski Team—Alek, Matt, Jeffrey, Hudson, Ben, Brynne, Jocelyn, Annie, and Nuri—at the JV Giant Slalom Championship Race today, February 19th, at Mountain Creek, starting at 5 PM.
Here Are The Final 2025 Season Statistics:
Varsity Girls Ranked 3rd - 30 win - 3 loss 90.9% Win Percentage
Varsity Boys Ranked 2nd - 38 win - 3 loss 92.7 Win Percentage