Boys 4th & Girls 6th at 2024 Giant Slalom State Championship Race

The Sparta Boys' Ski Team showcased their growing strength and climbed from their season rankings to achieve a commendable 4th place at the 2024 Giant Slalom State Championships held at Mountain Creek on Saturday Feb 24th, 2024. While the Sparta Girls' Ski Team encountered obstacles that prevented us from maintaining our podium streak, resulting in a 6th place finish.

Boys' Varsity 4th Place

Sparta Boys Ski Team

Ranked 6th in the State, the Sparta boys' varsity ski team was eagerly anticipating the return of team Captain George Flint to boost our chances of making a push for the podium at States. The competition was expected to be intense, considering that most of the top boys' ski teams were from prestigious private schools with an abundance of experienced alpine racers. As expected, the private schools showcased their dominance on the podium, with Delbarton narrowly clinching victory over Pingry by recording a team time of 6:35.48. Pingry secured the second spot on the podium with a time of 6:35.76, while Don Bosco finished third with a time of 6:43.83. Despite the tough competition, the Sparta boys all delivered two strong runs, ultimately securing an admirable fourth-place overall finish with a team time of 7:07.87.

Leading the charge for the Sparta Boy's Ski Team was sophomore Ryan Grycuk, who finished in 13th place. Following closely behind Ryan were teammates George Flint in 17th place, Drew Young in 21st place, and Patrick Fitzsimmons in 36th place, each contributing to the team's success with their strong performances. The boys are determined to defend their esteemed title as public school state champions at the final slalom state race scheduled for Monday.

Girls' Varsity 6th Place

Girls Varsity Ski Team

As the 2024 GS State Championship ski race approached, the Sparta girls' team had their sights set on maintaining their impressive winning streak and securing a coveted spot on the podium. However, we faced several challenges as one of our top racers had recently suffered a concussion, and a few other team members were battling colds. Despite these setbacks, the team remained determined to ski strong with hopes for a successful outcome. After completing the first runs, the girls found themselves in a promising 3rd place, just seconds away from securing the 2nd place position. With consistent second runs, the girls would take the podium. Unfortunately, an early crash resulted in Sparta's number one racer being unable to finish the race. Undeterred, the rest of the girls' team gave it their all and went full throttle in their second runs. Despite the challenges they faced, the girls managed to deliver consistent, and in most cases even faster, second run times. Their determination and perseverance paid off as they achieved a solid 6th place overall finish at the GS State Championship Race.

Vernon High School emerged victorious in the race, remaining undefeated with an impressive team time of 7:02.27. Following closely behind, Blair Academy secured the second spot on the podium, clocking in at 7:26.39, while Immaculate Heart claimed the third position with a time of 7:36.41. The Sparta girls' team, which achieved an overall time of 7:50.03, was driven by the solid performances of four racers: Julia Smith, who finished 21st, Captain Devon Dobbs in 23rd place, Ava Dyrsten secured 27th place, and Sunny Young raced to 32nd place. Each racer's contribution was crucial in solidifying the team's respectable performance in the race.