Varsity Girls Win Wednesday Night Slalom Race & Boys Capture Podium 2nd!
Despite the frigid cold temperatures, our alpine racers were ready to attack the fast and rock-hard course on Kamikaze at our last slalom conference race of the season against the other teams in our conference at Mountain Creek last night. After the junior varsity athletes finished their two runs, it was time for the varsity athletes to charge out of the start house.
Unfortunately, two of our girls did not finish their runs, which put us in a tough spot for a win. However, our dependable athletes, Ava Dyrsten and Kate Agudo, once again delivered team times, leading us to victory. Although last night's results had Sparta in second place, I contested the second run time posted for Ava Dyrsten knowing this was a mistake. Timing discrepancies and delays in final results are not uncommon in high school alpine racing, serving as a reminder of the importance of patience. Thankfully, they were able to review the timing records and declare Sparta girls the winner of the race with a team time of 6:33.72. Contributing to the win for Sparta was Captain Devon Dobbs (3rd), Ava Dyrsten (5th), Sunny Young (6th), and Kate Agudo (7th). Morristown Beard placed second with a team time of 6:43.13, and Northern Valley Demarest placed third with a team time of 7:55.22. The Sparta girls picked up three wins. When and if Livingston High School competes in a future race with three or more girls, we will secure another win.
The Varsity Boys Team had a strong night as well and secured a commendable second-place finish. For the third consecutive race, the same four athletes stepped up to secure team times, helping the boys clinch podium second with a time of 5:54.15. Ryan Grycuk finished 3rd, Patrick Fitzsimmons came in 6th, Captain George Flint placed 8th, and Finn Kowalski was 12th, all contributing to the team's success. These four boys have demonstrated remarkable consistency and dependability all season long. Delbarton took first place with a time of 5:38.23, while Wayne Hills finished third at 6:08.38. Overall, the Sparta boys team achieved 5 wins and 1 loss in this competition.
In the JV boys category, freshman Kyler Schwarz achieved an impressive third-place finish among a competitive field of 22 alpine racers.
This concludes our regular season slalom conference races. Next week, the Sparta Ski Team will focus on the speed discipline of giant slalom racing as we prepare for our first Varsity Giant Slalom Race scheduled for Wednesday, January 26th, at 5 PM at Mountain Creek, where we will once again compete against the other high school ski teams in our conference.
Here are the Team Standings after three conference league races:
Varsity Girls - 12 win - 1 loss 92.3% Win Percentage
Varsity Boys - 17 win - 2 loss 89.5% Win Percentage