This week, Ranger Ski faced off against a variety of opponents at Caberfae in a showdown for regionals. The ski team competed at its highest level yet, led by senior Ben Taylor qualifying for states. The team knew the stakes and performed very well.

One of the top performances was seen by Taylor, securing 12th place in the men’s slalom race with a dominating 52.99 second combined run time. This outstanding run secured him a spot in the upcoming state race. Behind him on the men’s slalom was junior Thomas Carano with a time of 57.21 seconds, which put him in 24th place. Mickey Mehney was close behind in 26th with a combined time of 57.83 seconds.

The women’s ski team showed its talent at Caberfae, with Lucy McLean taking 28th place in the women’s slalom with a time of just over 1 minute. Backing her up was Kiera Kemppainen with a 1 minute and 5.13 second time that secured her 36th. Lilly Harsevoort backed her up by taking 39th with 1 minute and 8.01 seconds. The placements led the girls to secure ninth overall in the meet.

The all-around supportive and hard-working mentalities of the ski team are what have propelled the excellence demonstrated at Caberfae. Each member of the team has shown significant growth in both skill and teamwork. One member specifically, Ben Taylor, has gone above and beyond by securing a place at states. According to him, he couldn’t have done it without his teammates.

“They were all very supportive and cheering me on, which was very motivating,” Ben said.

Be sure to make it out to see the Ranger ski team’s next meet at Cannonsburg on Tuesday, February 22.