Aside from the Nordic girls team, rebuilding — or, perhaps, reloading — is the order of business for Summit High School, which will try to defend its boys and girls state skiing championships.
“We had a lot of graduating seniors,” said fourth-year alpine coach David Ellena, whose teams posted the highest scores in slalom and giant slalom in both divisions en route to a 2008 title sweep. “This year we’re really young, but this is the biggest turnout we’ve had since I’ve been here.”
Senior Meigan Canfield (10th in slalom, 14th in GS) is the lone returning Summit alpine skier who finished higher than 20th in either event at state.
In nordic, the Summit boys are void of placers in either classic or freestyle. The Tiger girls do have three top-18 placers in the classic race: Julia Hayes, Bailey Jefferson and Heidi Gruber.
Other coaches aren’t feeling sorry for Summit.
“They have one of the biggest squads and they’ve integrated club racers with high school racers as well, if not better, than anyone,” Vail Mountain alpine coach Ross Sappenfield said. “They’re still going to have quite a few experienced skiers.”
Steamboat Springs (third in both boys and girls in 2008) and Aspen (fourth in boys, second in girls) are two perennially strong programs with the depth to challenge Summit.
Skiing
TEAMS TO WATCH
1. Summit
2. Steamboat Springs
3. Aspen
4. Vail Mountain
5. Nederland
ALPINE BOYS
Hunter Block, Summit, Sr.; Andrew Cryer, Evergreen, Sr.; Davey DeChant, Battle Mountain, Sr.; Mark Dennis, Steamboat Springs, Jr.; David Graebel, Evergreen, Jr.; Danny Graebel, Evergreen, So.; Clay Lupear, Nederland, So.; Ben Paley, Steamboat Springs, Sr.; Matthias Krainz, Summit, Jr.; Zachary Ziolkowski, Battle Mountain, So.
ALPINE GIRLS
Elaine Bailey, Nederland, Jr.; Hanna Bergland, Steamboat Springs, Sr.; Meigan Canfield, Summit, Sr.; Mariah Colton, Nederland, Sr.; Sarah Dixson, Steamboat Springs, Sr.; Jamie Gay, Steamboat Springs, Sr.; Heidi Gordon, Evergreen, So.; Annie Talbot, Battle Mountain, So.; Katie Ryan, Aspen, So; Keeli Zigich, Evergreen, Sr.
NORDIC BOYS
Ben Armstrong, Aspen, Sr.; Rob Fitz, Vail Mountain, Sr.; Jasper Gantick, Steamboat Springs, Sr.; Bryce Gordon, Aspen, Sr.; Whit Parker, Aspen, Sr.; Tony Ryerson, Vail Mountain, Sr.; Connor Wallace, Battle Mountain, Sr.; Sean Woods, Vail Mountain, Sr.
NORDIC GIRLS
Heidi Gruber, Summit, So.; Julia Hayes, Summit, So.; Bailey Jefferson, Summit, Jr.; Jessica Linder, Vail Christian, Sr.; Brittany Marrs, Aspen, Sr.; Liza Stout, Steamboat Springs, So.; Lauren Zdechlik, Vail Mountain, So.; Lindsey Wilkinson, Aspen, Sr.
