Alpine Skiing

Blackwater Slalom, 2/22/12— The VA Alpine Team traveled back to the Blackwater Ski Area on Wednesday for the Lakes Region Slalom Championships. In this weird winter filled with very little snow and above average temperatures, it seemed only fitting that our final race of the season felt like it was being held in late April. The late-spring climate made for inconsistent snow conditions throughout the course, but the racers from VA brought out some of their best performances of the season.         

On the boys’ side, Andrew Brown (’13) finished fourth, just behind several racers he has been battling with all season. Andrew raced very well all season, and we look forward to his contributions next year.   

On the girls’ side, Leyte McNealus (’14) finished third and earned yet another medal for her accomplishments. As a sophomore, Leyte has proven to be a force to be reckoned with in future seasons. There’s no question that she will turn her bronze and silver into gold in the next two years. Maretta Sonn (’12) closed out her VA alpine career with a solid day of slalom racing. Maretta has been a positive member of the team over the last three seasons; we will miss her leadership and enthusiasm greatly next year.    

Congratulations to the girls’ team on their 3rd place finish in the Lakes Region Slalom Championships.                

Sunapee Giant Slalom, 1/25/12—The VA Alpine Team returned to Mount Sunapee this past Wednesday for our second GS of the season.  The course was longer and a bit more challenging this time around, but luckily the team also had more training time to call upon.  That said, several of our racers struggled with the icy conditions.  

Mike Davis (’15) was the standout for the boys’ team managing to improve his time from his first run to his second.  Mike has made major strides over the past few weeks, and he continues to get better.  

For the girls, So Mang Han (’14) stood out as the top performer.  She finished fourth overall, one spot higher than where she finished in the last GS.  Leyte McNealus (’14) struggled on her first run, but she recovered nicely and managed to finish thirteenth overall.       

The girls’ team finished third in the team standings.  The boys finished fifth.

Blackwater Slalom, 1/18/12—The VA Alpine team sharpened up their slalom skis this past Wednesday for a very icy race at Proctor Academy’s Blackwater Ski Area. Snow conditions were far from ideal, and the temperature was perhaps the coldest we’ve skied in this season. Nevertheless, VA’s racers battled the elements and had another successful day.  

On the boys’ side, Andrew Brown (’13) once again had a strong outing finishing second overall. This was one spot up from last week’s third place finish. Mike Davis (’15) showed great improvement from last week by finishing in the middle of the pack.

On the girls’ side, Leyte McNealus (’14) finished second overall. Leyte missed our first race due to sickness, but this past Wednesday she proved to be very beneficial to the girls’ squad. Maretta Sonn (’12) and Ellie van der Vord (’14) also had a good day finishing right beside each other in the standings—eleventh and twelfth places respectively.  

The girls’ team finished third in the team standings.  The boys finished fifth.      

Sunapee Giant Slalom, 1/11/12—The VA Alpine Team traveled to Mount Sunapee this past Wednesday for our first GS of the season. Though the team’s training time in gates started late and has been limited due to lack of snow, it was a promising first outing. There were solid individual performances on both the boys’ and girls’ teams. For the boys, Andrew Brown (‘13) finished third overall. He was less than a tenth of a second behind second place and not much further behind first. For the girls, So Mang Han (’14) finished fifth overall. Returning racer Maretta Sonn (‘12) also had a good day finishing in fourteenth. Newcomers Mike Davis (‘15) and Marta Blazquez-Garcia (’14) demonstrated promise for their first ever alpine race. They look to improve as the season progresses.           

The girls’ team finished fourth in the team standing. The boys finished sixth.