Lake Orion skiers seek gold on the slopes

The Lake Orion boys ski team is competing next week for a state championship.
The boys qualified seven skiers for the event, which takes place at Boyne on February 25.
The skiers compete in individual and team scoring and the fact that the Dragons have seven boys in the finals gives the team a good shot.
The bad news is that the Dragons will have to go up against defending state champion Clarkston. The Wolves defeated Lake Orion in regional competition at Mt. Holly recently.
But, Lake Orion beat Clarkston in regular season competition so the squads are evenly matched.
‘A lot has to go right for us to win but we have a great team and we’ve had a great season,? said Coach Derek Delzer.
The Dragons finished the season at a perfect 9-0 in the Pine Knob Division. Included in those victories were wins against Clarkston, Cranbrook, Andover, Rochester and others. In high school, skiers compete in slalom and giant slalom events.
The Dragons are led by senior captain Dalton Stesko. Other skiers who qualified for the state meet and helped lead the Dragons to their perfect league record are; Logan Stesko, Nick Klaus, Sean Brady, Greg Thelen, and juniors Justin Klaus and Justin Pauliscak.
Delzer said he hopes the team’s early season trip to Northern Michigan where the team practiced and competed on the larger slopes, helps his Dragons at Boyne.
‘The training on larger hills really helped us this season,? Delzer said. ‘We have a great team.?