Both the boys and girls ski teams finished middle of the pack in the Regional meet at Mt. Holly on Feb. 13. Out of 14 teams the boys placed sixth and the girls placed seventh out of 13 teams.
‘Overall, both the Boys and Girls skied really well this season,? said Coach Phil Nimmo. ‘The Girls finished with a dual record of 2-2, and accomplished their preseason goal of qualifying for the SEMSL (Southeastern Michigan Ski League) Championships.?
Nimmo said the only 2 losses were to the State Qualifying Fenton/Linden girls and Grand Blanc (who only missed qualifying by 6 points). The Girls finished third in the Mt. Holly Division. The girls finished off their season at the SEMSL Championships Tuesday night.
‘And for most of the Girls it will cap off their high school skiing career,? he noted.
As for the boys, Nimmo said they also had a great season finishing with a 3-1 dual meet record with the only loss being to Grand Blanc and took second place in the Mt. Holly division. Like the girls, the boys finished their season at the SEMSL Championship,, hoping to defend their title as champs last year.
‘They have worked really hard all season, and have made huge improvements in their skiing technique,? added Nimmo. ‘The Boys will be able to make a run for the State Finals next year without graduating any varsity skiers this season.?
As for Individuals advancing in the state finals, Lars Joergen-Kokate will represent Oxford/Holly in both the slalom and the giant slalom. Nimmo said Joergens-Kakate ‘skied phenomenally? at regionals.
He jumped from 12th place to sixth in the slalom by skiing the fourth fastest second run and qualified for State Finals. In the GS Lars? goal was to ski the first run clean to get in the mix and pick it up on the second, which is exactly what he did,? Nimmo said. ‘He had the fastest second run by .06 seconds and ended up Regional GS Champion.?
‘His skiing technique is really smooth, which is key to winning down state since we don’t have the steep hills like up north.? added Nimmo. ‘Standing at the top of the Regional podium as a sophomore is very impressive, especially in our very competitive Region.?
Joergens-Kokate will compete against the best in the state at Boyne Mountain on Feb. 25