Winter is off to a mild start, but in one month the skiers of Lake Orion High School are hoping for improved weather conditions as they take back to the slopes of Pine Knob.
Head Coach Derek Deltzer is feeling confident about his teams this year and said both boys and girls show potential.
‘Our boys are so hungry that I don’t think they will even miss a beat,? said Deltzer. ‘Our girls lost a state champion skier this year, but the girls that are left are the ones who work hard and are still here. They just love to ski, so I’m really interested to see how they stack up. I think we will be a quiet contender this year.?
Leading the boys will be senior Dalton Stetsko, because ‘simply put, he’s a leader who knows when to speak and speaks for the right reasons.? Aside from Stetsko, Deltzer said it would be hard to pick out any individual boy who will shine and said whoever ‘has their day? will help win their matches. The new racers are coming up quickly and show potential, making it even harder for Deltzer to point to who will lead his team during the season.
The girls are led by junior Alex Bergquist who has dedicated herself to becoming a better skier and has the personality to put everyone else in front of herself. They will rely on the seniors to step up, in particular returners Agatha Pawlikowski and Paige Sullens.
Overall, the team has 24 returners and Deltzer said the strength of his team is coming back for the 2012-13 season.
‘Finding some snow is going to be tough, but the dynamic of the team is very nice,? he said. ‘It’s going to be a very fun season. The difficulty right now will be, with the boys and girls progressing like they are, picking who will race.?
The first race is on January 4, when the Dragons will face some of the State’s top teams in the Marquette Invitational. Lake Orion will be the only team from southeast Michigan.