STATES DAY 2: Ski season comes to an end with final giant slalom

The Cavs were one skier down at the Mount Shasta giant slalom on the second day of state competition, March 8.

“I made the executive decision not to race because I was sick and didn’t feel good,” Hernried said.

“I didn’t want to hurt myself.”

That turned out to be a good decision as the conditions were rough throughout the day.

“It was really snowy, and the visibility was super bad by the afternoon,” senior Amelia Fineberg said.

“The course was super torn-up,” freshman Ethan Hockridge said.

Consequently there was only one giant slalom race instead of two.

Hockridge placed 19th, and Procida followed closely behind placing 20th of 68 racers.

Procida was only two-tenths of a second behind Hockridge.

In women’s ski Fineberg placed 36th of 56.

Fineberg was very happy with her placing.

“The last time I skied in states I was disqualified in the first run,” Fineberg said.

The second run was cancelled because the course was deemed unsafe,  according to Fineberg.

Eleven girls crashed and were disqualified, along with three of the top male skiers.

“There were lots of people falling, and two girls were even taken out on a sled,” Hockridge said.

Along with a torn-up course, the weather conditions were challenging.

“It was freezing,” Fineberg said.

Like the first slalom race, on March 7, the snow conditions were good in the morning.

“The snow was firm in the morning leading to better runs,” Hockridge said.

“(Freshman) Luca (Procida) raced second, so the snow was good for him, but I raced 42nd,” he said.

“By then the course was pretty torn up.”

The course was particularly getting beat up because both both boys and girls were racing on the same one.

With the last giant slalom, the ski season is over.

Junior Aidan Cunningham will compete in the snowboarding division on Wednesday, March 9, at Mount Shasta.

(Check back later for a full season wrap-up including season results and coach’s comments.)

—By Jack Christian