After journeying into the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the girls’ ski team was ready to compete. Despite the team being small in numbers, the girls made their mark at the state championships on February 14 at Cranmore Ski Area in Conway, New Hampshire. Although teams competing at the meet could bring up to six skiers, Hollis Brookline only had four female athletes competing. 

Annette Schlunk ‘24, a junior and the current oldest member of the team, admitted that injury and a large class of graduating seniors on the team last year contributed to only four skiers competing from Hollis Brookline instead of the allotted six. Nevertheless, the girls placed fifth out of the eleven teams at the meet. 

“[It was a] fun race…weather was good, it was really sunny,” said Schlunk. The team usually practices at Crotched Ski Area in Bennington, New Hampshire, so racing at Cranmore Ski Area posed some unexpected challenges. “The gates were so much heavier than the ones we practiced with…so they kept pushing my poles back,” said Schlunk.

 There are two events athletes compete in when ski racing: slalom and giant slalom (GS). “I came in thirteenth for slalom, and GS…I came in nineteenth but the thirteenth was a good win,” said Schlunk. 

While Schlunk prefers racing GS, sophomore Addy Dougherty prefers slalom. Dougherty, who has been ski racing since she was five, also raced at states, along with freshman Jenna O’Connor  and sophomore Miranda Bergeron. 

Caroline Crawford ‘26, a freshman on the team, was not able to race at the state meet because of an injury she sustained at ski practice. She suffered a fractured cheek bone, keeping her off the slopes. “I was really upset about not being able to actually ski because it was kinda like the final race, but it was fun to be there and support everyone…We had a good time, like, all together as a team,” said Crawford.

 Despite this disappointing setback in her freshman year on the team, Crawford plans to continue to ski for Hollis Brookline in future seasons. 

Regardless of the challenges this season brought on, the team is happy with their performance and hopeful about the future of the team.