Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…
Members of the Oxford-Brandon ski team are patiently counting the days until the 2004 competition season begins on January 8 again Flint Powers.
“We should have a very good season this year,” said coach Ed Haley. “My girl’s team is very strong and the boys are shaping up as well.”
The combined schools team ended last season with the boys wrapping up 8-1 and the girls 7-2 overall. The team goals for this year are to ski hard and win meets. Haley said he hopes both teams will improve upon last year and take league, and even expects the girls to make a drive for state.
“It’s simple – I plan on the athletes having a lot of fun this year,” he added.
However, that will require a good deal of hard work with four graduated seniors and only six returning members. Haley said he lost a lot of good skiers, but plans to look at this year as an opportunity to build some new strength.
“We have a lot of diversity this year with a good spread between ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth graders on both teams,” he added. “We’re in the process of building because I lost a lot of seniors last year, but things should play out well.”
As of November 17, the team took a slightly different approach to training, emphasizing more pre-season work with rollerblades.
“It’s similar to skiing in many ways and emphasizes the same types of pressure, balance and stance needed to maintain a fast speed on the slopes,” said Haley.
The team will also be relying heavily on captains Tim Smith, Brandon; Grace Aucherlonie, Oxford; and Lauren Bayliss, Brandon. Haley said that last season Smith reach his goal of placing in the league.
The Oxford-Brandon ski team will hit the slopes against Powers after the New Year on Jan. 8 at 4 p.m. After that, the skiers face off against Carman Ainsworth on Jan. 12.