Blacktail Ski Team medals at Whitefish

Blacktail’s Alpine race team took to the slopes last weekend for Flathead Valley Ski Foundation’s YSL races at Whitefish Mountain Resort. This two-day Giant Slalom event hosted over 139 youth skiers ages 6 to 15. These young skiers raced under all weather with sunshine, snow and rain, continually changing the conditions of the course.

First-time racer Audrey Metzler exhibited her mastery of the slopes to stand on the podium with first place wins in both races of each day. She competed in the youngest women’s group, U8, for ages 6 and 7.

Fellow Blacktail teammates Keegan Stringer, U10 for ages 8 and 9, earned eighth place medals for both days of races, with Hailey Fennell skiing well to place in the women’s 12- and 13-year-old division.

Camas Rinehart attacked the GS course and scored second- and third-place medals in the men’s competitive U10 bracket for ages 10 and 11. Also competing in the U10, Rayce Neill earned medals for fourth- and sixth-place finishes.

Of the men’s U14 division, Dawson Rinehart skied well on the first day for a ninth position, then, not to be outdone by his younger brother, hit the slopes hard on Sunday to move up to the podium with a second-place finish.

Blacktail teammate L.J. Stringer skied well to place in the first day’s races, with a crash taking him out the second day. Blacktail’s Sheldon Woldstad earned his place on the podium with a second-place medal for Saturday’s GS, followed with a first-place win in Sunday’s fast men’s U16 group.

The Blacktail Ski Team would like to thank their sponsors: Karl Tyler Chevrolet, Eisinger Motors, Rocky Mountain Contactors, Laredo Oil, First Interstate Bank and Sportsman.