After surviving four months of frigid temperatures, Homestead’s alpine varsity ski team season came to a close after the state meet which took place on Saturday, Feb. 14 through Monday, Feb. 16. The entire girls varsity team along with Jacob Heilmann, captain and senior, qualified for this highly competitive race held at Mt. LaCrosse.

Charlotte Doering, sophomore, and J. Heilmann placed individually at last week’s meet; Doering placed 23 out of 121, and Heilmann took 41 out of 119. Going against the 21 best teams in the state, the girls varsity team took home 11 place. “State was a lot of pressure because I was trying to qualify for nationals, but it was super fun!” Doering stated.

With seven total meets, the season was an overall success, with a myriad of personal victories and records across the board.

“This season was definitely a memorable one. From my recollection, the team has tended to be a much older oriented one, and this year’s younger team was a big change from that. The boys team struggled at the beginning of the season due to the lack of racing experience, but as the season progressed, a few new stars emerged and will be very important in the next upcoming years,” J. Heilmann said.

Having such a young team gives the program a long-term investment for growth and success; however, this senior class contributed a great deal to the team through both their athletic achievements and their attitude towards the team. “The leadership and friendship of the seniors will be missed,” Matt Heilmann, junior, stated.

Out of the seniors, Sarah Barr, Kathleen Sullivan and J. Heilmann completed their final season competing at the state level. “I’ve been lucky to qualify for state all four years, and one of the things I’ll miss most about high school is not only skiing itself, but the memories and friendships that ski team has given me,” Sullivan said.

“Sadly, we came close but not close enough to qualifying for state as a team this year, but the guys will definitely have a shot at qualifying next year. As for the girls, they have always been a powerhouse and won a lot of races this season. As a whole, I’m proud of the kids who came out, worked hard. It was a lot of fun, and I wish them all the best of luck next season,” J. Heilmann said.

The JV conference race is February 26 at Heiliger Huegel Ski Club. Stay tuned for details about the upcoming skiing events.