With Old Man Winter acting more like his old self, Clarkston’s ski teams hope the days of rescheduled and cancelled meets are behind them ? good thing as the postseason is here.
‘We’ll have good racing this week,? Clarkston Coach Mike Foyteck said. ‘Having colder temperatures and firm snow is a benefit to everybody.?
Foyteck did say that with the heavy moisture composing the recent snow fall, the hills would still need a couple of days to be in good race shape.
But snow is snow and both the boys and girls slalom runs in the MHSAA divisionals at Pine Knob on Feb. 7 finished too late for this edition of The Clarkston News.
The giant slalom segment of the divisionals is set to begin around 4:15 p.m. at Pine Knob on Feb. 8.
‘We’re really starting to groove now. Even though this is the first day since early December we’ve really been able to practice,? said Foyteck on Feb. 6.
While the recent snowfall should make for good skiing at the divisionals and on Feb. 13 for the OAA Championship meet at Pine Knob, the flakes did not arrive in time to salvage the giant slalom segment of Clarkston’s final dual meet of the season against Lake Orion.
‘For safety issues we called it a one event race,? Foyteck said.
The cancellation worked out fine for the girls team who dispatched the Dragons in the slalom on Feb. 1 to finish 9-0 on the year.
The boys team though tied Lake Orion 18-18 and lost the tie breaker, sullying their otherwise perfect record and finishing the season 8-1.
The boys do not have long to wait for revenge as Foyteck regards Lake Orion, along with Cranbrook and Waterford United, as their biggest competition at divisionals.
Despite their loss, Clarkston’s boys team is right at the top of the state rankings alongside the girls. In the Feb. 6 Coaches Association poll, the Wolves girls team is ranked No.2 behind Marquette. The boys team is ranked No.3 in the state behind No.1 Marquette and No.2 Traverse City West.