The Cody Alpine Ski teams are off to hot starts in 2021 as both teams have placed in the top three at each event they’ve entered in, thus far this season. While a shortened season, just three events so far this year the downhill skiers have shown tremendous improvement on the slopes. With just two more races on the docket before the State meet I caught up with head coach Rick Stonehouse to talk about the season up to this point.
“We’re just having a really good year and we’re just pleased with our kids across the board. Our younger kids are stepping up, our older kids are doing what they’re supposed to do. I think, given tha fact that we’ve had really good training in Red Lodge and Sleeping Giant this year, that’s been a real bonus for us. I think our attitude is just positive and everybody’s excited and we’re just happy to be here, happy to keep our races going.”
Coach Stonehouse goes on to speak more to the success of this years squad. He says there are blessed with a talented group but also adds to the fact that many have come up through the proper system.
“You might have a lot of great free skiers but they need to be in the gates, they need to be racing and so, when you see the kids that have had the repetitions and the different times on snow, where they’re actually competing, that really pays off by the time they get to high school. We also are just blessed with a really good group right now and it’s seniors through freshmen. They’re learning from each other, they’re pushing each other. We have some really strong athletes right now. It’s just a really nice blend: good attitudes and great parent support.”
With a race at Pinedale scheduled for this weekend followed by Casper next weekend that features two completely different courses coach goes on to bullet point some of the things he wants to see from the team before they hit State.
“What we want to do now is find that fine line between kids like our seniors who are really pushing it, which is what you want. We’re challenging them to be aggressive and just to get after it and go but it doesn’t mean anything if you can’t get two runs in. So you also have to be consistent. I think all we can ask for is, as time goes by, is to try and find that fine line where our guys are charging it and competing and being aggressive but at the same time we got to have that consistency”
The Alpine Ski team has a great mix of veteran and youth on the roster that continues to push each other to be the best they can be and coach says it’s about staying consistent down the final stretch.
“I don’t think there’s any new magic we’re going to try or anything crazy we’re going to throw at them. We just feel like, if our guys are doing what they’re capable of and they add the consistency, then who knows. The girls are the same way. Like I said, last year I think that was kind of a surprise and now it’s not so much a surprise. We’re solid and we’re consistent and we’re just going to do what we do and we’ll kind of see how things shake out in a couple of weeks.”
The Cody Alpine ski teams will be taking part in the Pinedale Invite this weekend. The following weekend they’re back in Casper before heading to Jackson Hole for the State Meet. For my full in depth 1-on-1 interview with Rick Stonehouse check out our website.
