Usually at this time of year, senior Sydney Reed is in the middle of her basketball season from her point guard position for the Dufur High School program.
Instead of dribbling, passing and shooting 3-pointers, Reed is equipped with skis, a helmet and goggles at the start of 2017.
Quite a different challenge, moving from a team sport to an individual sport.
She is excited and ready for this next phase, with her first meet of the season – at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 14, a slalom event at Meadows.
“I’m really excited and nervous for the race coming up,” Reed said. “I’m learning a lot and all I expect from these first couple races is to gain experience.”
Reed is just one of a handful of seniors hitting the slopes this season under head coach Dane Klindt.
Along with Reed, returning TD seniors Preston Klindt, Liam Brewer, Martin Carter and Robin Pashek are primed to end their high school careers on a high note.
At state last March, Brewer, Klindt, and Carter highlighted the Riverhawk boys’ team with a total time of 4:43.80 to claim 12th place out of 14 teams. “Team leaders Martin Carter (10th in league) and Preston Klindt (16th in state) have a real opportunity to be a force this year in the Mt. Hood League,” coach Klindt said. “Both had their moments of greatness last year, but I am confident that with a little more work, they can get their consistency back and have great senior years.”
While at districts last season, Pashek had the best times of her teammates with a 2:09.10 putting her in 21st place overall.
“Robin is a three-year veteran of the team with solid skills,” coach Klindt said.
The boys’ team has the top trio, but there is younger core that could open some eyes down the stretch.
Ethan Martin is already showing some promise, and freshman George Harrison brings some racing experience and will be an asset to the program. From South Wasco County, junior Matthew Gragg is making his return to the team, and the Dufur tandem of Cole Kortge and Louis Red Cloud, both sophomores, are showing some tremendous promise. At districts last season, Red Cloud had a two-run marker of 1:58.56, and Gragg also finished two turns to end up with a time of 2:29.85.
As a boys’ team, TD had four skiers finish in the top-21 for a combined time of five minutes and 26.86 seconds on Middle Fork at Mount Hood Meadows for districts to secure second place to qualify for the Oregon Interscholastic Ski Racing Association state championships. “Last year, only The Dalles boys’ team made it to state, and our team goal is for all of us to make it this year,” coach Klindt said. “With smaller teams in Dufur and Maupin, this could be a little harder, but I have a lot of confidence in our kids.”
Pashek, Emma Diede, Addie Klindt and Petra Van Kessel make up the returning Riverhawk girls, and Reed is the team’s lone newcomer. In their district tries last season, Van Kessel crossed the line in 2:19.79, Addie Klindt forged her way to 30th place after a 2:34.94. Diede comes back for her third year, with a legitimate chance to jump up in the standings and a possible berth into the state championships.
“Petra brings a great attitude, is very athletic and has tremendous potential and Addie is excited to work on her skills. She has tremendous potential,” Klindt said. “Sydney just started, but she is working hard and shows great skills.” Klindt takes over a highly-successful ski program that has churned out multiple state qualifiers, both male and female, so now the goal is to use his style and philosophy, matched those with assistant coaches Gabe Red Cloud and Joe Ferres, and get this program progressively building a perennial powerhouse over the next two decades, as retired Jeff Cordell did.
“Jeff committed a lot of time and energy to this program, and many kids and parents, including myself, are very grateful for his commitment to our community and this program,” Klindt said. “Jeff has worked with most of the kids on the team in the past and this has made my job easier.”
The Dalles has just started to scratch the surface in terms of districts and state accolades, and now with 14 hungry athletes, 10 kids from The Dalles, three from Dufur and one from South Wasco County, they all strive to be on the mountain religiously, learning how to ski faster.” Coach Klindt said that he wants to see the program grow even more in his time as coach.
Team and individual success will be the measuring stick for more potential athletes hopping on board the ski team wagon.
It is all about positive experiences, challenging themselves to get better and want more and having fun.
Reed knows there is a wealth of talent ready to break out.
“There are some individuals that are pretty good and I know they’ll go far,” Reed said.
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