{"id":2453189,"date":"2020-01-13T22:48:00","date_gmt":"2020-01-14T05:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/colberts-prep-playbook-aspen-high-school-ski-season-is-underway-nordic-teams-off-to-hot-start\/"},"modified":"2020-01-13T22:48:00","modified_gmt":"2020-01-14T05:48:00","slug":"colberts-prep-playbook-ahs-ski-season-underway-nordic-teams-off-to-hot-start","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/colberts-prep-playbook-ahs-ski-season-underway-nordic-teams-off-to-hot-start\/","title":{"rendered":"Colbert\u2019s Prep Playbook: AHS ski season underway, Nordic teams off to hot start"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.4930362116992\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-319065-93\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/prepcolumn-atd-011420-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/prepcolumn-atd-011420-1-1024x696.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Ryan Casey\/CHSAANow.com | A skier competes in the 2019 state skiing championships.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-2\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7\">\n<p><strong>A skier competes in the 2019 state skiing championships.<\/strong><br \/>Ryan Casey\/CHSAANow.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/prepcolumn-atd-011420-1-1024x696.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"A skier competes in the 2019 state skiing championships.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/prepcolumn-atd-011420-1-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/prepcolumn-atd-011420-1-1-1024x768.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Courtesy | The Aspen High School boys ski team won the 2019 state championship.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-2\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7\">\n<p><strong>The Aspen High School boys ski team won the 2019 state championship.<\/strong><br \/>Courtesy<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/prepcolumn-atd-011420-1-1-1024x768.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"The Aspen High School boys ski team won the 2019 state championship.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/prepcolumn-atd-011420-1-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/prepcolumn-atd-011420-1-2-681x1024.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Anna Stonehouse\/The Aspen Times | Aspen Times sports editor Austin Colbert\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-2\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7\">\n<p><strong>Aspen Times sports editor Austin Colbert<\/strong><br \/>Anna Stonehouse\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/prepcolumn-atd-011420-1-2-681x1024.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Aspen Times sports editor Austin Colbert\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/prepcolumn-atd-011420-1-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/prepcolumn-atd-011420-1-3.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Courtesy | Aspen High School\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-2\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7\">\n<p><strong>Aspen High School<\/strong><br \/>Courtesy<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/prepcolumn-atd-011420-1-3.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Aspen High School\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/prepcolumn-atd-011420-1-4-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/prepcolumn-atd-011420-1-4.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Courtesy | Basalt High School\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-2\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7\">\n<p><strong>Basalt High School<\/strong><br \/>Courtesy<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/prepcolumn-atd-011420-1-4.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Basalt High School\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/prepcolumn-atd-011420-5-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/prepcolumn-atd-011420-5-1024x683.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Courtesy | The 2020 Aspen High School Nordic ski team\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-2\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7\">\n<p><strong>The 2020 Aspen High School Nordic ski team<\/strong><br \/>Courtesy<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/prepcolumn-atd-011420-5-1024x683.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"The 2020 Aspen High School Nordic ski team\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/sports\/colberts-prep-playbook-aspen-high-school-ski-season-is-underway-nordic-teams-off-to-hot-start\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/sports\/colberts-prep-playbook-aspen-high-school-ski-season-is-underway-nordic-teams-off-to-hot-start\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText DropCap\">The ski season is finally here. No, I\u2019m not talking about your personal quest for that 100-day pin \u2014 Monday was my 35th day, if you\u2019re keeping track \u2014 but the start of the competitive high school season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The Aspen High School alpine and Nordic ski teams both got on course for the first time over the weekend, the initial step toward another run at the state championship. The AHS boys are the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/sports\/aspen-high-boys-ski-team-wins-state-championship\/\">two-time defending state champs<\/a>, while the girls were runner up a year ago after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/aspen-high-ski-team-sweeps-boys-and-girls-state-championships\/\">winning it all in 2018<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">First, let\u2019s talk about Nordic. AHS opened its season Saturday at a 5K classic mass start at Spring Gulch, an event hosted by Carbondale\u2019s Colorado Rocky Mountain School with help from the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club. The Skiers swept both the boys and girls team titles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">In the boys race, Aspen\u2019s Taiga Moore finished second in 17 minutes, 58.6 seconds to lead his team. Steamboat\u2019s Sumner Cotton won, finishing about 11 seconds ahead of Moore. Aspen\u2019s Noah Wheeless was fourth and Anders Weiss was seventh.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The girls race was won by CRMS\u2019s Kate Oldham, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/sports\/kate-oldham-given-avscs-biggest-award-at-end-of-season-banquet-friday-at-buttermilk\/\">an AVSC product<\/a>. Aspen\u2019s Elsie Weiss was second in 21:16.5, roughly 50 seconds behind Oldham. Aspen\u2019s Eva McDonough finished fifth, Emma Barsness seventh \u2014 she was the runner-up at state last winter \u2014 and Jordan Miner 10th for four in the top 10.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt was a perfect day for classic ski racing and I am proud to see so many of our skiers qualify for states this early in the season,\u201d AHS Nordic coach Travis Moore wrote in an email. \u201cThere was a lot of positive energy within the team and it was contagious.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Now, for alpine. Aspen competed in a giant slalom on Friday at Beaver Creek, with the boys finishing second as a team and the girls coming in third. Battle Mountain won both the boys and girls titles at Beaver Creek.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The highlight was AHS freshman Samantha Edelman, who won the girls race with a two-run combined time of 2:20.57 to win by a full second over Battle Mountain\u2019s Berit Frischholz. The only other top 10 finisher for the AHS girls was Edie Sherlock, who was eighth. Four others finished in the top 20.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The AHS boys had nine finish in the top 13, including five in the top eight. Junior James Kelly led the way by finishing third, while Thomas Morris was fourth, Max Godomsky fifth and Connor Stephen sixth. Battle Mountain\u2019s Jakub Pecinka and Xander Armistead finished 1-2, respectively.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The Skiers are looking to add to an already impressive history. The AHS boys ski team has won nine state titles, tied with Durango for second most all time. Summit\u2019s 18 championships lead the way. The AHS girls have won eight state titles, second most behind Summit\u2019s 21.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Aspen does have some big ski boots to fill this season, including those of Levyn Thomas, last year\u2019s girls giant slalom state champion, and Everett Olson, last year\u2019s boys Nordic skate champion and classic runner up. The team also graduated Nordic standout Colt Whitley and alpine standout Trey Thorpe, who was runner up last year in both GS and slalom.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Next up, the AHS alpine team heads to Loveland on Friday for another GS. The first slalom is Jan. 24 at Copper Mountain. The Skiers host their lone home event, a GS at Aspen Highlands, on Feb. 6.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The AHS Nordic team is off this week before next competing Jan. 25 at Lake County. Their home races are Feb. 8 on the trails near AVSC and the high school.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The state championship is Feb. 27 and 28 and will be hosted by both Battle Mountain and Vail Mountain School. The alpine events will be held at Beaver Creek, while the Nordic events take place at Maloit Park near Minturn. Battle Mountain High School in Edwards will host the awards banquet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Tagline\"><a href=\"mailto:acolbert@aspentimes.com\">acolbert@aspentimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/sports\/colberts-prep-playbook-aspen-high-school-ski-season-is-underway-nordic-teams-off-to-hot-start\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A skier competes in the 2019 state skiing championships.Ryan Casey\/CHSAANow.com The Aspen High School boys ski team won the 2019 state championship.Courtesy Aspen Times sports editor Austin ColbertAnna Stonehouse\/The Aspen Times Aspen High SchoolCourtesy Basalt High SchoolCourtesy The 2020 Aspen High School Nordic ski teamCourtesy Show CaptionsHide Captions The ski season is finally here. No, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2453189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-18 21:00:22","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2453189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2453189"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2453189\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2453189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2453189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2453189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}